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, lighting setups, 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 cost range with storage and ram capacity.
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’ve spent years refining my approach—documenting weddings in a way that feels like movie stills and intentional without being intrusive. I work with couples who value real moments over staged ones, and I structure my pricing to reflect that.

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.

Mimi ! So in love with this precious back yard wedding thanks for inviting me into your home :)
Dress: Ira’s Bridal Studio (Hoboken) @irasbridal
Suit: Armen Custom Tailor
DJ: phase 2 events by DJ Gaetano @djgaetano
Day of coordinator: Swig Events (Brittney Lough) @swigevents
Caterer: Philly Hots and Common Good Pizza
Cake: The Bakery House Bryn Mawr and Le Mignon
Tent and Rentals: The Party Center
It’s been a few years since this wedding ! I have been going back over my work and doing a lot of reflection, I think being an artist is a long term commitment, and I’m always working on myself and trying to grow.. these really caught me their much different than my current work but showed me how versatile I can be .. I want more weddings like this is crazy places .. throwing it into the universe this was a Masonic temple in Scranton ..
came across this photos which is probably one of my favorite images looking for my PA photos for an article with @djbenboylan
i don`t know but this orange dress in the garden just had me ! you feel me ?