Blog
Full wedding & engagement stories, as well as wedding planning resources.
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
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. It’s 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 that’s 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.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Elopement - Brooklyn, NYC - Lauren & Kathleen
Coincidentally, Kathleen & Lauren first reached out to me on that fateful day in March 2020 that New York closed its state borders due to COVID-19. We couldn’t have imagined what the world would look like just a few days later, let alone how to plan a wedding in this “new normal.” Despite the overarching fear & uncertainty, the 2 were able to celebrate their love by holding a down-sized, COVID-conscious, ceremony outside at Brooklyn Bridge Park, with a larger reception a couple years later, both of which I had the pleasure and honor of photographing!
The couple decided to keep the original date of their nuptials (10/20/20 is a pretty magical number), opting to elope on the waterfront in DUMBO with the Manhattan skyline behind them, witnessed by an intimate group of their closest NYC friends.
All About Wedding Albums
Here’s 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 they’ve thought about getting a wedding album. To be honest, most of the time it isn’t something they’ve considered since they’ve 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 I’ve put together a bunch of reasons why!
Brooklyn Heights Promenade Engagement Session - Sam & Tom
Sam & Tom had their engagement session in Brooklyn Heights- we walked along the promenade by the water, and finished up at COLONIE one of their favorite bars in the area. Tom actually grew up a block from the promenade (the awning from “1 Pierrepont St” was his old building!) It was my first time going there and I was blown away by the view of the Manhattan skyline! Can’t wait to go back once it’s a little warmer.
10 Things to consider when planning a NYC wedding
10 Things to Consider When Planning a NYC Wedding
Prospect Park & DUMBO Engagement Session - Brooklyn, NY - Sam & Dan
Sam & Dan had their engagement session at Prospect Park & Dumbo in Brooklyn. We started a little late but they still wanted to try to fit in both locations, so we went for it! The sun was setting as we drove to Dumbo from the park, so we were literally chasing the light. (Sam was brave and got changed in the back of my little Volkswagen Beetle while I was driving down Flatbush Ave!) I have to admit- that was a first!
Hudson Valley Wedding, Preston Barn at Old Drovers Inn - Jackie & Jimmy
Hudson Valley Wedding, Castle Hotel - Sarah & Jay
In-home engagement session in Brooklyn & Prospect Park - Alyson & Jason
For Alyson & Jason’s engagement session we hung out at their apartment just south of Prospect Park in Brooklyn (only 4 blocks away from where I live!) And then we took a walk to the park to capture the neighborhood they live in, and show off the beginnings of some fall foliage.
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 “wedding party” & formal ceremony. They eloped at city hall a couple days beforehand, in order to free up more time to get to the party! Now THAT’S 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 Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park in DUMBO. Theirs was not your typical wedding- they scrapped formalities they didn’t 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.