Honeymoon & Anniversary Photographer in Venice

I photograph couples in Venice who are on their honeymoon, celebrating an anniversary, renewing their vows, planning a birthday surprise or simply on a romantic getaway. It’s the same session and the same prices for all of them, one to two hours through the city, on foot or partly on a gondola, with every good photo edited by hand. You’ll find the prices and the delivery times further down.

Celebrating an anniversary, renewing your vows or planning a birthday surprise? Here’s how those sessions work.

Should you do your photoshoot on your first day in Venice?

Probably not. Being rested matters for a photoshoot, and the best example I have is an American couple on their honeymoon.

They had booked me about three weeks ahead, for June. They flew direct from the States, and Venice was their first stop, before Florence, Rome and Sicily. We shot at dawn on their second morning, not on the day they landed.

When they saw the gallery, they loved the photos so much that they decided to upgrade and take all the extra photos too, on top of the ones included in their package.

That’s the one piece of planning I’d ask you to copy. Don’t schedule the shoot for your first day. Give me the second morning instead.

Celebrating an anniversary, a vow renewal or a milestone birthday?

Anniversaries, vow renewals and birthdays, surprise or not, cost the same as a honeymoon session. What changes is the moment I photograph, whether it’s a surprise, the vows you read to each other or the walk to dinner.

You’ll find the prices and the gondola fares further down. You can add a gondola to any of these, and you pay the gondolier directly.

How do you organize a surprise?

On one birthday, all the person celebrating knew was that they were going on a gondola ride. Then I showed up and started taking pictures. Their husband had ordered a bouquet from a florist nearby, so I picked it up and brought it with me. That was the surprise.

If you’re planning one, say so in your message, and tell me what your partner doesn’t know. Planning a proposal instead? That’s a different job, and everything about it is on my Venice proposal photographer page.

How does a vow renewal work?

I’m there only to take the photographs. I don’t arrange a celebrant or a ceremony. It usually happens in a quiet corner or on a gondola. The gondola feels very private, with the gondolier rowing, and on a sunny day it’s beautiful. Couples write their vows on a small piece of paper, read them to each other and, usually, exchange rings.

Some couples also ask for a short blessing in a church. You can arrange it directly with the church, by email. The last couple I did this with had theirs at Santa Maria della Salute. One way to do it is a session with the photoshoot first and then the blessing in the church.

What kind of evening do you suggest?

I usually suggest doing it before dinner. We shoot somewhere quiet and out of the way, then perhaps stop for a prosecco somewhere and take a few photos with the bottle and the glasses, so you can relax. Then I walk with you toward dinner at sunset, following you with the camera, so the two of you can simply celebrate together.

Keep in mind that in winter it gets dark early. If you like to have dinner early, that works perfectly. If you have dinner at 8, you’ll have time for a nice aperitivo between the session and dinner.

How much does a honeymoon or anniversary photoshoot in Venice cost?

There are three session lengths, and every price includes all the editing and a private online gallery.

• 1 hour — €350 — 40 edited photos
• 90 minutes — €450 — 60 edited photos
• 2 hours — €650 — 80 edited photos

Express delivery, with the entire gallery in 24 hours, is €150 extra.

You pay 100% upfront by card, PayPal or bank transfer, and the date is locked in as soon as the payment is in. There’s no deposit, and it’s 100% refundable up to 24 hours before the session.

Tell me what you’re celebrating and how many days you have in Venice. The full price list, including proposal and family sessions, is on my Venice photoshoot packages and prices page.

When do we get the photos?

• 3 preview photos within 48 hours, so you have a few photos to share before the full gallery is ready
• The full gallery in 5 business days (weekends and holidays excluded). From May to September, when many sessions overlap, allow a few extra days
• During Carnival there are no previews and the gallery takes 7 business days. It’s the busiest time of the year, and I’d rather give you a date I can keep
• Express delivery gets you the entire gallery in 24 hours, if you need it sooner

I edit every good shot and upload them all to your private online gallery. You download the ones your package includes, and you can buy more right from the gallery.

Every photo is edited by hand. I don’t send RAW files. They look flat and gray, and they aren’t the pictures you booked.

Where in Venice do we shoot?

If you’re celebrating with a dinner out, I usually start somewhere quiet and out of the way. Then perhaps we stop for a prosecco, and I walk with you toward dinner.

Otherwise, it’s St. Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs if you want the Venice everyone recognizes, or the quiet canals of Dorsoduro and the corners of Castello if you’d rather skip the lines. I choose the route with you, based on your style, the time of day and the crowds.

Can we do part of it on a gondola?

Yes. The gondola is a separate cost, and it never goes through my invoice. You’ll pay the gondolier directly, in cash.

• €90 for 30 minutes, between 9 AM and 7 PM
• €110 for the same ride after 7 PM
• around €180 for a full hour during the day

The two 30-minute fares are set by the city, and they can change. The price of a full hour varies with the route and the gondolier.

If you want the gondola too, I recommend 90 minutes. One hour is a calm walk through the city, on foot. The gondola service starts at 9 AM, and I plan the session around it. Before you add one, read what a Venice gondola photoshoot is really like.

What time of day should we book?

Early morning, if you want the best light and the fewest people in your photos. I avoid midday, when the shadows are hard, and I factor the weather and the season’s crowds into the time I suggest. In July I start at sunrise, when St. Mark’s is empty and the light is already right. In November I schedule a later start, with winter light and the occasional morning mist.

If you’re celebrating with a dinner out, I usually suggest the evening instead, with the session just before dinner. And if you’ve just landed, an early start is worth much more on your second morning than on the one when you’re still feeling the flight.

What should we wear?

Wear the heels you like. If they’re uncomfortable, or you’re not used to walking in them, bring a pair of flats as well and I’ll keep them in my backpack. Heels for the frames you want in heels, flats for everything in between.

One couple came for their wedding anniversary, and she wore her wedding dress again for the session. We took a lovely walk around the city.

The full answer, with what works and what doesn’t, is in what to wear for a Venice photoshoot.

What happens if it rains?

A little rain can be beautiful in photos. In heavy rain, or with an unusually high tide (acqua alta), we pause for a coffee or reschedule, depending on availability.

How much should you try to see on an Italian honeymoon?

Less than you’re planning. This has nothing to do with photography, and it’s the advice I give when couples ask me how to spend the rest of their trip.

What I tell couples is to slow down and see the city the way people who live here do. I tell them not to pack too much into one day, to stop and sit down for a coffee or an aperitivo, and to take the time to be together, talking about what they’ve just done and what they’re doing right now. That’s how the good moments stay in your memory, like a photograph.

The alternative is the fear of missing something, and that one always wins if you let it. Seeing everything isn’t possible, because Italy is a small country with more in it than anyone gets through in a lifetime. So choose the few things you really care about, and spend the rest of the time enjoying the trip together.

The photoshoot works the same way, one thing done properly, at a time of day when you’re not rushing.

Are you proposing in Venice instead?

It’s a different job, with different planning. I arrive early and wait out of sight, so your partner never sees me coming. Proposal sessions have their own prices, and everything about them is on the Venice proposal photographer page.

How do we book?

Tell me your dates, how many days you have in Venice and what you’re celebrating, because it changes how I plan the session around the rest of your trip. I reply personally, within a few hours (CET business hours), and you’ll be talking to the person who will be holding the camera.

Any quick questions before you write?

Can you photograph a surprise for my partner’s birthday or our anniversary?

Yes, at the same prices as any couple session. Tell me in your message what your partner doesn’t know, and I’ll plan around it. On one birthday, all the person celebrating knew was that they were going on a gondola ride. Then I showed up with the camera.

We’re renewing our vows. Can you photograph it?

Yes, at the same prices as any couple session. I’m there only to take the photographs, with no celebrant or ceremony on my side. Couples usually choose a quiet corner or a gondola, read the vows they’ve written on a small piece of paper and exchange rings. If you’d like a short blessing in a church, you can arrange it directly with the church, and I’ll photograph it.

We’re not on our honeymoon, just on a romantic getaway. Is it the same thing?

Yes. It’s the same session, at the same price and with the same delivery.

Is a honeymoon session different from a normal couple session?

The price and the delivery are the same. What changes is the planning. You’re here for a few days, and the session has to fit around everything else you want to see. That’s what we sort out before you arrive.

How many photos are included?

It depends on the length of your session, and you’ll find the number next to each price. During the session I take many more, and I upload all the good ones to your private gallery. You choose the ones your package includes, and if you want more, you can buy them right from the gallery.

Can we book a shorter session, say 30 minutes?

No. Thirty minutes is rushed, and it shows in the photos. One hour is the shortest session I offer.

How long does the gallery stay online?

3 months for the one-hour and 90-minute sessions, 6 months for the two-hour session. That’s your time to choose your favorites, share them and download them. Once downloaded, the photos are yours forever.

How far in advance should we book?

As early as you can. A birthday or an anniversary is a fixed date that can’t be moved, so I’d book a few months ahead. If I have availability at short notice, I’m very happy to organize a last-minute session too, so check your date even if it’s soon.

Do you speak English?

Yes. And I’ve photographed people from practically everywhere in the world, including French, Spanish, Brazilian and Japanese couples who spoke no English, or just a few words, and a deaf couple from France. We’ve always understood each other. Sometimes it’s a little harder, but we always find a way to communicate.

Can we get our money back if our plans change?

Yes, 100% up to 24 hours before the session. After that, the session fee isn’t refundable, and moving the date depends on availability.

Can we print the photos and post them wherever we want?

Yes. For personal use there are no restrictions, so print them, frame them and post them anywhere you like.

There are more answers on my Venice photographer FAQ.

— Osvaldo Di Pietrantonio, photographer, Venice.