When I fist met Nikki and Owen and they were describing their wedding to me, it just didn’t seem to fit with their personalities – they seemed soooo serious.  Wow was I wrong!  Nikki and Owen met while attending Vassar College.  So it seemed to make perfect sense that the place where they first met is where they planned to be married.  A whimsical wedding theme was planned around sunflowers, purple and yellow, parasols, boating hats and seersucker suits for the bridal party.  It was as it we had  stepped back in time to the early 1900′s on the Vassar College Campus.  Nikki and Owen did thier photo shoot about 2 hours before their ceremony.  They had been laughing and comical while getting ready earlier that day and that mood just seemed to carry on throughout the day.  I COULD NOT get a serious, straight face out of Owen – it just wasn’t happening!  Evidently Owen doesn’t like the way he smiles, so he just laughs and makes faces all the time.  I was hysterical and LOVED every moment I spent photographing these guys!

Coordination and Ceremony by Hudson Valley Ceremonies; Dress by Mika Inatome ; Shoes by Me Too ; Flowers by Seed to Fruit; Music by the Jim Osborn Orchestra; Catering by Fresh Company; Ceremony and Photos at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, Reception at Locust Grove

Lighthearted, fun, classical and romantic.  Rebecca and Kevin’s wedding was a perfect reflection of their personalities and taste.  A traditional ceremony at St John’s Lutheran Church in Poughkeepsie was followed by a double photo session near Vassar College and on the docks on the Hudson River by The Grandview.  White roses and pearls, a steel drum band during the cocktail hour, and a cigar bar at the end of the evening.  Every detail was perfect!

Dress by Essence of Australia; Flowers by Morgan’s Florist; Music by Jimmy Dee Productions; Video by the amazing Jesse & Mike of Joyful Video; ceremony at St John’s Lutheran Church, Poughkeepsie, Reception at The Grandview, Poughkeepsie

I always know that a Vincitore family wedding ends up with an amazingly fun party and lots of great music!  SO when Lisa contacted me about photographing her wedding last year – it was a no brainer YES.  Lisa envisioned an quaint outdoor wedding in the fall – with a country vintage twist – and that is exactly what her and Mike’s wedding was.  Birch wood signs lined the roads guiding the guest to the tent site near the gardener’s cottage at Mills Mansion on the Hudson River.  Small Pears were used for the place settings and the menu for the evening was hand written on a chalkboard framed by birch bark.  A country wagon covered with flowers greeted guests as they arrived.

Shoes by Manolo Blahnik, Dress by Casablanca; Flowers by Murphys Florist; Ceremony at Good Shepard Church, Rhinebeck; Music by DJ Bri Swatek of Spinning with Style; Reception at Mills Mansion, Staatsburgh, NY

Not all ringbearers want the job!

All the details and soft romantic colors that Lauren worked so hard on transformed the ballroom at The Grandview from everyday already beautiful to stunningly spectacular.  The soft dusky rose colors perfectly complimented pale champagne accents and white peonies.  The uplighting in the ballroom highlighted all the details and brought oohh’s and ahh’s from the guests as they entered the reception.  I LOVE uplighting!  Lauren and Bill perfectly compliment each other – they are just plain old crazy in love with each other.  A very touching ceremony on the outdoor patio at The Grandview brought tears to Bill as he choked up several times during his vows.  Oh and did I mention the steel drum band that played during the cocktail hour?  I am now firm believer that every wedding should have a steel drum band – they were fantastic!

Ceremony and Reception at The Grandview;  Flowers by Ranita Productions; Dress by Watters & Watters; Shoes by Liz Rene Couture;  Music by Next Generation

Steel Drum band

Details, details, details….I just have to write about some of the beautiful and numerous details that Marissa and Shawn put into their West Point wedding.  Marissa’s hand embroidered dress was exquisite – I have never seen another dress like it!  She told me she had been admiring her dress designer, Claire Pettibone for years and always knew she’d wear a dress by her.  Marissa and Shawn had both an indoor and outdoor reception – they used both the ballroom and a tent for dancing and dining, and had beautifully decorated tables scattered throughout the lawn of the Hotel Thayer for thier guests to gather and talk.  The sweetheart table was set out on the lawn by itself, surrounded by flowers and candles.  What a gorgeous wedding!

Ceremony at Sacred Heart Church, Highland Falls, NY

Music by Partytime Productions and the bride’s father

Dress by Claire Pettibone

Flowers by Lily of the Valley

Video by the fabulous Jen Cassaro of Masterpiece Weddings

Photos at West Point

Reception at the Hotel Thayer

Marissa and Shawn

The ringbearer having a moment