Vendors
Church: The Church of Incarnation
Venue: The New York Botanical Garden
Caterer: Abigail Kirsch
Hotel: The Sherry Netherland
Flowers: Surroundings Flowers
DJ/MC: Pro Latin Entertainment
Hair & Makeup: MHM NYC
Invitations: Judy Ko Design
Dress: Pnina Tornai, Collection sold at Kleinfeld
Bridesmaids Dresses: Watters and Watters, Collection sold at Here Comes the Bridesmaid
Tuxedos: Calvin Klein, Collection sold at Men’s Wearhouse
Rings: Blue Nile
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
I felt a special privilege to photograph Kristen and Nick’s wedding. Their rehearsal was held at the stunning Adour restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel. The following day the preparation took place at the Waldorf Astoria and the ceremony at Belvedere Castle overlooking Turtle Pond.
Kristen is a woman of impeccable taste, and one of the great joys of shooting her wedding was the communication I enjoyed with her throughout the process. Kristen actually owns her own event planning business, Small Party NYC, so it was clear she was already intimately familiar with many top quality vendors and I knew, as a result, that there would be beautiful things to photograph and a design-inspired atmosphere.
Sensitivity is a prerequisite of tasteful design and planning, and in that regard I was delighted to learn a few months ago that Kristen published under her nom de plume, Zoe Vinyl, a book of rhyming poetic vignettes entitled “ Down the Rabbit Hole“. Poetry is a deep awareness of life’s experiences, whose imaginative expression strikes an emotional chord. It is clear that every wedding, formed on the basis of love and commitment, is a deep emotional experience. Some say, one doesn’t need the perfect dress, the perfect cake, or fine stationary to mark the celebration. Certainly, this may be true. However, when focus is also placed on these small details, the wedding emerges as a piece of art, forever fixed in our minds as that splendid and most perfect day- that aforementioned imaginative expression of the love it represents. And there was none better suited then Kristen, a poet herself, to craft the poem of her wedding day.
Nick and Kristen met back briefly in 2002 and again in 2003, though not exchanging contact info for three months. But with fate intervening, their paths kept crossing, transforming these brief encounters into something meaningful and long-lasting.
Kristen has sent me her own words (again a measure of the time and care she takes), which best capture the story of how they met and their shared vision for the wedding day. That can be read here.
Vendors:
Wedding invitations: Dauphine Press in California
Make up : Eve Pearl
Ring: Marisa Perry
Dress: Midgley and Sottero, the Gracie Gown from their 2010
Collection sold at RK Bridal in NYC.
Suit: Hugo Boss from the Time Warner Building, their flagship NYC store
Officient : Tulis McCall
Flowers: Diana Ruiz of D Events
Cake: Sylvia Weinstock
Music: Salut D’Amour, a string quartet http://www.salutdamour.com/
Restaurant Day of: Park Avenue Summer
Hotel: Waldorf Astoria
Here is a sneak peak of some of the photos:
This last picture was sent to me by Kristen herself, sent in by a passing bystander: Perry Heideman of Milwaukee, WI.
That’s me taking pictures of the ceremony up close. Thanks, Perry!
Church: St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Venue: Central Park Boathouse
Caterer: Central Park Boathouse
Hotel: Bryant Park Hotel
Flowers: Doro’s Annex
Band: Dexter Lake Club
Chairs, hemstitch linen napkins: Classic Party Rental
Lounge Furniture: Bridge Furniture & Props
Venue: Central Park Boathouse
Trolleys: NY Trolley Co, New York Whitehall
Limo: Silver Star Limo
Hair & Makeup: New York Bridal Hair
Day of Coordinator: Erganic Design
Custom “K” & “M” Letters: IDL Concepts
Custom Cookie Favors: Duane Park Patisserie
Letterpress Invitations: Elum via Kate’s Paperie Custom Printing
Dress: Christos “Bella”
Bridesmaids Dresses: Vera Wang
Tuxedos: Jack Silver Formal Wear
Rings: Michael C. Fina, Greenwich Jewelers
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
It’s crazy busy here recently. Every day I am sitting nonstop in front of my computer and trying to go over thousands of images.
Right after I came back from Allison’s wedding, I looked through the images and these two really caught my eye! I decided to show a little teaser with these two:
Elie and Sarah were married at the Staten Island Hilton in a traditional Jewish ceremony.
I must say that I adored the romance of the day. It was for me not just romance in the everyday sense of anticipation, excitement,
and fresh love. Rather, it was a romance of a romantic age, with that nostalgic air of true courtship. Perhaps it was in part because Sarah evokes a bit of Audrey Hepburn, but more so, because I could see they both shared the type of love and connection whose essence who have been unchanged if they had met fifty or a hundred years ago.
I learned from Sarah that she and Elie exchanged numerous letters during a long distance phase of their relationship.
Since I am not privy to what was written between them, I could only imagine some sort of Ellen Terry, George Bernard Shaw
correspondence. Their letter writing tradition was obviously of great importance to them, as after the bridal preparation,
Sarah sat down, doe and teary eyed, to read a lengthy letter that Elie had given her for the wedding day.
Sarah beautifully recounts how their love came to be:
“Elie and I were introduced through a friend of our parents who had known me since I was five but had never met Elie at all. All she knew about him was that he was Modern Orthodox and a lawyer, but as you know, a dearth of information never stops a Jewish mother from encouraging her daughter to pursue a prospective date. In both mine and Elie’s experiences, set-up dates usually spelled disaster, so it was surprising that our first one lasted almost five hours.
We are very different in most respects: Elie is laid back; I am “Type A.” He is quiet; I am more talkative. He likes nature and exploring the outdoors; I appreciate a good read and the comforts of home. But somehow, we managed to merge our distinct personalities and predilections to build a relationship that began in our native New York nearly two years ago and continued from afar, once Elie relocated to Washington, DC.
During our time apart, Elie frequently sent me letters, so it was quite fitting that his proposal was epistolary as well. Now, once again living in the same city, we are thankful to be spending more time together, in person, rather than over the phone :) ”
Here is a sneak peak of some of their photos:
Amy & James are the sweetest people on earth. They got married at the Surf Club in New Rochelle, NY. I was so happy to shoot their wedding. I shot their engagement shoot in the meatpacking district.
I’m retouching the rest of their pictures now, so meanwhile here’s a small teaser:
Angel Orensanz is one of NYC’s liveliest wedding venues. The interior is exquisite, and while the space is imbued with a spirituality and holiness befitting a Synagogue, it is also permeated by a restless and dynamic creativity that I find mirrors the personalities of the couples that choose, under its vaulted sanctuary, to get married there.
I first got to know Shiri and Lawrence at our engagement session. Shiri is an impressive person, who carries herself with the best qualities of intelligence and sensitivity- character traits which Lawrence also shares in abundance in addition to a fun filled spirit. He always makes her laugh and we had so much fun together. Sometimes, to be honest, my excited brides have to goad there less enthusiastic fiances into feeling the moment, but Lawrence was extremely lively and loved the camera, making it so easy to capture their wonderful and deep connection. They were also incredibly sweet, sending me a gift afterwards of a basket brimming with Repecharge Spa Products, a family business in a field that Shiri’s Mother pioneered. I have to admit that after a full and strenuous wedding, I came back exhausted, and my appreciation for their thoughtful gift increased ten-fold, when I applied the amazingly therapautic foot cream to my battered feet.
Shiri and Lawrence met through a Sidduch (a well known and loved Jewish custom of matchmaking), and must be eternally thankful to their friends Stephanie and Billy who set it all up. I found the story of how they were engaged to be delightfully honest as well. For it was only three months after virtually living together that Shiri told Lawrence to move back to his old apartment with the message that enough time had passed to decide if he was ready for the serious commitment of marriage. One must applaud her courage and decisiveness, for her honest description of the emotional tumult of seeing his empty closet, as well as for her lightheartedness in declaring that she was so distressed she couldn’t even pick out coordinating outfits 
Stark choices in life often precipitate stark realizations, and it wasn’t soon after that Lawrence understood that he was not about to let Shiri get away. So, he very quickly found himself at Taboon, the Israeli restaurant, down on one knee. Needless to say, he did momentarily infuriate Shiri , joking with a fake gum-ball machine quality diamond ring before revealing the real one, but in fairness she might have deserved at least that. After all, it is a lot of work to pack AND unpack again all within a week.
I watched a video of Shiri and Lawrence’s engagement party filmed soon thereafter and in her speech thanking everyone for coming, she said simply and beautifully: “My family are my friends and my friends are my family.” I particularly loved when she said that, as that is the sense that pervaded the wedding from start to finish. Yes, I was certainly touched by the deep connection of Shiri and her Mother, but even more than that, Shiri’s phrase rang true- everyone who was there was truly there, not just as invited guests, but as close family gathered together to wholeheartedly embrace and joyously celebrate their union.
Here is a link to a Slideshow of Shiri & Lawrence’s Wedding at Angel Orensanz
Dress: Provinias
Suit: Michael Andrews
catering: www.espritevents.com
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Taxi: Filmcars
Amazing Footcream that saved a tired photographer: Repechage
Here is their slideshow with a song that they love:
Pouya and Lisa were married at the Essex House in NYC, a beautiful and luxurious venue on Central Park South.
Wedding days are, by their nature, very emotional events. One may think, however, that as a professional photographer, having witnessed and photographed so many ceremonies, that I would become detached with time- just another couple or just another wedding. But for me that is truly not the case. I really feel connected to my couples and to the moments I am witnessing, and sometimes, such as in Pouya and Lisa’s wedding, it is especially poignant and emotional for me.
For I felt it was just yesterday that I was trying to hide behind a bush in the courtyard of the New York Palace hotel, ready to shoot Pouya’s proposal. I ended up acting instead like a wandering, awestruck, and camera-ready tourist, but I remember the instant shock and surprise on Lisa’s face when she immediately perceived the significance of the moment. And now here she was again, looking perhaps a little less stunned but all the more stunning, and ready to embrace the full promise and lifelong commitment represented by that simple “Yes!” of two years ago.
After sending Pouya a link to this blog post he wrote this touching response,
Shira,
We have been taking looks at your blog and we are so very excited bout the pictures we have seen. Even more than that, we are deeply touched and moved by your kind words - please know that we would not have wanted anyone else in the world to be there with us!
Here is a sneak peak of some of their photos:
Heather and Matthew were married at Grand Central, in the presence of dear friends and family, and perhaps most importantly, their adorable baby Genevieve.
Heather’s preparation was at the Mandarin Oriental, while Matt got ready at their apartment, which by sheer coincidence is the building directly across the street from where I live. Sojouner Auguste at Erganic Design was their planner and did a spectacular job. I must say I was thoroughly impressed with Sojourner’s work and dedication. I have never in fact received a more detail oriented and well organized schedule from a planner before and I would highly recommend her services.
The wedding and reception took place at Charlie Palmer’s Metrazure, which sits perched above the Main Concourse of the terminal and under the famous astronomical murals of the night sky.
There is something poetic about being married at Grand Central. Manhattan is a city bursting with energy, and Grand Central is an iconic symbol of that. Commuters, travelers, and sightseers bustle through its halls and corridors in that famous NYC rush, brushing in haste past each other with barely a thought or glance on their way to their next stop. So, one must take a certain pleasure when a wedding take place there, when amidst the usual bustle a moment is frozen, when lives rather than racing unbeknownst past each other, become instead inextricably linked, and rather than the fleeting glances of rushed commuters, we witness eyes intently locked in loving vows.
This was the first wedding I actually had where the couple had such a young baby with them. I love the way Heather and Matthew incorporated her into the ceremony, presenting her with a locket after reciting a vow they entitled “Honoring Genevieve.” While Kelly, Heather’s amazing friend, was thankfully there to tend and care for the baby, I must give great credit to Genevieve for not crying once through the whole event. She must have known that it was an important and special day she would look back on.
Vendors:
Cake: Ivy League Confections (Ayana Kimi 917.570.0504)
Flowers: Designs by Ahn
Hairstylist: Jeff Chastain
DJ: djkanbeats@gmail.com
Officiant: Rev Susanna Stefanachi Macomb
Videographer: Brian Sarkinen Wedding
Transportation: Silver Star Limousine
Make-up Artist: Nam Vo makeupnv@gamil.com
Quartet: Ambiance Quartet (Shane Thor Galligan 516.313.9581)
Vendor List:
Gown - Ian Stuart
Veil - Erin Cole
Hair - Allure Salon
Make up - Michael Angelo Wonderland
Ceremony - St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church
Reception - Tribeca Rooftop
Band - NYC Swing
Flowers - Marine Park Florist
Stationairy - Georgia Fountoukis
I can really appreciate the special bond that Jennifer and Vinny share. They were together for seven years before deciding to become wed, which exactly matched the amount of time I was with my husband before we got married. The qualities that such a long term relationship nurtures- deep love, friendship and an ease with each other- were very obvious between them.
In the morning, when Jennifer was getting ready, she showed me pictures of her mother’s wedding at St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church. She explained to me that her mother and grandmother had both been married at this church, making her the third generation to be married there. I was holding the pictures and looking through them, and it gave me chills. It made me think, I am the one who is going to be the photographer for this generation, I am the one who will capture the memories for the day that her family will cherish for the next generations. It was a very powerful feeling. Jennifer told me that getting married at that church was a way for her to be close to her Grandmother and Father who have passed away. It helped her feel that they were there with her. Her Mom said that the church holds happy and sad memories, a wide and powerful variation of emotions, all very special to them.
On the day of the wedding, Jennifer was surrounded by very special people in her life. Her maid of honor and most of her bridal party have been her best friends for 20 years. One of her best friends who she met in first grade, was the one that introduced her to Vinny, who was also her best friend for many years. It’s amazing that someone that Jennifer met in first grade 20 years ago would be the one to find her the guy she would marry. It’s so nice that she was the matchmaker for her two best friends.
Jennifer planned her wedding in a way that everything meant something special. Vinny’s brother was his best man, and he had also been friends with his Groomsmen since childhood. The invitations, menus, place cards and anything paper were designed by one of Jennifer’s best friends, Georgia Fountoukis.The flowers came from a friend of Vinny’s, and attention was given to every detail. The band even welcomed Jennifer’s brother to play drums, inviting him to play a special role in the wedding as well.
These two are now away on their honeymoon in Greece. I wish they could have packed me up in their suitcase and taken me along with them! I think I may have been kind of a third wheel on a honeymoon trip.
