A bride in a wedding dress shows her shoe to a young girl sitting on the floor, surrounded by seated guests inside a train carriage.
A black-and-white photo of a couple embracing outdoors, with trees in the background. The woman is laughing and smiling, and the man is wearing a suit.
A black and white photo of a man and woman kissing in a wooded outdoor setting, with sunlight filtering through the trees.
A black and white photo of a wedding ceremony with a bride in a lace wedding dress and veil, holding a bouquet, and a groom in a suit, with the groom kissing the bride's hand as they stand in front of a window with decorative glass.
Black and white photograph of a bride and groom sharing a dance outdoors, with trees in the background.
A black-and-white photograph of a newlywed couple kissing outdoors, with trees and modern houses in the background.
mike-and-blake-wedding-cityhall-79.jpg
A woman in a white off-shoulder dress smiling happily while getting ready, with friends or family in the background.
Black and white photo of a woman and man sitting close together on a couch near a window, with the woman holding a champagne glass.
A black and white photo of a bride and groom standing on grass in a vineyard, holding champagne glasses, looking at each other, with trees and hills in the background.
A black and white photo of a couple in philippine cultural clothing sharing a kiss inside an elevator with wooden paneling.
A newlywed couple holding hands and dancing outdoors, the bride in a wedding dress and the groom in a suit, with sunlight filtering through trees and their veil flowing in the wind.
A black-and-white photo of a man and woman embracing outdoors among pruned trees. The man has a beard and glasses, wearing a dark jacket, and the woman has dark hair in loose waves, wearing a sleeveless white dress. They are holding each other close,

Editorial

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Candid

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Documentary

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Film

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Editorial · Candid · Documentary · Film ·

Documentary Wedding Photography

A couple walking on a crosswalk in New York city, focusing on their legs and feet, with parked cars visible in the background.

For images that feel playful, sentimental and somehow artfully composed to reflect the real feeling of the day.

Photographed on both digital & film, with a candid, documentary approach.

A bride and groom standing outdoors during their outdoor intimate golden gate park wedding ceremony, surrounded by guests, with a table holding a vase of pink tulips.
A woman in a wedding dress standing on a grassy, rocky coastline at timbercove, watching a man in a suit walking away toward the cliffs and ocean in the background.
A couple dressed in formal attire sharing a kiss outside the '2 AM CLUB' neon-lit nightclub in san francisco. The man in a suit and the woman in a white dress are standing on the sidewalk near a bicycle, with a neon sign overhead.
A group of people dressed in formal and semi-formal attire socializing outdoors at sunset in Muir Woods, some holding drinks, with trees and a hill in the background.

Documentary Wedding Photography in the San Francisco Bay Area

I’m a documentary wedding and elopement photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, photographing weddings throughout Northern California and destinations worldwide.

I photograph with a candid, documentary approach and a relaxed editorial eye, focusing on presence, connection, and the moments that happen in between. My signature coverage blends digital and film throughout the wedding day, including 35mm and medium format, for couples who want images that express how the day felt.

Enjoy your wedding day as I seamlessly blend in the background, making sure to capture the emotions and essence of your day.

Engagements

Weddings

Info

  • We are beyond thrilled with our experience with Cherlyn. From our very first interaction, she exuded warmth and responsiveness, making us feel at ease and confident that we were in good hands. Her photography skills are phenomenal—each photo is intimate and natural, perfectly capturing the small moments we didn’t even know to savor.

    S+C

  • Cherlyn went above and beyond our expectations as our wedding photographer. She was extremely thoughtful, detail-oriented and communicative. She is an experienced photographer and was able to capture the very essence of our day. I highly recommend working with Cherlyn if you are looking for a photographer in the Bay Area.

    E+E

  • What a dream working with Cherlyn was! I am totally going to be using her for any, and all, events in our family moving forward! Thank you Cherlyn for taking such good care of my daughter on her wedding day!

    Mother of a Bride

  • Cherlyn was awesome. Easy communication, extremely organized. She was flexible and kind. And best of all, her photos are spectacular. She really captured the moment. Our group really didn't want a lot of posed photos and we had extremely hot weather and bright sunlight ... Cherlyn was able to roll with all of those constraints. Highly, highly recommend her as a photographer.

    N+T

Portrait of a woman with long dark hair, wearing glasses and a black top, standing in front of a geometric patterned background.

Let’s Connect

Contact Me

Don’t like forms? No worries - send me a text or email here:

Cherlyn Wagner
(510) 338-4186 (text me!)
cw@cwagnerphotography(dot)com

*If you don’t hear from me within 24-48 hours, please check your spam folder!!