Blog
Full wedding & engagement stories, as well as wedding planning resources.
Manhattan City Hall Elopement - Haley & Teddy
Haley and Teddy wed on a beautiful day in October. Favoring romance over tradition, the couple had an intimate ceremony just outside city hall, before taking a glamorous and celebratory ride on the subway to their reception. After exchanging vows in the architecturally stunning Guastavino Tiles Ceiling outside of Chambers St Station, the pair were showered in flower petals and confetti as colorful and vibrant as the love they share.
TOURISTS Wedding - Berkshires, MA - Em & Zack
Warm, loving, and nostalgic. After meeting in 7th grade, growing up a mile from each other, and dating since high school- Em and Zack chose to celebrate their love with close friends and family in the Berkshires. The two have attended several weddings over the past couple years, but none of the venues quite embodied the non-traditional, organic, and goofy energy that the couple wanted for their wedding- until they heard through the grapevine that the food at TOURISTS in North Adams, MA was divine, and they went for a tour!
Rule of Thirds Wedding - Brooklyn, NY - Parker & Jeff
Parker and Jeff, after meeting 10 years earlier on OK Cupid, decided to make it official at Rule of Thirds in Williamsburg in Brooklyn for their modern Jewish wedding. The couple decided to have the wedding in Brooklyn to show off the borough they love to friends and family, many of who traveled from out of town and were in NYC for the first time!
The heat was brutal that day, but the couple were cool as cucumbers as they got ready at William Vale with a stunning city sky line view. The two then explored Brooklyn and the surrounding neighborhood, heading to the waterfront and Marsha P. Johnson State Park (had to pay tribute to one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement!) They also wanted to show off street art and wheat-pasted walls while they walked to the venue- little details that are quintessentially Brooklyn.
The two emphasized they wanted a silly and romantic vibe for their wedding day, something that Rule of Thirds, one of their favorite restaurants, was the perfect venue to accommodate. The space was full of natural light pouring in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. A curtain separated the ceremony space from the reception area. The concrete walls, natural wood details, lush tropical plants and large skylight helped in building a natural and warm feeling to the multicultural wedding.
Wythe Hotel Wedding - Brooklyn, NY - Jenn & Ty
Jenn and Ty were married at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn after being together for five years. The two met at the Public Hotel where she worked and he played pool every Friday. After some flirty small talk, he asked her on a date and the rest is history!
Chinese Tuxedo Wedding - Manhattan, NYC - Sam & Stan
Samantha and Stanislas’s colorful, non-traditional wedding celebration at a chic NYC Chinatown Restaurant was the perfect mix of timeless style, modern traditions, and international influences. The couple took a no-stress approach to wedding planning, and went for cocktail party vibes for their wedding day- limiting formalities in order to prioritize socializing with friends. The bride made a statement with her vibrant yellow Solace London gown as the couple walked through the busy streets of Manhattan, and joined their guests for eclectic cocktails at the retro glam speakeasy, Peachy’s. The ceremony followed, upstairs at Chinese Tuxedo- a unique multi-level space that historically served as an opera house and was recently restored into a modern Chinese restaurant. The industrial restaurant’s leather booths, candles, and mid-century modern pendant lights complimented Peachy’s low lighting and neon signs. The food is spectacular- the chef being recognized as a NYC Rising Star in 2020. After dinner, the guests retreated back downstairs for the afterparty- complete with neon signs, disco balls, and flowers hanging from the ceiling- to dance the night away.
Box House Hotel Wedding - Brooklyn, NY - Eugene & Justin
Eugene & Justin had their laid-back wedding at the Box House Hotel in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on a windy day in April. The two met online in 2017 when they were both living in NYC, and wanted to host their wedding in the city they fell in love, and that means so much to the beginnings of their relationship.
Palma Restaurant Wedding - West Village, Manhattan, NYC - Ecem & John
Ecem & John threw a thoughtful, intimate wedding reception at PALMA in the West Village of Manhattan. It’s a true oasis in the middle of NYC, with its lush greenery and Italian-inspired architecture.
Sunday in Brooklyn Wedding - Williamsburg - Sara & Nizar
Sara & Nizar celebrated their wedding with an intimate dinner at SUNDAY IN BROOKLYN with their closest friends and family in Williamsburg, where they’ve lived built a life together the past few years. Sara is Iranian-American & Nizar is Pakistani/Burmese and felt an immediate connection when they met on Hinge 4 years ago. Truly, their love for each other beams from the other side of the room. Nizar proposed on a trip to Anguilla in December 2021, with a ring that was custom designed by Sara’s friend who’s a jeweler. A few months later they connected with me to photograph their wedding celebration!
Skylark Wedding - Manhattan, NYC - Ned & Jason
Ned & Jason live in Chelsea, so to show off the neighborhood to their guests they chose the SKYLARK rooftop cocktail lounge in Midtown as their wedding venue. They wanted their wedding to feel more like a really long cocktail hour/party than a stuffy sit-down dinner- and the Skylark delivered. With its giant picture windows showcasing the epic NYC skyline views (especially of the Empire State Building), and open multi-level floor plan with couches and nooks situated throughout for people to get comfy and mingle during the unseated reception and dance party- it was the perfect unique venue for them.
The Foundry Wedding - Long Island City, Queens - Sabrina & Josh
Past clients of mine referred Sabrina & Josh to inquire with me about their wedding, and I couldn’t have been luckier! Sabrina knew them through improv comedy, and she actually met Josh by first becoming his improv coach and (quickly thereafter) realizing they had a strong connection and started dating. They live in Greenpoint together, and knew they wanted an outdoor wedding, and The Foundry was the perfect wedding venue nearby to suit their needs.
The Foundry is a green oasis in the middle of Long Island City, Queens- a unique industrial venue with tons of character that is beautiful on its own, without needing to bring in much decor whatsoever. A historic steel foundry from the 19th century, it was renovated in the 80s to host events keeping its original raw character intact. There are many large gears/mechanical elements and original furnaces built into the design. The green outdoor space compliments this perfectly, being surrounded by plants, and blanketed with ivy walls.
Brooklyn Winery Wedding - Brooklyn, NY - Kristina & Andrew
Brooklyn Winery is a dynamic space that works perfectly for weddings. The space was historically used for manufacturing, but has been transformed into a unique rustic wedding venue with a succulent wall, exposed-brick walls, warm lighting, and and old-school bar that creates a romantic ambiance. Like its name suggests, it’s also a fully functioning winery, offering up custom-made labels with their wine as wedding favors, and giant stainless steel casks giving their space and industrial vibe. The room they use for ceremonies has a giant sky light that allows for tons of natural light to pour in, and also features a large statement wall covered in live plants. Guests move into the bar area while the space is flipped for the reception.
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, you’re 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. It’s 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 can’t go wrong with any backdrop here.
Seriously, if you’re 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. There’s 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 neighbor’s 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: “We want it to feel like a low-key botanical garden disco. Is a low-key disco a thing? We're making it one.” 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 s’mores.
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 don’t 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 Christian’s 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 “the one that got away” 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, I’ve seen a wedding or two- or 200 :P and I’ve seen how wasteful they can be… but they don’t 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 we’ll 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 I’ve shot, or from other resources on the interwebs and put them all in one place, so it’s 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 Hell’s Kitchen for pictures. We then met their families under the archways at Bethesda Terrace, where Dan’s 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 “King & Queen of South Slope.” They’re all about community. “We want to live our lives not just ‘doing no harm’ but leave it a better place for the people around us.”
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. They’re both creatives- Danny’s a vocalist, and Rob loves architecture/design. I teased Danny saying he should try to sing at the ceremony- but he didn’t want to steal the show :P