Blog
Full wedding & engagement stories, as well as wedding planning resources.
Gather Greene Wedding - Catskills, NY - Sallie & Evan
Sallie & Evan have been NYC-dwellers for 8 years, but for their wedding they chose a weekend getaway upstate for their family and friends to enjoy the peace and beauty the Catskills has to offer. At Gather Greene, youโre completely immersed in nature- there are wooded paths, rolling hills, a quarry, and mountain views along with EPIC sunsets (scroll down to see what I mean!) Not to mention a stunning modern barn reception space outfitted with exposed wood beams and cement walls. Itโs the perfect blank canvas to make it your own with a floral installation, or keep it simple and just show off the architecture. You really canโt go wrong with any backdrop here.
Seriously, if youโre considering a unique, minimal space surrounded by nature within a 3 hour drive of the city that can accommodate guests overnight- this is it. There are cute treehouse-like cabins sweetly situated at the back of the property, where you wake up gazing through a huge picture window and your whole field of vision is of the trees outside. Thereโs lots of cute towns nearby including Hudson, Phoenicia, Saugerties, and Catskill to explore, and for overflow guests to stay as well.
Olmsted Restaurant Wedding - Brooklyn, NYC - Sonya & Sage
Sonya & Sage had an intimate wedding at their favorite restaurant Olmsted, right around the corner from their Brooklyn apartment!
Sonya got ready in their apartment with a couple friends, and Sage got ready literally one door down at their neighborโs apartment who were also attending the wedding. We then had their first look on the steps of their brownstone, and took some portraits on their tree-lined street.
The chosen vibe for their wedding: โWe want it to feel like a low-key botanical garden disco. Is a low-key disco a thing? We're making it one.โ I think they succeeded. The casual backyard space where they got married is literally a garden- the restaurant actually grows some of their produce right on-site! It made for an intimate sweet ceremony space, and when we moved inside for dinner, they used it as a cozy lounge area complete with string lights and sโmores.
LIC Waterfront Wedding - Queens, NYC - Donell & Kelly
Donell & Kelly knew they wanted their wedding to be small and low-key, but thoughtful (which is honestly my favorite kind of party, and therefore my favorite kind of client who would want to throw that kind of party.) They got married at the church Donell grew up going to, took portraits in Long Island City with the Manhattan skyline behind them, and then ate delicious Italian food at Maiella.
MyMoon Wedding - Brooklyn, NY - Emily & Tatsuya
MyMoon is such a unique wedding venue, with so much character you truly donโt need to bring in any extra decor at all. A beautifully re-imagined 19th-century boiler room- with exposed brick, reclaimed wooden floors, lofty ceilings, and unique metal sculptures throughout- creates a warm rustic environment. The open sky courtyard with potted plants and seating nooks for people to mingle during cocktail hour, contrasts the industrial, moody interior used for receptions. The ceremony space is framed by twinkle lights and crawling ivy walls, and is outfitted with a retractable roof as a built-in rain plan, so you can have an outdoor ceremony no matter the weather (they even have heaters!)
Housing Works Bookstore Wedding - Manhattan, NYC - Julie & Christian
Julie & Christian have been in love for over 30 years. They met in NY during college through a mutual friend, dated for a summer, broke up, and their lives parted ways. They each got married, started families- and then eventually divorced.
One day Christianโs sister Sarah randomly saw a Facebook post Julie wrote, lamenting that she was on dating apps- and hating it. Sarah called Christian, told him Julie was single again, and there was no hesitation- Christian booked a flight ASAP to reconnect with Julie. And here we are, gazing at their wedding photos.
As it turns out, each was โthe one that got awayโ for the other. That mutual friend that introduced them? Yeah- she officiated the ceremony, adding in some personal insider stories (which ended up being their favorite part of the whole day.) Even their teenage kids kind of knew it in the back of their minds- which was disclosed during their pre-written toasts at dinner.
Sustainable Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Wedding
Over the years, Iโve seen a wedding or two- or 200 :P and Iโve seen how wasteful they can beโฆ but they donโt HAVE to. So much of this industry is about the planning up until the event- but not about what happens after. What do we do with all these flowers, all these plastic cups that ended up in the trash can, this decor weโll never use again, a wedding dress??
Planning a wedding can be overwhelming as it is, and you may not have time or energy to find out every little thing you can do to make your wedding eco-friendly. So I decided to collect a list of my favorite sustainable ideas from past weddings Iโve shot, or from other resources on the interwebs and put them all in one place, so itโs easy to share with new clients, and anyone who happens upon this blog post while wedding planning! Please share widely :)
Central Park Elopement & Restaurant Wedding Reception - Manhattan, NYC - Angela & Dan
For Angela & Dan's wedding, we started at their hotel in SOHO, walked around Tribeca, then took an Uber to TAVOLA - a classic pizza shop in Hellโs Kitchen for pictures. We then met their families under the archways at Bethesda Terrace, where Danโs cousin officiated a quick ceremony. Finally we were off to IL BUCO in Nolita for their brunch reception.
Green Building Wedding - Brooklyn, NY - Jenah & Joe
I knew we were the perfect fit from our first phone call. They both work for non-profits in the city- Joe is in environmental engineering, and Jenah is a screenwriter. Their friends call them the โKing & Queen of South Slope.โ Theyโre all about community. โWe want to live our lives not just โdoing no harmโ but leave it a better place for the people around us.โ
Jersey City Elopement - Jersey City Hall - Danny & Rob
Danny & Rob originally had their wedding planned for October 2020, and ended up postponing due to COVID. So when I got an email from them in September telling me they were planning on eloping at city hall in just a couple weeks, and was I available, I responded with a resounding YES, LET'S DO THIS! Danny & Rob live together in Downtown Jersey City. Theyโre both creatives- Dannyโs a vocalist, and Rob loves architecture/design. I teased Danny saying he should try to sing at the ceremony- but he didnโt want to steal the show :P โ
Greenpoint Loft Wedding - Brooklyn, NY - Marisa & Michael
Greenpoint Loft is one of my favorite wedding venues to shoot at in NYC. The unique wedding venue is on the top floor of a warehouse space with a warm raw vibe, in the historic industrial neighborhood of Greenpoint in Brooklyn right on the water. Itโs such a fun area to explore for portraits, with plenty of city backdrops to utilize. The building itself was originally a pre-WWII rope factory thatโs been restored, complete with high ceilings, exposed beams, distressed brick, lots of natural light through the large windows, and countless industrial details and textures to incorporate into decor and photos. It has a timeless, classy, vintage feel, and is a perfect blank slate for hosting weddings.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wedding - Alyson & Jason
When Alyson & Jason booked me we only lived a couple blocks away from each other, but they actually found my work via Instagram- we were destined to meet either way! We did their engagement session in their apartment, had a small church wedding in 2020, and finally their big reception with all their friends and extended families this year in the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
All About Wedding Albums
Hereโs my informational blog post about the wedding albums I offer! Most of my clients end up getting a couple album, and many get parent albums as well, so I wanted to have a place for them to refer to in order to set expectations about the quality, design, and customization process.
7 Reasons to order a Wedding Album
Whenever I meet with potential wedding clients, I always ask if theyโve thought about getting a wedding album. To be honest, most of the time it isnโt something theyโve considered since theyโve been glued to their phones just trying to find a wedding photographer with the right style, personality, and professionalism- AND is available for their wedding date. Which is hard enough! But the physical products they offer should ABSOLUTELY also be a deciding factor. I believe every wedding deserves to be commemorated in an album, and Iโve put together a bunch of reasons why!
10 Things to consider when planning a NYC wedding
10 Things to Consider When Planning a NYC Wedding
Hudson Valley Wedding, Preston Barn at Old Drovers Inn - Jackie & Jimmy
Hudson Valley Wedding, Castle Hotel - Sarah & Jay
Manhattan Restaurant Wedding and High Line Portraits - Amanda & Todd
Amanda & Todd had their restaurant wedding at DEL POSTO, a classic Italian spot in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, and we did portraits on THE HIGH LINE nearby. They *strategically* went the non-traditional route and decided against having a โwedding partyโ & formal ceremony. They eloped at city hall a couple days beforehand, in order to free up more time to get to the party! Now THATโS what I call priorities ;)
They both got ready at THE STANDARD with just their parents and closest friends. The hotel literally cuts right through the High Line, so we ended up doing their first look right below it! It was a SUPER sunny day, but we played with harsh light & shadows left by the Manhattan architecture which made for a really unique look.
Jane's Carousel Wedding - DUMBO Brooklyn, NY - Alison & Jason
Alison & Jason had their wedding reception at the vintage, iconic Janeโs Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO. Theirs was not your typical wedding- they scrapped formalities they didnโt need, and added new ones in the most thoughtful, intentional way.
New York Elopement, Hudson Valley Rose B&B - Alison & Jason
Alison & Jason had their intimate wedding at Hudson Valley Rose Bed & Breakfast, with only their parents & brother (who officiated the ceremony) in attendance. I was literally crying as I was editing these, feeling their love as I revisited these special moments from their wedding day.
