Honest wedding photography for couples who want to be fully present in their wedding experience.

Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and traveling the East Coast, I specialize in wedding photography that is both honest and artful.

Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime gathering with all your favorite people—celebrating, laughing, crying, and dancing together. That deserves to be experienced fully and captured truthfully.

As your photographer, I’ll capture the real, emotional, in-between moments with care and intention—so you can be fully immersed in your celebration.

While much of my approach is documentary and unobtrusive, I’ll also thoughtfully guide you and your guests through portraiture during the day—creating polished, artful images that feel both natural and refined.

Whether you’re planning your celebration in Lancaster, Philadelphia, Maryland or beyond, I would be honored to celebrate with you and help preserve your experience.

Kirsten Hartzell Photography is

Based in Lancaster, pa + bEYOND

Sara & Zoe

We could not have asked for a better engagement and wedding photographer! Kirsten gave us the freedom to be ourselves, but gave us the exact amount of direction that we needed. Having our engagement shoot in her studio gave us so many options. Kirsten was communicative, excited, and personable. We were immediately comfortable with her and the photos turned out better than we could have thought. She captured the moments at our wedding that we didn't even know were happening, which was fantastic.

Experience Their Day
KELSEY & ARTUR

Kirsten was by far our favorite and the best of all of the vendors we worked with for our wedding! From the very first meeting we could tell that Kirsten really cared about our love story and capturing the moments that were most important to us. We never felt like Kirsten was trying to upsell us on a service/product we didn’t need, and every cent we spent was so worth it! We didn't have a wedding planner but Kirsten helped walk us through everything, design our timeline, and keep us on track day of. It was not an easy task considering my big family. Beyond how easy to work with and helpful she is, every single picture she gave us was beautiful. She captured the day so perfectly, and gave us amazing direction. The pictures were everything we wanted and everything we didn't even know we wanted! If you are thinking about booking Kirsten, do it! It will be one less thing you have to worry about on your day and you will not regret it.

Experience Their Day
Camille & Valerio

I found Kirsten on Instagram and I fell in love with her work instantly. My husband and I got married in a whimsical venue, which she captured perfectly in her own style. Kirsten was extremely responsive and professional throughout the whole process. She listened to my wishes and worked with my hectic schedule (thanks for understanding!). All of the pictures came out absolutely beautiful. Thank you again Kirsten for the pictures that we will cherish forever!

Experience Their Day
Jamie & Zack

Kirsten was the photographer for my wedding, and I cannot recommend her highly enough! From our first consultation to the final delivery of our photos, the experience was nothing short of exceptional. She has an incredible ability to capture moments and emotions that truly tell the story of the day. She is professional, fun, attentive, and made everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera. What impressed me most was their creativity in finding unique angles and lighting, making every shot feel special. I've never felt more beautiful than I do looking back at these pictures. Thank you for everything, Kirsten 💕 You are an incredibly talented and beautiful person 💕

Experience Their Day
Megan & Kris

Can not even begin to explain how great our experience was with Kirsten. My husband and I had a two day event for our wedding and she captured both so perfectly! I could not have asked for better photos as they were exactly what I envisioned. She was very professional yet personable and pleasant to be around on such a big day. You can tell she genuinely enjoys and cares about her work and it shows through her photos! Even many of my guests commented how amazing she was. Could not recommend Kirsten enough!

Experience Their Day
Sydney & Roland

Truly an amazing wedding photographer. Kirsten delivered BEAUTIFUL photos, and the thing that sets her apart from others is her attention to detail and her immense care for her clients!! She listened to everything we had to say and all of our requests, and truly went above and beyond to help us through the wedding planning process. She helped us with timelines, answered questions, and showed that she really has a deep understanding of the wedding industry and how things work. On the day of, she was kind and helpful and just overall everything we could've asked for AND MORE! I would recommend her over and over to my closest friends and family... her photos are works of art! Thank you Kirsten- you are an artist with a true gift for what you do!

Experience Their Day

My approach to wedding photography is rooted in documenting your day as it genuinely unfolds—while also preserving space for you to experience it all wholeheartedly, without pressure or interruption.

I believe every wedding day and every couple is unique which is why I love to approach our conversations with curiosity to better understand your intentions for the experience.

If you’d like to learn more about my approach you can find it Here.

best-wedding-photographers-near-hershey-pennsylvania.jpg

Natural-Authentic-Wedding-photography-Pennsylvania-.jpg

high-end-editorial-photographer-hershey-pennsylvania.jpg

Kait + Kevin

“From start to finish, our experience with Kirsten was nothing short of extraordinary. Her attention to detail and creative eye were evident from the moment we began discussing our vision for the day. She took the time to understand our preferences, ensuring that every special moment was captured flawlessly. Each image tells a story, and we find ourselves reliving the joy and emotion of our wedding day every time we browse through our collection. What sets Kirsten apart is not just her technical skill, but the genuine love and kindness that she brought to the entire process. Weddings can be stressful, but Kirsten had a calming presence that put everyone at ease. Her ability to connect with people and capture the authentic emotions of the day is truly unparalleled. It felt like having a friend document our special moments rather than just a photographer. If you are looking for a wedding photographer who not only possesses exceptional skill but also radiates love and kindness, Kirsten is the one for you. ”
Chloe + Samantha

“Kirsten is the best photographer ever from how sweet she is to her amazing photography and editing skills. Her work speaks for itself and is truly a gift that will be cherished forever! If that doesn't convince you to use her the fact I used her to propose to my now fiancée, and we are using her for engagement photos in Brooklyn and our wedding says it all! Between the big moments and the details she did it all!”
Maureen + Julian

“We truly cannot say enough about the amazing Kirsten Hartzell! When we first met Kirsten in the “deciding on vendors” phase of wedding planning, we knew immediately she’d be our photographer. Not only are her pictures absolutely gorgeous, she was such a kind, fun person to have by our side all day. She knew just how to get the perfect shot - be it silly, serious, or sentimental. She captured the joy of the day and we are forever grateful for the lifetime of memories she put on film for us.”
Mariah + Justin

“I can’t say enough about how grateful I am that we were able to have Kirsten take our engagement & wedding photos. The amount of thought, support, kindness & advice is (in my opinion) unparalleled. During a really overwhelming & normally stressful time she really helped keep us grounded in what we were working towards & I couldn’t be more grateful. We kept saying ‘we’re socially awkward people, not the easiest to photograph & you’re gonna have to do a lot of coaching & be patient!’ but really she just let us be our goofy selves, & truly brought out the best of both of us. I came home with pictures I will cherish for the rest of my life, and not just of me and my new husband, but of all our favorite people too. The cake is gone, the decorations are sold & most traces of that day are fading. But these pictures, these pictures keep every bit of that magic fresh in our minds & it was worth every penny.”

THE FOUNDATION OF KHP

Honest Moments

Your wedding isn’t a performance—it’s a meaningful celebration of your love. I’ll walk alongside you throughout the planning process to understand what matters most, so that when the day arrives, you can be fully present in your joy while I document it with care and intention.
HOW MUCH WE CARE

I believe the best photos come from genuine connection. That’s why I’m here for you every step of the way—not just as your photographer, but as a calming presence and trusted support. I’ll celebrate with you, hold space for you, and be your biggest advocate from start to finish.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL

It’s the little things—the quiet touches, the meaningful glances, the intentional choices—that make your wedding feel like you. I pay close attention to those details, capturing them with an editorial eye so the full story of your day is preserved in an elevated, timeless way.