COUPLES PORTRAIT & INTIMATE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Offering an intentional photography experience so you can preserve what truly matters in life

BASED IN LOS ANGELES // SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

For most couples, booking a photographer isn’t just about the photos — it’s about trust and shared values

My role isn’t to pose you like models or force moments that feel performative just to get the shot — it’s to create a comfortable environment where you can fully immerse yourselves in an intentional experience that naturally brings out your emotional connection.

We’ll plan a location and activity that makes sense to you as a couple, not because it’s trending on social media. Set you up in the best backdrop and lighting. Offer gentle guidance that fits your comfort level. Give you space to be present and enjoy your time together without interrupting the moment.

It’s the way you honor and connect with each other that makes life memorable and meaningful. Aesthetics are important, but how the experience and photos makes you feel is what truly matters. That’s what I value the most, and I hope you feel the same way too ❤︎

Love stories photographed in the beautiful outdoors, guided by natural light and quiet intimacy

“We really wanted our photos to be organic and feel like ‘us’ - and she more than delivered!”

Erika was such a delight to work with for both our proposal and engagement shoots! She immediately put my partner and I to ease - making us laugh, giving suggestions for poses, and reviewing captured shots with us in real-time so we could get a sneak peek. When it comes to capturing natural, tender moments, she is a real pro. She went above and beyond to be creative, find different angles, and do whatever it took to get the right shot. Truly the engagement photos of my dreams 🥹🥹

We couldn’t recommend Erika enough!!

— Alina + Eric

A Note From The Artist

As someone who grew up with divorced parents, I have a deep admiration for couples who build their relationship with intention. Now that I found my own partner I’m committing to have a meaningful life with, it fills me with so much warmth and hope whenever I witness other couples experiencing the same thing in their own unique way.

That’s why an appreciation and awe for love is something I’ll always try to express through my art. Being invited into your world together to help preserve a special moment in your life is something I will never take for granted — it’s an honor that continues to heal and ground me in my own belief for love ❤︎

How my photography experience differs from other photographers:

Intentional
Planning

Create a personalized experience that has all the right details and will naturally excite you because it feels “like us”

Emotional
Safety

Take the time to learn about your story, dynamic, and vision as a couple so you feel cared and supported, and the images reflect that

Gentle
Guidance

Help set the scene by describing the imagery we’re capturing so you never feel awkward or lost — and know when to step away when something meaningful is happening

Heirloom
Focus

Create artistic images with photo books and prints in mind — a balance of scenery, emotion, and details to remember forever

Steady
Presence

Remain calm, attentive, and adaptive by communicating clearly and problem-solving as needed — no matter how the day unfolds

Why printing photos matter

This is my way of helping your photos exist beyond hard drives and Instagram feeds, so you can bring it into the space where it matters most: your home ♥︎

No need to worry about spending time you don’t have, or not knowing where to go for high quality print. Everything is streamlined so all you have to do is pick your favorites from your online gallery, approve the draft of your custom design, and it’ll be shipped to you in about 4 weeks!

  • A beautifully crafted 7x7 photo book printed on premium, matte paper. Custom designed by me to tell the story of your session/wedding in a way that feels honest, intimate, and timeless.

    • Thick, unbending pages that lie flat when open

    • Matte + 100% recycled paper

    • Premium, foil-stamped linen cover for strong durability and high quality feel

    • Personalized foil stamping on cover and/or spine to make it uniquely yours

    • Small size fits on any shelf or surface in your home

    • Foil color options: gold, silver, copper

    • Fabric color options: see reference

    • More pages available for additional cost

    • Bigger book size available for additional cost

  • Your personalized photo book will be carefully crafted and delivered to you in approximately 4 weeks. Sometimes production times may vary depending on the manufacturer’s schedule.

    Complimentary ground shipping is always included, and if you’d like your book to arrive sooner, I’m happy to arrange expedited delivery for you at an additional cost.

  • Because each photo book is custom-designed and crafted just for you, all sales are final. You’ll receive a design draft before printing to review and approve, so you can double check if the layout and selected images feel right for you!

    Every book is shipped to me first so I can personally quality-check it before sending it to you. In the rare event your book arrives damaged or defective, please let me know right away so I can send a replacement to you.

    Once the design is approved and sent to print, I’m unable to make additional changes or offer refunds. But please know that every step of the process is handled with care and attention so your book arrives beautifully made and ready to be cherished!

Next Steps

  • Please review my package details carefully and take the time to look over my portfolio and about page to make sure my personality + values + offers is aligned with what you’re looking for.

  • You can inquire through the contact form or email (hello@aokierika.com).

    Please share the date you’re looking to hire me and for what occasion, everything else doesn’t need to be finalized yet.

    If I’m not available on the day you’re looking to hire me for or if I think another photographer will be a better fit, I’m more than happy to share my recommendations!

  • If I’m available for the date(s) you need, we’ll schedule a call to get to know each other more. This is the time to share more details of your story as a couple, your vision with the photos, and if we all feel comfortable we’ll move forward with the contract + deposit (25% for retainer fee).

    This is where we see if our personalities and communication styles match. No hard feelings if we realize it won’t work out! It’s just like many first dates, it happens all the time, and the most important thing is for you to find your perfect photographer.

    I would just really appreciate if we can communicate that instead of ghosting (:

  • Once we’re comfortable with each other and the overall vision, we’ll switch to email or schedule a coffee meet up to finalize details + logistics. I prefer in-person coffee meet ups because we get to connect better and feel more comfortable before the shoot, but it’s not mandatory.

    I do want to mention that the more comfortable we are with each other, the easier it is to work together! I’ll do my best to make sure you both feel at ease in a short amount of time, but through personal experience, building rapport before works best.

    I offer free consultation If you need feedback/research for looks, props, activities, potential 2nd location, etc. This is a special occasion where I think it’s worth splurging if you have the budget for it, but I also want to make sure you have a great experience without the financial stress.

    For weddings, I offer timeline planning so we can make sure you’re not spending too much time away from celebrating with your guests and have breathing room so you’re not feeling rushed. I’m happy to share what worked/what didn’t work for my clients so you have references!

    A week before the shoot/wedding I will text you to check in to make sure we’re all good to go!

  • I usually arrive about 30 min - 1 hour before to scope out the location and get any landscape shots that will enhance the overall gallery. This allows me to mentally simulate how we’re going to flow from one scene to the next. That doesn’t mean we must do it this way though; I just like to have some direction so we don’t get lost, but I’m all for being spontaneous too!

    I’ll direct + guide as needed, and make sure to encourage + hype you two up so you feel comfortable and safe to express yourselves! You can be as serious or goofy as you want and I’ll match that energy with you (:

    I want to reassure that there will always be open communication and consideration of YOUR experience. If something doesn’t feel right, please tell me. If you have an idea you want try out but not sure if it’ll work, don’t hesitate to share it so we can experiment with it.

    I will always try to honor your wishes and desires to the best of my ability. Collaboration is key to creating photos that you’ll love, so this is something I take very seriously!

  • Portrait sessions and event photos are sent within 2 weeks, while weddings are sent within 1 month.

    I’ve heard tons of stories how often wedding photographers forget to communicate in a timely manner during this part of the process… That is absolutely unacceptable and I would never leave you hanging and wondering if/when you’ll receive your photos back. You can reach me anytime on my cell number or business email and I will respond to you within 24 hours, no excuses.

    After requesting any re-edits within 30 days of delivery and finalizing all the photos you love, I’ll send you a rough draft of the design for your photo book if it’s included or you decide to add it to your package. Once you approve, I’ll send it to production and you should receive it in about 4 weeks.

    Please download your gallery within 1 year of final delivery and ask for any additional photos or re-edits within 90 days of receiving them. After that I can’t guarantee that I’ll have all the RAW photos.

  • I would love a short and sweet review from you after everything is delivered! I’m always looking to improve my service and work, so I would love any honest feedback about your experience and the final gallery of the photos and/or photo book.

    Please feel free to either text it or email it to me. No worries if you don’t have the time or capacity to, any recommendations to your loved ones is also greatly appreciated!

  • Here are some of my hopes and wishes with how they’ll be part of your home:

    • A dedicated memory book - Something physical you can hold and flip through for anniversaries, date nights, and showing them to your loved ones whenever they visit. If you decide to have kids, this would be perfect to show them when they’re older (‘:

    • A gift for parents or grandparents- Surprise them with a new addition to their family photo collection.

    • Framed art for your home - Turn your favorite photo into a custom piece of artwork so you can hang it where you’ll see it daily as a reminder of your love.

    Anything wedding-related:

    • Wedding invitations & website - Engagement photos are perfect for adding a personal touch.

    • Guest book for your wedding- Display your photos in a custom guest book where loved ones can leave messages beside images that truly reflect your relationship. Couples have shared that you’re more likely to actually go through it to reminiscence than a regular guest book!

    • Decor for the welcome table or events - Use framed prints or mini albums to for your wedding, engagement party, or other celebrations.

    I hope it sparks countless moments of joy + appreciation with each other and loved ones ❤︎

Want to know what working together feels like?

Iconic Locations in Southern California

Here is a Google Map with all of my favorite shoot locations and date spots for your reference ♥︎

Love Letters From Clients

“The whole process felt really collaborative and I felt like she sincerely cared about us, our ideas, and wishes for how the evening would go.”

Throughout the whole night they were so professional and created a really positive experience for guests and my husband and I. It's not always easy getting your photo taken but they made it really easy and felt like close friends. I really trusted her. - Sierra + Robert

“You made a photo-awkward couple feel 1000% comfortable to be themselves and forget that the photoshoot was even happening.”

We couldn't be happier with the entire photoshoot process from beginning to end! And the final photos! You really captured our energy, our happiness, and our love for each other. - Cristina + Kevin

GET IN TOUCH

All pricing available on my packages page.

No pressure to have everything figured out!
Any small or big ideas you have are more than enough to start.

From there I’ll offer gentle guidance to create an intentional and personalized photography experience, so you can feel reassured that your important photos will be taken with care.

Looking forward to hearing from you ❤︎⁠

日本語でも対応出来ますので、ご連絡お待ちしております。

HELLO@AOKIERIKA.COM