About this vendor
For over 30 years, Marc Pagani has documented weddings, elopements, and second lines across New Orleans and destinations worldwide. His approach is rooted in authentic documentary storytelling: unobtrusive, perceptive, and focused on genuine human emotion rather than stiff, cookie-cutter poses.
Often described by couples as a "stealth photographer," Marc stays close enough to capture fleeting expressions and intimate tears, but far enough from center stage that everyone forgets they are on camera. Direction is saved only for where it genuinely helps—artful couple portraits, relaxed family formals that run quickly and smoothly, and a quiet first look—so you spend your day actually celebrating with your guests instead of posing.
From historic French Quarter courtyards (Pharmacy Museum, Beauregard-Keyes House), classic venues (Latrobe’s on Royal, Race & Religious), to sudden afternoon rain showers and brass band-led Second Line parades down the middle of the street, Marc brings seasoned technical mastery and calm reassurance to every lighting scenario New Orleans can offer.
In addition to full wedding day coverage, Marc offers engagement sessions, surprise proposal documentation, and fine art studio portraiture from his private Tremé photography studio. To ensure dedicated care and artistry for every couple, he takes on a limited number of weddings each year.
What’s Included with Every Wedding: • Curated sneak-peek preview within one week
• Complete color-corrected, high-resolution edited gallery in 3–4 weeks
• Full personal printing rights with zero watermarks
• Easy online viewing and archival lab print ordering for family
• Handcrafted heirloom albums and custom packages available
Details
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
- Boudoir
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
- Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Drone
- Film Photography
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Printed Enlargements
Photo & Video Styles
- Artistic
- Classic
- Documentary
- Dramatic
- Lifestyle
- Modern
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Awards and Affiliations
3-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2013.2012.2011.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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4.8
out of 5.039 reviews
Mark was great to work with and was able to get unique, creative and iconic shots of my son’s wedding. An incredible experience! We actually had one of our favorite but now retired...
photographers review several photographers we looked at, and he recommended Marc hands down. We wanted black and white, candid photo journalistic shots, and he delivered big time. Very pleased. A true professional with the eyes an artist.
Marc did a wonderful job capturing the vibe of our destination wedding in NOLA. He was on time and went above and beyond. I highly recommend!
We wanted photos of our event but none of the flash lighting we've experienced at other events. Marc shot our party using the ambient light and beautifully captured all the importa...
nt moments.
Marc was our photographer for our Halloween New Orleans wedding. He was very professional, polite, and made everyone feel very comfortable- taking the camera shyness away instantly...
! He captured all the special moments of our perfect day and went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with his work. His photos are absolutely stunning, we couldn't have asked for a better photographer! Thank you Marc so much for helping to make our day so memorable!
Marc did a FANTASTIC job capturing our wedding day. Marc was easy to work with in coordinating the day-of planning and details virtually all via email/online since we planned a des...
tination wedding.
With his photojournalistic style, Marc has a knack for catching the authentic moments - the sweet kisses, the joyful smiles and tender moments of friends and family gathered on our special day. Everyone looked their best in his photos.
The pictures from the ceremony, second line, and reception all turned out beautiful! Marc truly is an expert photographer and has the experience to back it up. We felt Marc was reasonably priced for the quality of work he provided. The images are spectacular and take me right back to the moment that's captured. We also choose Marc because of his website, his gallery, positive reviews and overall professional demeanor.
We are so grateful to have such a wonderful collection of photos to remember the best day of our life. Thanks Marc!
When my fiance decided that he wanted to propose to me, he knew that it was going to take a talented photographer to capture a moment we would both remember forever. A friend recom...
mended Marc to him and after taking a look at his portfolio, my fiance knew he was the one. The proposal idea was a little complicated and relied on a tight schedule, and Marc had no problem following the protocol. He showed up on time and fit perfectly into the plan so that he could capture the moment without me catching on to the fact that he was photographing us.
Marc was able to capture the surprise, excitement and love that enveloped the proposal in City Park. He also took additional engagement shots of both of us in other areas of City Park and he has an eye for excellent backgrounds and the perfect lighting. The photographs turned out great and we will cherish them for many years to come. We can say in complete honesty that he was worth every single penny that my fiance spent and we can't wait to use him again for our wedding next year!
My husband is very photogenic. I am not. Throughout our engagement I was really dreading seeing the wedding photos and feeling bad about myself. But I LOVED THEM! He sent a few...
samples shortly after the wedding that made me excited to see the rest. They look like they belong in a magazine. He got all the portraits with the wedding party/families done before the ceremony so we could just relax at the reception. He had the timing down to a science. He emails you back very quickly if you need him. A wedding photographer is a big investment but he's worth it.
Can we put 6 stars? I worked with Marc to shoot my proposal and have a quick post-engagement shoot immediately following. Marc was fantastic to work with and help plan - especiall...
y since I was from out of town and needed suggestions and really for him to lead the shoot after the proposal. Despite weather looking like it could put a damper on the event, Marc worked with me to find "back-up options" that were covered and waited intil about 5 minutes to confirm the exact location where I was to propose. He is friendly, flexible, and very easy to get along with. You can't do any better!
Marc is AMAZING!! We are beyond thrilled with our photos. Marc made us feel relaxed throughout the day. We never felt rushed even as we took all our formal shots prior to the ce...
remony. We purchased a package and not only did we get an amazing amount of shots, but the creativity and quality were impressive. Marc was super easy to work with in coordinating the event as we did most of it online since we are from out of town. Overtime we look through our photos, it is like reliving our amazing day. Thanks Marc!
I can't rave enough about Marc! From start to finish he was incredibly professional. My husband and I had a destination wedding in New Orleans with no friends or family local to th...
e area. All weddings can be stressful, but destination weddings add the extra aspect of the unknown. Finding a qualified photographer who would be able to capture our wedding day was very important to me. You only have one opportunity to capture these moments. I reached out to Marc through his website and received a response while I was still searching photographers. This prompt response time was consistent throughout the months of planning that followed. Marc was always accessible and very transparent with all information about his services. We had Marc shoot our engagement pictures around the French Quarter. He had a number of great suggestions for locations we could shoot at and really has a great eye for light and framing. On our wedding day Marc was set up early, came fully prepared, and somehow captured all of the special moments throughout the day with the help of his associate photographer. The pictures from the ceremony, second line, and reception all turned out beautiful! There really are varying degrees of quality in photographers, even on the "simple" things like portraits. He's truly an artist and has the experience to back it up. I felt Marc was very reasonably priced for the quality of work he provided and everything that's included in the package we selected. Now that I've received the pictures from our wedding, I feel like we got an incredible deal. The images are spectacular and take me right back to the moment that's captured. It's true that you get what you pay for and Marc exceeded my expectations in every way. One key factor to planning a wedding or any large event is to work with exceptional vendors, and Marc Pagani is exactly that.
If you're looking for a photogrpaher, Marc is your man! We had a wedding of 200, very high energy people that included a second line through the french quarter and he captured all ...
the best moments. I can honesty say that we all felt comfortable and have amazing posed and candid shots as memories forever. My favorite photo, by far, was a result of Marc realizing that the lighting was amazing in the middle of our reception. He pulled us outside for a few quick shots, and they were absoute magic! Marc is an artist, not a typical wedding photographer. I HIGHLY recommend working with him. Everything start to finish is fairly priced, high quality, and he's very responsive.
Marc and his assistant shot my son's wedding last month. It was a pleasure working with him and the pictures he took are absolutely wonderful. He captured the emotions of the even...
t in ways I never thought imaginable. I can't thank him enough for creating such beautiful memories for our family to treasure.
Marc is a wonderful photographer. He is a consummate professional and was very helpful during the booking process. Marc offers an assortment of packages and price points that can s...
uit anyone's needs. The day of the wedding, we had a great time shooting both portrait and action shots of the day. Not to mention, the photographs are beyond beautiful! I would recommend Marc Pagani Photography for any NOLA wedding or event that you would like memorialized forever! I know we will cherish the photos and videos Marc took for the rest of our lives! Thank you, Marc!
Wow! I can't believe how incredibly happy I am with my wedding photos. First off, my husband and I started out with some pretty off the wall Engagement pictures. My husband is in f...
ilm school so we decided to do movie themes at a warehouse that houses old movie sets, Movie Sets Venue in Slidell. He totally understood what we were going for and was able to capture everything we wanted. And the wedding pictures!!! I am not one for traditional posed pictures and I had discussed this with Marc. I wanted pictures that caught the moment and the feel of the night. He did just that. I was so pleased and am so glad in a city with so many photographers I chose Marc.
I made sure to do my research when in came to booking a photographer for my destination wedding in New Orleans. Marc Pagani and his associates are extremely professional! Marc was ...
available at all hours to answer any questions or concerns that I may have had. My wedding photos turned out beautiful.
We just got our link to our engagement photos gallery and we couldn't be happier!! Marc helped us through all of the steps of deciding which package to go with (we ended up do a m...
odified version of Package B, and we added a bridal portrait session and engagement session). He was very easy to get in touch with and scheduling our session was so simple. During the photo session in the French Quarter, Marc chatted with us about the rest of our wedding planning and was cracking us up for most of the afternoon. The photos he shot really captured our personalities, and my parents already want to buy a bunch of prints for the wedding in May. I HIGHLY recommend Marc due to the great price, the professionalism, and the amazing photos.
Don't use this photographer!! My photos came out so so terrible that I went and had photos retaken of my husband and I. My personal shots appeared as if they were greasy mugshots...
and the couples shots he took had glaring flaws. There was bright photography equipment in the background. The team member that I paid so much extra money for to have help him on the day of my wedding came to work for the first day ever on the job. It's unfortunate that with as much money I was forking over, that he had to bring a newbie. And the poor quality came through in the end result.
On top of it all he also will not allow you to have any photos prior to 90 days post wedding (read the contract). This is the only photographer I've ever worked with that had this requirement. In order to get any for your home in advance, you would have to pay $20 for an 8x10. If I had purchased each photos that way, it would have cost me $10,000 just for prints. I believe in paying good photographers and believe that they are well worth the money!! I hire one for professional shots every year. Unfortunately, I was so incredibly disappointed with the quality of Marc's photos that I sobbed when I first saw them. He does appear to have some great shots at some beautiful weddings. I wish my experience had been the same as those are moments that I can't get back again.
Loved Marc. He is great to work with. We loved our wedding pictures. We have the normal poses and then a lot of candids. I love candid photos. Can't wait to pick out my photos for ...
the album!
WOW! Marc and his assistant just know when to snap that camera! Incredible how little moments are captured is such real "un-posed" ways. We had massive Oak trees in the background ...
and the created effect made us look like we were stepping out of a painting. So real, yet artistic. This is why we chose Marc Pagani Photography and this is what we got. We also found Marc easy to work with and very friendly. He understood what we wanted to achieve in our pictures and he delivered. I also think the product - the artistry and professionalism - is great value for the dollar. I highly recommend Marc Pagani Photography and we are so happy with our choice.
We just got our pictures online and they look stunning! Super professional and beautiful!
Marc Pagani does beautiful work. I wanted a photographer who was less traditional and more photojournalistic, which is why I selected Marc. He came with great reviews. Everything I...
have received from him to date has been beautiful. My only regret was not being more aggressive in verbalizing what photos I envisioned prior to the event. I became so overwhelmed the day of my wedding, that there are some pictures that were not taken.
I am very pleased with the pictures I received and the vendor is easy enough to work with as a busy bride. My photographer went above and beyond to capture what I asked for and cap...
tured otherwise fleeting moments.
My wedding was exactly what I envisioned in my head. Everyone on the ground made this possible. However, Marc Pagani was able to capture this magic through his pictures. He then ...
put it into this beautiful album that reminds me every time I look through my photo book. I would recommend him to anyone who wants to be reminded of every important moment from your wedding. Just beautiful!
We have our pics... waiting on our disc
I am so glad we chose Marc to capture the many wonderful moments of our wedding. He was perfect. His demeanor is very professional - he's quiet yet decisive, directing you through ...
your photo shoots with his years of experience. We had him take engagement photos first, to test out the makeup/hair and get to know our personalities. Those photos were excellent, and I think he was even better able to capture our special moments are our wedding after getting to know us. The whole evening was perfect, and Marc caught every moment of it. From the first time we saw each other, through the ceremony and wedding party shots, through the cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing - he made every moment sparkle with the magic of the evening. With his photojournalistic style, Marc has a knack for catching the "true" moments - the tender kisses, the sweet looks, even the eye rolls. Everyone looked their best in his photos. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful collection of photos to remember the best day of my life. Thanks Marc!
Amazing Photos!!
We picked Marc Pagani because of the photojournalistic style of the work on his site. The outcome was beyond our expectations. Our photographer, Rush, had an incredible eye and was...
able to get some pictures in very difficult lighting conditions. We loved all the pictures from the ones taken at the church to the ones at the reception. We would recommend Marc Pagani and particularly Rush to anyone in need of a true professional.
Marc Pagani and his associates were very easy to work with and provided exactly what we asked for. Highly recommended.
Marc did a wonderful job at our wedding. We received photos within 10 days of the event and the photos turned out wonderfully. Marc and his assistant were very professional and a...
ttentive. I really enjoyed his approach to wedding photography and many of the moments he was able to capture in the photographs. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer.
Marc and his associate Rush were both very professional in every aspect! Marc did my bridals and made me feel like a supermodel. Rush was there on the day of my wedding and was so...
great in every way! Rush didn't get in the way, wasn't overbearing or demanding and kept a smile on his face the whole time. I appreciated that he helped me stay relaxed throughout the day. I know it's because of him that my photos look effortless! He caught us having a good time without manufacturing with poses. He was absolutely wonderful!!!
Booking with Marc Pagani was a breeze! He is very responsive and returned all my emails promptly. We worked with one of his associate photographers, Pamela Reed, and she was fantas...
tic! Truly made our wedding day very stress-free and we look relaxed and joyful in all of our photos. After the wedding, Marc was super great in coordinating preparation and delivery of our package - including our wedding album and large prints. He did an AMAZING job putting together a sleek wedding album of all of our favorite photos. When I had a problem with one of the DVDs, he mailed me a second copy the next day. I have no complaints about Marc and would recommend him.
Marc Pagani was an excellent wedding photographer - he was accessible leading up to the wedding for any questions we had, he was on time (even early), flexible, and captured our in...
credible night! We had a traditional Jewish wedding, which included a few different pre-ceremony events going on at the same time in rooms right next to each other - Marc managed to capture it all, as if he was in two places at once! I highly recommend Marc Pagani for your wedding photographer.
My wife and I used Marc to shoot our engagement pictures, bridal portraits, and our wedding, and the pictures came out absolutely fantastic! Our pictures was one thing that we did ...
not want to settle on, and after researching his work, and meeting with Marc personally, we knew he was our photographer and had to reserve him before anyone else got the chance. He is a professional that has an excellent eye for catching that perfect and special shot. He pays attention to detail, and knows all about lighting and what angles work best. Marc took well over a 1,000 pictures the day of our wedding, and literally, all of them could be framed. If anyone is looking for an experienced photographer that is easy to work with and takes great photos, my wife and I would highly recommend Marc Pagani.
I was very happy with the quality and the shots that Marc produced. They really caught the moments as they were happening and the color quality was brilliant. Marc was not obtrusiv...
e but still managed to be firm and appropriate with guests and be right where he needed to be to get the pictures that really caught the happiness and energy of the day. I will definitely have accurate,beautiful, energetic photos to remember my wedding for years to come!
Marc captures the spirit of your big day like no other. We wanted a photojournalist who would catch those moments that fly by; those moments that cannot be captured with a posed ph...
oto and only taken by someone who is FULLY engaged -- those moments that remind you of that hilarious best man speech, your uncle who can really break it down on the dance floor, the hug your parents gave you right before you were going to take your vows, your best friends who helped you get into your dress... Marc's photos give you snapshots that make you laugh uncontrollably, smile widely, get overwhelmed with happiness. We booked Marc Pagani over a year before our wedding date. We did a lot of research and had several phone interviews with various vendors. The reason why we locked Marc in was because of his vast expertise, experience, flexibility, and passion for his work. One thing that sealed the deal for us was when Marc shared over the phone that he challenges himself at every wedding to get a new, creative photo -- showing that he is an artist who is always trying to perfect his art, and not simply someone who is going through the motions. Our guests said they were impressed with Marc and his assistant Andy's demeanor throughout the wedding. They were a pleasure to work with from start to finish. We also love how cooperative they were with our wonderful cinematographer Dan Jones. Good luck in your selection, and Congrats on your engagement!
Marc is a true professional whose excellent skills are match with a tremedous professionalism, an ability to connect to the theme and mood of the ceremony, and place people at ease...
to capture the best photographs. We offer our highest recommendations. Marc is truely one of a kind; we are very lucky to have had him for our special day.
Marc was really great to work with on our wedding day and the pictures came out beautifully! I love the photojournalism style and how Marc captured the emotions and feeling of the...
day through candid shots and different angles and lighting. Marc also had our pictures online to view shortly after we returned from our honeymoon (took about 8-9 days). It is going to be so hard to narrow down all the great shots to make the album! Highly recommend Marc!
I honestly cannot say enough about how amazing Marc's work is! He captured every moment of my wedding perfectly. Very professional and easy going! All my guests keep raving abou...
t how fabulously my pictures turned out. The colors, angles, expressions, all of it was perfect! I will recommend him in a heartbeat! Thanks, Marc!
All of my pictures came out so beautiful! Lots of fun candid shots of all my guests. Loved Marc!!!!
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