Digital & Film

Documentary Wedding Photography

San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Photographer

A man in a black jacket and white shirt holding a drink, and a woman in a white dress with sunglasses, standing together in a forested area during daylight.
A black silhouette of a hand showing the middle finger.
A person with dark, wavy hair and light skin, wearing a white dress with intricate embroidery, stands outdoors in a barren landscape with mountains in the distance, the sun shining brightly from the top right corner.
A black and white illustration of two stacked gift boxes decorated with bows and swirling patterns.
Couple walking hand in hand across a busy city crosswalk with cars and pedestrians, buildings, and traffic lights visible in the background during late afternoon sunlight.
Elegant banquet hall decorated for a wedding or formal event, with long tables covered in white tablecloths, floral centerpieces, and surrounded by chairs. The room has dark wooden walls and high ceilings with chandeliers and string lights creating a warm ambiance.
A woman in a white dress and checkered slip-on shoes, and a man in a black suit with a baseball cap and sneakers, are celebrating outside a city hall building. They are holding a champagne bottle together, with champagne spraying out. They are standing on steps in front of ornate doors and sculptures.
The San Francisco skyline features several tall buildings including the iconic pointed Transamerica Pyramid, with trees and streetlights in the foreground and a clear sky.
Behind the scenes of a movie or TV show set with a camera, light equipment, and crew members working in a studio environment.
People riding and standing on a historic San Francisco cable car, with trees and buildings in the background and other cars on the street.

Weddings & elopements photographed on both digital & film, with a candid, documentary approach.

For images that transport you right back to the thick of it.

A wedding ceremony taking place outdoors under a large tree with green leaves. The bride and groom are holding hands and facing each other, standing in front of an officiant. Guests are seated on white chairs, watching the ceremony. The scene is sunny.
Vases with pink, blue, and white flowers, along with lit white candles on a blue wooden table.

Intentional Observer

I’m not directing your day.
I’m actively documenting it as it happens.

If you’re building something immersive and personal, I’d love to be a part of it!

Bride and groom walking down aisle at outdoor wedding ceremony, surrounded by seated guests, with trees and hills in the background.
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A man and a woman, dressed in wedding attire, crossing a city street at a crosswalk while holding hands, smiling, with cars stopped at the intersection behind them and an ornate building in the background.
The image appears to be blank or unclear with no distinguishable objects or features.
A bride and groom standing on a wooden dock by the water, smiling at each other, with boats docked behind them and a hillside with white houses in the background during sunset.
An air fryer filled with fried chicken wings.
Wedding reception table setting with a bouquet of pink, white, and green flowers, a menu card, glasses of water, a glass of champagne, a cocktail with a lemon slice, and table number cards.
A bride and groom share a kiss outdoors on a hillside, with the bride holding a bouquet of flowers.
A group of people seated at a banquet table, enjoying an event in a well-lit room with large windows and string lights overhead.
A woman and a man holding hands in a garden with red flowering plants and tall trees, overlooking a body of water and mountains in the background, during sunset.
just a line
View of the San Francisco cityscape with residential buildings, a park, and a bridge in the background under a clear sky, photographed on film.
A woman in a white dress and a man in a beige suit are standing in a garden, with the woman touching the man's head. They are near a wooden building with trees and plants around.
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  • 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

See more on the blog
San Francisco City Hall & The Palace Hotel
San Francisco City Hall & The Palace Hotel

With their kids in tow, this sweet blended family said their I do’s at San Francisco’s iconic City Hall. Traveling from Southern California and then off to wherever their family decided to vacation to right after, it was a sweet beautiful family affair.

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A Coastal Engagement Session | Daisy, Eddy & Mika
A Coastal Engagement Session | Daisy, Eddy & Mika

We were in the middle of a Bay Area heatwave, but the coast provided a wonderful respite, some golden light, the cool ocean breeze and one very good dog named Mika.

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San Francisco City Hall Elopement | Olga + Jim
San Francisco City Hall Elopement | Olga + Jim

This San Francisco City Hall elopement started with a forgotten marriage license and ended in North Beach with skyline views, City Lights, and a Rushnyk ceremony woven in. Not the obvious version of San Francisco.

Read more →
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!!