Katie and Bruce walk back down the vineyard aisle hand in hand at golden hour, petals scattered along the rows, mountains in the distance.

Wedding photography · New York City

Having your photo taken is awkward. My job is making it easy.

I’m Jacq Lew. I’ve photographed weddings in New York for more than fourteen years, and I’ll guide you the whole way through. Every wedding package includes a complimentary engagement shoot, so we already know each other by the time your day arrives.

Inquire about your date or see the work first

Portfolio

Browse the work by occasion.

Wedding photography by Jacq Lew
Weddings8 albums
 Engagement photography by Jacq Lew
Engagements12 albums
 Elopement photography by Jacq Lew
Elopements6 albums
 Lifestyle and family photography by Jacq Lew
Lifestyle & Family5 albums
 Glam and fine art photography by Jacq Lew
Glam & Fine Art7 albums
 Corporate event photography by Jacq Lew
Corporate4 albums

My most current work lives on Instagram, at @theoryphotographie.

Jacq Lew, camera at her shoulder, smiling at something off-camera.
Jacq Lew — New York City

The photographer

I came to New York for a photography degree and never left.

I grew up in the Bay Area and started out as a painter. After UCLA I moved to New York to get my BFA in photography, and I’ve been here almost two decades now, which still sounds crazy to say out loud. I’ve been photographing professionally for over fourteen years, in just about every kind of venue this city has.

Having your photo taken is not easy, and it can be very awkward. My goal is to make you comfortable enough to be your true selves, because that is what makes a good photograph. It’s why I suggest an engagement shoot or a meetup before the wedding, and why one comes with every package. By the time your day arrives, having a camera on you feels normal.

Clients often tell me a session felt like spending time with an old friend, which is a big compliment, so thank you. Your photos will end up on a wall, on a desk, or in an album, and you’ll come back to them for years. Getting to know you and your partner is my favorite part of the whole thing.

— Jacq

The experience

What working together actually looks like.

  1. Say hello

    Use the form below. Tell me your date, where you’re getting married, and whatever else you already know. Custom packages are welcome, so ask if you have questions or something specific in mind.

  2. Your engagement shoot

    Every wedding package includes a complimentary forty-five minute engagement shoot. It’s the easiest way for us to get to know each other before the wedding, and the fastest way to get comfortable in front of a camera while nothing is riding on it.

  3. The month before

    About a month before the wedding I send a questionnaire, and we go through everything together — your timeline, and especially the family formals, name by name, so no one gets forgotten. I check in regularly right up to the day. By the time it arrives, neither of us is guessing.

  4. Your wedding day

    Six hours with one photographer, or eight hours with two. I’ve photographed just about every kind of venue in this city, from City Hall elopements to full wedding days, and I’ll guide you through the posed shots so you’re never left wondering what to do with your hands.

  5. Your photographs

    Expect around a hundred photographs per hour of coverage — a standard eight hour day is a minimum of eight hundred, and usually more. They arrive in a password-protected gallery you can download in full, without watermarks, and share with your families. Engagement, elopement and smaller shoots take four to six weeks; weddings take eight to twelve. That timeline is written into your contract. I edit every frame myself.

Kind words

What couples remember.

“She helped us build a timeline that got us every shot we wanted. They stayed calm and relaxed while keeping a tight schedule, making sure we even got our departure pictures with sparklers just in time.”

Kelly E.

“She pushed back, softly and respectfully, on a few things we didn’t want. I always thought the first look was a little cheesy, but I didn’t realize how bottled up my emotions were. I’m thankful she encouraged it.”

Lindsay S.

“I don’t like posing and never feel like myself in those photos. She made us look unbelievable while we were just laughing, walking around. Now when I look back, I can literally feel everything I felt that day.”

Elena Rose P.

The Knot

5.0 · 88 reviews · 7-time Best of Weddings · Hall of Fame

WeddingWire

5.0 · 58 reviews · Recommended by 99% of couples · Couples’ Choice Award 2018, 2019

Have a date in mind? Tell me about your day.

Investment

Weddings begin at $7,500.

Six hour weddings begin at $7,500 with one photographer. Eight hour weddings begin at $9,500 with two photographers. Every package comes with a complimentary forty-five minute engagement shoot so we can get to know each other before the day. Albums are available as well.

Custom packages are welcome, and I try to be as flexible as I can. If you have questions or something specific in mind, please ask.

Inquire about your date

Good to know

Questions couples actually ask.

Six hours of coverage with one photographer begins at $7,500. Eight hours with two photographers begins at $9,500 — if you’re expecting sixty guests or more, two photographers is what I’d recommend. Both include a complimentary forty-five minute engagement shoot. Albums are available, and custom packages are welcome if neither option quite fits your day.

Editorial mixed with lifestyle, and firmly dark and moody rather than light and airy — rich, dramatic color instead of the washed-out look. I’ve spent fourteen years shooting and editing, and I edit every frame myself, so what you see in the portfolio is exactly what ends up in your gallery. The goal is that you absolutely love your photographs.

Most couples feel that way, and nerves are perfectly normal. I give you a healthy amount of direction, mixed with real conversation, so it never feels like a staring contest with a lens. The engagement shoot is your practice run for the wedding, and it comes with every package. Most sessions end up feeling like catching up with a good friend — I want to hear how you met and what your story is, because that’s what makes the photographs feel like yours.

Weddings take eight to twelve weeks, and engagements, elopements and smaller shoots take four to six — the exact timeline is written into your contract. Expect around a hundred photographs per hour of coverage, so at least eight hundred from a standard eight hour day, and usually more. Everything arrives edited in a password-protected gallery with free downloads and no watermarks.

Your gallery is yours to download in full and share with your families — no watermarks, no per-image fees. Copyright in the photographs themselves stays with the photographer, which is standard, and exactly how that works is spelled out in the contract before you sign anything.

Yes. Most of my work is here in New York, but I’ve also photographed in Paris, Jamaica and Mexico. Tell me where you’re getting married and I’ll put a quote together for you.

Yes. Engagements and elopements, family and newborn sessions, fine art and glam portraits, corporate work, and destination weddings. If you’re not sure whether what you have in mind fits, just ask and I’ll tell you honestly.

Begin

Tell me about your day.

This comes straight to me. Tell me your date, your venue if you’ve picked one, and anything else you’d like me to know.

Your date, your venue if you’ve picked one, how you met, what matters most. Whatever you’d tell a friend.

Phone and “how did you find out about us” are optional; everything else is required.