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Weddings

Spotlight Studios Reviews

Spotlight Studios

Spotlight Studios

San Diego, CA
4.9 out of 5 rating, 29 Reviews
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Reviews

4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
29 Reviews
99% recommend it
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    4.9 out of 5 rating
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Awards

29
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
  • Thuy
    Thuy T. Sent on 06/17/2020
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    Kayla is THE photographer!!

    We won a sunset photoshoot engagement session with this company and our photographer Kayla was amazing! She was very professional and personal. You can tell she enjoys what she does and she gave us so many tips on how to make our pictures perfect! She was very engaging and knew exactly what we wanted. The pictures came out stunning and beautiful! If you haven't found your photographer yet, I highly recommend Kayla!
  • Mike
    Mike K. Sent on 10/31/2019
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    The Best In The Business

    We simply cannot begin to express or put into words how extraordinary the Spotlight Studios team is! We fell in love with Spotlight when we first met Kyla, and she was so patient and helpful answering all of of questions. During our engagement shoot, we realized that we had struck gold and were able to relax and have fun throughout the whole experience. We immediately booked Kyla and her team for our wedding and we credit our stress free, fun loving experience in front of the camera to Spotlight Studios.

    Between their guidance, caring nature, and genuine love of their craft, we are so incredibly fortunate to have found Kyla and her amazing team! They made everything so easy, took charge when needed, and have mastered the art of hiding in plain sight.

    It’s clear that the Spotlight Studios team loves what they do, and we are so incredibly fortunate that they were part of our best day ever! Thank you Spotlight Studios! We can’t wait for our future photo shoots with you!

    Spotlight Studios's reply:

    It was a true pleasure to be a part of your magical day! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of it and capture such beautiful moments with you and your loved ones! We can't wait to see you again soon and see whats in store for you love birds
  • Emily
    Emily A. Sent on 10/14/2020
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    Great Photographer!

    We are so happy with the pictures from the wedding! Kyla and her team captured pictures of the entire day from beginning to end without being obtrusive in any way. Kyla has a great eye for detail and the pictures reveal her artistic flair. Our only problem was trying to choose which pictures we liked the best!
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  • Jasmine
    Jasmine Sent on 02/24/2019
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    Amazing experience so far..

    Kyla and the whole staff are very professional, sweet and so easy to be around. Kyla definitely gives great directions in helping you learn to not be camera shy and making you feel very comfortable and like a friend! We haven't had her for the wedding yet but I am very confident and excited to work with her again!
  • Stefanie
    Stefanie Sent on 02/20/2019
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    Above and beyond

    Kyla was the single biggest reason we booked Spotlight! In looking for a wedding photographer we quickly realized that good photography comes at a price. We met with many different photographers with very different price points but those meetings and conversations never lead us to someone we just "clicked" with; until we met Kyla. My wife and I met her at the Bridal Bazaar and as soon as we got to talking, we instantly knew that she was the one for us. She was so bubbly and personable and her portfolio is just to die for!!
    We ended up winning an engagement shoot with Kyla and as soon as we started shooting we knew we were going to book her. Kyla made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera and as soon as we saw the pictures we knew we were in love.
    While the price was a bit more than what we were looking to pay, we knew we would move some things around to make it work for our big day because photography was the single biggest aspect for us.
    On the day of, Kyla and her assistant showed up early and immediately got to work. Our second photographer, Christina, was on time and we totally lucked out to have 2 lead photographers capture our day. All these ladies were AMAZING! We absolutely have no regrets in hiring Kyla.
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    Amy Sent on 06/27/2018
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    Kyla is the most fun and energetic photographer ever. We are so happy that we choose Kyla to capture out wedding!! The sneak peak photos that we saw are amazing and we cannot wait to see all the rest! Kyla is such an organized and nice person that your wedding day will go smoothly with her as your photographer. She also listened to me when I told her my vision and what I wanted my wedding photos to look like. I would not change a thing, and we are so happy to have such beautiful memories. She did out engagement shoot, wedding and in the future our pregnancy shoot also!
    Thanks Kyla!
  • Shanda
    Shanda Sent on 08/14/2017
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    This review is not coming from a “client” but rather, from a wedding coordinator. I had the pleasure of working a wedding with Kyla from Spotlight Studios last night.

    I know brides and grooms are often so caught up in the moment, they might not notice how good (or bad) of a job a vendor is doing. As a coordinator, we are on the outside looking in, constantly aware of what is going on. I was exceptionally impressed with Kyla. She was quick, creative with her shots, and an absolute pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to get incredible dance photos and made my job as a coordinator, and the DJ’s job that much smoother. She can easily take control of the crowd, by giving friendly instructions, which really goes a long way to capture all of the necessary photos in a timely manner.
    By the end of the night it was apparent that Kyla has a genuine love of both photography and weddings. Her enthusiasm was contagious and I’m sure it will show in the photos.

    I can’t wait to see the sneak peek!
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    Lizbeth Sent on 06/01/2018
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    There are not enough words or stars to give spotlight the review they deserve, absolutely loved everything about my experience with them! My husband and I were fortunate enough to discover spotlight by winning a photoshoot through the bridal bizaar, and we are so lucky we did! We hit it off immediately with Valerie and had nothing but fun at every shoot. She went above and beyond on wedding day and the pictures are PERFECT! Both Valerie and Spotlight are worth every penny, I would (and have) recommend them to anyone who needs a photographer!
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    Lauren Sent on 12/18/2017
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    Best photography in San Diego!! Kyla recently photographed my wedding and it's hard to put into words how grateful and impressed we are! Guests and the bridal party are still raving about her professionalism and creativity. She makes you look and feel beautiful with the right poses and unique ideas; it's amazing! Kyla kept the entire day running smoothly so that we would get all of the best pictures. She truly knows what she is doing and Is extremely helpful with many aspects of the wedding. Aside from her professionalism and amazing photographs, she is a breath of fresh air and so much fun to be around. This company is a must for any photography you need!
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    Lindsey Sent on 01/09/2018
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    We just loved Spotlight Studios and our amazing photographer, Kristina! We got rave reviews on our engagement photos and could not say no to working with Kristina again for our wedding. She put us at ease and made our pictures turn out so sweet and authentic. We love how she captured our laughter and joy. Our wedding picture sneak peak brought back all the wonderful memories from that day. She captured the moments and details beautifully. The studio was so easy to work with and really helped us navigate the stresses of wedding planning. Could not recommend Kristina and Spotlight Studios any higher!
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    Brent Sent on 09/23/2017
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    There are not enough superlatives to describe Kyla. Not only is she incredibly talented and professional, but she also is beautiful soul who genuinely cares for her clients.

    Photography was our highest priority for our wedding. After thorough research, it started to get worrisome that we could find very few wedding photographers who stood out to us. One day, we started sifting through some old mail and found we had received an offered for a free engagement session from Spotlight Studios. We looked at their website and for the first time, we found a portfolio that made us feel something.

    We decided to give it a trial run and see how the engagement photos would turn out. Unlike most engagement photos, we wanted to do it indoors at a luxe Parisian boutique hotel. We worried about how they would turn out, but Kyla exceeded all our expectations. Her artistic direction and her ability to capture incredible moments truly helped transport us and made us feel we were no longer in San Diego. After that, we had no doubt in our mind about her.

    Over the next year, Kyla became more than just our photographer. With her wealth of experience, she had invaluable advice for all aspects of our wedding. Looking back at all, listening all her advice paid off tenfold and was a huge reason our wedding went so smoothly. On top of that, she referred us to Kristana Burreece, who we hired to be our day-of coordinator and without a doubt was one of our best decisions.

    On the day-of, we already knew Kyla was going to bring her A-game having done our engagement photos with her. But even several of our guests approached us and had to give us their praise about her. She was remarkably efficient and professional without compromising her quality and artistry. We could not believe how lucky we got to find her.

    We cannot compliment Kyla enough. She is an artist in her own right, she is the hardest working photographer we have ever met, and she delivers like it is nobody’s business.
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    Tera Sent on 12/19/2016
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    We did not book with this photographer, but was extremely pleased at their professionalism. Be sure to know which photographer's style you like best as there are different styles for each artist. Then, ask for availability of that particular photographer.
    Great work, just not our style, but a great company!
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    Mackenzie Sent on 12/20/2016
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    Spotlight Studios and our photographer, Kyla were exceptional to work with! We originally booked with Kyla to take our engagement photos. I was very nervous to take these but Kyla made us feel so comfortable during the process. And once we got the pictures back, we knew right away she was the perfect fit for photographing our wedding. The pictures from our wedding turned out even better than I could have imagined. She captured the event perfectly and we will treasure these images for the rest of our lives. I highly recommend their services. You will not be disappointed!
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    Rebecca Sent on 06/12/2016
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    I can't say enough good things about Kyla who shot our engagement and wedding photos. We won a free engagement session from The Knot, and after seeing her amazing work we decided to hire her for our wedding. We are a little awkward in front of the camera (as any non-model might be) but she made us feel comfortable and kept guiding us on how to pose and where to put our hands. That helped so much - the pictures look natural and so beautiful! We decided to put more budget toward photography, and it was the best decision we made. The pictures are all you have left after the day has come and gone. I can't believe how many perfect shots we have from our wedding day. We are beyond pleased with the service, personality, professionalism, and talent. Kyla is truly one of a kind and we highly recommend her.
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    Jennifer Sent on 03/17/2017
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    Kristina from spotlight studios gave us wedding photos beyond our wildest expectations. She was able to capture the romantic atmosphere from both our engagement shoot and our wedding. Everyone in the office was professional and very warm and welcoming during our viewing session. Everyone who works here is an amazing photographer and I highly recommend them.
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    Sarah Sent on 04/19/2016
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    We loved working with Aprill Manriquez and the whole team at Spotlight Studios for our engagement and wedding photos. We won a free engagement shoot and Aprill was our photographer. She made the experience so fun and comfortable for us, and we thought the photos were beautiful so we booked her for our wedding. We were so pleased and loved working with Aprill. She has such an eye for beauty and finding great shots. She has a calm and happy presence, which makes her a joy to work with. She worked with us in the weeks leading up to our wedding to make sure the photos were what we wanted and that everything went smoothly. She invited us out to dinner to get to know us better, which was such a sweet gesture to make our wedding photos more personal. She then mentioned that she’d like to see my Pinterest page for wedding photo inspiration, if I had one. I sent her the link and she proceeded to look through the photos-making comments along the way. I was feeling so excited for our wedding photos! On the day of our wedding, she arrived well prepared with her assistant, her equipment, and print outs of the photos I pinned! She had us recreate most of the shots while also creating our own. We felt so special and like she really listened to us and did everything she could to make sure we loved our photos. The experience was great; she was so fun to work with. She is truly and artist and it’s obvious she loves what she does. We feel lucky we got to have Aprill as our wedding photographer.
  • User2775325 Sent on 09/20/2016
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    Kyla and her team were amazing to work with! So organized and personable, and we cannot speak enough about Kyla's amazing work! We are so happy we went with Spotlight Studios for our wedding day!
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    Hilary Sent on 12/12/2016
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    I thought I had found the perfect wedding photographer until I won a free engagement shoot with Kyla at a wedding expo. After our engagement shoot we fell in love with how comfortable she made us feel and the quality of the photos. We then decided to switch photographers and book Kyla for our special day! When my hair and makeup ran long on the big day and my nerves set in, Kyla managed to put me at total ease and still capture every photo in a shortened amount of time. She is creative, high energy, easy to work with and detail oriented. I would recommend Kyla (and already have) to any and everyone!
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    Caitlin Sent on 09/08/2015
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    By some stroke of luck, I happened to win my engagement shoot with Kyla Akasha at the San Diego Bridal Bazaar some 3 years ago now. We had an exceptional shoot with her at the Stahl House in Los Angeles-- we had rented the home for two hours, and without any ability to walk the location ahead of time- Kyla absolutely knocked the shoot out of the park. When it came time to get married (in Vermont) we were torn between hiring someone local in New England, versus flying Kyla to Vermont to shoot our wedding. But our familiarity with her, her quality, and her professionalism indeed won out. Her fresh eye on an old New England location helped to create absolutely magical pictures. She asked for wedding photos that we liked, styles we liked, and worked to execute the day in a style that we both enjoyed. She was even up the evening before researching how to create certain sparkler effects for us. In addition to the beautiful pictures she took, I also appreciate that she can turn the photos around quickly.. within six weeks, in this particular case.

    A word of planning advice: my only regret is that our budget did not permit us to fly a second photographer from the studio to shoot as well. We had a large wedding party (but a small wedding of 45), and I think the time my husband and I allotted to photograph getting ready and our small details was too limited, especially having to have Kyla go between the two of us.. I think some tension could have been eased by budgeting for a second person. But then I also think, the wedding photos of me fully dressed, with my spouse, and our families, are the ones that matter most anyway!

    Overall, Kyla comes highly recommended by both my husband and me. Many people comment that her engagement and wedding photographs are among the most beautiful they have ever seen. You will not be disappointed. :)
  • User2302123 Sent on 09/05/2015
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    The whole crew at Spotlight is fantastic. Kyla is exceptional, and we knew from the moment we met her for our engagement shoot, that she was the one we wanted shooting all of our memorable moments. We flew Kyla in from San Diego for our wedding in Vermont, because we just couldn't imagine not having her be the one to capture our amazing adventures! From the engagement shoot, to our pre-wedding day bridal party croquet shoot, to the wedding day, everything was better than we could have ever imagined. Kyla is patient, willing to go the extra mile to get the perfect shot, and obviously very talented. We couldn't have asked for a better experience, and we highly recommend her!
  • User2287913 Sent on 08/26/2015
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    We had Kyla as our photographer. From the moment we met her she made us feel so at ease. The entire experience was so much fun and we seriously enjoyed working with her. The attention to detail is amazing and the quality of work is impressive. We just received our wedding photos this past weekend, we were left in awe. We are so thankful for having come across them at a wedding expo. Do yourself a favor and check this studio out. I promise you you'll be blown away.
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    Cory Sent on 09/08/2015
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    Kyla is a amazing person/ photographer! She even recommend us to use her company for wedding planning for the month of. Words cant describe how easy she makes weddings happen. We used her for our engagement pictures and she even incorporated our son. Wonderful person to do business with.
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    Juan Sent on 09/03/2015
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    Spotlight Studios is outstanding. My wife and I were very happy with quality of their services. They have acquired a loyal client for life .
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    Bryan S. Sent on 09/03/2015
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    We cannot say enough about Kyla! We were so blessed to be able to have her be apart of our day and create some incredible memories. On top of her amazing skills, she gave us first timers plenty of much needed advice. Her expertise, creativity, professionalism and wonderful personality is why she is so successful. If you need a wedding photographer or for any other reason, Kyla is the ONE!!!
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    Joel Sent on 06/08/2016
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    Kristina was amazing. She had a great eye for lighting and captured many wonderful photos of our wedding. She was friendly and courteous and did a great job, couldn't ask for anything more!
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