CAPTURING THE MOMENT

by Samantha Manzella

date posted: March 15, 2017

Your wedding is a day you’ll always want to remember, so focus on capturing your ceremony and reception from every possible angle.

Browse potential photographers’ Instagram pages or online portfolios. Choose a photographer or videographer whose expertise and style fits your theme and budget.

If your time frame and budget allow for it, think about a formal engagement photo shoot. Elegant, professional photos of you and your spouse-to-be will make the perfect addition to your wedding website, invitations, or thank-yous.

don’t be afraid to speak up:

Talk to your photographer about what your expectations are in terms of quantity and quality for the day-of documentation. Request a variety of photos ahead of time, including formal and candid snapshots of your wedding party and guests. Be sure to ask for a few shots of the happy bride and groom before and after the ceremony.

Questions For Your photographer:

How many photographers will be on the ground during the event?
How many hours of photography services are included in my wedding photography package?
How many edited images will I receive from the event?

Is any video footage included in the package?
How soon will I receive the images?
Will I receive digital copies of the images, prints, or both?

don’t forget your surroundings:

Make sure your photography team captures your venue and decorations. For a fun, quirky addition to your reception, consider renting a photobooth. Guests will love walking away with photo strips of their own and you can keep copies of these candid shots, too.

Use social media to your advantage: Play around with cute hashtags for your wedding guests to use on Instagram and Twitter so everyone can take part in documenting your special day!

Try live streaming your ceremony on streaming services like YouTube or Facebook to keep faraway friends and family in the loop during the celebration.

alicia king photography

New York City, Hudson Valley, aliciakingphotography.com

Alicia King has a very candid and natural shooting style and loves unique couples who are willing to go the extra mile to get a good shot. Happy to travel anywhere, this film and digital hybrid photographer looks at everything with a unique perspective because she knows that nobody wants cookie-cutter wedding photos. What’s the icing on the cake? Each wedding booked receives a complimentary engagement shoot! Alicia can’t wait to meet you and hear more about the details of your special day.

arius photography

New Paltz, 845-532-6337, ariusphoto.com

Artistic. Raw. Non-Cheesy. I love to make beautiful /media/2017 that artistically tell your story and I take pride in my creative approach. I have a distinct style that combines artistic portraiture with the ability to candidly capture intimate moments. I love light and I use it strongly... I am totally NOT afraid! My clients genuinely care about their wedding photography and their trust is all I need. Let's make magic together!

cappy hotchkiss

New York City, Hudson Valley, 917-741-2730, cappyhotchkiss.com

Cappy Hotchkiss is a photographer who has had the privilege of shooting weddings all over the world. Based in New York City and the Hudson Valley, she aims to capture the styles and moods that couples work so hard to create for their weddings. Her goal is more than simply creating beautiful /media/2017; it is to capture the emotions behind them. She achieves this using a variety of techniques from classic to modern, and she shoots with both film and digital cameras.

cassondre mae photography

Hudson Valley, Tri-State, 845-549-5943, cassondremaephotography.com

If you are looking for a photographer who will treat your big day as if it was her own, trust CMP to capture it all, from every small detail to every big moment. We get to know all our couples personally; we care about your vision for your day and capturing your love story! Our goal is to allow you to experience your wedding day to the absolute fullest and to provide you with timeless, beautiful photographs of the moments you never want to forget!

clean plate pictures

New Paltz, 718-622-3632, cleanplatepictures.com

Clean Plate Pictures is all about capturing the energy of a celebration, recording the big events as well as the unexpected candid moments. They appreciate the uniqueness of a couple’s story, and they love weddings. They make being photographed easygoing and fun, so you look and feel happy and relaxed. Though the day may fly by for you, they capture the entire thing so you have visual memories that make you laugh, and maybe even tear up.

clerestory pictures

Hudson Valley, clerestorypictures.com

Clerestory Pictures is a group of seasoned professionals whose work has been shown on an international stage, and they can bring this experience to your wedding at an affordable price. With an expertise in documentary-style and television special production, they have over 30 years of experience and can shoot in a cinematic or documentary style.

dear alex and jane

Hudson Valley, 646-240-3745, dearalexandjane.com

With 20 years of experience in the fashion and beauty industries in New York and a BFA from The Rietveld Academie in Holland, artist-photographer Rachel Brennecke brings her background to her new company Dear Alex and Jane, founded with assistant photographer Alex Liguori. Press for her Stone Fox Bride X Honor campaign was featured in publications such as Martha Stewart Weddings, Vogue, Elle, InStyle, The New York Times, and Harper’s Bazaar.

duetimage photography

New Paltz, 845-905-6323, duetimage.com

Duetimage is a collaboration between two photographers, Doug Madden and Regina Gloor, who live and work in New York’s historic Hudson Valley. Based in New Paltz, Duetimage Photography specializes in weddings, portraits, and events. They pride themselves on offering a wide range of finished photo products, from luxurious handcrafted albums and museum-quality prints, to canvases, metal prints, and ceramic heirlooms. They focus on the process from beginning to end with a truly unique product.

elizabeth unterman photography

West Hurley, 845-489-0975, elizabethuntermanphotography.net

This will be the best day of your life. It goes by in a flash, and I make sure I am there to capture those precious moments for your memories later on. The sweet time with a bridesmaid fixing your dress, the look in your eyes when you see each other for the first time, or when your aunt gets loose on the dance floor—it is all on my radar as a photographer. My natural, artistic, and fun approach is a perfect fit for your Hudson Valley wedding day.

emily curran photography

High Falls, 845-532-7956, emilycurran.com

The day you celebrate your love and commitment to each other with all your family and friends surrounding you will be the best day of your life. You will not only want to remember every detail, you will want to relive the story of the day. Emily Curran's depth of experience, passion for her work, and quiet presence combine to create a tailor-made retelling of your beautiful day in photograph

hudson event studios

Hudson Valley, Catskills, NYC, 973-868-9043, hudsoneventphoto.com

Hudson Event Studios is one of the premier event photography studios based in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and New York City region. Specializing in natural event photography and video, our focus is to blend those superb candid moments organically with a timeless formal quality. Offering both still and video coverage, Hudson Event Studios uses all of the latest equipment and technologies to offer superior image quality and delivery.

joshua brown photography

Hudson Valley, NYC, 646-374-8688, joshuabrownphotography.com

Joshua is a photographer and videographer based in the Hudson Valley with over 18 years of wedding experience. His unobtrusive style and natural light approach yields /media/2017 and moments that are both timeless and modern. His ability to offer both photography and videography in the same package enables him to tell the full story of the day. In addition to videography, typical packages might include albums, photo booths, or engagement photo shoots.

kamp weddings

Hudson Valley and beyond, 201-588-KAMP, kampweddings.com

We are Joe and Amanda—wedding photographers and videographers for couples who are looking for something a little different. We are in love with what we do (and with each other). Because love is not “one size fits all,” we make sure to take an individual and unique approach to every wedding. We focus on moments, not poses, to help tell your story, not write it. Most of all, we believe you should enjoy every moment of your wedding. No stress, just 100% fun!

love me do photography

Philadelphia and destination, 267-603-2086, lovemedophotography.com

Love Me Do Photography is a small collective of female photographers founded by friends and former art school classmates. Our backgrounds in editorial and fine art photography provide us with the skill to capture genuine moments in a creative and unique way. We aim to capture the love and affection between our couples. With each wedding, we enter into a partnership with our clients, one that is honest and pure, inviting them to trust us to document their day artfully and organically

rachel collet photography

Hudson Valley, NYC, 845-554-3443, rachelcollet.com

Rachel’s photojournalistic approach captures the unique charm, tenderness, and excitement of every celebration in its rich, authentic form. Her creative eye illuminates the subtle moments and details that give our memories texture. Rachel listens carefully to her clients to make sure what they value is reflected and preserved in their gallery of /media/2017. And, you can also add a playful element to your event with her boutique photo booths!

samantha lauren photographie

Hudson Valley, 646-320-6945, samanthalaurenphotographie.com

Samantha is an editorial and intuitively artistic wedding photographer. She splits her time between New York City and the Hudson Valley, and she loves local, creative, and emotional weddings. She has been in the business for nine years, and her philosophy—that love is the greatest story—is the driving force behind her work. She is invested in the true documentation of your love story to be shared with generations to come.

surprise photography

Poughkeepsie, 845-616-1733, surprisephotography.com

Surprise Photography will capture the unique moments of your day so beautifully that in years to come you can look through your wedding day album and your memories will come alive. Melissa aims so that every photo evokes powerful emotion and every photo tells its part of your unique love story.

susan baker photography

Hudson Valley, NYC, 917-439-4819, susanbakerphotography.com

Susan Baker is a seasoned wedding photographer who resides in the Hudson Valley. Her work can be described as painterly and cinematic. Through unposed romantic portraits, quiet candid moments, and poetic, atmospheric details, the captures of the day unfold in an intimate storytelling narrative. With an editorial flair and fine art approach, Susan photographs with both film and digital cameras. The passion behind her work is a desire that each couple receive a collection of /media/2017 that are elegant, truthful, and timeless.

teresa horgan photo

New Paltz, 917-612-2963, teresahorgan.com

Striving to capture all that makes your day distinct and memorable, Teresa will photograph the emotion, the mood, and the spirit of your day as well as the beautiful instants you may miss while you are present in your own moment. Teresa shoots in a distinct editorial style, with lots of fun candids sprinkled throughout. Every couple’s story and wedding is unique, and Teresa Horgan Photo captures each individual wedding in the most beautiful way possible, with over ten years of wedding experience.

tom delooza photography

Hudson Valley, tomdelooza.com

Turning portraits into heirlooms! Tom’s studio is working to bring back an appreciation for having your portrait made through the use of antiquarian photographic techniques. The wet plate collodion process is one of the earliest forms of photography and leaves you with a beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind image. In a time of endless selfies, existing only on your phone and in the cloud, he pushes to leave something real and special for our future generations.

val & jenn photography

Hudson Valley, valandjenn.com

Photographers by trade, and romantics at heart. With more than 50 years of experience between them, these two women each have unique styles and perspectives but also a shared mission—to express and capture authentic beauty, true love and connection. They love working with people, and their collaboration is a melding of charisma, energy, creativity, sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Val & Jenn believe that weddings are the perfect photographic storm of beauty, emotion, reflection and pure love, and seek to capture the intimacy of otherwise unnoticed beauty.