Moments by Ioana

A Relaxed Documentary Style Photography Experience

New York and Long Island

Travels up to 3000 miles See details

Videography services available

Ioana Stavar

PHOTOGRAPHER

New York Wedding Photographer | Documentary Style by Ioana Capturing authentic, documentary-style wedding photography in New York and Long Island. Originally from Transylvania, Ioana brings a timeless, European editorial feel to weddings and elopements. Fulfilling a decade-long dream to create art in the US, Ioana specializes in personal, effortless experiences for couples who value authenticity over poses. Whether you’re planning an intimate West Village elopement or a grand New York wedding, she gently guides you to ensure you feel relaxed while she captures the moments that unfold naturally. P.S. She is from Transylvania and although she wishes she could live forever, she is not a vampire!

Woman-owned Business

6+ years in business

Speaks English, Romanian

2 team members

Details

Destination Weddings

Destination Wedding Packages

Photo Shoot Types

Bridal Portraits

Day After Session

Engagement

Trash The Dress

Photo & Video

Digital Files

Photo

Second Shooter Available

Photo & Video Styles

Documentary

Wedding Activities

Getting Engaged

Rehearsals & Parties

After Party

Wedding

After Party

Any questions?

Meet the team

Ioana Stavar

Photographer

Ioana started capturing moments five years ago. In 2024 she applied and received a U.S. visa based on her photography business. With this step, she is fulfilling the joy of giving back to the wonderful humans and country that changed her life for the better.

5.0

out of 5.0

12 reviews

Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Ioana is highly praised as a warm, professional, and adaptable wedding photographer who puts clients at ease. Reviewers highlight her creative eye, natural documentary style, proactive planning, and fast, beautiful edits that capture authentic moments. Many called her discreet, supportive, and essential to reliving their day.

Search reviews

Micheal C

Highlighted review.

3/10/2026

Working with Ioana as our wedding photographer was one of the best decisions we made. She is incredibly talented, professional, and such a wonderful person to work with. From the s...

tart she brought a calm, positive energy that made us and our families feel completely comfortable. Ioana did an amazing job balancing our ideas with her professional guidance. She listened to what we wanted while also confidently directing us in ways that produced beautiful, natural photos. Her experience really showed throughout the entire day. She even researched alternative photo locations ahead of time in case the weather didn’t cooperate, which is just one example of how much care she put into making sure everything went smoothly. The photos turned out absolutely stunning. Several members of our family said they had never felt prettier in photos before, which speaks to Ioana’s ability to capture people’s natural beauty and genuine moments. We are so grateful she captured our wedding and could not recommend her more highly.

Response from Moments by Ioana on 03/12/2026

Thank you for adventuring with me in new locations and lighting conditions. (I pray that e...

very Uber ride I take with clients from now on to be in a Tesla with a sunroof!) Thank you and Om for trusting me with an important moment of your lives. It was a beautiful experience ❤️ P.S. I am so grateful for your time and mental energy to write such an elaborate review! 🥰🤩

Ashley M

4/23/2026

Ioana was wonderful to work with, and I’m so glad we had her to photograph our elopement. She was very kind, gave great suggestions, and was proactive in asking what I have liked a...

nd disliked about previous photography sessions. The sneak peak pictures she sent the next day were all gorgeous, as was the full album she sent the next week! Everyone commented how beautiful all of the pictures were. She is so talented!! She really captured the beauty of the day. I would love the opportunity to work with her again in the future!

Any questions?

Dorina C

2/27/2026

I truly loved Ioana’s photographic style and the way she captured authentic moments. I especially appreciated her use of lighting, composition, and carefully chosen backgrounds. Io...

ana is a wonderful person. Incredibly discreet throughout the event, yet somehow present everywhere (we received so many beautiful photos!). From the very first images, we knew we had made the perfect choice, which allowed us to relax and fully enjoy our day. We connected so easily, and she exceeded all of our expectations. I wholeheartedly recommend her.

Response from Moments by Ioana on 03/12/2026

Thank you so much for taking the time to write these beautiful words, Dorina! Your wedding...

to this day is the largest and most authentic Transylvanian wedding I have ever photographed. Hearing the Transylvanian accent and being part of your family and friends felt like home to me! I will forever be grateful to you and Tedi for choosing me as your wedding photographer.

Onyinye N

1/29/2026

My husband and I feel so fortunate to have worked with Ioana for our wedding ceremony. We planned an impromptu ceremony in just one week and were working with a small budget. We re...

ached out to many vendors, and Ioana was the only photographer we found who was within our budget. Choosing her turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. She was incredibly warm, kind, and easy to work with. She has a special way of putting you at ease, which allowed us to express our emotions so openly and naturally. On the day of our wedding, it ended up snowing quite heavily. I usually don’t enjoy being cold, but Ioana was so encouraging, unfazed, and genuinely excited for us that we kept going, and the photos turned out even more beautiful because of the snow. Everyone absolutely loves the photos. Every time I look at them, I can see and feel the joy and excitement we felt that day. She was also very professional throughout. We are incredibly happy with her work and would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a photographer who is talented, caring, and a joy to work with.

Response from Moments by Ioana on 01/29/2026

Thank you Onyinye for your thoughtful and thoroughly written review! The biggest winter st...

orm I have seen in New York could not have happened at a better time! It was a unique experience to photograph for you and I would do it all over again!

Tudor D

11/10/2025

We couldn’t be happier with our experience with Ioana! She was incredibly professional, attentive, and truly listened to all our requests. The photos turned out absolutely stunning...

— exactly how we envisioned them — and her editing skills are just amazing. We find ourselves reliving our wedding day almost every day, as the pictures roll on our TV when it’s not in use 😊. We’re so grateful for her work and couldn’t recommend her more highly!

Daisy T

10/30/2025

Ioana Stavar Moments is an exceptional wedding photography team that exceeded our expectations in every way. Their communication was efficient and they over-delivered on the qualit...

y of their work. Ioana demonstrated her creative eye by beautifully capturing all the luxurious details and unique vibes of our special day. She arrived hours early, stayed late, and brought an assistant to ensure she didn't miss a single moment. The photo edits were simply amazing, and we are thrilled with how the images turned out. Ioana clearly studied the wedding location ahead of time and provided great suggestions that made our photos even more stunning. We 100% recommend Ioana Stavar Moments - they are true professionals who will make your wedding day feel extra special.

Anda T

8/13/2025

Ioana is so attentive to details and the sweetest photographer ever!! Her photos are an absolute work of art and capture the most beautiful, natural moments. She’s so open and crea...

tive and is willing to do anything to capture the best photos. Will be recommending to everyone I know!

ana d

12/07/2024

Choosing Ioana as our photographer was one of the best choices we made for our wedding. A partnership that we will always appreciate. We had a number of requests, and Ioana was ext...

remely attentive to our needs. To the same extent, Ioana was clear and concise about the way she works, and we, in turn, tried to respect this. We also assure you that Ioana is a serious person, of her word, and the quality of her work is... superb! We received exactly what we wanted. Ioana is a warm person, who managed to bring calmness to a busy day. She is the kind of dear person, who simply stays in your heart. We will definitely collaborate with her again, which we recommend to you too.

Pandrea M

12/05/2024

The photos were spectacular, they managed to reflect reality very well, it was everything we wanted. Ioana was very professional and very kind, we had a good connection throughout ...

the event and she understood our wishes. If you want documentary style pictures and you hate posing Ioana is the one for you.

Response from Moments by Ioana on 12/19/2024

Thank you for taking the time and energy to write this testimonial! Your wedding was a per...

fect ending to my photography journey in Romania, mixed with well-known traditions and also leaving room for the new!

Daniela R

12/05/2024

We couldn't be happier with Ioana's services. Our wedding photos are absolutely beautiful and capture every special moment in a unique way. Ioana was a discreet and passionate pres...

ence at our event, which contributed to a relaxed and natural atmosphere. She managed to capture all the emotions and joy of our day in the most beautiful frames. We highly recommend her services!

Response from Moments by Ioana on 12/19/2024

Thank you for your kind words, Daniela! I had a wonderful time at your wedding with fun tr...

aditions that I never experienced before. I am sure your guests have life-time memories from your wedding day!

Maria D

10/17/2024

A dream has recently come true, that of joining my destiny with my partner from now until old age. We are extremely grateful that we had Ioana with us, who honored us with her glam...

orous, sweet, cinematic style. Every time we go through the photos, we feel as if we are watching the most successful film of 2023, a masterpiece. There were moments that my husband and I forgot to prepare, being caught in the moment and the stress of the event tho Ioana gave us the wonderful surprise of capturing incredible and intimate pieces of memories . Her work manages to impress us everytime we watch our photos and make us feel loved and beautiful. Therefore, I recommend Mrs. Ioana Stavar with all my trust and love. I am sure that she will take care of you, with as much passion as she has for photography!

Response from Moments by Ioana on 12/19/2024

Thank you for the wonderful words, Maria! It was an amazing experience for me as well! I f...

elt honored to photograph another photographer's wedding! ❤️

Ema Maria B

10/15/2024

Ioana is a warm person and the most adaptable photographer I ever met. She managed to make me feel not only cute, but the most beautiful bride, far beyond what I would have imagine...

d ❤️ She was able to fold her approach in conformity to each guest's personality. Thank you very much, Ioana! You managed to capture each emotion ❤️ P.S: As I said: I will keep you for a long time next to us!

Response from Moments by Ioana on 10/15/2024

You are very welcome, Ema!😍 You know it was my pleasure as well. I felt welcomed and love...

d with your family and friends! P.S: If your father ever decides to teach his dance moves, I will be his first student! :)

Service area & Contact info

Travels up to 3000 miles

Additional charges may apply

(191) 740-09452

Curious to learn more?

Start the convo

*=Required

Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.

Moments by Ioana

Ioana Stavar

Photographer

Moments by Ioana's photos

Why use The Knot to message vendors?

Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.

Moments by Ioana

About this vendor

Review Summary

Service area & Contact info

Wedding vendors in Astoria

Why use The Knot to message vendors?