A destination wedding photographer with a reputation for romantic imagery and an intimate process that overlooks no detail, David Abel is trusted by couples across oceans to document their legacies.

Yes. All wedding-day travel is included in your quote.

Additional travel related to engagement sessions, bridal sessions, or other events, as well as accommodations when required, are handled separately and outlined in advance.

Turnaround times vary slightly depending on the season, but weddings are typically delivered within 5–7 weeks, with all other sessions delivered within 3–4 weeks. A preview gallery is shared within 48 hours, so you can begin reliving the day right away.

We guarantee 50–75 images per hour of coverage, though most galleries exceed that, with an average of around 100 images per hour. Each image is carefully selected and refined, with an emphasis on storytelling, consistency, and photographs that hold meaning over time rather than sheer volume.

Copyright is retained by the photographer, as defined by U.S. copyright law. This allows the work to be protected, preserved, and presented consistently over time.

Through your agreement, you are granted full personal usage rights to your images. This includes sharing, printing, and enjoying them for personal, non-commercial use.

The photographer retains the right to use the images for portfolio presentation, publication, and the promotion of his work. Any use is handled thoughtfully and with respect for the story being told.

Un-edited images and RAW files are not delivered. These files are the unfinished materials used to create the final photographs and are not representative of the completed work. Our responsibility is to present photographs as they were intended to be seen: fully realized, cohesive, and thoughtfully curated. This ensures consistency, longevity, and a final body of work that reflects the experience and care put into creating it.

A retainer of one third is due at the time of signing to secure your date. The remaining balance is divided into two equal payments. One third due halfway between the signing date and the wedding date, and the final third due 30 days prior to the wedding day

Payment is accepted via ACH bank transfer, check, or credit card. 

While select images may be shared as part of our portfolio and marketing, only a small portion of what we photograph is ever posted publicly. Our priority is always providing a smooth, reliable experience and delivering a complete, thoughtfully curated gallery to our clients first. 

If you have specific preferences around how your images are shared, we welcome that conversation. Through your gallery, you will also have the option to hide specific images from the view of any guests to your gallery.

Team size is tailored to the scope and needs of each wedding. At the core, coverage is led by two photographers (myself and my wife). When appropriate, additional photographers, assistants, drone operators, or content creators may be brought in to support the day.

Regardless of team size, we carefully select and manage everyone involved to ensure a seamless experience and a consistent standard of work throughout the wedding day.

Each engagement session is thoughtfully planned in advance. We begin by selecting the timing and location, then work with you on wardrobe guidance that complements the setting, season, and overall tone of the session. A visual moodboard is also created to align inspiration and serve as a reference on the day of the shoot.

This approach allows the session to feel intentional, relaxed, and reflective of who you are together.

Images found online are shaped by a very specific set of circumstances (the light, the location, the people, and the emotion of that moment, many of which can’t be replicated). Trying to recreate them often results in images that feel forced or disconnected from the experience of the day.

We encourage using inspiration as a reference for tone or feeling, not as a template. When couples are present and fully engaged in their wedding day, and trust their team to respond to what’s unfolding naturally, the resulting images carry far more meaning and emotional weight.

Our goal isn’t to reproduce someone else’s moment, it’s to create images that feel unmistakably like yours.

We intentionally limit our calendar to approximately 20 weddings per year. This allows us to give each couple our full attention (creatively, logistically, and personally) from planning through final delivery.

By working with a smaller number of clients, we’re able to stay deeply engaged in each project, maintain consistency in our work, and ensure no wedding feels rushed or processed. It also allows us to be fully present on the wedding day and thoughtful in the curation and refinement of your images afterward.

This approach isn’t about volume. It’s about focus, longevity, and delivering work that reflects the care invested in every stage of the process.

Yes. We work closely with our couples and their planning team to thoughtfully shape the wedding day from a photographic perspective. This includes guidance on pacing, flow, and ensuring the moments that matter most are given space to unfold.

For a seamless experience, we strongly recommend working with a full-service planner who can curate the wedding weekend as a whole. We collaborate closely with planners to align timelines, logistics, and creative priorities, so everything needed to create timeless images is thoughtfully accounted for.