This past weekend, one of my favorite people married her favorite person. I couldn’t be happier for Jill and Esrael – I’m still smiling about it! :)
Here’s a sneak peek of their wedding day – and trust me, many many more photos to come! :D
Tiffany and NiiOkai celebrated their wedding day across two NYC boroughs. It began at the LaGuardia Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Queens, where Tiffany and her bridal party got ready. The ceremony was held at a church in Brooklyn, and was followed with some portraits at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. I’ve been to a good number of museums in NYC, but somehow I’d never even heard of this one. Turns out it’s a fantastic spot for a photoshoot! I only wish we’d had more time to roam around the museum.
Afterwards I headed back to Queens with the wedding party on a party bus, which ended up breaking down on the highway back – whoops! Thankfully a replacement bus was sent right away to pick us all up, so we didn’t miss much of the reception. Talk about luck!
Congrats to Tiffany and NiiOkai!
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I had the privilege of photo-documenting Ebony and Shawn’s vow renewal ceremony at the gorgeous Grand Cascades Resort in Hamburg, NJ. I was super excited about the day, except for one thing: I had to drive through Manhattan to get there. Living in NYC, I don’t have much need for a car so I rarely drive these days. And that’s fine with me because a). I don’t like driving, and b). I prefer greener methods of transport, i.e. train or bike. The mere thought of driving through the city shakes me! But there was no way around it today, so I bit the bullet and dove right in. And I dare say it was kind of fun! :)
Even more fun was getting to photograph this beautiful event. Ebony and Shawn have a colorful and tight-knit family, and they renewed their vows in front of all their loved ones. The day was as much about celebrating their family as it was about renewing their marriage. There was such an outpouring of love during the toasts, it was so touching to witness.
Congrats to the happy couple and their fabulous family!
Literally 2 seconds after I took this shot ^^, it started to downpour. How’s that for timing?
Right after the ceremony, I found all the kids hanging out in the game room while the adults mingled in the lobby. Too cute!
All of the table decorations came from Ebony’s home collection. So pretty!
I already posted photos from when I assisted Joe Sanfilippo at Alison & David’s wedding in this blog post, but I’ve got loads more photos from the second part of the day, i.e. cocktail hour and reception. Raphael Vineyard on Long Island is a really gorgeous venue, absolutely perfect for weddings. I definitely enjoyed photographing it!
I was hired to second shoot a wedding for Precision Studios, assisting Ilan Swirsky. I drove up to the Renaissance Westchester Hotel with Kasia (videographer) and the GPS got us lost once we encountered a road block. I now understand why it’s important to allot extra time for travel! But we arrived on time and the whole day went smoothly. Everything took place at the hotel: the getting ready process, the family portraits, the ceremony, and the reception. It didn’t matter that it was a rainy day since we were indoors anyway.
It was my first time attending a Jewish wedding, and I got to witness the circling of the chuppah, the breaking of the glass, and the horah. It was so much more lively than the typical Catholic wedding. The dancefloor was occupied the entire reception, with the groom leading the pack. Seeing the bride and groom being hoisted on chairs overhead during the horah was pretty exciting, I must say!
As a second shooter, I tried this time to shoot from different angles than the main photographer. I had little direction, so I just aimed to be wherever he was not. A few times this led to me being alone in a room with the bride and a few family members, i.e. while getting ready, and just before walking down the aisle. I wasn’t sure if I was meant to be there, so I did my best to stay as unobtrusive as possible. I think it led to some interesting shots of a few intimate moments before the wedding, if I do say so myself.
I had such a blast at this wedding, just like at the last one. I’m determined to break out on my own and start my own business soon – 2010 here I come!
