NIKAYLA BAUTISTA IS THE FOUNDER AND LEAD CATHOLIC WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER AT NIKAYLA & CO., BASED IN SOUTH DAKOTA. READ MORE TO LEARN ALL ABOUT NIKAYLA & HER PASSION FOR SERVING CATHOLIC COUPLES.
Hi, everyone! I’m Nikayla, a South Dakota-based photographer specializing in Catholic Wedding Photography. When I started my business, I named it Nikayla & Co., and my husband asked me, “Who is & co? Me?” But I knew somehow I intended to make it a full wedding services team. The business currently offers photography, videography, and floral design.
Some fun facts about me:
- I’m a Canon girl through and through
- I shoot with two cameras on a wedding day to get two different perspectives
- My favorite part of a wedding is the Consecration (and so many little beautiful parts of the mass)
- The Nikayla & Co. team shot its first international wedding in Italy last year, 2024
- I average 100 images/hour. So, on average, a 10-hour wedding = 1,000 images
- My first paid gig was taking photos of cows for a farm catalog at the age of 15 😂
THE PATRON SAINT OF NIKAYLA & CO. – ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
The patron saint of my business is St. Joseph because in 2020 I was struggling to decide how to be “myself” and use my work as a ministry when my husband encouraged me to say a novena to St Joseph the worker. After doing so, I had an unrealistically successful month of booking, and decided to add that prayer to my about page on my website. That week I booked two clients who mentioned that they inquired with me because of that prayer.
From there, I have worked to be more transparent and true with my faith on my socials & website. More Catholic, more Eucharistic, and more prayerful. It is special to people that I understand their deepest foundation and know the intricacies of the mass and their wedding as a sacrament.
I am so grateful that God invited me to take the leap into making the church such a sincere part of my work and life, in such a unique way. I love weddings, but even more so, I love watching people begin their marriages with such deep devotion, such prayerful discernment, and in such heavenly joy.
My favorite part about being a Catholic wedding photographer is being able to serve my clients on such a momentous day of their lives. Oftentimes, I think about how married saints look on their holy cards, and how my couples may one day have their very own ⛪️🤍🌞 Whether I am bustling a dress, telling people yes or no for you, taking photos, or serving you in any other capacity, I aim to always be a peaceful presence so you can stay focused on the sacrament.
Fun facts about me, not related to my business:
- My favorite food is sushi/poke & krub (a traditional Norwegian family recipe)
- In my free time, I love to go to adoration, go to antique stores, see movies with my husband, and eat yummy food
- I have traveled to 31 states (including Hawaii and Alaska), beautiful Italy, and will be headed to Ireland in a few months!
- I have two gorgeous little girls, Siena & Avila, and another baby on the way
- & a loving husband named Hector
- I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead, MN
I met my husband, Hector, when I went on NET as a missionary and he was on staff. Because I was on the MN home team, we got to become friends. Two years later, after a few failed attempts of going on dates (my bad), we finally both drove to meet at the halfway point of our 4 hour distance and went on a date. He took me to coffee, adoration, mass, dinner, and for a long walk around a lake. And I knew at mass that he would be my husband, and felt the Lord say in my heart “Hector is my gift to you” and I only had to wait 8 months before he proposed lol.
I am so incredibly blessed by all of the couples I work with and to be able to do this as a job. Seeing all my brides dance with their dads, couples praying with their friends, and newlyweds receiving the Eucharist together has left me in tears more times than I can count. I can’t express how honored I am to have this career & how excited I am for all the couples I am able to serve. It is baffling I get to meet such incredible people chasing after joy and sainthood. I can’t express how honored I am to walk through such important events with such lovely people. <3
“Love is the most beautiful sentiment the Lord has put into the souls of men and women.” – St. Gianna Molla
