When I was rebuilding my website, I knew I wanted something that looked elevated and editorial without costing me thousands of dollars in custom design fees. I also wanted something built on WordPress, because I was not willing to give up the SEO flexibility that comes with it. After a lot of time going back and forth between options, I landed on the Amelia Island template from Davey and Krista, and I have been using it ever since.
This is my first-hand review of that experience: what the template includes, what setup is actually like, and whether I think it’s worth the price for photographers who are in the same position I was.
If you’re here for the discount code, you can use QLBCORNTWL to get 15% off of all of the Davey and Krista templates in their shop.
What Is Davey and Krista?
Davey and Krista is a husband-and-wife team that creates website templates for photographers and other creative service providers. They offer templates on two platforms: Showit and WordPress with Elementor.
Their template shop has a range of designs, all named after coastal locations (very on-brand for people who shoot beautiful places for a living). Amelia Island is one of their bestsellers, and after using it for my own photography business, I can see why.
What You Get With the Amelia Island Template
The Amelia Island template is designed for photographers and other types of creatives who want an editorial, refined look. The template is built around large imagery, clean typography, and a layout that keeps the focus on your photos rather than competing with them. I also love the overlapping elements in this template.
What’s included with your purchase:
- All design files for the template
- Built-in blog templates (single post, category pages, search)
- Multiple gallery layout options
- Placeholder copy so you’re not starting from scratch on every page
- Editable Canva graphics for extending the visual brand across your marketing
- Setup video tutorials
- A pre-launch checklist
The WordPress version works with the Elementor Pro plugin, which is a drag-and-drop page builder that lets you customize every element without touching code. Elementor Pro runs $59/year separately from the template, which is worth factoring into your budget.
What Setup Is Actually Like
I think it’s important to mention that setting up a template like this does take time, especially if you are new to Elementor or WordPress. It is not a one-afternoon project. That said, Davey and Krista do a genuinely good job of supporting you through it.
When you purchase the template, you get access to their setup course, which walks you through installation and customization step by step via video. What surprised me was that the course goes further than just technical setup. They also cover the business and marketing side of your website, including basics on SEO and branding, which is incredibly useful if this is the first time that you’re building your website. It is not a deep dive, but it is more than you would expect from a template company.
They also have a private Facebook group where you can ask questions and get help from other customers, plus their support team is available by email.
Is the Davey and Krista Template Worth the Price?
The Amelia Island template is an investment, about $599. That is not nothing, and it is a fair question to ask whether it is worth it compared to hiring a designer or using a cheaper solution.
Here is how I think about it: a custom website design from a photographer-focused designer will typically run anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 or more. A Davey and Krista template gets you a lot of that same quality at a fraction of the cost, and the setup support means you are not completely on your own. You also get to stay on WordPress, which is a very versatile platform for photographers who are serious about SEO. That matters a lot to me.
If you are running your photography business on a site that does not represent your work well, or you are trying to decide between Squarespace and a real WordPress setup, this is worth a serious look. And if you are already leaning toward Elementor-based templates, the Amelia Island design is one of the strongest options in that space.
Davey and Krista Promo Code: Save 15%
If you are ready to take the leap, you can use my code QLBCORNTWL at checkout to get 15% off your purchase. That applies to the Amelia Island template and other designs in their shop.
