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 ( if i had to add all of my cameras + gear up I’m approaching 15-20k,) 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. That level of preparedness comes at a cost.
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.
Philly and NYC wedding photo has a huge swing from 2-3k all the way up to 20k and being an elopement and intimate wedding focused photographer I’m able to keep my pricing some where in the middle.
You’re paying for more than just someone with a camera. I am a real artist and truly love my work. With over a decade in this field I know how to anticipate moments, and document the energy of the day without forcing anything. I capture what’s actually happening without making it feel like a wedding factory assembly line.
I hope this helped to illuminate more about pricing and about my price structure and a little about the industry.

corey and neha a few weeks ago at city hall, i am so in love with these and all the colors ! <3
ps i have so much more work to post but i remain in this place with socials where i feel cautious on how to engage with it and find it to be a hell scape of sorts .. and not a healthy or safe place for the sensitive heart of an artist ..
New York city hall elopement shot on 35mm film
hi ! me in between 2 shoots last week at the @littlefalcon_bk my last name is also falcon <3
What a beautiful way to start the week ! For a native New York City kid this made my day .. ironically my mom declined the Sunday paper yesterday but here I am in the wedding section .. ( she did order it again tho ) thanks to these two beautiful humans it was an honor to get to work along side your creative visions and I felt so inspired the entire day .. evident in the art we created together .. not a single photo i don’t love it is impossible to not choose them all so many more posts to come ..
announcement out today in the sunday
@nytimes
photography @giannaleofalcon
words by Rosalie Radomsky
jewelry @adj.nyc
dresses @ceciliebahnsen & @paulinedujancourt shoes@proenzaschouler & @manoloblahnik
hair @genevieve.pc @keejunyc
makeup @kaori_chloe_soda
venue @abcvnyc
cake @ashleydrum
florals @flowercuratorium
Couple @aiyanajaffe @robertjaffe_
These two beauties at city hall a few weeks back ! My mom was also pregnant with me 41 years ago when she married my dad and I can still remember that day ! Haha @hiltops
Flowers @violetenergetics
Dress @lesaimantsbridal
Bag @chanelofficial
Suit @jcrew
Shoes @dolcegabbana