Katie & Matt's Wedding

So what do you do when a thunderstorm is scheduled for your wedding day? Well, you put on your biggest smile and go ahead with the day as planned! They say that rain on your wedding day is a good omen that you will be blessed with lots of children so I hope Katie & Matt like children...a lot!!

Kim actually shot this wedding solo while I was at another wedding (blog post will follow) and was excited to spend the day with such a wonderful couple. I know I say that a lot about our brides and grooms but it was definitely true on this occasion!!

Katie and her mom prior to the dress going on - her bridesmaids getting ready in the next room..

This note might be a little hard to read as a resized JPEG for website use but if you fellas want to impress your future mother-in-laws, take a leaf out of Matt's book and send them a heartfelt Thank You note for all their hard work preparing the wedding...and for having a beautiful daughter too!

Always lots of activity as the girls prepare for the day..

I do like unusual angles and altered reality. There's nothing too secretive about the double reflection in a beveled edge mirror but it certainly holds your attention for a couple of seconds..

I particularly like it when the bridesamaids' dresses are unique and interesting and cool to photograph and I know they just love it when they get to wear them more than once!

Umbrellas up! A sign of things to come..

Meanwhile, back in the Pastor's office... Matt relaxes while the guests arrive and people are seated in the Church.

Katie walking down the aisle solo..

...and a very touching candle lighting ceremony to remember those no longer with us....

Right after the wedding ceremony is a great time to duck away, unwind a little and spend a few minutes with your new spouse before the revelry begins...

Did I mention rain was forecast?!

After Church, it was on to the beautiful Head of the Bay Club in Huntington Bay..

This may look like a photo of an iPhone with a hot pink rubber skin on but it's actually what is on the iPhone that is important - the Wedding Announcement section of The New York Times with Katie and Matt's engagement photo and their engagement story!! It was actually published the day of their wedding!

So, when everything was said and done, it was a great wedding with great people and a gorgeous and fun bride and groom, even if it did rain a little bit. The following day however was glorious and Katie called Kim to say that she was putting her wedding dress back on and wanted to shoot pictures back at the Bay Club at sunset! How could we refuse!..

Katie and Matt, you are a very special couple and a joy to photograph! Thanks for providing us with some great photo opportunities and a very cool 'how we met' story.

Jeannemarie & Jim's Wedding

Children are always fun at weddings~ they are unpredictable, uninhibited and usually very cute! Sometimes parents tend to give them misinformation about photographers though as I found out when I got to Jeannemarie's house. I have no idea what this little guy thought about me but if he had a shovel he would have dug himself to China!

My excellent parenting skills soon came into play though and before long we were best buddies..

Sometimes my favorite images are those that go a little awry like shooting with available light on a slowish shutter speed. I like the fact that Jeannemarie's dress and necklace are quite sharp while the busy motion around her is all a blur..

Jeannemarie looking quite beautiful and taking in her fully dressed loveliness for the first time..

This is another one of my favorite images of the year; Jeannemarie's bridesmaids were putting on her veil and I was jockeying for position when I looked up and saw a beautifully manicured hand adjusting the veil and a crucifix in the background. I couldn't have set this shot up better and I was able to grab just a couple of frames before the operation was complete! In my opinion, the negative space is just as important as the sparse elements of the image..

On to the church! I'm not sure exactly what this sign says but I know it is a part of Jim's Korean heritage for guests to sign in at the church.

If I'm shooting a wedding alone like this one, I usually position myself about halfway down the aisle ~ that way I can get the bride walking down the aisle with her father and then do a quick turn, shoot the bride from behind before framing the groom between bride and father. And it all happens in about 8 seconds!! Jim's expression is priceless in this next image as he sees Jeannemarie for the first time as his bride..

After the ceremony, we headed down to a beautiful park in Brightwaters on the south shore to shoot some formal photos. The light was perfect!

The reception was held at Captain Bill's in Bayshore. We have shot here a few times and it is a great venue - on the water with great views!

Two groomsmen pinch hitting for a quick bride and groom photo at the head table.

..and the real bride and groom this time out on the deck with the marina in the background..

Yes, there is no denying the fact I love flair and backlighting! When the sun is setting, I'll do anything I can to get it in the background - the mood it creates is unlike any other..

A view of Captain Bill's vast room from the upstairs balcony..

And a bit of break dancing to end the evening!

Jeannemarie and Jim, thank you for letting me share your wedding day with you - it could not have been better!!

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.