Carly and Chris were a diy couple with a eco-friendly theme, a black lab named Oscar, and pumpkin pie instead of cake.  I’m not completely sure, but I think I was hired because I like diy, and I love dogs .  Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie is a favorite wedding location of mine and a perfect October day (meaning warm and not raining) with an outdoor wedding ceremony did nothing to change that!  Carly and Chris are crazy in love with each other and I think that really shows in the photos I took as we walked around the grounds in the hour before the wedding ceremony.  Oscar joined us for a few minutes after the ceremony for a quick photo op,  and then everyone (minus Oscar) headed inside to a fall themed wedding complete with carmel apples and pumpkin pie.

Ceremony and Reception at Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, NY;  Dress by Vera Wang;  Music by DJ Bri Swatek

How do you photograph the wedding of someone who looks at wedding photos all day almost every day?  I mean she knows everything about wedding photography!  Beth is a graphic designer/digital re-toucher at a professional photo lab in Poughkeepsie, On Location Studios.  She is the person who fixes photographer’s goof-ups and mistakes.  So when Beth asked me to photograph her wedding, it was quite a compliment.

Beth and Chris met 8 years ago while both were students at Marist College.  I see Beth at the photo lab all the time, but I’d only met Chris once before.  But I can tell you I instantly picked up on the fact Chris was both anxious about the wedding and extremely neat – based on the fact he had lined up trail mix, a money clip, bottled water, his room key and cell phone in the tidiest pile I have ever seen on the hotel bed.  Beth, on the other hand, was completely relaxed or at least faking it really well to me.  As Beth got out of the limo at Marist Chapel, a usually kinda anxious moment for most brides, she was laughing – a very good sign of things to come.

I don’t usually see Beth as glamorous – I usually see her in sweatshirts and jeans, no make-up.  But WOW!  She is stunning!  She should wear a wedding dress and updo every day.  A beautiful ceremony at Marist College Chapel was followed by photos on the campus and then everyone moved on over to Locust Grove for a party that had 150 people on the dance floor from the 1st song of the night onwards.  I got to see Jackie and Brendan again (I photographed their wedding a few years back) and also hang again with my coolest dj friends, Stephanie and Jeff of The DJ Solution.  They weren’t very challenged on this night though – we finally guessed that these partier’s couldn’t find a song they wouldn’t dance to.  That floor was packed all night long!  The caterer’s, Holbarts, were the same caterer’s Beth’s parents had used at their own wedding 30 years ago.  Which is amazing and a huge compliment to them.  Congrats Beth and Chris – you guys made things so much fun.  I really couldn’t have a better job!

Ceremony at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, Marist College; Video by Bob Gellar; Reception at Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie; Music by Stephanie & Jeff of The DJ Solution; photos printed at On Location Studios, Poughkeepsie;

Having 3 brothers is def not easy!

Marist College, Poughkeepsie

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

Well I am way way behind on my blogging, but that’s July for you!  Lauren and Mike’s wedding was on an absolutely gorgeous July day – hot but not tooo hot.  The kind of July day you are hoping for when you’re planning your New York wedding.  I worked with Lauren and Mike last year during their engagement shoot – except that day we had their 6 month old puppy added into the photos.  Minus puppies on the wedding day made the photos so quick and easy that Lauren and Mike probably don’t even remember taking them.  Aqua blue colors put a bright splash in the day, the uplighting in the Grandview ballroom was a perfect accent of gold, and the dancing after a gorgeous outdoor ceremony was amazing.

Another big plus this day was I got to work with two of my fav teams of wedding peeps – Jen & Mike of Beautiful Memories and Steph & Jeff of The DJ Solution.

Dress by Maggie Sottero;  Shoes by Jimmy Choo;  Ceremony by Father Rich Hasselbach;  Video by Jen & Mike of Beautiful Memories;  Music by Steph and Jeff of The DJ Solution;  Flowers by David Anthony;  Ceremony and Reception at The Grandview, Poughkeepsie

Oh and I can’t let this post go by not say something about the groomsmen.  The argyle socks, the ‘please please please take more photos of us’ (what bunch of groomsmen ever want MORE photos done?), the wild dancing that took over the dance floor for part of the night.   There’s no way these guys could’ve shined more than Lauren on her wedding day, but man did they try!

I can't really explain this - but these groomsmen say it all!

Yes, this party was all about the guys!

Love, Love, Love Kerry’s hot pink wedding shoes!  You couldn’t even see them until she lifted her dress – then POW – what a great pop of color!  Kerry and Keith had a gorgeous warm 4th of July day to celebrate their wedding.  Following a traditional Catholic ceremony at St Dennis Church in Beekman, an entire bus of wedding party and families headed over to Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie for photos. I can’t forget to mention, Bryce, who was one of the most awesome ring bearers ever – he was just a natural for the camera.  Then on to The Grandview for a reception topped by fireworks over the Mid Hudson Bridge later that evening – a beautiful 4th of July weekend for me!

Dress by Private Label by G; Shoes by Nina; Flowers by Heavens Scent; Ceremony at St Dennis Church in Beekman, Reception at The Grandview; Music by Joseph Carbone

Breathe In, Breathe Out.... Coming down the Aisle

4th of July Fireworks over the Hudson River

Okay, so I know this engagement photography session is really about Lauren and Mike, BUT, 4 month old Mason really does like to steal the spotlight!  He is just so cute, as only a 4 month old Golden Retriever puppy can be.  And so Mason is in a ton of these photos (and yes Lauren, there are plenty of photos without him too!).  I had a great time photographing this fun couple (and their adorable puppy) at exactly the one year point before their July 2011 wedding.  In the beginning, Mason was super curious about everything I was doing, but eventually he just became bored with the whole idea of engagement photos and went to sleep.  I guess I’m just not that exciting….

Finally, some sunshine!  Or at least for a little while.  I felt the pressure to get as many photos taken as possible at the gorgeous Locust Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie early during the day, as thunderstorms were predicted for 1pm.  Sure enough, just a few minutes after Val and Roger walked back down the aisle together, married at last, the rain arrived!  Luckily, the hard stuff was the done, everyone was safely inside, and I’m not even sure the guests noticed the rain during the wonderful party that followed.

Photos taken at Locust Grove, The Samuel Morse Estate, Rt 9 Poughkeepsie

Dress by Alvina Valenta

Ceremony by Rev Jeda at The Villa Borghese, Wappingers Falls, NY

Music by JTD Productions

Video by Jesse and Mike of Joyful Moments Video

Flowers by Silk and Satin

Messages for the newly married couple - how cute!

Locust Grove