Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer | 10 Details to Consider

What do most people think of when they think of New York? More often than not, a shining metropolis of a city. The Big Apple! The fact is, New York, especially the Finger Lakes region, is something curated out of a dream. The rolling green hills, historic towns, jaw-dropping venue options, are all elements that draw thousands of couples each year. As a Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer, I can’t wait to walk you through some amazing steps for your refined wedding day.

Choosing a Finger Lakes wedding photographer is about more than loving their portfolio. You’re choosing someone who will be by your side for much of your wedding day. The experience should feel just as good as the photographs look. From posing guidance and photography style to transparent packages and personality, the details matter. Here are 10 things to consider when choosing the right photographer for your celebration.

Photography is so much more than your final album. It’s about the experience I help you through the entire day. My ultimate goal is for you to focus on what’s important: you and your partner getting married and being happy. Your only obligation this day is showing up glammed out and ready to have the best day ever!

Some elements that make me different is my approach to true-to-color and life photos. Let’s not alter the colors of your day, but make them pop! Allow me to create a masterpiece each time I click my shutter. Approaching your day with authenticity is crucial for your day to not feel like a production, but rather a celebration.

I want to laugh with you, cry with you, and hold you up in the moments you need the most support.

Take a peep at my all inclusive packaging that doesn’t have any hidden or travel fees. That’s huge! 

If you’re feeling great about everything you’re hearing, I think we will be a great partnership! Feel free to scroll through some of my highlight albums so you can imagine what your day may look like post album delivery.

 Choose a Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer That Feels Like You

A beautiful photo can catch your eye, but consistency matters. When choosing a Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer, look at their work as a whole. My approach is colorful, true-to-life, emotive, and polished without feeling overly posed. I keep skin tones natural and colors true to how they looked in person. Your wedding photos should still feel like you 10, 20, or 30 years from now—not like a trend that came and went.

Look Beyond Instagram Highlights

A portfolio only shows a small part of a photographer’s work. Ask to see my full wedding galleries before making your decision. Look for consistency from getting ready through the final moments of the reception. Pay attention to indoor spaces, bright sunlight, nighttime photos, and challenging lighting. You can also explore my wedding portfolio to see how my work looks across a full celebration. Remember that your venue’s color palette will drastically determine your color tones for the day. Fret not, I am here to walk you through all of this. Check out the galleries!

 

 

Your Experience With Your Photographer Matters

An elevated photography experience should never feel stiff or overly formal. Your photographer should be organized and confident, but also approachable and fun. After all, you’ll spend a large part of your wedding day together. Choose someone you genuinely enjoy being around. Great communication and the right personality can make the entire experience feel effortless. The feedback I often receive from my clients and their family members is non-stop thank yous for making their day memorable and having the best attitude during stressful moments. I hope to be your built-in bestie!

Elevated Doesn’t Have to Mean Serious

Your wedding photos can feel polished without taking all the fun out of the day. We’ll laugh, move around, celebrate, and create some seriously gorgeous photos along the way. I’ll step in and direct when you need me, then back off when the moment is better left alone. Your wedding is a celebration, not an eight-hour photoshoot, and I want you to actually enjoy it. I’m there to help coach you through each photo that you have been envisioning for years.

You Shouldn’t Have to Know How to Pose

Here’s something I hear almost every day from my clients. “We are super awkward and don’t know how to pose.” Or “We’ve only done holiday photos before but would love some gorgeous bridal photos that really encapsulate who we are.” Also “I really want to highlight these things to pop out in photos”. This is all music to my ears. I have a super hands on approach for posing, feeling confident, natural, and not over directed. Prompts are great, but let’s focus on who you are as a couple to continue building your authentic love to reflect in each photo we take.

 

Guidance Without Over-Posing

I have been in the industry for a little over 6 years now and I have seen it all when it comes to bridal portraits. I never want to over-pose you, but guide you through the process so nothing feels forced. Let’s get you back to your cocktail hour and be as efficient as possible so you can still get those gorgeous bridal portraits, and enjoy your friends and family. 

Consider How Your Photographer Handles the Entire Wedding Day

Gorgeous portraits are important, but they’re only one piece of the day. Your photographer should be just as confident capturing the quiet getting-ready moments as they are a packed dance floor at midnight. From the ceremony and family photos to cocktail hour, champagne toasts, and everything happening in between, every part deserves attention. Changing light, locations, and energy should never mean an inconsistent gallery. The goal is for everything to feel polished, vibrant, and unmistakably yours from beginning to end.

The Details Deserve Their Moment Too

You put far too much thought into the details for them to get a quick photo and be forgotten. The florals, stationery, fashion, tablescapes, architecture, heirlooms, signage, and very necessary champagne tower all help create the atmosphere of your celebration. I photograph these details with the same intention I bring to your portraits and candid moments. Together, they create a gallery that doesn’t just show who was there—it shows exactly what it felt like to be there.

 

The Finger Lakes Offers Incredible Variety for Wedding Photography. Let’s Explore Some Top Venues!

 

Here a 5 Amazing Finger Lakes wedding venues & why:

• 1. The Lake House on Canandaigua — Canandaigua Lake  This gorgeous property sits directly on Canandaigua Lake and combines lake views with a polished resort atmosphere. Think clean architecture, waterfront portraits, beautiful interiors, docks, golden-hour light, and a more contemporary wedding aesthetic. This would work especially for those who want their Finger Lakes wedding to feel elevated without leaning rustic.
• 2. Inns of Aurora Resort & Spa — Cayuga Lake For something that feels historic, refined, and quintessentially Finger Lakes, the Inns of Aurora is one of the strongest options. The resort includes beautifully restored historic properties, gardens, lakeside lawns, and direct Cayuga Lake access. This is where you can lean into an elegant editorial look—historic architecture, manicured grounds, lakefront portraits, sophisticated interiors, and sunset photographs along Cayuga Lake.
• 3. Crispin Hill — Keuka Lake Crispin Hill gives you the rolling countryside and elevated barn category without feeling like a stereotypical rustic wedding venue. The property overlooks Keuka Lake and features panoramic views, a climate-controlled barn and cocktail lounge, multiple settings, and a historic farmhouse.Imagine your portraits around rolling hills, open skies, lake views and a modernized barn create a completely different gallery from a resort or historic estate. This is a great venue to mention when talking about colorful outdoor photographs and big Finger Lakes landscapes.
• 4. Ventosa Vineyards — Seneca Lake The Geneva property has a Tuscan-inspired aesthetic with vineyards and expansive views over Seneca Lake. I mean come on! The ceremony lawn in particular gives couples both vineyard and lake scenery in the same setting. With rows of vines, lake views, warm architecture and expansive outdoor spaces can give the gallery almost a destination-wedding quality. It shows readers that a Finger Lakes wedding doesn’t necessarily have to look traditionally Upstate New York.
• 5. Inn at Taughannock Falls — Trumansburg / Cayuga Lake This is one of the most popular choices for my couples because of the dramatic landscape and historic estate category. The property brings together an estate setting, Cayuga Lake scenery and proximity to Taughannock Falls—giving it a much more cinematic natural environment than the other four venues. It’s also been highlighted as one of the notable wedding venues in the region. Let’s visionate waterfalls, greenery, historic architecture, lake overlooks and dramatic landscapes that give you enormous visual variety. For couples who want their wedding photographs to incorporate the actual landscape of the Finger Lakes, this one stands apart.

 

Consider the Season When Planning Your Photography

 

Let’s consider the seasons of Upstate New York, with the seasons of your life. You and only you can determine what season would best reflect your love and when you want to finally say “I do!”

Every season brings something completely different to Finger Lakes wedding venues. Spring feels fresh and romantic, with blooming gardens, soft greenery, and landscapes coming back to life. Summer brings long evenings, waterfront celebrations, vibrant color, and plenty of time to chase that gorgeous golden light. Fall is iconic for a reason, with vineyard views, rich foliage, and bold natural color throughout the region. Winter shifts the mood entirely, with snowy landscapes, historic interiors, and intimate celebrations that lend themselves beautifully to more editorial New York wedding photography.

 

 

Engagement Sessions Are About More Than Save-the-Dates

Your Finger Lakes Engagement Session

An engagement session is the perfect chance to get comfortable together before the wedding. As your Finger Lakes engagement photographer, I’ll help you with posing, movement, and all those little “what do I do with my hands?” moments. There’s less pressure and more room to experiment, have fun, and figure out what feels natural. It’s also a chance to create something completely different from your wedding photos.

Creating an Elevated Finger Lakes Engagement Session

The Finger Lakes gives us plenty to work with. Think vineyards, lakefront views, historic architecture, charming downtown streets, open fields, or something with a more editorial edge. I’ll help you choose a location and wardrobe that fit the visual direction you have in mind. We can make it polished and beautifully styled without losing the laughter, movement, and personality that make the photos feel like you.

 

An Elopement Can Be Just as Intentional as a Large Wedding

A Finger Lakes elopement gives you the freedom to create a day entirely around what matters to you. Think private estates, waterfront vows, vineyard celebrations, intimate dinners, or even exploring multiple locations together. With fewer traditional timeline restrictions, we also have more freedom to slow down and get creative with your photographs. As your Finger Lakes elopement photographer, I want the experience to feel every bit as intentional and exciting as a larger celebration.

Intimate Doesn’t Have to Mean Minimal

A smaller guest list doesn’t mean scaling back the things you love. Wear the incredible outfit. Order the flowers. Plan an unforgettable dinner. Choose a gorgeous location simply because you love it. The Finger Lakes is perfect for couples who want something intimate while still creating an elevated experience full of beautiful details, personality, and seriously gorgeous photos.

Understand What’s Actually Included in Your Photography Package

When comparing photographers, look beyond the starting price and see what’s actually included. My packages are intentionally designed to keep things simple, inclusive, and transparent. Full-day coverage, a second photographer, a complimentary engagement session, four rolls of 35mm film, and drone footage when the venue allows are all included. No building your experience piece by piece or wondering what you’ll need to add later. You can focus on the photography you love and an experience that feels effortless from the beginning.

No Travel Fees for Finger Lakes Weddings

Travel fees shouldn’t be another number you have to calculate into your wedding budget. I do not charge travel fees for Finger Lakes weddings, keeping the booking process straightforward from the start. Choose your photographer because you connect with their work, personality, and experience—not because you’re trying to figure out how many extra miles are on the invoice.

Your Photographer Should Understand the Flow of a Wedding Day

Experience goes far beyond knowing how to take a beautiful photo. A great wedding photographer knows how to anticipate what’s coming next, find beautiful light quickly, and work within a timeline without making the day feel like a production. I work closely with planners, venues, and your vendor team to keep everything moving naturally. A little planning behind the scenes means more opportunities for incredible photos—and more time for you to actually enjoy your wedding.

Creating Space for Great Photography Without Taking Over Your Day

Your wedding shouldn’t revolve around your photography timeline. I intentionally build portrait time into the day so we can create gorgeous images without disappearing for hours. With the right preparation, portraits can feel relaxed, efficient, and genuinely fun. We’ll get the photos you’ve been dreaming about, then get you right back to the champagne, your guests, and the celebration.

 

Choose Someone You Actually Want at Your Wedding

 

Your photographer is one of the few vendors who will be right beside you for a huge part of your wedding day. So yes, loving their work matters—but liking them matters too. You should feel comfortable asking questions, laughing, being yourselves, and trusting them when it’s time to take the lead. My approach is fun, calm, confident, and supportive, with an elevated level of service that keeps everything feeling effortless.

Beautiful Photographs Are Only Part of the Experience

You shouldn’t have to choose between gorgeous photographs and actually enjoying the process of creating them. I’ll give you direction when you need it, keep things moving when necessary, and know when it’s time to simply let you enjoy the moment. Professionalism and beautiful imagery are a given, but I also want us to have a ridiculously good time along the way. Explore my portfolio and About page to see more of my work and get a feel for what it’s actually like to have me there on your wedding day.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring a Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer

Are there travel fees for Finger Lakes weddings?

• There are no travel fees or hidden fees! All of my prices are included.

Do you photograph weddings throughout the entire Finger Lakes region?

• I photograph all over the world, but the Finger Lakes has my heart.

What about photographing Finger Lakes elopements?

• I absolutely adore elopements, yes! It makes my heart happy to see elopements on the rise.

Do you offer Finger Lakes engagement photography?

• Yes! I offer a complimentary engagement session in all of my packages but also offer stand alone sessions.

What if we’re uncomfortable in front of the camera?

• That’s totally fine. I don’t expect any of my clients to know how to pose and this is where I walk you through the entire process so that you feel confident.

When should we book our Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer?

• My couples tend to book me about a year out before their wedding date. The more time to plan, the better!

Looking for a Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer?

Choosing your photographer comes down to more than beautiful work. You should love the photos and the person creating them. My approach combines colorful, true-to-life imagery with an elevated experience that never takes itself too seriously. With inclusive packages, no travel fees, thoughtful guidance, and plenty of personality, I want the entire process to feel just as good as the final gallery looks.

If you’re still deciding what you want your wedding photographs to feel like, take a look through my portfolio and explore some of the celebrations I’ve documented.

Planning a wedding, elopement, or engagement session in the Finger Lakes? If my work feels like you, I’d love to hear what you’re planning. Head over to my contact form and tell me all about it.