This City Is Where I Work. It’s Also Where I Live.
I’ve been photographing weddings in New York City for twenty-five years. That’s not a marketing line — it’s just the reality of my life. I raised my kids here. I know which subway to take to get to Red Hook before the light changes. I know what the Plaza looks like at 6 pm in October and what the Bowery Hotel looks like at midnight in July. I know which corner in DUMBO catches the last sun before it drops behind the Manhattan Bridge.
New York City is not a backdrop I visit. It’s somewhere I know. It’s home.
What It Actually Takes to Photograph a Wedding in NYC
New York City is the most demanding place I’ve ever worked. It’s also the most rewarding.
The scale is relentless. The crowds are relentless. The logistics — permits, traffic, venues stacked on top of each other, timelines that leave no room for error — are relentless. A wedding photographer who doesn’t know this city will spend your wedding day figuring things out. You don’t want that.
What you want is someone who already knows where the light falls at 3 pm versus 6 pm. Who knows which rooftop requires a permit and which one doesn’t. Who knows that the Roosevelt Island Tram at 8 am on a Saturday morning is empty and extraordinary. Who can get you from Midtown to DUMBO within the timeline and still arrive knowing exactly where to stand?
That’s the work. Twenty-five years of it.
How I Actually Work
My work is documentary-first. That means when I’m on your wedding day, I’m watching for what’s actually happening rather than staging it for you. The first look. The moment during the ceremony when your dad reaches for a tissue. The way your grandmother’s hands look folded in her lap during the first dance. Those are the photographs I chase, and those are the ones that end up meaning the most a decade later.
My work is also editorial where it matters. Portraits of you, and the family formals, get real thought and real light. I move you when I need to. I direct you when you need direction. But I don’t overwork it. My portraits look like you.
I use available light almost always (except when I don’t). I do not use flash during any ceremony. Reception coverage works with whatever light is in the room, adding light as needed, and dark reception spaces are some of my favorite work in the entire portfolio.
On a wedding day, I am present without being intrusive. I’m the person in the room paying attention to everything and getting in the way of nothing. The goal is for you to barely notice me, except when I need you to.
Twenty-five years of NYC weddings means I know how to quickly read a room, a family, a timeline, and a venue. I know when to be close. I know when to step back. I know when to intervene and when to disappear. That’s the actual craft.
The Venues I Know Best
New York City has hundreds of wedding venues. These are the ones I keep coming back to — not because they’re the most famous, but because they’re the ones that photograph beautifully and reward someone who knows how to work them.
Manhattan
The Plaza Hotel is one of the grand ones — the ballroom light is extraordinary, the getting-ready suites have window light that does half the work for you, and Central Park is steps away for portraits. The St. Regis is similar in scale and grandeur, with one of the most photographable grand staircases in the city. For something more intimate, the Colony Club on Park Avenue is quiet and extraordinary — the Library alone is worth the booking.
Angel Orensanz on the Lower East Side is in a category of its own. The oldest surviving synagogue in New York City, Gothic Revival architecture, chandeliers, scale that makes people look small in the best possible way. I’ve shot there multiple times, and it never gets old.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is where my heart is. Liberty Warehouse in Red Hook, House of Yes in Bushwick, the River Café under the Brooklyn Bridge, 501 Union in Gowanus, Brooklyn Botanic Garden in spring. Fifteen years of living there means I know every neighborhood, every corner, every pocket of light. DUMBO especially — I know where the famous shot is and I know when to leave it.
Beyond the Boroughs
Some of my favorite New York City wedding days have ended somewhere unexpected — portraits in Northern New Jersey with the full Manhattan skyline behind the couple, or at a NYC skyline location from a rooftop nobody else knows about. The city extends in every direction. I know where to go.
Who I Shoot For
Couples who want photographs that feel like their wedding, not like a wedding. Couples who care about the work. Couples who are getting married somewhere extraordinary and want someone who will be fully present for it.
I don’t shoot every style, and I’m not the right photographer for everyone. What I do, I’ve been doing for twenty-five years at the highest level — documentary, editorial, emotionally precise. If you’ve seen my work and felt something, that’s the conversation worth having.
My wedding galleries are the best place to start. If you want to talk about your day, reach out here.
Weddings I’ve Photographed in New York
Every wedding I shoot has its own character. Here are two that show the range.
Sarah + Nick at The Beekman and Tribeca Rooftop
A classically NYC wedding day. Getting ready at The Beekman in the atrium light. A portrait session on a Manhattan subway platform. Ceremony and reception at Tribeca Rooftop with the downtown skyline lighting up behind them as the sun went down. This is what a NYC wedding day at its most iconic looks like, from morning light to first dance under the skyline.
Leia + Brian at the Bowery Ballroom
Rock-n-roll NYC through and through. Motorcycles at the reception. A bathroom decorated with vintage kimonos. Portraits on the subway platform. A surprise Darren Criss performance. A ceremony on the Bowery Ballroom stage. Everything about this day was singular to who this couple is, and everything about the photographs reflects that.
For the full picture of what I’ve shot, browse the full wedding galleries.
What This Investment Looks Like
Wedding photography is one of the things you actually take home from your wedding day. Long after the day itself, the photographs are what you have.
My wedding collections start at $9,000 and scale up based on what your day actually needs. The starting collection includes eight hours of coverage with a second photographer and me. Larger collections include additional hours, engagement sessions, and coverage for welcome parties or rehearsal dinners. Custom builds are always possible.
For the full breakdown of collections, engagement session pricing, album options, and add-ons, get in touch.
If your wedding is a full weekend format, or your ceremony has particular timing needs, or you’re considering something outside the standard NYC wedding day format, let me know when you reach out, and I will build a custom collection around your day.
What Past Clients Have Said
“Susan was absolutely amazing. Her photos are crisp, stunning, and of phenomenal quality, but beyond that, they’re filled with creativity, thought, and artistry. You can immediately tell how much experience she has with weddings, which is exactly what you want as a client. My husband and I were completely in awe of her work. We knew the photos would be beautiful, but they far surpassed our expectations. On top of her talent, Susan has the perfect personality for what she does. Our friends and family have all commented that these are by far the best wedding photos they’ve ever seen.”
— Google review
“Susan was a dream to work with for our wedding. She is professional and incredible at what she does, but also fun and funny and real, and she put us immediately at ease. She listened to our requests and shot the wedding in the way that we wanted, and the results were amazing. She is truly an artist. Cannot recommend her enough.”
— Google review
“Susan is the best photographer. From the moment I met her in person on the morning of my wedding, she made me feel so special and heard. She is incredibly down to earth and is insanely creative. I cried as soon as I saw the first photo she sent me, which was literally a day after my wedding. She was professional with my guests and other vendors, and anyone would be lucky to have her as their photographer. She captured the best day of my life in a documentary style way, and I am so grateful.”
— Google review
“We love Susan’s style: dramatic, ephemeral, and so playful. As creatives ourselves, we wanted a photographer who did more than just capture our wedding; she made art that is timeless and unforgettable. But don’t be intimidated. She’s one of the most down-to-earth, easygoing, and delightful people I’ve ever met. We had so much fun with her and were honored to have her as our photographer.”
— Google review
Frequently Asked Questions: NYC Wedding Photography
How much does a NYC wedding photographer cost?
My wedding collections start at $9,000 and scale up depending on the number of hours of coverage, whether you want an engagement session, and whether you’re adding welcome party or rehearsal dinner coverage. Get in touch to learn more, or read more about what a New York wedding photographer costs generally in this post.
What is your wedding photography style?
Documentary-first with editorial when it matters. I photograph what actually happens on your wedding day and put real thought into the portraits. My work has been described as dramatic, ephemeral, playful, dark and moody, and emotionally precise.
How far in advance should I book a New York City wedding photographer?
For popular venues — the Plaza, Liberty Warehouse, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Angel Orensanz — eighteen months to two years is not excessive. These venues book fast, and photographers who know them book alongside them. If you have a date, reach out as soon as you have it.
Do you shoot in all five boroughs?
Yes — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and beyond. I’ve shot at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, at venues in Astoria and Long Island City, and extensively across Brooklyn and Manhattan. The city is the city.
Do you have a second photographer?
Yes. Every wedding collection I offer includes a second photographer. That means you have coverage of both the getting-ready spaces at the same time, coverage of the ceremony from multiple angles, and full reception coverage without missing what is happening on the dance floor while I am shooting portraits.
Do you offer engagement sessions?
Yes. Engagement sessions run for 1 hour in the Manhattan area for $1,500 and can take place anywhere in the city. Engagement sessions outside the five boroughs may include travel fees. Sessions are included in my larger wedding collections.
How and when do we receive our wedding photographs?
All images are delivered in both color and black and white within eight weeks of your wedding date. You’ll receive a password-protected online gallery, personal print rights, and cloud-based downloads. Expedited delivery is available if you need images sooner.
Do you photograph religious and cultural wedding ceremonies?
Yes. I’ve photographed Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Greek Orthodox, and interfaith ceremonies across the city and beyond. If your ceremony has specific traditions, walk me through them ahead of time so I know what to expect. Every family’s version is different, and I want to be prepared for yours specifically.
Do you offer wedding albums?
Yes. I offer a 9×12 album with 50 pages for $2,500 or an 8×10 album with 30 pages for $1,500.
What’s the best time of year to get married in New York City?
Fall is my favorite — October and November especially. The light goes warm and golden, the crowds thin out, and the city looks extraordinary in that particular way it does when summer finally breaks. Spring is beautiful but unpredictable. Summer works if you plan around the heat. Winter in New York has a dramatic quality that photographs remarkably well if you’re willing to commit to it.
Do you need permits for wedding photography in NYC?
It depends on the location. Parts of Central Park require permits for commercial photography and for larger groups. The inside of the Beekman requires a permit. Most public streets and many parks don’t require permits for personal sessions. I handle permit research for every location so you don’t have to figure it out yourself.
What happens if it rains on our wedding day?
Rain is not the emergency couples imagine it to be. Some of my favorite photographs across twenty-five years have come from rainy wedding days. I bring what I need to work in weather, I know which NYC venues have real indoor backup, and I can help you think about timeline adjustments if the forecast is looking dramatic.
Can you photograph our NYC wedding weekend, not just the wedding day?
Yes, and I’d love to. Weekend-format weddings, with welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, and morning-after brunches in addition to the wedding day itself, are among my favorite events to photograph. My larger collections include welcome party coverage, and custom weekend builds are always possible.
Do you travel outside NYC for weddings?
Yes — extensively. I’ve shot destination weddings in Iceland, France, Finland, the Caribbean, Colorado, and California. New York is home base, but I go where the work is extraordinary.
Can I see examples of your NYC wedding work?
Yes — my wedding galleries include work from venues across the city. If you want to see work from a specific venue before reaching out, just ask.
If your wedding is in New York City — any borough, any venue, any scale — I’d love to hear about it.
