It became flipped when I moved to the US to join my parents. Everyone I had known as family suddenly became memories, photographs, and phone calls. Staying in touch was a lot harder before the internet! 

It was especially difficult when my grandfather passed away a few months before we were able to visit him again. However, I was thankful for the collection of photos we had of him. Although I didn't always love being in front of the camera growing up, I'm glad my family pushed for it anyways so we'd always have these memories of our people.

Weddings are my favorite place to create more of those photographs. From getting ready together to cultural traditions and just rocking out on the dance floor, there are so many opportunities to capture people as they are. That's why my philosophy with weddings goes beyond two. For you, for your people now, and for future generations - let's capture your story in its entirety!

As for my backstory, photographs have always been especially important in my family. We've just about always lived in different places, continents apart. My parents moved to the U.S. when I was 4 months old to attend college. I was actually raised in China by my grandparents while my parents watched me grow up through photos and phone calls. 

already sounds like you?

Hello! I'm Xiaoqi (she/her; pronounced "cho-chee"), Charlottesville foodie, dessert queen, and wedding photographer.

You're here because you want to connect with an amazing wedding photographer. You don't want just some stranger following you around with a camera, but a friend invested in capturing your story - someone who understands that you're looking for more than beautiful photography.

And that's exactly what I strive to take care of for my couples!  You deserve to have genuine artwork that really means something to you. Enjoy peace of mind to just relax and enjoy your day because you'll know I'll be there to capture your wedding celebration in its entirety, so you'll always be able to relive those memories again and again.

And I mean it when I say the real stuff. Last year, I ranked top 12 in the World for authentic, unposed wedding moments by the Wedding Photojournalist Association (aka our world's AP). To highlight a few other recognitions, I'm also a World's Best Wedding Photos Artist and member of Fearless Photographers; I've been published in popular wedding blogs such as Dancing with Her and Charlottesville Wine & Country as well as the Washington Post.