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Steven Lelham

Weddings

Wedding Photographer in Turlock, CA

Wedding photography starts at $2,400.

Ripon wedding couple — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Ripon, CA

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Answered plainly

How much does a wedding photographer cost in Turlock / the Central Valley?
Coverage starts at $2,400. That starting package is 8 hours of wedding photography. 12 hours is $3,300. A full wedding day through 16 hours is $4,200. You can build a starting package on the wedding photography investment page.
What's included at $2,400?
8 hours of wedding photography. Overtime $400/hr after 8 hours. A second photographer, engagement session, parent books, and heirloom album are optional add-ons — not part of that starting coverage. Build those on the wedding photography investment page.
What changes the price?
More hours, a second photographer, add-ons, and engagement travel. 12 hours is $3,300. A full wedding day through 16 hours is $4,200. Overtime $400/hr after 8 hours. Overtime $400/hr after 12 hours. Full day includes through 16 hours; extra time by arrangement. A second photographer is $350 until after the ceremony, or $450 until after the first dance. An engagement session is $400 (local near Turlock, or out of town). Out-of-town engagement travel from Turlock is treated as local under 60 miles, then $200, $325, or $500 depending on distance, or by arrangement past 300 miles. Two softcover parent books are $175. A layflat heirloom album is $800.
Do you travel across the Central Valley?
Yes. Steven is based in Turlock and photographs weddings in Turlock, Modesto, Ripon, and the rest of the Central Valley, including Sacramento. He also travels throughout California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Yosemite, and the coast. Travel is part of the conversation when you are planning somewhere meaningful to you.
How long until we get our wedding photos back?
Wedding galleries are delivered in 6–8 weeks after your wedding.
How do we reserve our wedding date?
Your date is reserved once the contract is signed and the 50% non-refundable retainer is paid. Dates are booked first come, first served, so reach out early if you have a date in mind.
How far in advance should we book?
Booking 6–12 months before your wedding is ideal, but always feel free to reach out. I may still have openings for your date.
What if we need to cancel or change our date?
Your retainer is non-refundable. If you need to reschedule, it can carry over to a new date within one year, as long as I'm available that day. I can't cancel another couple's booking to make room, so reach out as early as you can.
How many photos will we receive?
I don't cap the number of images. Every wedding unfolds differently, so I capture the day as it happens rather than shooting to a quota. On average, couples receive 750+ edited photos.
What does editing include?
Every delivered image is color corrected and cropped, with small distractions removed. My style is true to life and documentary, so I don't do heavy retouching like full blemish removal or background replacement. Your guests are part of your story, and you'll see them throughout your gallery.
How will we receive our photos?
Your photos are delivered through a private online gallery at photos.lelham.com. You can download your images and share the gallery with family, friends, and your wedding vendors. A USB drive is also available for purchase.
How long will our online gallery stay up?
Your gallery stays online long-term, with no set expiration. I still recommend downloading your photos and keeping your own backup, so you always have them.
Do we get the RAW or unedited files?
No. Every image you receive is fully edited, because the editing is part of the finished look you're booking.
How do you scope wedding coverage?
We start with the shape of your day — getting ready, the ceremony, portraits, dinner — and decide how many hours that actually needs. You can also build a starting package on the wedding photography investment page. I photograph the room before guests arrive, the details you chose, and the people in between. Direction for portraits and groups; otherwise I stay out of the way.
What do you photograph on a wedding day?
The day as it unfolds: getting ready, the ceremony, portraits, and the quieter moments between them. Hands, table details, the room before anyone sits down. I work from Turlock and photograph weddings, engagements, and elopements in the Central Valley and across California.
Where does Steven Lelham photograph weddings?
Steven is based in Turlock and photographs celebrations throughout the Central Valley, including Modesto and Sacramento, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, Yosemite, and the California coast. Travel is part of the conversation when you are planning somewhere meaningful to you.
Do you photograph Catholic weddings?
Yes. Steven photographs Catholic weddings and Nuptial Masses in Turlock, Modesto, and across California, including the church ceremony and the celebration that follows.
Do you photograph Christian and Orthodox weddings?
Yes. He regularly covers Christian and Orthodox wedding ceremonies and receptions, planning around the order of the service and the family moments that matter.
How do I inquire about wedding photography?
Send the date, location, and a little about what you are planning through the wedding inquiry form or email steven@lelham.com. You can build a starting package first with the wedding photography investment quiz. Steven typically replies within 24 hours, then scopes the photography around the shape of your day. For portraits rather than a wedding day, see portrait photographer in Turlock.

Wedding photography starts at $2,400. Steven Lelham is a wedding photographer based in Turlock, California, covering Central Valley, Bay Area, and destination days. He documents ceremonies, family, and receptions for couples who want personal, still-life-minded coverage—not a rushed checklist. Share your date and venues on the contact page to inquire.

Wedding photography for the way your day feels

Your wedding is not a checklist of photo opportunities. It is a series of small, specific things: the room before everyone arrives, a hand held during the ceremony, a friend making you laugh when you need it, dinner moving through a crowded table.

I photograph those things with direction when it helps and room to breathe when it does not. The goal is a set of images that feels like your wedding—not a template placed over it.

I am Steven Lelham, a photographer based in Turlock, California. I work with couples who want photographs that are personal, observant, and grounded in the real atmosphere of the day.

Bride prep — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Modesto, CA
Bride prep — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Modesto, CA

Weddings, engagements, and elopements

Weddings

From a smaller Central Valley gathering to a full wedding day, I can photograph the parts that matter most to you. We will talk through the schedule, people, priorities, and the kind of coverage that makes sense instead of forcing your day into a preset formula. For Assyrian and other cultural celebrations, see Assyrian & ethnic wedding photographer.

Engagements

An engagement session can be relaxed and simple. We can make photographs close to home in Turlock or Modesto, or choose a place with a connection to your story. The session is a chance to spend time together with a camera nearby—not a performance.

Elopements

Elopements often leave more room for the landscape and the in-between moments. I photograph intimate celebrations in the Central Valley, Yosemite, the Bay Area, and along the coast, with coverage shaped around your plans.

Michael and Paldina bridal party — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Turlock, CA
Y & C with a vintage car — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Modesto, CA

Church and faith weddings

Steven photographs Catholic, Christian, and Orthodox wedding days in Turlock, Modesto, and across California - including Nuptial Mass and other church ceremonies, then the reception and family moments that follow. Coverage is planned around the liturgy and the non-negotiable beats: processional, vows or crowning, communion when it is part of the service, family blessings, then the celebration. Existing work includes St. Stanislaus in Modesto and other church venues listed under Places. For Assyrian and other ethnic and cultural celebrations, see Assyrian & ethnic wedding photographer.

A personal, still-life approach

I pay attention to the way a day is made: clothing and flowers, light on a table, the arrangement of a room, the way people gather. That still-life sensibility sits alongside candid photographs of the people you love.

You will get portraits, group photographs, and family combinations when you want them. You will also get the unplanned frames—the glance across the room, the pause after the ceremony, the details that may be easy to miss in the moment.

I do not want your photographs to feel like they came from a production line. I want them to hold onto the particular character of your day.

Wedding details flatlay — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Turlock, CA
Wedding ring details — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Modesto, CA

Places I photograph

I am available in and around Turlock, Modesto, Ripon, and the rest of the Central Valley, and I travel throughout California. That includes Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, Yosemite, and the coast.

Existing work includes St. Stanislaus in Modesto, Grand Oak in Turlock, Greens on 10th in Modesto, Ripon, SF City Hall, Yosemite, and Half Moon Bay. If you have a location in mind, tell me about it when you inquire.

Wedding portrait — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Turlock, CA
Groomsmen portrait — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Modesto, CA

What working together looks like

Before the wedding

We start with a conversation about your plans. Share what you know about the date, location, schedule, and the people or moments you want to protect. I will help think through the photography without turning the planning into a complicated process.

During the day

I will offer clear guidance for portraits and group photographs, then step back when the day is moving on its own. I want you to stay present with one another and your guests.

Coverage shaped to the day

Every celebration has a different rhythm. Photography is scoped to the day and the coverage you need, including whether you are planning a wedding, engagement session, or elopement. You can start with the wedding photography investment quiz — typical coverage begins at $2,400 — then inquire with those details. Ask about your date and plans for a tailored answer.

St. Stanislaus group portrait — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Modesto, CA
Bridal portrait — couples photography by Steven Lelham in Modesto, CA

Get in touch

Ready to talk about your wedding?

Tell me where and when you are getting married, what you have planned so far, and what you want the photographs to remember. You can also build a starting package first, then send it with your inquiry.

InquireWedding packagessteven@lelham.com(209) 277-4819

Usually within 24 hours

“We were lucky enough to work with Steven for our engagement photos & wedding day photos! He made us feel so comfortable & captured our special day exactly like we had imagined. He was so easy to communicate with & I was easily able to share my inspiration with him for our engagement shoot & wedding day photography!! Truly the best!”

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