Heritage House

1432 Briarcliff Drive
Merrick, New York 11566Directions
Website
(516) 667-4223

Introduction

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, I remember how overwhelming it all felt. There were so many choices, and it was hard to know who we could really trust. When it came to photography, we followed a recommendation. Looking back, our photos didn’t capture what we had hoped for, and that experience stayed with me. It’s what inspired me to create Heritage House.

I knew there had to be a more personal, more meaningful way to approach wedding photography. Your wedding is more than a date on the calendar. It’s your story, your legacy, and a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of everything and everyone you love most. That’s how we approach it.

At Heritage House, we get to know our couples on a deeper level. What matters to you? What are the moments you want to relive for the rest of your life? That connection allows us to capture every glance, every quiet pause, every joyful tear in a way that feels natural and true.

We serve couples across Long Island, New York City, and the Hamptons, and limit our calendar to ensure every client receives a truly boutique experience. Your photographs should never feel like just another item on your checklist. They are the only tangible piece of your wedding day that becomes more valuable with time. That’s why every Heritage House collection includes full-day coverage and a handcrafted heirloom album, designed with care and intention.

You deserve to feel fully present and completely cared for. We’re here to make that possible, while preserving your story in the most timeless and beautiful way we can.

The Wedding Industry

Photographing weddings is one of the greatest honors of my life. Each couple invites me into a day filled with love, family, history, and hope for the future. That trust is something I hold with deep gratitude. From the quiet, intimate exchanges to the loudest, most joyful celebrations, I get to preserve the moments that will one day be held in the hands of future generations.

What I love most about this work is the emotional weight of it. These photographs are not just beautiful portraits, they become part of a family’s legacy. That understanding shapes everything I do. I approach each wedding with a calm presence, careful intention, and a genuine desire to help my couples feel seen, supported, and fully present.

It’s not just the day itself that matters. I cherish the connection I build with each couple in the months leading up to the celebration. Getting to know their story, watching their excitement grow, and then witnessing it all come together is a joy I never take for granted. Being part of such a meaningful chapter in someone’s life, and creating something they will treasure for decades, is what makes this work so fulfilling.

The Wedding Memories

Every couple brings their own individuality to their wedding, and each celebration holds moments that reflect the depth of their connection. One of the most meaningful memories I’ve experienced was during a reception where the groom, a talented but very shy singer, stepped far outside his comfort zone in the most heartfelt way.

His wife had always dreamed that he might sing to her on their wedding day, but he had openly shared how nervous that idea made him. What she didn’t know was that he had secretly worked with the band to rehearse a special song just for her. As the band prepared to start their set, the bride was invited to the dance floor. She expected a first dance, but instead, her husband stepped forward and began to sing.

His voice was incredible, and the room went silent, captivated. But what made the moment unforgettable wasn’t the performance. It was the look in her eyes afterward, the overwhelming emotion, the deep knowing of how much love and vulnerability it took to create that moment. Surrounded by applause and celebration, there was this quiet, private connection between them that said everything. Moments like that remind me why I do what I do.

Specialization

At Heritage House, we specialize in creating a wedding photography experience that is calm, guided, and deeply personal. Our goal is for you to feel fully present on your wedding day, knowing that every meaningful moment is being captured with care. We focus on emotional storytelling through a blend of documentary moments and gently directed portraiture, always making sure you feel at ease in front of the camera.

We help you look your best by guiding you with intention, never forcing anything that doesn’t feel natural. The result is timeless imagery that reflects not just how the day looked, but how it felt. More than just photographers, we are a calming, attentive presence throughout your day, working quietly and intentionally to preserve your story as it unfolds.

Company History

Heritage House began as Stephen Mayo Photography, a personal brand born from a passion for emotional storytelling and human connection. Over the years, the business grew beyond what I initially imagined, and it became clear that the name needed to grow too. I wanted something that reflected not just who I am, but what we stand for.

The name Heritage House holds deep meaning for us. It represents the legacy we help our couples create through photographs that are meant to last, to be held, displayed, and passed down. It reflects our belief that wedding photography is not about trends or checklists, but about honoring love, family, and memory in the most thoughtful way possible.

Today, Heritage House is a boutique wedding photography studio serving Long Island, New York City, the Hamptons, and beyond. Every wedding is approached with care, intention, and a focus on meaningful connection. We’re growing in a way that allows us to remain personal and boutique, while also expanding through associate photographers who share the same heart for legacy and service.

Where we are headed is exactly where we started, rooted in people, emotion, and the quiet power of a story beautifully told.

FAQs

Do you include wedding albums?
Yes. Every Heritage House collection includes a handcrafted heirloom album. We believe your photographs should be more than digital files. They should live in your hands, on your walls, and in your family's legacy.

Do you offer videography?
Yes. We offer videography as an add-on exclusively for our photography clients. This ensures a seamless, cohesive experience where photo and video teams are fully aligned and guided by the same vision and approach.

Do you travel?
We are based on Long Island and regularly photograph weddings throughout New York City, Westchester, the Hudson Valley, and the Hamptons. We also travel for destination weddings across the U.S. and internationally. Some of our favorite destinations include Santorini, Tuscany, and Maui.

Do you offer engagement sessions?
Absolutely. Engagement sessions are a great way to build connection before the wedding day and get comfortable in front of the camera. Sessions are typically held on Long Island or in New York City, but we are happy to travel or suggest meaningful locations.

Can I choose the location for my engagement session?
Yes. Your session should reflect your relationship and personality. We love photographing in places that matter to you, and we are always happy to offer thoughtful location suggestions based on your style.

What is your photography style?
We specialize in timeless, emotional storytelling. Our work blends documentary moments with guided portraiture that feels natural and elevated. Every image is created with intention and care, so your gallery feels both beautiful and true to your day.

How far in advance should we book?
Most couples book 10 to 16 months in advance, especially for popular dates. We accept a limited number of weddings per year in order to provide a highly personal, boutique experience for every client.

Personal Hobbies

My wife, Barbara, and I met in kindergarten. We grew up together, went to the same schools through college, and got married at 24. Today, we’re raising three amazing daughters who fill our home with laughter, imagination, and plenty of spontaneous dance parties.

We’re both musicians. Barbara plays the flute, and I play the piano. Music has always been a meaningful part of our life, and it continues to shape the atmosphere in our home. We also love spending time outdoors together as a family, whether we’re exploring new places or just enjoying a day at the park.

When I’m not photographing weddings, I’m usually spending time with my daughters. Whether we’re playing outside, building something together, or just playing around the house, those moments are my favorite part of the day. Being a dad is a huge part of who I am, and it reminds me how meaningful it is to capture the kinds of memories that families will hold onto for a lifetime.

Additional Info

Every couple has a unique story, and we approach each wedding with fresh eyes and open hearts. Even when we’ve worked in a familiar venue, the people, the atmosphere, and the light make every celebration entirely its own. Our goal is to create a calm, personalized experience that allows you to feel fully present while we document the emotion, connection, and quiet beauty of the day.

We want you to look through your wedding album and be transported back to the way it felt to hold hands before the ceremony, to the faces of the people who love you most, to the laughter, the tears, and the fleeting moments that became part of your legacy. What we create is not just imagery. It is something you will hold, revisit, and share with generations to come.

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BOLI Love!

Stephen was amazing! He was an absolute pleasure to work with through the entire process! He was supportive, knowledgeable, patient, efficient, kind, and so talented!! There are so many little touches he adds that really contribute to the overall experience !!! Above and beyond doesn’t begin to describe it. My family is not easy to please or wrangle and they all couldn’t have been more impressed either! Perfect balance of “on top of every detail” and a “laid back/ stress free vibe”. If you are thinking about it, just do it- Stephen Mayo at Heritage House was such a good decision in our wedding planning!!

Jeneane S.

I could not recommend Stephen Mayo and Heritage House Wedding Photography enough; he was professional, organized, and a calming presence on such a big day. He was helpful not only the day of our wedding but also played an active role in the months leading up to the wedding sharing his experience, advice, and guidance throughout the entire process. He was flexible and went above and beyond for us from start to finish. We could not have asked for anything more.

Michelle M.

My husband and I just had our wedding and the experience with Stephen and his team has been an absolute highlight. Just a few words I can think of that describe Stephen and his team: meticulous, reliable, trustworthy, supportive, overachieving, professional and caring. We had an initial meeting with him and were immediately sold. He exuded care and attention at every step, wanting to get to know us, our story, our expectations, and then remembered all of them for the entire duration of our time together. We had an engagement shoot with him soon after. We fell in love with his aesthetic. Working with him is so easy. He gives great pose suggestions, directs well, and makes the session a very collaborative feeling experience. His eye and composition is also just top notch. During our wedding, he was so calm and helpful. He had set up iPads with photo slideshows of some shots from the earlier session for our guests to see and we received a personalized photo album with prints of some of his favorite shots by the end of the night! I can’t recommend Heritage House enough!

Peter Y.

Our first experience working with Stephen was our complimentary engagement photo shoot, and from that moment, we knew we had found the perfect photographer. During the shoot, he not only captured beautiful moments but also took the time to teach us how to pose and feel comfortable in front of the camera. His guidance made the experience fun and effortless, which gave us so much confidence for our wedding day photos. Not only is Steve incredibly skilled, but he is also wonderfully creative. He has a unique ability to find the perfect angles, lighting, and compositions that make each photo feel special and artistic. On top of that, his communication is excellent—he consistently checked in with us, sent reminder emails, and made sure we felt prepared every step of the way. On our big day, he was patient, reassuring, and full of great ideas, making the experience truly enjoyable. The final photos are absolutely stunning—perfectly capturing the love and joy of the occasion. We couldn’t have asked for a better photographer!

Allison M.
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When I say he was the BEST vendor we used, I mean it. He was the first vendor I signed with because his photography was light, airy, and told the stories of the day. We just received our photos, and I cried because every single photo was perfect. As a side note, when my grandmother passed and we had to reschedule our photo reveal appointment, not only was he incredibly patient, he sent a bunch of photos of her from the wedding in all sizes to the family to use at her service and to keep with us. Stephen doesn’t just look at this as a job, he built a relationship with us and I am so grateful we found him.

Amanda K.

I just wanted to say how grateful I am that I met Stephen Mayo at Heritage House photography. Working with him has been incredible. He is the best with communication, and actually wants to get to know you so he can capture the best photos. We did our engagement shoot and it was such a lovely experience. He helped us decide on the best colors to wear to contrast with where the shoot was, and made sure to capture all the poses we wanted to do. He really goes above and beyond in so many ways. couldn’t be happier, and cannot wait to see the photos he will be taking at my wedding.

Jenny E.

Stephen was by far our favorite vendor to work with for our wedding. The second we started speaking with Steve we knew he was our guy. Getting to know us and our vision, asking all the right questions to understand our expectations and fully deliver. He’s knowledgeable, personable, and easy going; yet detail oriented, like teaching us how to pose for the best possible outcome. Our engagement shoot was the perfect warm up, our wedding day was absolutely seamless, and I believe that’s in large part due to Stephen’s calming presence and professionalism!

Megan C.

Steve was amazing to work with. He’s incredibly professional, organized, and communicative throughout the wedding planning process. He took the time to get to know us and understand our vision and totally delivered! He was genuinely excited to be part of our wedding day, and seamlessly blended in as one of our guests. I'm obsessed with how our photos turned out! Steve is the BEST choice and we recommend him to the highest degree!

Hailey M.

Steve has captured all of our special moments and has been there for us through the entire process. Steve's photos are magical! Steve has a way to capture natural loving moments in a way that others simply can't. He is patient, responsive and made us feel calm and happy through our whole special day! He is a master at making a wedding timeline and was punctual and on point for it all. Our day moved so smoothly. We are so happy we found Steve and would recommend him to all!

Alyssa M.

Stephen was amazing! He’s an extremely creative and talented photographer and his work is absolutely beautiful. From the early planning stages through the day of our wedding, he was always helpful, friendly, honest with his creative opinions and advice, incredibly professional, and an absolute pleasure to work with. He was always available to us through email, phone or text if we ever had a question and he was in constant contact with us along the planning journey sending us helpful emails and planning tips. We have nothing negative to say, Stephen was the best!

Andrea F.

There are no words to truly describe how amazing it was to work with Stephen. His calm demeanor and professionalism were amazing. It felt like we were the only client he had, based on how much time and effort he focused on us. He went above and beyond to make our engagement photos and wedding everything we could have wanted and more. He’s the only person I would recommend moving forward.

Nina K.

I don’t have the words to describe Stephen. He was extremely helpful every step of the way. Every time we had a question for him, he would answer right away. The whole wedding went smooth and he planned every single photo to the t. Our timeline was easy to understand and follow. Danielle (his second photographer) and Kayla (Stephen’s assistant) were amazing! They all work so well together and make a phenomenal team. All our family, friends, and guests complimented him and the way he worked! I would truly and wholeheartedly recommend Stephen to everyone. His work speaks for itself. The quality of the pictures are stunning and he captures every emotion. I look back at our photos and can’t help but smile and tear up every time. Heritage House Photography is the way to go!

Claudia B.

Stephen is wonderful as a person, and as a photographer. We really did not have any concerns when booking with him. We did our engagement shoot with him and our photos came out so beautifully, so we knew our wedding photos would be exceptional. From the time that we booked with Stephen to the wedding day, he was always in contact with us, whether it was to answer our questions or to send little tips, suggestions, and reminders about the wedding day. He always confirmed with us before taking pictures or choosing a background for our photos. He’d give us options of where we wanted to take pictures and he’d ask us if we wanted more photos of just us. It was obvious that he wanted us to have exactly what we wanted and that he cared about us getting as many photos as we could. He does a great job at posing you or telling you to make minor adjustments, so that you can look as natural as possible, while also looking your best. He was truly a pleasure to work with and his photos really do come out beautifully.

Marisa C.

Stephen Mayo (Heritage House Photo) is hands down the BEST. From being incredibly responsive, attentive, and genuinely caring about each moment, he went above and beyond from the moment we chose him for our wedding. He sent over tips that helped us with the planning process and was always eager to help us out. He frequently checked in with us, ensuring we felt comfortable and supported. We really valued his energy and overall vibe. He’s not pushy or demanding; he’s incredibly calm, yet confident in what will achieve the best shot. Our friends and family were equally impressed by his demeanor, talent, and organization. He would do anything to get the best shot—whether it meant lying in wet grass, getting on the floor, standing on top of a high chair, or even getting very close to a pond. We’re so grateful that he captured the magic of our day.

Brenda A.

Stephen was great and worked quickly through the 90 degree heat. He made sure to get each shot that we wanted and was great to work with!

Nicole M.

Stephen was an absolute pleasure to work with! He is beyond talented and the picture of professionalism! My husband and our families couldn’t have asked for a better experience! We’ll look back on this day with incredible pride knowing our most special memories were captured and preserved in such a thoughtful way! If we could rate Stephen with 10 million stars, we would!!

Jenna D.

Stephen Mayo Photography is a hidden gem on Long Island! Steve really listened to what kind of a feel we were going for with our engagement photos and really captured us as a couple. He is so easy to work with and our photos came out absolutely beautiful!! Both my fiancé and I will highly recommend!!

Alexandra M.

Stephen is an amazing photographer. He is very passionate about his work and it shows in all her pictures. He is friendly, energetic, and most importantly patient

Rafaelina

I worked with Stephen for our engagement photo session and I was beyond impressed with his work. He was friendly, made us comfortable, gave us great tips for great photos, and I was blown away by the finished products. He was such a pleasure to work with professionally and personally. Would recommend him to anybody x1000!!!

Dana M.

We were very pleased with our experience and our photos. Very professional and thorough. Really spent his time getting to know us and what we wanted. Made us very comfortable and gave great advice on posing.

Kate

We truly loved our experience working with Stephen. He’s very responsive, reliable, straightforward, detail oriented, incredibly talented and makes sure to capture every single thing you’re looking for. Most importantly, Stephen was really fun to be around and made sure we looked natural and relaxed! He also gave us extremely useful guidance regarding all things wedding related. We highly recommend him, LOVE our photos, and can’t wait to use him for our wedding and future family photoshoots.

Devlin A.

We did our engagement photos with Stephen and we was phenomenal to work with! He was highly collaborative while also willing to offer his ideas/perspectives on shots and locations. He did a great job guiding us in specific poses and positioning us to get the best possible photographs. We would highly recommend working with him.

Sreetha D.

I highly recommend Steve for your wedding photos! From start to finish he made us feel really comfortable and answered all of our questions. He even helped me decide what to wear and how to stand! We couldn't be happier with the entire experience!!

Kayla O.

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