Erin & Mark's Wedding

Erin and Mark got married at the beautiful St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Center and had their reception at Bourne Mansion in Oakdale. The weather was perfect, we had a beautiful bride, good looking groom well behaved bridal party, lots of children, ..I could go on but I'll let the photographs tell the story.

You know you're off to a good start when you show up at the bride's house and the Mimosa's are flowing in full force!..

One of Erin's gifts was an oil painting from her sister Lauren. I've got to say that this was one of the most beautiful gifts I have ever seen - it was a collage of places special to Erin including their honeymoon locations and the detail was astounding..

..this gift on the other hand, not so astounding - a 'Sisters are Special' photo frame with an interesting photo of Erin & Lauren. Maybe she'll switch it out with one of her wedding photos!

Off to the church. I worked this wedding with my friend Stephanie who I work with quite often when we have 2 weddings booked the same day. She hung out at the back of the church while I was shooting the processional. I particularly like this moment between Erin and her father just before they got ready to walk down the aisle.

This next photograph is probably one of my favorites from the year. I definitely think Mark is happy that Erin is going to be his wife!

A nice detail shot of the Cathedral's rather colorful ceiling..

Here's another image from Stephanie - from the rear of the church she was able to shoot through a door and get a reflection of a stained glass window while at the same time framing Erin and Mark quite nicely at the altar. I love the splash of color it produces!

What do you do after the Recessional if you opt out of having a receiving line? You sneak around the corner, find a door with a window and check out which guests showed up for the ceremony!

On to the reception. It's always a nice treat when there are children at a wedding, especially flower girls who take their jobs very seriously and are so darn cute to photograph!! Trust me on this, recruit some nieces, Godchildren or daughters of friends and you will have personal valettes for the entire day!

I'm not sure if she wants to try the champagne or just eat the strawberry in the bottom of the glass!!

More helping...

...and the entire bridal party in front of the mansion!

One of the ring bearers had recently lost a tooth and was intent on having it on record for the day.

The Bourne Mansion has a great balcony that overlooks the dance floor ~ while I was indiscreetly shooting the couple's first dance close up (I dare you to find me) Stephanie was up on the balcony shooting the entire room.

I was able to sneak Erin & Mark out front for a nice relaxed Bride & Groom portrait at dusk..

Chilling out or break dancing - you decide!

..and a perfect kiss to end the blog posting..

Erin & Mark we wish you many years of happiness and good luck ~ thank you for letting us share your special day with you.

Dianna & Chris' Wedding

Dianna and Chris got married at the beautiful Vanderbilt Estate and Museum in neighboring Centerport. This has got to be one of the most beautiful locations we have had the pleasure of shooting at and combined with ideal weather and perfect light = gorgeous photos. The bride and groom weren't too bad looking either!

Kim met Dianna at her parents house before the ceremony and shot some stunning getting ready photos - here Dianna checks out her dress before putting it on..

You can never go wrong with a nice pair of Jimmy Choos!

Dianna with her sister Olivia taking care of some last minute preparations...

I love this photo of the two sisters heading downstairs - I think it's the composition and symmetry of their bodies that makes it so interesting.

Dianna's parents house is home to some beautiful art work - this piece made a beautiful and contrasting backdrop for a bridal portrait..

Dad was quite the photographer himself!..

..and a quick peak on the LCD screen - gotta love digital!!

Meanwhile at the Vanderbilt, the string quartet begins their warm up exercises...

One of my favorite family shots from a creative standpoint, using the reflection from a swimming pool..

One of the (many) great things about this wedding was the fact that the whole wedding took place at the same location - ceremony and reception - which allowed us plenty of time for photographs before the cocktail hour as there was no travel time involved.
In the picture below, you can see a small portion of the vast estate grounds, the reception tent in the distance and the Long Island Sound beyond that..

Looking the other way, Dianna is walked along the walkway to the ceremony tent by her father..

This photo I love!!!
I borrowed one of the bridesmaid's bouquets and handed it to Chris - he was a good sport and was able to tap into his feminine side for this great detail shot!!

The cocktail hour was held at another part of the estate in a beautiful Mediterranean style, cobble stoned courtyard. Most guests walked there, VIPs took the stretched golf cart!

There were some great locations in the courtyard - very rustic, very European in flavor..

Flip flops were provided for the ladies so they didn't twist and sprain their ankles on the cobblestones.

Dianna looking fabulous!

...and the reception tent all lit up at dusk!

Dianna and Chris - thank you for letting us capture your wedding memories!
Your wedding will definitely be one we remember for many years to come!