Kelsey Jonvea Photographers
How do you want to feel when you look back on your wedding day? I want to create joy-filled, vibrant and intentional wedding imagery. It is my goal to bring to you a bright and captivating atmosphere so that we can capture stunning candids, a mix of black and white editorials, with a tailored finish. I can’t wait to meet you!
About
I’m Kelsey Jonvea, a destination, Lake Tahoe California wedding photographer. I have been photographing professionally for 16 years. I am originally from the Santa Cruz coastline and was raised in South Lake Tahoe. I have photographed from the Scandinavian region of Europe in Norway & Sweden on multiple occasions, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast of Australia, from New York to North Carolina and up and down the coastline of my home, California.
With a background in event coverage photographing large concert venues with variable lighting, I apply similar techniques to create organic imagery within an interactive and sometimes fast paced setting.
I split my time between humanitarian work and weddings. This creates a deep connection for me not just time well spent working alongside other volunteers worldwide. I have witnessed the wide range of human experience through local volunteering and disaster relief efforts and often seen parallels within wedding weekends — gratitude, emotion, celebration, and a power of a beautiful gesture.
When I am not photographing those in love, you can find me in my personal time often trail running, skiing, or hanging out with my English Cream Golden Retriever, Tally (named after Mt. Tallac here in the Lake Tahoe Basin).
Now a female led team of 2 photographers and 1 dedicated assistant capturing love stories here in the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond. Our blend of classic imagery, dynamic energy, creates a timeless and emotional narrative for your wedding journey. We bring a refreshing perspective on your wedding or elopement by crafting a mix of unscripted moments, artistically posed stills, that will ensure your most genuine moments are beautifully preserved. Embrace these bright and warm hearted girls as you work with Kelsey and her team Chelsey & Carly. Let’s curate an unforgettable wedding story, where every frame resonates at a high frequency with authenticity and joy.
Testimonials
“We knew we wanted a small, intimate wedding with just our immediate family…I can hardly put into words what a magical, chaotic, beautiful day this was. I married my favorite person, officiated by my dad, and photographed by Kelsey Jonvea who was brought to us by chance, but also by some cosmic force. it rained and things didn’t go according to plan of course, but we let go and reminded ourselves why we were there - to celebrate this wild, astronomical love we have for each other. Kelsey was so helpful in wrangling our small crew and encouraging us to embrace the rain. She really focused on capturing our love and she made us feel comfortable with her, something I didn’t know I needed until it was happening. Had we been with someone that didn’t feel so easy to be around, I’m sure it would have amplified the anxiety. Kelsey was an absolute joy to work with and she really made us feel special, even commenting on how much she was enjoying being there and that’s just really cool. I’m so grateful that fate brought her to us and that we ended up with a ton of amazing shots of us on our big day. It was such a pleasure, and I think anyone would feel the same! ”
“To put simply… Kelsey is AMAZING!!! Not going to lie, my (now) husband and I were skeptical about getting engagement/wedding photos done, but once we got to know Kelsey and her style better we had no doubts, she’s the best. She’s fun, adventurous, personable, and willing to go just about anywhere the couple wants to get their dream photos. What I most appreciated about her is that the photos she takes aren’t still. Instead they look and feel alive as she captures you and your loved one being yourselves. She really does capture every couple’s own unique relationship. Love this girl and I will be recommending her in the future to anyone who wants photos done!”
“… My fiancé and I just had our engagement session with her and it was soooooo much fun. Felt super comfortable, not awkward at all! I love that she just moves around you and lets you be in the moment with your partner. She does help you with some posing and structure but other than that, pictures are super organic and candid. She really knows how to capture the beauty of the moment and leaves it frozen in time. I had a certain vision in mind and she surpassed all my expectations. She delivered 1000%!!! And on top of that she’s the sweetest little ray of sunshine! I absolutely loved her and can’t wait for my big day and have even more photos to swoon over! You cannot go wrong with Kelsey she is a keeper for #lyfe!!!”
“Kelsey is such a ray of sunshine!! From the minute we met her, she made both my fiancé and I so comfortable. My fiancé is the type of person that’s uncomfortable in front of the camera and she was able to make us laugh with little prompts, encourage playfulness and great tunes. We are so unbelievably happy with our engagement shoot photos and cannot wait for our wedding in 2023!!! We have no doubt our bridal party will be equally or comfortable with her for our beautiful day! Thank you Kelsey again!! We do appreciate you!!
Part II: Leading up to our backyard wedding it all felt a bit chaotic, raining every day- the yard was so muddy we worked so hard to try to remediate it as much as possible but could not get it all. I say this because Kelsey came with the cutest outfit and ended up borrowing a pair of my boots that didn’t necessarily match and embraced the mud!! She put me at ease with my concerns/worries which was a breath of fresh air! I can’t thank her enough for being so calming during the day. She took in the chaos and was so flexible with everything and still made sure to grab all the photos we discussed (and MORE!) Kelsey captured the essence of us in each and every photo from that day!! We are so so happy with how they came out and we’re even more happy we made a new friend!! Thank you, Kelsey for everything!! You truly are a ray of sunshine !!!”
“Words can’t even begin to express how thankful my husband and I are for Kelsey documenting our wedding weekend. She was one of the first vendors we hired and it was the best decision we ever made. Kelsey was interactive throughout the wedding planning process. She took the time to get to know us individually and as a couple, which allowed her to not only capture genuine moments but evoke our most authentic selves. Kelsey was receptive to our suggestions and ensured her photos captured the vision for our rehearsal dinner, welcome party, and wedding day. I highly recommend Kelsey as a wedding photographer- she will be your hype girl, capture your most tender moments, and better yet create an everlasting portfolio you can admire for years to come. Kelsey, thank you so much for everything. You are truly one of the most talented photographers and I am thankful for our lasting friendship that has developed.”
