Bride and groom sharing an embrace during their outdoor wedding portrait session

Husband and wife during their couple portraits

Golden hour photos of the bride and groom

Romantic bridal portraits with the bride and groom

Gorgeous bridal portrait during getting ready

Amazing couple portraits from the wedding day

The Grandview Poughkeepsie wedding photographer

romantic couple portrait on the wedding day

reading wedding vows during getting ready

Hudson Valley Wedding Photographer

Welcome to the Polished Portrait, a Hudson Valley wedding photographer based in Middletown, NY. For more than 12 years, I’ve photographed over 300 weddings throughout the Hudson Valley, Orange County and surrounding areas of New York. My approach combines natural, candid moments with beautifully composed portraits, giving couples timeless photographs while keeping the wedding day fun and relaxed!

YOUR WEDDING DESERVES MORE THAN JUST GREAT PHOTOS.

Beautiful photographs are only part of what makes a great wedding photography experience.

I’ll help you feel comfortable in front of the camera, no matter if you love photos or feel anxious about them. I provide lots of easy to follow direction and great starting points for wonderful photos while also capturing tons of candids the entire day.

I’m Leo, the Photographer behind the Polished Portrait. My goal is simple: to give you photographs you’ll cherish while helping make your wedding day as smooth and stress-free as possible. From building a realistic timeline and getting family photos done efficiently to handling the unexpected, I’ll be there to help. After hundreds of weddings, I’ve seen just about everything - and I genuinely want you to have the best day ever!

GET TO KNOW ME

"Working with Leo can be summed up in one word: AMAZING!"

Tara M.
"Finding a photographer that is skilled, professional, and keeps you comfortable is so rare, but Leo kept me laughing and happy the whole time."

Christina C.
"From beginning to end, working with Leo Ayala was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. "

Samanta W.
"Another happy Polished Portrait bride here! Every single step of the process of working with Leo was an absolute delight."

Victoria C.
"Leo was absolutely incredible. So friendly and easy to work with. Very professional and communicative. He went the extra mile to make sure we had gorgeous shots."

Jaclyn L.
"Leo was also unbelievable the day of our wedding, he was calm and so easy-going to work with! We felt so comfortable with him from the start! We are absolutely obsessed with our photos, and couldn't imagine hiring anyone else. "

Jean Marie M.

THE KNOT

〰️

BEST OF WEDDINGS

〰️

HALL OF FAME

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THE KNOT 〰️ BEST OF WEDDINGS 〰️ HALL OF FAME 〰️

trusted by hundreds of couples

with more than 300 weddings photographed throughout the hudson valley, I have over 100 reviews on the KNOT and on Google.

A graphic with the words 'the knot' in cursive, and 'BEST OF WEDDINGS 2021' in bold uppercase letters.

Cover for 'The Knot Best of Weddings 2022' with red text on a white background.

Our testimonials on The Knot

Planning your Hudson Valley Wedding?

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who will keep things relaxed, help you feel comfortable in front of the camera and capture both candid moments and timeless, romantic portraits, I’d love to hear about your wedding!

CHECK AVAILABILITY

Hudson Valley Wedding Photographer

"Working with Leo can be summed up in one word: AMAZING!"

"Finding a photographer that is skilled, professional, and keeps you comfortable is so rare, but Leo kept me laughing and happy the whole time."

"From beginning to end, working with Leo Ayala was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. "

"Another happy Polished Portrait bride here! Every single step of the process of working with Leo was an absolute delight."

"Leo was absolutely incredible. So friendly and easy to work with. Very professional and communicative. He went the extra mile to make sure we had gorgeous shots."

"Leo was also unbelievable the day of our wedding, he was calm and so easy-going to work with! We felt so comfortable with him from the start! We are absolutely obsessed with our photos, and couldn't imagine hiring anyone else. "