What does anniversary photography cost?
Anniversary photography is a couple session built around a milestone: a first, tenth or fortieth anniversary. Couples often recreate an old photo, revisit the place they met or married, or include children and grandchildren. Sessions start from €180 for one hour; the final quote varies with duration, group size, location and the photographer.
An anniversary shoot has a story built in. The photographer's brief is not just "nice photos of a couple" but "photos that show these years": the café where you had your first date, the church where you married, the bench by the canal where you always sit. Or the same pose as in a faded print from 1996.
It is the couples session with the widest age range. Newlyweds book it for their first year; grandparents book it for a robijnen (40th) or gouden (50th) wedding anniversary, sometimes with the whole family.
How it differs from a regular couple shoot
A couple photoshoot is about how you look together now. An anniversary session adds time:
- A location with history, rather than the prettiest spot in town
- Recreations of old photos
- Objects: the wedding album, the first letter, a ring
- Often other people, such as children and grandchildren for a big milestone
The planning call matters more than usual, because the photographer needs to know the story before they can photograph it.
Recreating an old photo
Recreations are the most popular anniversary idea, and they need preparation:
- Send the original photo (a phone snapshot of the print is fine).
- Find the spot, if it still exists. Amsterdam's canal houses change little, but a café or shop may have gone. The photographer can suggest a similar setting.
- Match the angle and lens height. The photographer does this on the day; it is surprisingly precise.
- Match or echo the clothes: the same colour, the same kind of coat, the same way of standing.
The result is a pair of photos, then and now, and it is usually the one that ends up framed.
Ideas by milestone
Dutch tradition names the big wedding anniversaries: koperen (copper, 12½ years), zilveren (silver, 25), robijnen (ruby, 40), gouden (golden, 50) and diamanten (diamond, 60). The session can follow the same logic:
| Milestone | Ideas that work |
|---|---|
| First year | Return to the wedding venue or the place of the proposal; wear something from the wedding day |
| 5–10 years | Recreate your first photo together; include the children for part of the session |
| 12½ or 25 years | The street where you met or first lived; hands with both rings |
| 40–60 years | A slower session in one accessible place; three generations; the wedding album in shot |
These are starting points. The best anniversary sessions come from one detail only the two of you know, like the bench where one of you waited too long, or the bakery you walked to every Sunday.
On the day
Couples who have been together a long time are often more relaxed on camera than new couples, and more likely to tease each other, which photographs well. The photographer will usually start with the planned shots (the recreation, the meaningful place) while everyone is fresh, then move on to looser walking and talking. If the family joins, they typically come in for the second half, so the couple gets time alone first.
A gentle tip for surprise gifts: tell the couple they are going for a walk or lunch in a nice spot, but let them know what to wear. Nobody wants to discover their anniversary photos were taken in gardening clothes.
Big anniversaries with the family
For a 25th, 40th or 50th, many families combine a couple session with a family group. Plan for:
- Accessibility: cobbles, bridges without ramps, long walks. Tell the photographer about any mobility needs; a flat park or a single location may be better than a walking route.
- Timing around a party or dinner: an hour before the meal, when everyone is dressed.
- Group size: the more people, the more time for group arrangements. For large families, see family photography.
Anniversary trips to the Netherlands
If you are travelling for your anniversary, use the season. Tulip fields from mid-April, long summer evenings with golden hour after 21:00, autumn colour in the Vondelpark and the Haagse Bos in October, and canal lights in December. Seasonal guides: spring, summer, autumn, winter.
If this is your first trip since your wedding, a honeymoon photoshoot is set up for that, including wearing your wedding outfits again.
What’s included
- Planning call about your story and meaningful places
- Help recreating one or more old photographs
- A location with personal meaning, or a close equivalent
- Couple portraits and details of rings, letters or albums
- Editing of every delivered photo
- Private online gallery
Optional extras
Family group add-on
Children and grandchildren joining for part of the session.
Then-and-now print
The old and new photo printed side by side.
Party coverage
An hour at the anniversary dinner or gathering.
Second location
For example where you met and where you married.
Durations and what you receive
| Session | Edited photos |
|---|---|
| 1 hour | 30–45 edited photos |
| 1.5 hours | 45–65 edited photos |
| 2 hours with family | 60–90 edited photos |
Starting prices are indicative. Your final quote depends on the photographer, duration, location, number of people, date and specific requirements.
Who books this
- Couples marking a first, tenth or twenty-fifth anniversary
- Grandparents celebrating a 40th or 50th wedding anniversary with family
- Couples returning to the city where they met
- Children organising a surprise gift for their parents
Anniversary Photography by city
Anniversary Photography: questions
Can we recreate our wedding photo?
Yes. Send the original with your request. If the location has changed, the photographer will suggest a close equivalent.
Can we give an anniversary shoot as a gift?
Yes. Children often book it for their parents. Mention it in the request and we will help plan around the surprise.
My parents have limited mobility. Is it possible?
Yes. Mention it and the photographer will choose a flat, accessible location close to transport or parking.
Is this different from a couple photoshoot?
The camera work is similar; the planning is different. An anniversary session is built around your history, places and objects.
Can we include our children?
Yes, for part of the session. For a mostly family shoot, family photography is the better fit.