Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Rizzuto.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Photography has always been a passion of mine, ever since I was a little girl! I still have boxes filled with my first Polaroids and remember the feeling of turning in my film at our local camera store. I went to school for photography and marketing, but didn’t really see a clear path to making it a career until I received encouragement from my small group at church. We were talking about our God given dreams and praying for direction when one of the couple’s pointed out, “You love photography and you love weddings, why not become a wedding photographer?!” It was definitely one of those life changing moments where everything just clicked. I couldn’t think of anything I would love more than having the opportunity to capture some of the most memorable moments in peoples’ lives. I photographed my first wedding in July 2011 (one of the couple’s in my small group kindly gave me the opportunity to capture theirs) and I have had the joy of photographing hundreds of beautiful weddings over the last 16 years. I am so grateful to all of my couples, and to my friends and family who have encouraged me over the years and given me the opportunity to do something I truly love.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I remember being surprised when I started my business that the work never really stopped. Many people talk about a new business as a “business baby” and I think that saying is true! There is always something you can be doing to improve your craft or client experience, especially when you really enjoy your job. It doesn’t always feel like working when you are building something you love.
When I began having my own kids in 2015, there was definitely an adjustment period! I loved photographing weddings, but I wanted to be home with my family too. The flexibility of owning my own business was one of the reasons I had decided to become a wedding photographer, and I realized I needed to make a few adjustments. I intentionally raised my prices and went from photographing 40-50 weddings before kids, to around 20 weddings a year as a mom. It is still a bit of a balancing act, but I am grateful I have the chance to be with my family, and photograph beautiful wedding days!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a wedding photographer, serving the greater NYC area and destinations worldwide for adventurous couples in love. I find joy in documenting the authentic moments and happiness on wedding days! What an honor it is to see my couple’s promise to spend their lives together in front of all of their family and friends. I have been photographing weddings and engagements for over a decade and have been a part of hundreds of incredible celebrations. My work has been seen in notable publications like Martha Stewart Weddings, BRIDES, The Knot, Style Me Pretty, The New York Times, and many more. I care deeply about preserving photographs that my couples will look back on in the years to come and will bring them right back to the love and joy they were feeling on their wedding day.
I am most proud of the photographers’ Bible study SPARK I have helped lead for the last 16 years. This has been a place of connection for creatives looking to pray for one another, and serve their couples well. The friendships and community built has been such a gift to me, and hundreds of others. I am thankful to have an opportunity to connect with my couples, and to grow alongside other incredible women in the industry as well.
I seek to serve my couples well by being kind, professional, organized, and by bringing a sense of calm to an often action-packed and high energy day. I love surprising my couples with a large preview of their wedding images to share shortly after their celebration! I remember how excited I was to see my own wedding photos, and want my couples and their families to have the same excitement and joy of reliving so many special memories right after the big day.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
When I started my business, I loved going to photography conferences and meeting others at similar points in their journey. I met Cassi, Jaine, and Mikkel at a Jasmine Star Photography meet-up in NYC in 2012, and we hit it off right away. We decided to get together each month to discuss topics like creating our contracts, how to connect with couples in our first meeting, and even practicing back button focusing on our cameras to improve our skills. We began referring each other weddings when we were booked, and it was such a helpful way to grow our businesses together.
Pricing:
- Most couples choose to invest over $10,000 on their wedding photography collection. I am happy to customize collections to fit each of my couple’s unique wedding day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amyrizzutophotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyrizzutophotography
