If you’ve been deep in wedding planning, you’ve probably noticed that wedding photography costs more than most other types of photography except maybe high fashion. A portrait session might cost a few hundred dollars, while a wedding can run into the thousands. The difference isn’t just about the number of hours worked it’s about everything that goes into capturing a wedding in a way that’s artistic and meaningful.

With most types of photography portraits, commercial shoots, even events there’s room for do-overs. If a brand doesn’t like their campaign photos, they can reshoot. If a headshot isn’t right, the person can book another session. Weddings don’t have that luxury.
A wedding photographer gets one chance to capture a moment. That means we have to be prepared for everything low light, fast-moving moments, unpredictable weather, shifting schedules, and the chaos of a hundred people all doing different things at once.
We don’t just show up and take photos; we anticipate moments before they happen, adjust on the fly, and make sure nothing important is missed.

A wedding photographer isn’t just working the eight to ten hours of the actual wedding. The process starts long before that and continues long after:

Wedding photographers invest tens of twenties of thousands of dollars into their equipment, High-end cameras, multiple lenses, flashes, memory cards, and backup systems are all essential. Unlike a studio photographer who can control the environment, we have to be prepared for any lighting condition dark churches, bright midday sun, candlelit receptions.
And because there are no second chances in wedding photography, we have to carry backups of everything. If a camera fails mid-ceremony, we need another one ready immediately.
Then our computers, most of us have multiple of them, and they have to be top tier often in the 5k plus range with storage and ram capacity.
Starting to make a little more sense now why the more seasoned of us charge more.

If you’re getting married in New York or Philly, you’ve probably already seen the numbers. Most experienced photographers charge somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000 for full wedding coverage. Some go higher, especially in the luxury market, while others charge less, but may offer limited coverage, minimal editing, or be newer to the industry.

I shoot both 35mm film and digital, which means you’re getting something deeper than standard wedding photos. Film has a richness, imperfection, and texture that digital can’t replicate. Blending the two creates a fuller, more honest story of your day. As well a the extra cost of film, to demystify its around 50-60 a roll for high resolution scans plus the film, and the additional camera bodies some cost me well over 2k per body. And the extra step of sending in or hand delivering the film to my scan store.





Adding a few more from this incredible wedding !
Couple: @aiyanajaffe @robertjaffe_ Photography@giannaleofalcon
Jewelry @adj.nyc
Dresses @ceciliebahnsen & @paulinedujancourt
Shoes @proenzaschouler &@manoloblahnik
Hair @genevieve.pc @keejunyc
Makeup @kaori_chloe_soda
Venue @abcvnyc
Vake @ashleydrum
Florals @flowercuratorium
#weddingchicks #elopement #nycelopement #wildflowerbouquet
I met @lulupenrose.art at a wedding a few years back and I remember being so drawn to her unique and colorful style. Maybe a mutual adoration I hope ❤️ but finally many years later with some luck I had the pleasure of creating these with her ! My cameras really pulled through for me, thank you Lulu and thank you photography for always being here for me and giving me life .. portraits shot at the Bethlehem steel stacks on 35 and 120 film ..
I’m not sure why but I love people’s legs feet and the bottoms of their bodies. ! @hotellilien @toast_jewelry
Okay @hotellilien !!! Kate and Patrick’s wedding was a serious treat ! Absolutely in love with these .. my husband and I stayed in the town of Tannersville for the weekend what a cute place .. definitely wanna come back here next year ..
Planner: @atlaseventanddesign
Dress: @cortanabrides
Florals: @petalcreekflowers
Catering: Fig & Pig @figandpigcatering
Makeup: @kayla.upstyle
Dishes: Etta Vintage @_ettavintage
Jewelry: Toast @toast_jewelry
Desserts: @little.jimmee
DJ: Ben Seretan @benseretan
When Grayson popped into my email and I went to check her IG page out I can’t help but admit I was really excited .. such a unique and beautiful couple and it’s not every day I get to photo a pro basketball player, shortly after their elopement they moved to Japan where he plays internationally.. how fucking cool is that ! One aspect of weddings that’s over looked is this amazing experience of meeting completely different people no two couples are ever the same I truly thrive on that nuance and the magic of human connection .. @graysonharrar ❤️