About
Xenia Helix Photography
Fifteen years in, and this is still why I do this
Hi, I am Xenia (she/her)
I said no to my first wedding.
A portrait client was getting married and she wanted me there.
I'd only been photographing for two years.
Too much responsibility.
Someone's one day. Their memories for a lifetime.
I wasn't ready.
She didn't care.
"I don't want anybody else by my side that day."
That was my first wedding.
And something clicked that I haven't been able to shake since.
Weddings are one of the few times your whole world
is in one place at the same time.
On that day people aren't posing for history —
they're just living inside it. And this is so beautiful
to witness.
I've been inside weddings from every angle since —
always as the photographer,
but also coordinating timelines, doing hair and makeup,
serving at banquets, running my own planning agency.
All of it fed back into how I see a wedding day.
I know where things break before they break.
I know which decisions ripple.
I know the light is about to disappear
before anyone else has noticed it arrived.
Fifteen years later —
I still can't stay away.
And I still take it just as seriously as that first one.
Confession
I treat every wedding like it's a little bit mine.
Every dress. Every color scheme. Every tablescape
I will never get to have myself.
This job is my real life fix for all of it —
and I am completely at peace with that.
I also have ADHD.
Which means when something catches my attention —
really catches it —
I cannot look away.
Weddings caught my attention fifteen years ago.
They haven't let go since.
Weddings get everything I have.
My brain has never learned to do this halfway
and I've stopped trying to teach it.
My assistant picks up my lens caps.
I catch everything else.
I consider all of this a feature, not a flaw.
Fret not!
YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS
My camera bag has a sewing kit.
Safety pins. Brooches for when the safety pins show.
Bandaids. Blotting paper for sweating dads.
Scissors to cut pesky hanger loops.
A backup bustle plan.
I've resewn bridesmaid dresses that were too tight,
too loose, unzipped, and coming apart at the seam — sometimes all four at the same wedding.
I've bustled a train when every bustle button
decided today was their last day on the job.
I've dried flower stems before anyone dripped water
on a dress and made an obvious stain.
I've kept velvet bouquet ribbons out of water
because the dye bleeds, and nobody tells you that.
I hold everyone's phones during group shots
so they don't create rectangular bulges
in places rectangular bulges shouldn't be.
I caught a best man's speech on a table
next to a candle that was starting to char the paper.
Nobody noticed.
I noticed.
Before I ask anyone to sit somewhere questionable,
lie down on a bench, or stand in a spot that looks
slightly precarious — I do it myself first.
If it's not dignified for me, it's not dignified for you.
I also wipe the bench down.
With myself, basically.
It works.
And once, at the top of a private staircase,
right before a bride was about to walk down the aisle, she whispered that she was so uncomfortable
she couldn't think about anything else.
Shapewear. The kind that seemed like a great idea three months ago and was actively ruining the moment now.
I told her: whatever you're feeling right now
will show on your face in every single photo.
She made a decision and threw them to me.
I made a delivery to her mom on the way out.
"Oh god. Thank you, Xenia."
She walked down that aisle completely herself.
That's the job.
15+
Years inside real wedding days
300+
Weddings that felt a little bit mine
65%
Inquiries that arrive from grooms
∞
Dad jokes per wedding
"It is something I will always be grateful to her for."
Xenia was absolutely incredible. From the moment she walked
into my suite to take photos of myself and my family getting ready,
she exuded confidence and poise which made all my nerves wash away.
She was extremely professional and made me feel so incredibly
beautiful on my special day. Her photo quality is out of this world,
and she always makes sure to push the boundaries on traditional
photo taking with her unique staging where she makes sure to capture
all of your most precious wedding details. Additionally, she is
100% LGBTQIA+ friendly which made both my wife and I at ease
throughout our wedding day. In our personal opinion and experience,
it was not often as a lesbian couple that we were able to meet
a vendor who celebrated our love for all that it intrinsically is.
Xenia encompasses all that is good when trying to identify the best
qualities in a photographer. Not to mention two weeks after our
wedding my grandmother passed away unexpectedly and without
hesitation, Xenia sent over breathtaking photos she had captured
throughout our reception. It is moments like these that selflessly,
Xenia takes initiative to do all that she can for all her clients.
It is something that I will always be grateful to her for.
Needless to say, we will absolutely be using her services for all
of our future photography needs and would recommend her without
second thought to anyone inquiring. Xenia is hands down, the best
wedding photographer you will ever invest in.
When I'm not Photographing
Where it started
Our wedding pictures by Juan Pablo Velasco
This is actually me and my husband Cesar on our wedding day. At that point I had already been photographing weddings for years,
but standing on the other side of the camera made me even more
aware of how important those photographs become later.
It's also when I learned that even photographers
who know exactly what they want still need someone they trust behind the lens.
Waiting For Luan
Our maternity session by West on Jade Photography
This was when we were waiting for our son Luan.
Pregnancy slowed life down in ways I'd never expected. Everything suddenly felt big and quiet, like standing at the edge of a completely new world.
Looking back at these photos now feels surreal, knowing the tiny person we were waiting for — who is now completely running the house, in cahoots with our two cats.
The Tiny Days
Our newborn session by West on Jade Photography
A few days after Luan was born.
Newborn days are a blur of very little sleep and a lot of staring at this tiny human, wondering how someone so small can completely rearrange your universe. I disappeared into motherhood for a while.
These photos remind me how quickly those first weeks slip away.
Our Little Crew
Our family session by West on Jade Photography
This is our life now.
Luan is running around, the house is never fully quiet, and two cats are supervising everything. My cameras and I are tucked away in a tiny makeshift office, and only a child gate keeps some sense of order.
Photography has always been about preserving moments for other families, but becoming a parent made me understand even more deeply how quickly these chapters disappear.
A FEW RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME
I grew up in
Don’t panic — that’s just my resting Slavic face, while my brain calculates
light and timing.
I promise I’m not mad.
I'm obsessed with
Shows, movies, books and podcasts
My ideal state of existence
Perfect evening
Tea is serious business. I collect adventurous flavors.
Favorite Food
Wedding dance I will photograph
but hate
You've made it this far
Which means you either really like what you see —
or you're a very dedicated researcher.
Either way, welcome.
I've been expecting you.
Tell me about your day.
Your people. What matters most.
We'll take it from there.
No pitch. No pressure.
Just a conversation.
