Stuart and Keiko’s story took me around the world.
They met in Austria, in German class. Stuart is from Scotland and Keiko is from Japan. Their wedding had guests from all horizons, with all sorts of accents and it was such an amazing experience being there with them all day. Weddings are all about history and culture and Keiko and Stuart’s wedding in Edinburgh was full of both those things. The fact that they got married at the Mansion House, a glorious stone building in the middle of the Edinburgh Zoo, only added to the richness of their wedding. The mansion looked like a gothic castle from the outside, and if it weren’t for the dozens of lemurs walking around the park, there was no way to tell we were in a zoo.
Keiko started the day in a beautiful traditional Japanese kimono which took about 30 minutes to put together. Stuart cried when he saw her walk down the aisle, and the whole ceremony was full of emotion. After the ceremony and a lunch overlooking the property, Keiko changed into a white dress before a crazy dance party where Scots would teach Japanese guests how to dance on traditional Ceilidh music.
It was an honor capturing Keiko and Stuart’s wedding at the Edinburgh Zoo, and I can’t wait to go back some day for more beautiful weddings around Scotland.
I love a fall wedding at the Dumbo Loft. Golden hour by the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges is one of the most beautiful sights, and because the Dumbo Loft is so close to both of them it is super easy to just step out quickly with the bride and groom and snap a few pictures with the sun setting behind the skyline.
It is also a really great feeling to shoot the wedding of people you have spent some quality time with prior to their big day, and that is the main reason why I love engagement sessions. It creates a bond between the couple and their photographer.
Anyway, Liz and See’s fall wedding at the Dumbo Loft was a ton of fun, and not just for them. Liz had spent a lot of time creating her tablescape with Jackie -the wonderful florist at Hello Darlington-, which gave me some really interesting volumes and colors to photograph. They also allowed me to shoot some film, which came out really awesome and weird. I cannot be more grateful to have such creative and open-minded clients who are ready to step outside the box.
Flora and Marisa have become dear friends of mine over the years, so their wedding holds a special place in my heart.
The brides decided to have a summer wedding at 632 on Hudson, a very offbeat venue in Manhattan. The whole building was theirs for the day, and included a private rooftop terrace with a water tower turned into a little sitting nook, a plethora of unique rooms with glorious chandeliers, velvet furniture and art all over the walls, and a basement speak-easy with a piano and a secret bar. It was truly unique.
The ceremony was held by the fire escape downstairs, with guests watching over from multiple floors. The girls chose a buffet-style dinner, allowing their French (Flora’s family) and American (Marisa’s family) people to eat when they felt like it and danced whenever they wanted.
The night ended in the speakeasy below the building, with some of Marisa and Flora’s friends playing tunes on the piano and drinking really interesting cocktails. I went home with my head filled with memories, and thousands of photos I could not wait to edit and share with them.
Lilia and Jamal’s wedding at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture was a big win.
I will let you be the judge of that, but let me just tell you that the gorgeous flower arrangements from Molly Oliver Flowers and the bride’s beautiful Kimera Design dress played a big role in that.
Not as big as Lilia and Jamal, of course, who looked so stylish and in love during their big day.
I also wanted to add how honored I felt to witness my very first broom ceremony. The ritual goes back to West Africa and has been used in the 1850’s in America for slaves who were not permitted to wed. Thank you Lilia and Jamal for introducing the broom ceremony to your guests -and me- !
Lauren and Kyle’s New York art gallery wedding broke the mold in many ways. Firstly, the diamond on the bride’s ring was mounted upside down (turning it into an adorable little iron fist, come to think of it); Kyle’s ring was made by Joshua Eisler with alien matter (or meteorite, but alien matter sounds even cooler ); the bride wore silver and gray while her bridesmaids wore white; and finally, their reception was at the 3 Legged Dog Art Gallery, which they had filled with their and their friends’ art.
It feel really rewarding to work with people who know what they want and love. Kyle and Lauren did not impose any shot of me; instead, they experienced the day as it went, living it fully, letting it and the pictures speak for themselves. They enjoyed their time together (and made out, a LOT) and everybody had the time of their lives.
Kyle and Lauren are exploring Australia for a couple of months and according to their Instagram, they are seeing a bunch of sheeps and art along the way. I wish them both a happy life full of creativity and thinking outside the box.
The beautiful Kayla and Anny were brides for a short morning at this Brooklyn bridal styled shoot we organized at the Jalopy Theatre in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
I had chosen the Jalopy Theatre because of its adorable old looks, its red bricks and amazing skylight that offered a lot of natural light and deep shadows. With my rather offbeat style, the spot was perfect for our Brooklyn bridal styled shoot. Our models, along with all the cute details inside the theatre, made it easy to get great shots with very few props.
Setting up for a styled shoot requires a lot of organizing. We had to get back up dresses in case they didn’t all fit our models’ bodies perfectly, and we had a lot to take care of last minute, like getting fresh doughnuts at the bakery’s opening and making all the flower arrangements. I will be forever grateful for all the amazing ladies who came together to help me on this Brooklyn bridal styled shoot and I hope to do it again soon for a Spring theme shoot, when the trees are blooming and the sun is out!
