Jonathan Suckling Photography Show reel montage

Great vibes, even better photos —wedding photographer based in Auckland, NZ.

Wedding photographer having fun with Auckland couple

Wedding photos

- without the awkward -

If being photographed usually feels awkward, don’t worry - that’s exactly where I come in. My specialty is putting people at ease so the whole experience feels natural, relaxed, and genuinely enjoyable.

I’ve been photographing weddings since 2013 and I’m passionate about making the entire process fun & easy for my couples.

Jonathan Suckling photography headshot

On your wedding day I’ll bring the banter and engage with your guests. This approach is what allows me to capture natural, candid moments of your family & friends, without any awkward vibes - and you will definitely catch me busting some moves on the dance floor.

Basically;

if you want great photos and want to have a good time on your wedding day…

Wedding photos that still look good in 30 years

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Wedding photos that still look good in 30 years 〰️

Videography

My partner-in-crime Bailey (Happy House Films) is a videography genius. She makes films that will have you crying from laughter as well as hitting you in the feels.

She’s the introvert to my extrovert and without a doubt my favourite videographer to work with; I admit, I may be slightly biased - I’m her biggest fan.

Special pricing available when booked together.

  • Engagement shoots: $1,100

  • Elopement coverage from $1,100

  • Wedding day coverage from $4,100

All pricing includes GST and travel costs.

Pricing

Close up Sunset portrait of Wedding couple at Muriwai Beach

Don't spend the rest of your life wishing you got better wedding photos

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Don't spend the rest of your life wishing you got better wedding photos 〰️

- Blog Posts -

Wedding photos that make your grandma stoked

<3

Love is Love

<3

Wedding photos that make your grandma stoked <3 Love is Love <3

Kind Words

  • Indoor ceremony kiss at Mudbrick, colourful florals, Film photography

    Britt & David // Mudbrick

    Jonathan was amazing.

    He photographed our wedding at Mudbrick and could not have been more talented!

    From the beginning, his communication was quick, professional and enthusiastic. He listened to our vision and ran with it. On the day, Jonathan set such a vibe and made us and all of our guests feel relaxed, entertained, and comfortable. He knows exactly what to say to get everyone confident, cooperative, laughing. He can wrangle a crowd for group photos like no-one else, and captured both candid and posed photos so authentically.

    The gallery he returned to us was full of incredible memories and we were blown away by all the details and love that he was able to capture. Thank you for your creative talent and professional but warm service!

    We couldn't have asked for a better outcome and will treasure our wedding photos forever.

    We'd recommend Jonathan to any couple who want beautiful photos AND the best vendor energy possible for their special day.

  • Moody black-and-white Film photo of bride at Mudbrick Vineyard and restaurant

    Grace & Mitch // Mudbrick

    Jonathan is a true professional - we used him for our wedding at Mudbrick and the entire process was completely seamless.

    He made planning a wedding from another country so easy, and having the opportunity to meet Jonathan in advance made us feel so comfortable about what to expect on the day.

    Jonathan answered our many questions and offered his professional opinion and guidance where needed - and he was right about everything! His guidance for how to organise family photos, for example, saved us heaps of precious time on the night.

    We would usually describe ourselves as not liking photos and a bit awkward, but Jonathan put us completely at ease and we actually loved the photographing process which I never would have expected.

    Don’t hesitate to book Jonathan - worth every dollar.

  • Bride and groom walking in Golden light on site at Lavella Estate

    Alex & Chelsey // Lavella Estate

    I’m convinced there is no better wedding photographer than Jonathan! His work is absolutely incredible, and the photos speak for themselves!

    Jonathan was a big help with planning the timings of the day, and truly made you feel like a friend.

    He captured our day beautifully, managing to get photos of everyone smiling (including all four of our flower girls and nephews - pretty sure that’s never been done before).

    He stops at nothing to get the shot and brought the perfect amount of energy and banter to the day. We had comments from so many guests singing his praises.

    The communication was impeccable from day one and all in all we would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone for any occasion - an absolute legend!

The Process

Editorial direct flash photography of bride and groom at Mudbrick, close-up of details of hands and sleeves
  • Absolutely! I like to start off by meeting all my couples.

    The first step is getting in touch via the Contact Form.

    If I am available for your date, I will then send through my pricing & packages and offer you my upcoming meeting slot availability.

    This meeting is the best way to start the process, it gives you the chance to ask any questions you might have and is a great way to make sure we’re a good fit. I’ll also be able to get a clearer idea of the day you’re planning and then let you know what amount of coverage I think would serve you best.

    All meetings are done online due to the number of couples I have to meet regularly.

  • Bookings work on a first in, first served basis - I take a 50% deposit & a signed wedding agreement. Once I have received these I am officially booked in for your date.

    To best manage this, after our initial meeting, I will keep an eye on your date for the following 7 days. This gives you the chance to make a decision with a bit less pressure.

    If another couple enquires in this 7 day window, I let you know and give you the first opportunity to book the date.

  • The remainder is due any time before the wedding.

    One month before the wedding I will send you a “Wedding Day Details” form for you to fill out. This is where you make your final coverage selection (if you have needed to add or reduce coverage).

    Once I have received this, I will then create your invoice for your remainder payment. Which can be paid anytime before the day of the wedding.

  • You will first receive sneak peek images within 2 days after your wedding. The rest of the images will be ready 8-10 weeks after your wedding date (depending on the time of year).

Portrait of bride and groom laughing with colourful flower bouquet at The Officers Mess, Auckland

FAQs

  • During my main wedding season (October–April), I try to stick within a two-hour radius of Auckland. However, in my off-season, I have more flexibility to travel.

    Enquire for more information about where I travel.

  • Bookings work on a first-in, first-served basis. I take a 50% deposit along with a signed wedding agreement. Once I have received both, your date is officially secured.

    To best manage this, after our initial meeting, I will keep the eye on your date for the following 7 days. This gives you the chance to make a decision with a bit less pressure.

    If another couple enquires during this 7 day window, I let you know and give you the first opportunity to book the date.

  • Over the years I have refined the experience to make photos lots of fun and ensure you never feel like you’re being posed. When you are relaxed and enjoying yourself, the photos come out looking more natural and true to who you are.

    Of course, if something looks out of place or a little off, I’ll let you know and give clear direction where needed. I also encourage every couple to share ahead of time anything they might feel self-conscious about in photos. That way, I can make sure to capture your best angles so you love the way you look.

    TLDR; I don't 'pose' my couples like puppets, but I also won’t leave you standing there feeling awkward.

  • The short answer: more than you’ll know what to do with! I don’t like to lock it down to a particular number — if I think an image has value to you, I will make sure to edit & deliver it to you.

    At the same time, it’s my job to make sure your experience of looking through the photos is a joy, not a chore, so I spend the extra time to curate a collection that feels refined.

    This usually works out to about 100+ images per hour of shooting, depending on how many guests you have.

  • Absolutely, I'm always happy to send through some recent full galleries, just reach out.

    If you're also interested in seeing how a particular venue photographs, I can also send you a gallery to help you.

  • Absolutely. I’ve been doing this full-time for over a decade, so I take it seriously and don’t cut corners. You can rest assured I carry $2 million in Public Liability Insurance.

    On your wedding day, I always have backup gear with me — I shoot with multiple cameras, each of which creates dual copies of every photo across two different SD cards. This means your images are already backed up as I shoot.

    I could bore you with all the details of my backup processes (with nerdy terms like UPS, NAS, RAID, offsite & cloud backups), but let me put it simply: I take care of all of that so you don’t have to — your images are safe with me.

Contact me, you know you want to

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Contact me, you know you want to 〰️