Salt Lake City & Park City, Utah Wedding Photographer-Melissa Kelsey » modern. elegant. real.

Salt Lake City & Park City, Utah Wedding Photographer-Melissa Kelsey bio picture

Thanks for stopping by my photo blog. I’m a wedding and portrait photographer, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’m a transplant to Utah from Northern California, where I grew up skiing and enjoying the outdoors with my family. I moved to Utah to go to college (and ski) and here I am 15 years later, married to a hard working, supportive husband. We have a vibrant baby girl and two black Labs, who have been very patient with us while we figure out this baby thing.

I’m dedicated to making beautiful photographs for my clients and providing them a great photography experience. I get excited when I get a great shot (as many of my clients can attest) and I’m not afraid to act like a dork in public.

Here, you'll find lots of wedding photographs and portraits, wedding tips, and an occasional personal tidbit. I love to hear from and interact with my readers, please leave a comment or send me a message.

Please scroll down for my latest blog posts.

01.14.12

Kortney & Dallin | Engagement Photos in Salt Lake City

Kortney and Dallin live in Utah, but were married in California. Before they went off and got hitched, they asked me to photograph their engagement portraits. This is one flirty, good looking couple, which made my job fun. Wait…it’s always fun, but this was extra fun.

heather nan: Stunning couple and a beautiful session... loving me the shot through the PVC pipe thingees :)

melissakelseyphotography: Thank you, Heather! I appreciate your comment.

01.13.12

Sam & Brandon | Wedding at the The Gateway Grand Hall

Sam and Brandon are one of those couples whose love you can see right away. You can see the fun between them. You can see it in the way they look at each other and treat each other. You may remember their engagement session that I posted here, or that they were the winners of The Gateway Ultimate Wedding Giveaway. There is not a couple more deserving or appreciative of what they received when they won. They love their families and spend a lot of time with them and I got to see that special connection with their families, on their wedding day. Here’s to Sam and Brandon!

Here are the other nice vendors who participated in the giveaway:

Grand Hall at The Gateway (Wedding venue) http://shopthegateway.com/news-a-events/news-events/item/231-weddings-in-the-grand-hall

Gateway Bridal and Prom (Wedding gown) http://www.gatewaybridal.com/

Tresor Jewelers (Groom’s ring) http://www.tresorjewelers.com/

Morgan Jewelers (Bride’s ring) http://www.morganjewelers.com/home/

Sanctuary Day Spa (Bride’s hair) http://sanctuarygateway.com/

Willow and Wildflowers (Floral package) http://willowandwildflowers.com/

High Rise Audio (DJ) http://www.highriseaudio.com/

Le Croissant Catering (Reception menu) http://www.lecroissantcatering.com/home.html

Ben & Jerry’s (Ice Cream Bar) http://www.benjerry.com/gateway/

heather nan: Lucky couple... to have all these gracious vendors be apart of their wedding, especially you :)

perry: Wow, love the work.

01.12.12

Back to Blogging

I’ve been away from my blog for a while. Why? Well, wedding season tends to put me in a busy tizzy, where I spend most of my time photographing and editing weddings, designing wedding albums, and corresponding with clients. There is another big reason my blog took a back seat…a baby! For the last year, I’ve been figuring out this mom thing. Next week, the little apple of my eye will be one year old. Wow.

Naturally, there are less weddings in the winter, so I’m going to concentrate my efforts on marketing and you guessed it…blogging. I’ll be blogging everything from the last year (and maybe even from the year before), so get ready to see what I’ve been shooting!

You can’t make a post on a photo blog without a photo, so here’s one of my little family from Leisha Kelsey, my sister in-law. We swapped family photo sessions this year and I’m happy about that.

Starting tomorrow, be looking for new blog posts! Oh, and did you notice? I’ve freshened up the look of my blog for the new year.

Yay, me!

08.22.11

Quick Post | Hats at Weddings

I just love ‘em. Wear a hat to a wedding and I’ll definitely get a photo of you.

07.14.11

Featured! Design Aglow Inspire Me Cards: A Creative Posing Guide for Brides

I was delighted to find an email from Design Aglow in my inbox yesterday morning. A few months ago, I submitted some of my bridal portraits to be considered for Design Aglow’s Creative Posing Guide for Brides. They chose five of my images for the guide!

Design Aglow is a great resource of beautifully designed templates, marketing ideas, graphic embellishments and more, for professional photographers.

I am honored to be in the company of talented photographers like Jose Villa and Utah’s own Rebekah Westover, among others.

From Design Aglow:

With this timely collection of 82 bridal images, featuring some of the most amazing photographic talent in the industry today, you’ll be all smiles both before and after your bride sashays down the aisle. Whether you’re looking for the sassy retro stylings of eras gone by, high fashion flair, or want to address the dress, you’ll never be at a loss for ways to frame your subject fabulously and create works of art clients will treasure for years to come. Simply print these gorgeous mini portraits for on-the-go greatness and create your own rousing reception.

My lovely brides that appear in the guide:

Brides, from left to right, clockwise: Sam, Megan, Megan, Marlee, Brittany

Featuring stunning imagery from Jose Villa Photography, Rebekah Westover Photography, Tanja Lippert Photography, Paul Johnson Photography, Simply Bloom Photography, StoryMotion Studios, Brenda Carpenter Photography, Brooke Rainey Photos, Chelsea Nicole Photography, Red Corduroy Media Group Photography, Dana Widman Photography, Daniel Usenko Photography, Moxie Photography, Freckles Photography, Frances Morency Photography, Kiwi Street Studios, Heather Mann Photography, James Currie Photography, Two Rings Photography, Vivian’s Muse, Kathleen Frank Photography, Kim Kalyn Photography, Blonde Cow Photography, Studio 563 Austin, Maggie J Photography, Squaresville Studios, Meagan Summers Photography, Murphy Photography, Melissa Kelsey Photography, Melissa McCrotty Photography, Continuum Photography, Surprise Photography, Bliss Photography, Picsee Studio, Opdahl Photography, Richard Ellis Photography, Sarah Bray Photography, Simone C Photography & Terra Bailey Photography.

PRODUCT DETAILS:
• A beautiful collection of 82 bridal images to use as inspiration for photo sessions
• Each card has a theme to use as-is or to inspire a series of photos
• Print out as 3.5 x 5 photos, punch a hole in the corner and keep collection on a key ring for at-your-fingertips ideas on location
• Stunning backgrounds make each card a tiny work of art.
• Delivered in .jpg format for easy printing; or, if you wish, store the collection on your hard drive or iPhone.

Click here to check it out in the shop!

Tamra Hyde: I just have to say woohoo! You totally deserve it. I really admire your work. Congrats!

melissakelseyphotography: Thank you, Tamra!