Sarah Merians

CEO AND FOUNDER

35+

Years of Experience

10,000+

Events

My family has collected contemporary and fine art as far back as I can remember. Because my parents were avid art collectors, I discovered my love of art, painting and the creative process early in my childhood. It was this fascination with color and creativity that sparked my interest in photography as a new medium to work with. Photography was “instant art” and it was love at first sight!!! Read More

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OUR TEAM

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Sarah

A “real” New Yorker, Sarah has lived in the East Village for the past 30 years with her husband and children, the youngest of whom recently graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans.  Described as a “force of nature” Sarah is truly a pioneer in the event photography industry.  Initially a fine art painter with a BFA from Syracuse, she eventually gravitated toward photography with its unique combination of art and humanity.  Her work is energetic, loving, clean and thorough. When Sarah is not capturing a family portrait, baby naming, maternity shoot, mitzvah, wedding, or corporate event you can find her doing the many hobbies she loves.  She brings her yoga, working out, and tennis energy to every job she does.   It’s often said that Sarah makes celebrities feel like everyday people, and everyday people feel like celebrities. At your event, she will be ten sets of eyes capturing every detail so that you can relive every moment when the party is over. Sarah feels her clients deserve the best and NO ONE will work harder for you than Sarah!

Liel

Liel brings the color and passion of his native Trinidad to every event he photographs!!  Endlessly positive and energetic, his clients often have just as much fun taking their pictures as they do on the dance floor! A true artist, Liel will “paint” a picture of your special day through beautiful and vibrant images that capture the very essence of your celebration!  Using the latest technology and best equipment, Liel is constantly pushing creative boundaries. When he isn’t shooting, Liel spends quality time with the love of his life and their 6 children at their home in Brooklyn.  He works out to stay energized and has several hobbies one of which is restoring vintage cars with his dad.  He follows a strict vegan diet which is perhaps the source of his superhuman strength!   Liel is one of our top photographers and has been with the Company for more than 10 years.  We are lucky and honored to have him part of our Sarah Merians family.

Sheila

Sheila has been with Sarah Merians Photography & Video Company for over 20 years and is one of our most sought-after photographers! Clients come back to her for all their lifetime events with our studio.  Sheila has such a loving and caring demeanor that Sarah often receives letters from clients stating how amazing and sweet she was at their event… but strong enough to get the job done! She currently lives on Long Island with her husband, her three children and her dogs (a German Shepard and a Doberman). She has worked her martial arts skills into her event coverage and is always looking to up her game.   Sheila shoots with the Cannon Mark IV, one of the best cameras on the market. Lively and sweet with an experienced eye, Sheila’s photography is romantic and warm. Sheila loves to show couples what their love looks like!   If she isn’t at the ocean that she loves or attending to her orchids, Sheila will continue to capture the emotion of your day with her gentle and unobtrusive approach.

Dahiam

Dahiam is young, tall, handsome and the best new addition to our team!  He was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the US when he was 8 years old with his family.  He was raised by a family of creative artists and videographers and was destined to have a camera in his hands. He began in our industry as a videographer and migrated to photography because he said it is an art form that really gave him pleasure.  It is because of this skill and talent that he brings that quiet intensity to his work.  His style is documentary and powerful as he captures the most incredible moments with his state-of-the-art Sony cameras and lenses. When he is not working hard Monday through Sunday, you can find Dahiam watching sports, movies, or just lost in a good book.  Finding time for travel (another passion of his) is difficult as he is so desired and very busy capturing parties and corporate events. His images glow with incredible color and creativity as he moves behind the scenes capturing the beauty of your day.

Andres

Andres grew up in Colombia and moved to the US several years ago.  He has since married and is raising his daughter here and loves being a family man.   Andres brings the utmost professionalism to his work through the many lenses of his two to three camera capture on events.  He is charming and professional, and these qualities are reflected in his incredibly creative and thorough work. When he isn’t traveling he is busy shooting corporate events and weddings and his unique artistic talent leaves our clients feeling lucky to have had  him document their event.

Roberto

As a young child in the Dominican Republic, Roberto worked at his father’s photography shop developing and processing photographs. In 2004, Roberto, along with his wife and son, emigrated to the United States where he immediately put his extensive photography knowledge to work as an event photographer! His technical prowess can be seen in the natural and life-like lighting he creates through various techniques. His unique and creative eye, coupled with his kind and gentle demeanor, make him the perfect person to spend your special day with!  Patient, even keeled and accustomed to large, loud families Roberto gets the job done with no drama! In addition to photographing events, Roberto is also incredibly technically skilled and helps us with image processing, retouching and color correction on all the events that come out of our studio.  From pushing the trigger to beautifying an image - he is the total talent package!

Davitte

Davitte has been part of the Sarah Merians Video team for almost 20 years!  Davitte came to New York with his wife and two children from the Dominican Republic 20 years ago and we are so lucky he landed with our team. Davitte loves to travel and learn from everything he sees. He brings this wisdom, extensive experience and energy to every event he films - from large scale corporate events to intimate weddings to rowdy mitzvahs - our clients return to him year after year. He is always upping his game and gear and has the best video cameras on the market.  Mirrorless, Sony, and Cannon, are his gear of choice. He also enjoys working with drones for aerial perspectives.  At your event, he will capture amazing footage from a documentary point of view and with a cinematic style. Later, in the editing studio, he will piece these moments together to tell the story of your day in a beautiful short film that captures the essence and emotion of your event. Davitte is an incredible cinematographer and storyteller and we are lucky to have him as part of our team.

Alex

Born in the US to parents from Columbia and Cuba, Alex brings a tremendous passion to his work and our clients are the lucky recipients.  Due to his strong work ethic, you will often find Alex manning 3 cameras and a drone at his events to not miss any angle or action.  Even when not on a job he will put time into “his craft” and considers his video work one of his hobbies. If Alex is not working hard with a camera in his hand, he loves spending time with his family and 2 children 9- and 12-year-old.   He will always find the time to head to the tennis courts as this is yet another passion for this talented young man. Alex is caring and professional and clients love working with him. We are lucky he is part of our team!

Lisa

Sarah Merians Photography & Video Company has been blessed to have Lisa part of the team for almost 20 years. Lisa is our amazing Director of Sales.   She arrived for her job interview in her early 20’s to meet Sarah and it was love at first site.  Lisa will help you find the perfect photographer and videographer from our team for your once in a lifetime event, and hold your hand through the post creative process as well.  Lisa is intelligent, caring, focused and passionate about the Company and has been instrumental in helping to make our success story what is today.  Our clients are so lucky to work with her.

Testimonials

customer

“We highly recommend it! Liel and the team were amazing! Everywhere we looked (and our guests!) we could find a photographer to take the pictures we wanted. Liel’s energy, passion, and creativity is phenomenal. He was such an important and fun part of our day!”

Ariel & Stephen

BRIDE & GROOM

customer

“Jenny was the photographer for 2 of my childrens’ weddings within 5 months. Talk about stress! But Jenny took all of the stress out of photographing every special moment from literally every angle. Jenny put everyone at total ease so that shots were filled with a very natural happiness. She is so energetic, filled with fun, and had an incredible ability to see and photograph even the smallest detail so every moment is captured. One of the brides is now pregnant – Guess who will be doing the baby pictures?”

Fran Dorsky

A VERY HAPPY MOM

customer

“We had a wonderful experience with Sheila and team!! Their perfect mix of candid and posed photos truly captured the magic of the entire day, from getting ready in robes, up until the end. We look forward to cherishing these memories forever!”

Emily & Andrew

BRIDE & GROOM

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customer

“We highly recommend it! Liel and the team were amazing! Everywhere we looked (and our guests!) we could find a photographer to take the pictures we wanted. Liel’s energy, passion, and creativity is phenomenal. He was such an important and fun part of our day!”

Ariel & Stephen

BRIDE & GROOM

customer

“Jenny was the photographer for 2 of my childrens’ weddings within 5 months. Talk about stress! But Jenny took all of the stress out of photographing every special moment from literally every angle. Jenny put everyone at total ease so that shots were filled with a very natural happiness. She is so energetic, filled with fun, and had an incredible ability to see and photograph even the smallest detail so every moment is captured. One of the brides is now pregnant – Guess who will be doing the baby pictures?”

Fran Dorsky

A VERY HAPPY MOM

customer

“We had a wonderful experience with Sheila and team!! Their perfect mix of candid and posed photos truly captured the magic of the entire day, from getting ready in robes, up until the end. We look forward to cherishing these memories forever!”

Emily & Andrew

BRIDE & GROOM

Browse more...
customer

“We highly recommend it! Liel and the team were amazing! Everywhere we looked (and our guests!) we could find a photographer to take the pictures we wanted. Liel’s energy, passion, and creativity is phenomenal. He was such an important and fun part of our day!”

Ariel & Stephen

BRIDE & GROOM

customer

“Jenny was the photographer for 2 of my childrens’ weddings within 5 months. Talk about stress! But Jenny took all of the stress out of photographing every special moment from literally every angle. Jenny put everyone at total ease so that shots were filled with a very natural happiness. She is so energetic, filled with fun, and had an incredible ability to see and photograph even the smallest detail so every moment is captured. One of the brides is now pregnant – Guess who will be doing the baby pictures?”

Fran Dorsky

A VERY HAPPY MOM

customer

“We had a wonderful experience with Sheila and team!! Their perfect mix of candid and posed photos truly captured the magic of the entire day, from getting ready in robes, up until the end. We look forward to cherishing these memories forever!”

Emily & Andrew

BRIDE & GROOM

Browse more...

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Why Us?

SMPNY is the Fine Art Wedding Photography division of Sarah Merians Photography & Video Company. Founded in 1986 and based out of NYC, Sarah Merians has been a widely respected name in the private event industry for over 30 years. It’s this experience, coupled with our passion to innovate, that has enabled us to capture life at its best through changing times, trends and technologies. why_us

While anyone can take a picture, our photographers capture authentic moments and produce beautiful images. Using the newest, most high-end equipment (from state of the art camera bodies and premium lenses to specialized tungsten lighting) our talented artists create photographs of unparalleled quality and clarity. P.S. – They’re fun too! why_us

Oh, and we know how to photograph weddings! We work hard behind the scenes to make sure your big day is an epic, stress-free, BLAST! We think 3 steps ahead so that you don’t have to. We’ve got your back. So why us? Because you only get to do this once and hiring a professional makes all the difference. why_us

"Lights, camera, action! Be the star of your own movie documenting the most important moment in your life!" Don't miss a moment of your celebration. Hiring a professional videographer will guarantee it! We are often asked “Do I really need video if I have photography?” Photographs are a moment frozen in time that elicits feelings and emotion while video is pure entertainment and action and a very different capture. We feel it is a must if your budget will allow for video too. The band and entertainment and live music at your party is so important…why not relive all the action, music and live fun from your big day? It is also a wonderful opportunity to hear your family and friends give toasts and well wishes which through video can be documented for generations to come! Video footage can be RAW or edited to music selections of your choice. Once edited we can create a 3-5-minute recap piece to share with all your guests and relive the party all over with them! This highlight reel can be part of your “thank you” to all and make them feel so special to be a part of your once in a life time day." why_us

FAQ

We take tremendous pride in our in-studio production team and all the work they do to make images look their very best.  Our team processes and color corrects images before delivering to you.  Should albums or prints be ordered we will do more extensive work on each individual image.  We are the cheapest and least painful face lift in town!!!  Ha!

Yes!!! We have offered video services since we opened our studio many years ago!   We capture footage of the event and create an awesome edited piece to share with family and friends and cherish for generations to follow.  We feel video and photography are like peanut butter and jelly and should work as a team.  Working with videographers that we know and work well with adds to your wedding day!  We don’t run in front of each other’s cameras and respect each other’s art.  We also offer drone coverage for events outside Manhattan.  This is incredible and will make your wedding look like a movie!

Aside from 30 plus years of experience you can trust, what makes us most unique is the combination of impeccable customer service, follow through and care you will receive before, during, and after your wedding. What our brides and grooms value most is that we understand how important your once in a lifetime day is!  We cater to your every need and offer you peace of mind: Our photographers are the artists; our studio is the backbone. We are also a full-service studio for all your photography, video or photobooth needs all under one roof.  We capture, create and design with your images to produce products that tell your story.  Once the wedding day is over…that’s where our work begins should you desire albums and framed home art.

Yes, we sell main albums as well as parent albums and take tremendous pride in our work.   We are known for our custom designed family heirloom albums.  We are blessed to have an incredible Sales and Creative Director, Lisa to help you with this creative process. We design the most magnificent albums that will tell the story of your day to share with your family and friends.  We value albums as they are a great way to share family with future generations.  Should you want to create your own albums you will have all the high-resolution images to do that.  We are here to help if you want it. Albums range in pricing from $650.00 - $1,500.00 depending on what style, size, and cover style.

Our style is a wide range from Photojournalism to Tradition.  As photojournalists we will capture the feel of your day as well as take beautiful family portraits and capture those “must have” memories for all the generations.  We have been in business enough years to know that classic photos don’t go out of style.  We will also cover a wide range of candid coverage to capture all the love and energy of your wedding day.

We will help you through this process and ask you questions about your style and interests.  We match up your personal style and taste with our talent after a we have and understanding of YOU – your personality, what you are looking for stylistically in terms of the photography itself, your budget, etc.  There are differences in photographic style and approach for each photographer as they are each creative and unique artists.  We celebrate each couple and their own personal style on their wedding day.  It is truly a collaboration.

The number of photographers for your wedding will depend on the number of guests at your wedding, the layout and size of your venue, and your photography budget.   It is our goal to have fantastic coverage but also be a fly on the wall and capture behind the scenes and journalistic images and every event is unique. While 2 photographers may be overkill for an intimate wedding, we would recommend 2 photographers for a larger party of 175 or more for added coverage as well as variety in angles, lenses, and style of images.

We love doing family portraits and will structure a timeline to do them before the day begins (usually pre ceremony).  We will take formal portraits if the bride and groom want this.  We encourage this great opportunity to capture grandparents with all the generations.  After all, when was the last time your entire family got together, and everyone was smiling??

We do not “count” how many images we will take on your wedding day however we estimate 100 images per hour.  We all know it isn’t quantity that makes wedding photography great but the quality of the images from your day.  It is our goal to be 10 sets of eyes for you on your wedding day, as you will be in the heart of the party enjoying yourself - We are there to capture it all for you while you savor the moment!

We spend a lot of time editing your wedding images to provide the best images of the day.  We process and color correct  and deliver images within 2 weeks after your wedding or sooner!

Many years ago, I think a wedding photographer must have come up with rain being Goodluck on a wedding day!  Life happens and weather is no exception.  We will always have a back up plan and make the best of rain as well as sunshine!  Fun custom wedding umbrellas add to a rainy day.  We would make lemonade out of lemons!

We are very lucky to have a great track record and not have this situation occur more than a couple of times in the past 30 + years.  Photographers are human too and should something unforeseen happen… Sarah Merians herself would reach out to the client directly to discuss what other talent is available and collaborate on a solution.  Another option is to leave it up to us as pros to send another talented photographer from our team who we know you will also love and do a great and professional job for your big day.

We can capture your wedding in both black and white as well as full color.  Here at our studio we encourage black and white for powerful and journalistic moments.  This is a personal preference and unique to each couple as well as each image.  This can be determined in the creative process in post-production when designing a wedding album if desired.

We will deliver images within one week after your wedding unless a few more days needed during our busy season.  Many of our brides and grooms will enjoy looking at their images while away on their honeymoon and reliving their day all over again as husband and wife!!!!  Many brides want to Instagram right away and we try to come through for them if we know this!

We are primarily a Cannon studio shooting with Mark IV cameras.  Some of our photographers use professional Nikon equipment too.   And others love the new Sony gear. We bring our own lighting if needed for indoor coverage ranging from on camera Cannon flashes. We will bounce room lighting off a ceiling sometimes to open the depth of images for overall crowd shots and more.  We will bring umbrella lighting for beautiful soft portraits if the wedding requires this.

We are a full-service studio and encourage our clients to purchase prints for their homes or as great thank you gifts for bridal party, parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends.  We take great pride in our work and will retouch these images and make them and you look your absolute BEST!!!

We are a full-service studio and offer a wide range of albums.  We pride ourselves on creating beautiful family heirlooms!  You will work one-on-one with our talented designer who will help you create a custom album that will enable you and your family to relive your special wedding day forever.  Our incomparable range of high-end albums and design work sets us apart from our competition.  We really care about you.  Anyone can take a nice photo, it’s what we do with your images that make them more special!

We will work wherever we are asked to!  We primarily work in Manhattan and the Tri-State area (New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island and Connecticut and will travel for destination weddings anywhere!!! The Caribbean, Rhode Island, The Hamptons to name a few places we have worked!  We travel where our customers take us!!!!

We are a professional organization and maintain Insurance.   We have Certificate of Insurance that is required at all venues.  It is provided upon request.

We do not watermark our high-resolution images when we deliver them.  We create a beautiful online portal for you that is password protected so you can view, share, and download the images from your wedding day.

Awesome! You can fill out the contact form and we will get back to you right away!!!!  You can also email our Director of Sales,  lisa@sarahmerians.com

We ask for a 50% deposit and balance due one month before the wedding.  We do not accept credit cards.