Hudson Loft wedding

We knew we were in for something special with this day since we had seen Alexis and Danny's energy and passion for each other at her sister Taylor's wedding, but they surpassed even our high expectations. As soon as Alexis wrote to us, we did a little happy dance to be able to spend time with her family again … and now we got to meet Danny's fantastic family including his daughters. There is a special place in our hearts for weddings where the bride, groom, or both have children because it makes so clear what weddings are: the forging of a new family.

It doesn't hurt that Alexis and Danny both hit you in the face with their charisma, too. These are people ready to smile, laugh, and dance at any moment. They had an entirely new emotional spin on a first look. There was such a huge pent-up release of energy when they saw each other, and a culmination of countless in-jokes during their planning process, that they burst into uproarious, can't-catch-your-breath laughter.

This was matched only by the tears from Danny's daughters eager to make Alexis their step-mom, heartfelt testimonials in private moments before the ceremony, and exuberance from family and friends ready to party.

It gave us joy to document this story, and more joy to re-live it through the photos, and we hope it does the same for you.

Planner: Kerry Gittle at Awe by Kerry
Hair: Olivia Halpin Hair
Makeup: Elizabeth Lerman
Chuppah: Your Chuppah NY
Officiant: Weddings by Bettina
Caterers: On the Marc Events
DJ: DJ Vik Events
Videographers: Intrigue Wedding Films

Edgewood Country Club wedding

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden wedding

We know we will vividly remember Sarah and Joseph’s wedding for the rest of our lives. It wasn’t just that Sarah and Jospeh leave an indelible mark on every person they meet. But this wedding stood on the brink of a precipice larger than any of us knew at the time, as our last wedding before the full effect of the Coronavirus pandemic hit the United States.

This wedding exemplified everything that we have missed so much about large weddings — the energy, the hilarity, the multitudes contained in a day that has both incredibly intimate love and commitment and loud, intense, hysterical celebration.

In a year where most of us have been separated from so many loved ones, it was a blessing to be a part of an awesome celebration like this. Special thanks to Masi Events who somehow amplified one of the most already gorgeous places in America - the Fairchild Botanic Gardens.

Camp Kinder Ring wedding

501 Union wedding

New Year's Eve Angel Orensanz wedding

Jenna and David managed to pack in a heck of a lot into their day: Not only was their wedding at the Angel Orensanz Center also a New Year's eve party, we stopped in for photos at …

• The Ludlow Hotel

• McSorley's Old Ale House

• The Museum at Eldridge Street

• and Katz's Delicatessen

Not bad for a freezing December day. And, of course, it was packed with the kind of love and joy you get when you put 200 friends in a gorgeous space with ample reasons to celebrate.

It's wonderful that Tatiana and I not only get to spend New Year's Eve together, but doing something that we love: Capturing the story and union of some really great people.

Guastavino's Wedding

There is something extra-special about photographing a wedding for a sibling of a previous client -- it's a sign of trust and appreciation, not just for us but of one sibling for the other. And we love stepping back into families that we had already come to appreciate. Ryan had photographed Ashley's sister's wedding in 2012, and it was such a thrill to see familiar faces in such a personal, lively setting.

It was also a thrill to get to know Max and his family, and to return to the amazing Guastavino's, a place as thrilling to photograph in as it is hard to spell. One of the great things about Guastavino's is how easy it is to host every part of the wedding day there, taking the extreme logistical difficulties of Manhattan traffic out of wedding planning.

It's a place made for a good party, and with the help of Hank Lane Music and countless additions like cotton candy passed out on the dance floor, it was a great one.

Of course, the only sad part is when one of these wonderful families runs out of siblings.

Kimmel Center Wedding: Dana and Zal

Speaking as a groom about to plan his own wedding: Zal, you’re making it harder for the rest of us. First, the proposal: Both Dana and Zal are actors, knowing that Dana’s favorite movie was “Pretty Woman,” he faked an audition for her to go try out — but when she got there, all she found was that she had been put in the right place for Zal to come up, sticking out a limo a la Richard Gere. I knew right from this description that they were going to have a heck of a wedding, but this is only the beginning. Zal had been a member of the Broadway Boys performance group, and Dana knew that he had convinced them to perform at the reception … but not that he was rehearsed and ready to perform a few song with them. At every moment this sense of whimsy and delight at marrying Dana was written in exclamation points on his face, and in every aspect of planning. I got more involved in the planning of the day than usual, helping not just with the schedule and some of the other vendor recommendations (such as our pal Paul Hairston on video) but also things like lighting design, and loved it because both of their excitement even carried through the logistics.

It doesn’t hurt that Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center is a beautiful, dramatic place to hold a wedding. It’s also big. Really big. We were wearing fitness bands that day, and I’m glad, since both Tatiana Breslow and I hit all-time records. We’d love to shoot there again for that cardiovascular fitness, if not for the beauty.