NPPN is VIDART’s National Photographer & Production Network: a short, curated list of independent wedding and event photographers and videographers, one per major US metro, that we are happy to send our own clients to. VIDART covers Wisconsin and six neighboring states with no travel fee; when a couple or a company asks us about a date in Denver or a shoot in Tampa, we would rather hand them a name we trust than a search results page.
The network runs both ways. Partners refer Midwest weddings, events and production work to VIDART, we refer their market to them, and each studio links to the other from a page like this one so clients can find the referral later. There is no fee in either direction, no commission on bookings, and no obligation beyond keeping the listing accurate.
- One partner per metro. Listings are exclusive, so a referral is a recommendation, not a directory.
- Working studios only. Partners have their own domain, a current portfolio, business insurance and public reviews.
- Reviewed yearly. We re-check every listing each January and retire any studio that has closed or stopped responding.
For couples and clients
If your wedding, event or shoot is outside our seven-state Midwest area, pick the metro below and contact the partner directly — mention VIDART and they will know where you came from. If your date is anywhere in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri or Michigan, talk to us: half days from $1,500, full days from $3,000, photography or videography, with no travel fee.
For photographers and videographers
Open metros are marked below. To apply, send us your website, three recent full galleries or films, confirmation that you carry liability insurance, and the URL of the page on your site where VIDART’s listing will live (a “recommended vendors”, “out-of-town referrals” or resources page works well). We reply within a week. If your metro is already taken we keep a short waiting list.
What partners receive
A permanent listing on this page with a followed link, a description in your words, and referrals whenever a VIDART client needs coverage in your metro. We also share partner work in our wedding planning guides where it fits, and partners are first call when we need a second shooter or local crew in their city.
Partner directory
Metros are listed by region. “Open” means we are accepting applications for that market; a named studio is our one partner there. Metros inside our own seven-state area are not listed because VIDART covers them directly.
Midwest & Plains (outside our seven-state area)
| Metro | Partner | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Cleveland, OH | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Cincinnati, OH | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Louisville, KY | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Omaha, NE | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Kansas City, KS | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Fargo, ND | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Sioux Falls, SD | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
Northeast
| Metro | Partner | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Boston, MA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Philadelphia, PA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Washington, DC | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Baltimore, MD | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Buffalo, NY | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
South
| Metro | Partner | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Nashville, TN | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Charlotte, NC | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Raleigh-Durham, NC | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Miami, FL | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Orlando, FL | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Tampa, FL | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| New Orleans, LA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Houston, TX | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Austin, TX | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| San Antonio, TX | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Oklahoma City, OK | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
Mountain West
| Metro | Partner | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Phoenix, AZ | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Las Vegas, NV | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Albuquerque, NM | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Boise, ID | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
West Coast & Pacific
| Metro | Partner | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| San Diego, CA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| San Francisco Bay Area, CA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Sacramento, CA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Portland, OR | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Seattle, WA | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Honolulu, HI | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
| Anchorage, AK | Open — accepting one partner | Apply |
How to join
We accept one studio per metro and say no more often than yes. The checklist:
- Your own website on your own domain, at least two years old, with a portfolio of complete weddings or events (not only highlight reels).
- A real business: registered name, liability insurance, written contracts and a published or on-request price list.
- Public reviews on Google, The Knot, WeddingWire or Zola — a 4.8 average or better over at least ten reviews.
- A reciprocal listing for VIDART on a page of your site that is linked from your navigation or footer, using one of the snippets below, kept live for as long as you are listed here.
- No lead resellers, marketplaces or franchise directories. Independent studios and small collectives only.
Apply through the contact form with “NPPN” and your metro in the subject line, or email the same details to the address on that page.
Link to VIDART from your site
Copy one of these onto your referrals or resources page. Plain text is fine too; what matters is the link to https://vidart.org/ and an honest description.
<a href="https://vidart.org/">VIDART</a> – wedding photographer and videographer in Madison, Wisconsin, covering Milwaukee, Chicago and the Midwest with no travel fee. <a href="https://vidart.org/photography/">VIDART Wedding Photography</a> – Madison, Milwaukee & Chicago <a href="https://vidart.org/film-production/">VIDART Film Production</a> – commercials, corporate video and documentary, Madison WI
Your listing here will read the same way: your studio name linked to your home page, your metro, and a one-line description you write.
Frequently asked questions
What does NPPN stand for?
National Photographer & Production Network: VIDART’s referral list of one trusted wedding and event photographer or videographer per major US metro outside our seven-state Midwest service area.
Is there a fee to be listed or to be referred?
No. There is no listing fee, no referral fee and no commission in either direction. Partners link to VIDART from their site and we link to them from this page; that is the whole arrangement.
Why only one partner per city?
So that a listing is a recommendation we can stand behind. A page with twenty names per city is a directory, and clients already have those. One name per metro means we have looked at the work and would book them ourselves.
Can a studio inside Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri or Michigan join?
Not as a city partner, because those states are VIDART’s own service area. We do work with Midwest second shooters, assistants and specialty vendors directly; use the contact form and tell us what you do.
How do you vet partners?
We review the full galleries or films, confirm the business is registered and insured, read the public reviews, and check that the reciprocal listing is live. Listings are re-checked every January and removed if a studio closes, stops responding or lets the listing lapse.
I am a client. Does VIDART guarantee a partner’s work?
A listing means we have vetted the studio and would refer our own clients to them, but your contract is with the partner, not with VIDART. If a partner ever falls short, tell us; it is the fastest way for a listing to be reviewed.
Planning a Midwest wedding or shoot?
VIDART photographs and films weddings, events and productions across Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri and Michigan with no travel fee. See pricing, the wedding shot list and our Wisconsin marriage license guide.
Photographer or videographer?
If your metro is open above, send your website, three full galleries or films, insurance confirmation and the page where VIDART’s listing will live. We reply within a week.