SAE Photo Film - Mill Valley, California

Van Nguyen

Sam is truly a talented photographer and I am so glad I found her to photograph our wedding day because now we have these gorgeous photos to memorialize our day.
She made the whole process of planning before the day and even guiding us during the day so smooth.
Months before the wedding she had met with us and really wanted to get to know us as a couple which I think further helped her capture what she knew would be important to us during the wedding: certain moments of just us together but also moments with our loved ones.
Leading up to the day she was still very communicative with any questions we had and even helped us plan out our timeline; not just to get ideal photos but to also help the day run smoothly.
During the wedding day she helped me feel so at ease and honestly quite stress free! She even had the great idea of pulling us aside at the perfect time to capture some beautiful photographs together during golden hour.
In the end once the photos were delivered I could not be more happy with everything. They were so high quality and gorgeous. And what I loved the most was how she was able to capture the moments in a way that showed how much joy there was that day (everyone including us looked like they were having so much fun!)
I am so glad I went with Sam and I can guarantee that anyone who chooses her to photograph their special day will not regret it!

Mayara Podavini Beers

We cannot recommend SAE enough. The first time I met Samantha was for our engagement pictures, and she took the time to speak with us before the shoot to get a sense of what we were looking for, providing advice on what to wear.

She became a personal friend and was the one who helped me choose my makeup and hair for my big day. She is a kind and sensitive person with a creative mind, and her improvisational skills are amazing.

We definitely used her services again for our wedding day, and what an awesome duo! Not only were Samantha and Fernando a pleasure to have with us on our wedding day, but the photos they took are incredible and captured our day perfectly. I could not be happier with the end result, and we would happily recommend them to anyone. Thank you, Samantha and Fernando, for making our day so special and giving us amazing photos to remember our day with for years to come.

Isabella White

Sam and Fernando were a blast to work with. They were professional and so kind throughout the whole process, helping us with all of our many questions. Even though Fernando ended up being unable to come, a second shooter named Stephane stepped in and killed it. Sam and Fernando went overtime on zoom calls to talk about volleyball and engagement shoot venues and we always had such an easy time communicating through their custom email system. We chose the package that includes an engagement shoot and were so happy we did. Our engagement shoot was such a blast, Fernando and Sam got the most beautiful natural photos of us, and we couldn't have been happier with that experience. But then came time to plan the wedding and when we said we wanted to go to the downtown between the ceremony and reception to get Urban style photos, Sam said I GOT YOU, made it happen, and came through with the most beautiful photos we could have ever dreamed up. The urban photos are some of our favorite photos of the entire wedding day! When we were taking a newlywed photos Sam and Stephane took off their shoes and got in the creek to get the shots! (They even stopped on the way to our Airbnb where our first look would be to pick up a couple of clear umbrellas for us as it was drizzling and they ended up saving the day and making the most dreamy photos I didn't even know I needed!) They went above and beyond every step of the way and where our favorite vendor by far. I can't recommend SAE photo film enough!!! WE LOVE YOU SAM!!!

Adrina Rider

Samantha and Fernando did the photography and video for our SF City Hall elopement in July. I am so happy we decided to book with them! Their communication was impeccable both day of, and leading up to the wedding. Sam even provided some vendor recommendations when we had an issue come up that caused some last minute changes to our schedule. We had so much fun shooting with them. Her and Fernando did a spectacular job and we are so so happy with the results. I would definitely recommend them for your big day. 10/10 Stars ⭐️

Christina Polyanko (Bavilacqua)

Where do I begin? Samantha and Fernando were absolutely the best photographs we could have hoped for on our special day! We got married in Pleasanton on a beautiful, golden evening at a winery. From the day I met Sam through Zoom during our consultation to the very last moment we spent together on the wedding day, I felt like I had known them forever. They are a husband/wife duo and it worked out great having Fernando take photos of my husband when he was getting ready and Sam spent time with the ladies, just like they were our friends! Her style is classic, warm, and moody. They captured our favorite moments and we were crying when we got to see the sneak peek photos. (I recommend paying extra for the sneak peeks! So worth it.) They were flexible, communicative, and had the best sense of humor! I can’t say enough good things! We will treasure our photos forever.

Carol-Anne Pugliese

I cannot say enough about how amazing both Sam and Fernando were! I appreciated Sam's communication, she was proactive in reaching out throughout the process and sending great checklists and reminders which was so great as I didn't have a planner, just a day-of coordinator. I felt comfortable with Sam and Fernando right away, and they did such a wonderful job of capturing special candid moments without being intrusive at all. The photos are beautiful, the lighting is great, and they both have such an eye! They were so easy to work with and very professional in everything that they did. I would confidently recommend their services and absolutely hire them again!

Jacob Haas

We couldn’t imagine being any happier with a photographer and videographer crew for our wedding. They were beyond professional and amazing from the very start when we first booked them. They manage to be extremely confident and decisive, while also being such a fun and laid back presence throughout the entire day and process. We had normal little wedding regrets after the wedding of things we could have done better, planned better, etc, but SAE was safely the best decision we made on our entire wedding process! We are over the moon and feel so grateful to have their beautiful art to look back on for the rest of our lives. They captured everything so beautifully and are just amazing people overall. We think the photography/videographer is the best gift you can give yourself for a day that goes by so fast in the moment, and we cannot recommend them highly enough

Tammy May Huang

Samantha and Fernando were wonderful photographers to work with for my wedding (July 2022) - trustworthy, reliable and timely in their communication with us, and for what they offer, their pricing structure is reasonable and affordable compared to many others I asked. Most of all, they were really fun to take photos with and get to know, made us feel comfortable and respected our requests! Our photos and album they put together turned out beautiful. They keep things professional, yet personable and easy to get along with. I honestly highly recommend them for anyone's wedding/event!