As I’ve grown, my perspective on love and storytelling has evolved. Life isn’t a checklist of milestones — it’s layered, dynamic, and deeply personal. Photographing weddings through a documentary lens allows me to honor that truth, capturing not just how a day looked, but how it felt.
Today, Emma Stamey Co is rooted in intentional storytelling. I approach each wedding day with calm confidence, emotional awareness, and the ability to read the room — knowing when to gently guide and when to step back. My goal is for couples to feel fully present, trusting that their story is being documented honestly and artfully.
I picked up a camera for the first time in high school, and for the first time, creativity felt natural. Other artistic outlets made me self-conscious — photography felt like home. Behind the camera, I could observe, anticipate, and quietly tell stories as they unfolded.
I started my business young, photographing senior portraits, families, and small weddings. When I was first asked to photograph a wedding, I said no. I didn’t feel ready. It wasn’t until I assisted my cousin on a wedding day that everything clicked — the rhythm, the emotion, the fleeting moments that deserve to be remembered. From that point on, I haven’t looked back.
My Philosophy
A Documentary Approach, With Intention
Documentary photography means holding a beautifully composed portrait to the same value as the quiet, in-between moments — the ones you tuck into scrapbooks and return to years later. Emma focuses on human interaction, emotion, and connection: parents filled with pride, siblings laughing during speeches, grandparents wiping away tears, and children watching in awe.
By getting to know her couples before the wedding day, Emma creates an environment where everyone feels comfortable enough to forget the camera — allowing genuine moments to unfold naturally.
Clients
For couples who care more about how it felt than how it looked.
Emma works best with couples who are funny, intentional, creative, and sentimental — those who value experience over perfection and trust their photographer to tell the story honestly. If your only goal is “a good photo,” Emma may not be the right fit. But if you want images that feel alive, emotional, and deeply personal, you’re in the right place.
Travel
Weddings, Elopements & Destination Stories
Emma Stamey Co photographs weddings and elopements across West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and nationwide. Drawn to water, grand landscapes, and places that invite adventure, Emma approaches destination weddings and elopements with ease — offering couples one less thing to worry about and one more familiar face along for the journey.