Full Weddings

Central Park Boathouse wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

Everything about Lauren and Doug’s Central Park wedding was gorgeous, including the weather. We specialize in making things work well when everything goes wrong, but it’s sure nice when it doesn’t! They started the day at the 1 Hotel Central Park with close family and friends, giving us the opportunity for a first look on a balcony overlooking midtown.

The ceremony and reception were at the Central Park Boathouse, which is not just beautiful inside but surrounded by some of New York’s most well-known pastoral landmarks. Of course, this can make navigating around hordes of tourists a challenge, but it helps that we have every nook and cranny around there memorized, including paths much less travelled.

The Lake House Berkshire wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

We apologize if we’re blowing up anyone’s spot, but the Berkshires is pretty fantastic. Gorgeous, peaceful, quaint … and, on Christina and Armen’s wedding day, raining.

Luckily the morning filled with raindrops pattering on the lake gave way to a gorgeous summer day right in time for the first look. We always plan assuming things will go wrong, but sometimes they work out. And so much worked out on this day. A fantastic spot, a fantastic couple, and so much emotion that I feel compelled to not keep you from it with any more words.

Except this: Thank you Christina and Armen! This was such a special day.

FEAST at Round Hill wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

We have had many different sorts of connections and ongoing relationships with our clients, but Gina’s is unique: She is the only person whose wedding we photographed who was also a vendor at our wedding. And appropriately for a venue officially named “FEAST,” she was in charge of our fantastic catering team from CxRA.

We knew Gina was a powerhouse, but we had also been won over by Pat’s easygoing nature and broad smile during their engagement shoot. But the wedding exceeded even our high expectations, from its beauty to the raucous fun of the reception to, yes, the food.

The fantastic Jashim Jalal gave us invaluable assistance at this wedding.

Metropolitan Building wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

Any time we see an inquiry for the Metropolitan Building come into our e-mail, we do a little happy dance and cross our fingers that we are available for the date. It is a playground for photographers, more or less literally … home not just to wonderful smaller weddings but countless editorial shoots and even music videos. It somehow combines a quaint Victorian aesthetic with a feeling that you are stumbling on the private property of a propmaster gone mad, and we love every bit of it.

But venues are just the backdrop, and weddings are about the people. Luckily our excitement grew and grew as we met and learned more about Hans and Scott. Frankly, it’s hard not to catch a bit of Hans’ ever-present excitement, which translated into his hands-on guidance in an East-meets-West theme that infused both the decor and the (amazing) catering, overseen by the fantastic work of Claire Stitzer at WeWedWell.

Things like this is why we can call weddings amazing after so long and really mean it. What else is there to say about a groom who would secretly learn to sing a song in Mandarin, and hide lyrics under the dinner plates so guests could join him in serenading his partner? Or about an evening where surprise Chinese Dragon performers start the proceedings? Or best yet, just getting to be close to people who love each other so much that they burst into tears?

Yeah, that’s amazing.

Planning: WeWedWell
Officiant: Sharon Simon
Catering: bonbite
Flowers: Gatherings Floral Design
DJ: Lindsey
Stylist: Styles on B
Tea Ceremony: Tea Drunk

Paper Factory Hotel wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

When a wedding day is rained out, forcing everyone to stay inside all day, there are a couple things you’d like to have. First, a venue as cool-looking as The Paper Factory Hotel in Long Island City. Second, and more importantly, you want a couple as fun and awesome and in love and with smiles as giant as Amadeo and Noelia.

We both knew this wedding would be amazing from the engagement shoot we did with them, but Ryan was shooting another wedding this day, so these photos are Tatiana’s, assisted by Inku Yo, a talented guy who now uses his talents to feed NYC as the owner of the Goji Grill.

This wedding is long overdue for the site, and we are now happy to call Amadeo and Noelia not just amazing clients but also personal friends, We have delighted in their further adventures with their son Adrian (who made an appearance in the wedding as a smaller version than his current rambunctious, bike-riding self.)

Housing Works Cafe wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

I think it says a lot about Nora and Evan that our first impulse isn’t to tell you about their wedding, but to tell you about them. Because they’re awesome. Funny, smart (congratulations on that dissertation, Dr. Nora!) and brimming with the sort of nice that you still feel after they’ve left the room.

The wedding was pretty great, too. We love everything about Housing Works … from their mission to their donations to photographing a wedding surrounded by amazing books. They took it to the next level by hand-crafting decorations, building time into the schedule to build their own chuppah and adding hundreds of paper cranes they and their friends had painstakingly crafted.

Oh, and they have great taste in neighborhoods. Not only are Nora and Evan sort of our neighbors (geeking out over all the same local haunts we do), Evan and his friends got ready in our studio!

On a gorgeous sunny day Evan and Nora met each other in the Brooklyn Heights promenade. A short jaunt across the bridge brought us to Housing Works and a ceremony officiated by three friends. The reception was catered by Pies ’n' Thighs (as good as they sound) and coordinated by Brittney at BLB Events.

Prospect Park Boathouse wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

We always love doing wedding for photographers. Not only is it an honor to be chosen … since no one has more choice of photographers than another photographer, but we get to instantly start on third base with some of the quick lessons we give about the things we do along the way, and there is another level of appreciation … as well as pressure on us.

Of course, a lot of the photographers whose weddings we photograph are other wedding photographers, but Francis has been amazing for a long time in own field and well, check out some of his exhibitions.

But the real honor was just to be able to be in this intimate Prospect Park Boathouse weddings with their fantastic friends and family from around the globe. A wedding where the groomsmen request a re-creation of an Oasis album cover and where the bride manages a superhuman level of swagger on the dance floor without losing her elegance.

And of course it’s literally across the pond from where Tatiana and I were married, so we have a deep connection and deeper joy with photographing this fantastic couple there.

The Mansion at Natirar wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

The Mansion at Natirar is one of those places that seem to beautiful and spacious to belong in the crowded outskirts of New York City, in the most-dense state of the Union of New Jersey. But it’s there, with gorgeous grounds and winding roads and all sorts of areas that you would just love to lazily walk around in … that is, if it hadn’t been close to 100 degrees like it was for Eric and Stephanie’s wedding.

Luckily the heat and blazing sun couldn’t keep them down, and it was tears of joy, not sweat, that mostly rolled down their faces. It was one of those first looks that felt like the entire emotional quota of your normal wedding day had been packed into the first five minutes of seeing each other … and it only grew from there, the intimacy punctuated with exultant celebration. It was amazing to see Eric and Stephanie dance with nearly all of their guests, a whirlwind of inclusion and deep connections with everyone there.

The Roundhouse Beacon Falls wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

We try always to go above and beyond the expectations clients have of us, sometimes to the edge of fanaticism. On December 26, 2016, we had the joy of finding out Tatiana was pregnant. Soon, we realized two fundamental truths at the exact same time: One, Tatiana would be 38 weeks pregnant at Lee and Chris's wedding. Two, The Roundhouse is beautiful and in pastoral Beacon, NY … and two hours away from Brooklyn. The first wasn't a problem … again, Tatiana is fanatical and would have done a great job swollen feet and all. But the second? We didn't even want to risk causing a scene at a wedding, particularly one that would also distract me like T going into labor far from home.

So we needed a replacement. And it had so be a great photographer. Or even better … two great photographers, and we would look anywhere for them. So Ryan was joined by Anna Nguyen of Zee Anna Photography from Fort Myers, FL, who we call the bride whisperer because she is so good at posing them and making them feel comfortable, and Ben Chrisman of Chrisman Studios in Charleston, SC. When it comes to Ben? Well if you don't know, now you know.

And I was glad that they were able to join be for a wedding that was filled with energy, humor, and affection. The friendship between Lee and Chris and their wedding party was palpable, as was their sheer enjoyment of the day. And anyone willing to get down on a bar floor before their ceremony is all right in my book (luckily the Roundhouse is very clean).

Lee's favorite moment was the first look. "The quiet moment that Chris and I got to share before the craziness of the day was really special. I was so excited, and Chris was so emotional and it was just perfect." But it was also a wedding defined by their love of family. The wedding was officiated by Lee's brother, and they kept their family's enjoyment at the forefront. "We wanted to make sure that it was a true celebration," Lee said, "We both love to dance! The Hora was sheer chaos, but what I loved was watching all of family join hands, dance, and celebrate our union."

And what a celebration it was…

Vendors:
Florist: Forever In Bloom
Band: 45 Riots
Hair: Amy Sardinsky at Beauty and Beyond Salon
Makeup: Dana Bosco Beauty
Dress designer: Limor Rosen
Videographer: Seth David Cohen

Whitby Castle wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

The Whitby Castle is a beautiful stately venue with many gorgeous features, but Alyssa had her sights set on one in particular: a beautiful, gigantic tree in the middle of the property that can be integrated into the ceremony as the starting point of the procession. She loved that idea, and wanted to expand on it — also using the expansive interior of the tree (larger than most New York apartments) as a spot for the first look.

Only one problem: Alyssa was terribly allergic to the tree, and couldn’t be anywhere near it.

But where there is a will (and modern medicine) there is a way. We respect anyone willing to load themselves up on anti-histimines and anti-inflammatories to achieve their vision for the wedding day.

And what a vision: The day was not only beautiful but a relentlessly fun celebration of their connection to each other, friends and family. These were their favorite memories, particularly the apex of such celebrations: The horah.  "Being surrounded (literally) by all of our family and friends dancing was a great way to start off the amazing party,” said Alyssa, “I remember smiling all night."

Perona Farms wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

There are a few phrases that, when you hear it, you tend to steel yourself into placating mode: "Come see my one-act play," "Read this poem I wrote," and, of course, "I wrote you a song." It simply makes sense that most of us can't do these things at world-class levels: They're really hard work, they take a lot of time to get right, and we have other things to do.

So I knew I was in for something special when Johnny started the day practicing the song he'd written for Eileen and … it was good. Really good. It-should-be-on-the-radio-good.

Of course, given the amount of musicality in this wedding, it all makes sense. This was a day that featured performances from: Johnny and Eileen together, Johnny's mother and father together, and Johnny and his mom together, and then backup vocals from the entire wedding party bedecked in Santa hats.

Yes, this was a winter wedding … and then some. It was cold. So when you see the pictures below of people wearing dresses outside? There were a few ingredients to that: 1) With the wedding party we practiced each group pose inside before having them run out and shoot as quickly as possible and 2) Eileen is a bad-ass who wanted her photos more badly than she wanted feeling in her fingers and toes.

All of this against the fantastic backdrop of Perona Farms. We love any place close to NYC that lets us indulge in a bit of the pastoral, so we were also quite happy to brave the cold in this beautiful location.

New Year's Eve Angel Orensanz wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

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 …

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.

Montclair Golf Club wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

I think our impressions of Kirsten and Chis are best summed up in the photo in front of the church door we chose to run below. You see, we also have photos from that moment that show off their style and elegance, Kirsten's gorgeous Pronovias dress and Chris cutting a dapper figure in his suit … but as soon as Chris gave that thumbs-up, I knew it would be their favorite and ours from that moment. Because Kirsten and Chris relentlessly focused on the things that really matter in the end … having fun together, celebrating their love with each other and with their friends and family.

And oh, how they celebrated.

Fun fact: I often edit weddings backward -- from the end of the day to the beginning -- mostly because there structural advantages to this, but also because it's fun to watch people become more and more sober. As you can see, Kirsten and Chris even pulled us into the celebration (though not the inebriation) toward the end.

Even through hosting such an amazing party, they have a laser focus on the joy they bring each other, so it's no wonder that their favorite memories of the day are the little moments between them. Chris fondly remembered the car ride to the ceremony, one of their few times truly alone during the day. Kirsten remembered how she felt when she walked down the aisle and saw the Chris was crying. "It made my heart melt!"

"Without question, the ceremony was the best part of the day," Chris agreed. "Our family, our friends … the people who all really wanted to be there were there. It's an amazing moment in a person's life. It's hard to put into words."

Luckily, there are pictures.

Russian Tea Room wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

Like so many of those who keep making the choice to deal with the complication and expense of living in New York City, Tatiana and I are huge fans of its culture, idiosyncrasies, and history. So we were excited at the outset when Adriana and Stephen came to us with their wedding in New York's iconic Russian Tea Room, which has connections to Adriana's family. Of course, most excitement came from Adriana and Stephen themselves, and how fun they were to work with.

We asked Adriana what was most important to her while planning the wedding, and … well, we have to swear this isn't a paid advertisement: "Booking our photographers!" You see, Stephen wanted to become a wedding photographer himself in part from seeing our work, which is one of the biggest compliments we could possibly get. Adriana reached out to us the day after they got engaged, and kept it as a surprise to Stephen for a while. "I wasn't above planning our wedding around your schedule - anything to lock you in!"

As avid photographers themselves, it might not be a surprise that the photos were one of their favorite parts. When planning weddings, we know that the thought of mid-reception photos isn't for everyone, since it takes a few minutes away from valuable action, but for some couples it's a perfect time to actually get to see and talk to your new partner amidst all the chaos.  "It was so wonderful to just be able to steal a moment away and go off without anyone knowing where we went (or realizing we were gone) so we could enjoy some time alone and take more photos."  She also fondly remembers her brothers -- Ken, who officiated, and Adam, who "sobbing like a baby during my dance with my dad - it was super sweet."

Family appears prominently in their memories. Stephen remembers Adriana's sister having a brief but "extremely intense" show of emotion at the wedding. "(She's not one to ever really show emotion - so it was amazing!)"

Guastavino's Wedding /  by Ryan Brenizer

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.