To preserve vivid memories of their special day, wedding couples naturally want stunning photos to be a sure thing. Ironically, one of the best ways to ensure that is to take a Chance. In fact, take two.

Discovery Bay Studios’ husband-and-wife team of Stacey and Kelly Chance take photos that capture the essence of a wedding. In addition to getting the obligatory shots of the bride walking down the aisle, the kiss and the scramble to snag that airborne bouquet, the Chances translate into imagery the bride and groom’s relationship and individual qualities.

“We try to match it to their personalities,” said Kelly. “Whatever they want, we make it happen.”

Instead of tasking a single photographer to cover the complexities of the event, Stacey and Kelly throw themselves into the festivities as a team. The strategy allows their photographic record to come from multiple angles – as well as a male and female perspective. The duo also records video of the ceremony, toasts, cake cutting and other important moments.

“Our cameras film Hollywood-quality movies,” said Stacey. The photography equipment is equally state-of-the-art, and Stacey’s experience as an airline captain gives him a high awareness of technical details.

Discovery Bay Studios also employs a unique pricing strategy. Instead of charging an hourly rate, or charging per photo purchased, the studio charges an up-front rate that covers the cost of the entire event. “We’re there to cover your whole day,” said Stacey. The pricing system allows the Chances to stay for the entire event and photograph everything without focusing only on “money shots.”

Kelly believes the arrangement also frees her and Stacey to connect personally with their clients, as the business side of the wedding is already out of the way. “We make everything fun,” said Kelly. “Most of our couples end up very dear friends.” Kelly gives her personal phone number to the bride, and she and Stacey often provide help with the planning process and the wedding day itself.

“We want it all to go perfectly for them,” said Stacey.

The couple often collaborates with local vendors such as Ribbons and Roses and TLCakes. “We know how they work,” said Stacey. Working with a team of service providers who know each other can help a wedding run more smoothly and make timelines easier to manage.

Following the celebrations, the Chances narrow down the 2,000-plus photos to a few hundred best shots, all of which are retouched to give them a perfect finish. They also put together a video of the day’s highlights set to music. Clients receive prints of each of the best photographs, along with a specially designed, 76-page book of the pictures and a large canvas print of the favorite photo from the day.

Discovery Bay Studios makes sharing those memories also more affordable. Couples receive full rights to their photos so they can print as many additional copies as they’d like. The digital photos are available online within a week of the ceremony. “Our turnaround time is unlike any other photographer,” said Kelly.

Stacey and Kelly relish the ability to relieve some of the stress of a wedding day. “We love what we do,” said Kelly. “We’re there. You’ve got us. Just relax and enjoy your day.”

To contact Discovery Bay Studios,

call 925-216-4454, e-mail stacey@

discoverybaystudios.com or visit

www.discoverybaystudios.com.