I want you to hire me as your wedding photographer, if you’re looking for someone less like a vendor and more like a guest who takes sweet, sweet photos. There are many great Rochester photographers out there. I’m proud to be among them. Even more so, I love being a Rochester wedding photographer!
What You Can Expect from Me
I know a thing or two about weddings. I’ve been married twice, and I’ve photographed damn near 200 weddings during my career! With all this under my belt, there are two things I can assure you about weddings.
First, no two weddings are the same. They are all different and individual. I could offer packages for my couples but honestly, everybody needs something different and I enjoy building on my experience to help you create something that is bespoke to you.
Second, during your wedding day everything might not run as smoothly as you want. You’ve planned so long and so hard for this day, and it can be really difficult when things seem to be running behind schedule. However, this Rochester wedding photographer is a consummate professional. I make it a point of honor to help you through the day with my humor and expertise.
So, I’ll dance on the dance floor and sit with your guests at dinner. It helps me melt into the background and keeps your guests from feeling as if they are “on” camera. That’s when I can capture the real moments of your wedding day.
Your wedding day is going to fly by. It’ll start out slow, but then you’ve had 3 mimosas and BAM! You’re walking down the aisle and then the night is over. But don’t worry. That happens to everyone. And that is what I enjoy most about wedding photography (other than cake). I am your eyes for the wedding. You and I build a relationship before the big day so that I can see for you. Then a few weeks after the wedding you get to relive and revisit those memories. Then it starts coming back you to and you’re suddenly back at your wedding. And you’re going to be taken back to those crazy moments for years and years and years as you turn the pages of your wedding album.
Working with Me as Your Wedding Photographer
Throughout the wedding planning process I invest a lot in my couples. I want to get to know what makes you tick and why you made the choices you did. Then come the wedding day, I can instinctively watch for your college roommate to do an air guitar solo to AC/DC.
I treat every wedding uniquely. To start, I would like to chat on the phone or meet with you and hear all your plans, ideas and motivations. This is a time when you can ask me any questions you like. That way, we can all be sure that I’m the right photographer for you. Over the months, or weeks, leading up to your wedding we will chat some more and I’ll find out about every wedding detail and every family secret. Then on the wedding day, I am just a cool wedding guest with a lot of camera equipment.
Your wedding is bigger than all of the stuff at the wedding. Yeah it looks pretty and I’ll document it, but the people are what makes your wedding special. You want photos that are about you and the people that you love. I’m not going to make you do some antiquated pose or use a muted photo filter. I am going to give you timeless, quality wedding portraits and candid photos that you will look at hanging on your wall in 40 years and still be proud of, because classic (or should I say style?) doesn’t fade. Want to know more? You might find my wedding photography FAQs helpful.
So if you are looking for wedding photos that are clean, classic, bold and – most importantly – about you then let me know!
My wedding couples are always the happiest. 
Taking a break is very important to me. My only fuel is wedding cake. 
I wanted to steal the ice cream, but I let them kiss and have their moment. 
Sometimes I run out of hands and need to hold stuff for the bride.
Rochester Wedding Photography Prices
Every wedding is different. Your wedding needs are different than your friend’s needs. For that reason, I custom tailor a package for you. Coverage for an 8 hour day starts at $3,400 and my average client spends around $4,400 with albums and prints.
I photograph for many different clients with many different needs. From family portraits and headshots to editorial and event photography, I offer eclectic services. Working with clients from restaurants to newspapers helps me to be a better, more well-rounded Rochester wedding photographer. All my other work informs my wedding photography. The wedding day doesn’t just consist of the ceremony and reception, or a restricted diet of formal poses. I can do that too! However, throughout your wedding, I can be a food photographer, a product photographer, a portrait artist, a photojournalist, and a therapist. All part of the service!
While I am a Rochester wedding photographer, I work extensively in Fredonia and Ithaca. On the one hand, Fredonia is my hometown and my family always welcomes a chance to see the grandkids. On the other hand, I love to photograph in the Finger Lakes — it offers such a wide variety of settings (plus my in-laws like to see the grandkids)!
John photographed our wedding and we were completely delighted with the photos. Not only were the photos beautiful, John was so fun to work with. I never even noticed him at work during the ceremony, but then was completely delighted with beautiful ceremony shots and candids of all my friends and family. We had only booked him for a limited amount of time, but he used the time well and got excellent shots. We would highly recommend him as a photographer!
Kate Recard
12/23/2018 John is an incredible professional who goes above and beyond to get all the best images of the day. His photos are always beautiful and his customer service is excellent! Whether for a corporate event or wedding/family photos John really delivers. Not to mention his pricing is very reasonable, especially for such high-quality images!
dabrams107
12/07/2018- We hired John for our wedding on July 7, 2018 in Rochester, NY. We couldn't be more happy with his service! From the very first interaction, he was accommodating; none of the packages on his website were exactly what we wanted, but he was flexible and made us a custom package that was perfect for us and for a great price! Leading up to the wedding he kept in touch and made sure he knew the whole schedule and everything. On our wedding day, John just took the lead and made sure he got every shot we could want. We didn't have to worry about anything! e.g. when it was time for sunset pictures, he came and got us! He didn't miss a single moment!
Eric Ressel
1/01/2019 My husband and I got married in August of 2018. John was such a pleasure to work with right from the start! He is extremely easy to work with and makes sure that every detail is perfect and just the way that you want it. Aside from just taking our wedding photos John was extremely helpful in providing us with information about other vendors – many of whom we used for our wedding because of his recommendations. Our family and friends have used John for many occasions including weddings and have never been disappointed. John is very approachable and extremely helpful in making sure that your needs and wants are met. Because we have worked with John in the past, using him for our wedding photography was a no-brainer! His personality, professionalism, skill, and customization far exceeded our expectations! We will continue to use John Schlia Photography exclusively for all of our photography needs in the future.
Kerry Venanzi
12/09/2018 - We could not have asked for a better photographer to share our wedding day and party with! John is creative, collaborative, and a joy to work with all around. He made us and our guests feel at ease, which you can absolutely see in our pictures. He made sure to get to know me and my wife and checked in often to ensure we were all on the same page. We had a similarly wonderful experience taking family pictures with him, he picked out a beautiful location and made even the most awkward of our family members comfortable. Truly a wonderful photographer and human being, we cannot recommend him enough!
Mariana Frantz
12/19/2018