I remember almost every single wedding consultation I host, and I distinctly remember Meagan and Mike’s. They were sitting on their couch, sharing their story with me. The blinds behind them were closed, but some light was peeking through. They told me they live near the ocean, and I was so enamored with that - I haven’t lived near an ocean for over a decade now, and I miss it. What struck me about Meagan and Mike was their body language. It was welcoming. They were comfortable. I was being accepted into their story from the moment we met.

Essie and Mikhail are some of my favorite people to spend time with. At this point, I’ve spent multiple days with them - engagement session, wedding, family session. They’re fun and funny, and feed off of each other’s down-to-earth yet humorous energy. Essie is direct and matter-of-fact, with a giggle thrown in at the end. She calls things like they are, and Mikhail is right there with her. They are realistic yet go-with-the-flow…

As I’ve been chronologically working through all of the galleries I want to blog about (there are so many, y’all 🤦🏼‍♀️), I’ve been looking forward to being able to blog about this one. 🥹I’ve never been more appreciative of and enamored with a couple, their group of friends, their family as I am with Alyssa and Jordan. They are the type of people you hope to always have in your corner. They are so incredibly thoughtful, so kind, so aware - they are pure joy to spend time with because they understand that the simplest things in life are what make life the best.  They are inviting and welcoming and never make you feel like an outsider. To spend time with them feels like you’re in a sparkly snowglobe of warmth.

There are some couples - their journeys, their weddings - that just stay ingrained in your mind and memory forever…Alexa and Travis are one of those couples for me. I distinctly remember adventuring through a local trail for their engagement session; the first time I spoke to Alexa about her wedding to Travis (and bonding over our love of cats); meeting their furbabies at the end of their engagement session; every sweet and adorable and sunkissed moment on their beautiful October wedding day. When I think of our journey together, I breathe in the sweet vibe of their wedding day, and exhale with a feeling of peace.

Working with Alexa and Travis was all things precious, from beginning to end. 

Kristen and Nick have been together since middle school. They met in study hall, and as soon as Nick saw Kristen, he was completely smitten. After being friends for a while, he asked her out, and she originally said no - funny how things change, and now they are married. 

When I think back on Kristen and Nick’s wedding day, I think about how beautifully raw and emotional it was. The way Kristen cried when she read the note from Nick at the beginning of the day. The way they choked up when reading their vows. The way they hold each other so gently, and speak to each other so sweetly.

Their love is pure, and you can tell.

Rebecca and Tom first met through mutual friends at a Halloween party several years before their wedding. When they filled out their inquiry form, they noted that they had “been together ever since,” after that first party meeting. I hear this phrasing a lot, and I think it is so dear - it has an air of completion to it, like the path is now filled in because the two are now together. 

Rebecca and Tom’s couple portraits are some of my favorites - we really got to enjoy the venue’s space together, and prioritized taking photos in all of the lush greenery that the space provides. The large tree near the reception space had my heart that day, and it played host to what I believe are some of the most beautiful moments documented on their wedding day.

Noelle and Dennis are as warm, funny, kind, and easygoing as they come. Working with them was effortless - they are the loveliest of souls, surrounded by other lovely souls. Photographing their microwedding just felt like being at the warmest and sweetest family reunion - like a pure celebration of these families becoming one.

When I opened up Jena and Pierce’s Hollow Brook Golf Club wedding gallery to start this blog post, I couldn’t help but smile. This adorable couple had THE best day, and I remember it so vividly. The perfect weather. The absolute joy. The excitement that could barely be contained. The way Jena and I giggled like old friends.

It’s my hope and dream that every wedding day feels like Jena and Pierce’s - light, free, vibrant, and full.

I’ve spent so much time with Lauren and Andrew. Consultation and timeline meetings before the wedding. Time spent visiting Lauren’s family’s house just to say hi while planning. An engagement session and dinner spent together in Charleston, NC. A maternity session in New Paltz, NY a few years after their wedding.

By now, they feel like home to me.

Bear Brook Valley is an absolutely stunning venue. I hadn’t photographed there prior to Erika and Brian’s wedding, but found myself quickly enamored and impressed with both the grounds, the reception hall, and the organization of the staff…

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I love, love, love July weddings - and I especially love July celebrations at gorgeous locations like Hollow Brook Golf Club, working  with amazing people like Dani and Jimmi.

July just feels celebratory, it feels like growth, it feels like vacation. It holds all of the hope of the summer, and all of the long and lazy days. It brings with it the love of being outside while also embracing the cool rush of the air conditioning when you walk back inside. It feels like school is finally out, and you have so much summer ahead of you to enjoy…

Melanie may not know this, but she is one of my favorite people in the whole world. She is warm, kind, fun, patient, intelligent, and accomplished. She lights up every room she walks into, and I can’t help but think that the kids she teaches music to are beyond fortunate to be able to learn from her.

When she asked if I would photograph her quickly-planned microwedding to her love (military things, amirite), I couldn’t not be there. I said yes right away.

What can I really say about this Catskills Airbnb microwedding that properly encapsulates how perfect of a day it truly was? How do I talk about the view from the property, encased in fog and mist? How do I describe the grandma dancing on an outdoor dancefloor, wearing a bright pink raincoat, completely enraptured in her joy? How do I share about Amy and Gus’ first look under string lights that hadn’t been turned on yet, but still dressed up the scene like stars? How do I express how absolutely darling Amy’s mom was - a mom that seemed like a gift to grow up with?

How does one describe memories, moments, scenes that make one feel like they have just positively turned into the heart-eye emoji?

In preparation for this blog post, I took a look at what Kelly sent in her original inquiry form:

“I found you through [Otterkill Country Club’s]  IG, then I stalked your pictures ;) I am in absolute awe of your work. We would love to hire you for our wedding.”

Simple. Sweet. Kind. Decisive. That’s exactly who Kelly is. And Joe is a great match for her. For all her sweetness, he is silly. For all her kindness, he is playful and warm. 

Kelly and Joe’s wedding was a good day because they are good people…

Oh, yet another precious couple who had to reschedule their wedding due to the pandemic, but waiting was so worth it.

It rained on Amanda and Jordan’s wedding day at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, but that rain did nothing to damper the joy that this darling couple felt that day. Weather is the biggest thing you have to release control of when planning a wedding day, and I think you can see that, at the end of the day, even if it pours on your wedding day, the photos are still gorgeous, and all that matters is that you got married, after all.

The moment I met Kelsey, I adored her. She is so genuine and sweet, and there is something about her presence that feels soft and comforting to be around. And Derek is her perfect compliment.

Although we had to navigate pandemic rescheduling and venue changes, we finally made it to their beautiful wedding at Saugerties Steamboat Co. in May 2021, and being able to witness such pure love between the two of them was an honor and a joy…

One of my favorite places in the whole world is Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY - it is especially one of my favorite places to photograph a wedding. Things feel simpler there. The air feels cooler and crisper. The days feel nostalgic even while you’re in the midst of living them. Getting back into your car after a wedding day there feels like a bubble bursting, as if getting back into your car is the first step back into a reality that is pretty ok, but may never feel as beautiful as staying at Mohonk just a little longer would.

It was the perfect venue for Sam and David’s sweet little microwedding.

When I think about Crystal and Joe, I think about their fun senses of humor, their smiles, their warmth. I think about Crystal’s adorable mom and sister, and Joe’s generous laugh. And I think about their beautiful West Hills Country Club wedding day on a perfect spring day with the breeze gently flowing through their ceremony space, smelling of flowers. I almost tear up when I remember it…

I think about Jillian and Nick a lot. About their wedding. Their precious families. Their sense of style. Their amazing wedding day vendor team. I’ve adored Jillian from the moment she stepped out of her car for engagement photos in the fall of 2020 in a bright floral skirt. And I’ve loved Nick with her and for her from that very same moment, as well.

On Jillian and Nick’s wedding day, one of their amazing wedding planners turned to me and said, “Nick just loves her so much.” And he does. It’s so evident that they work so well together - they’re a team. They just make sense…

This blog is a special one because it’s about my family - a brother who is not technically mine but who I consider mine, and his wonderful life teammate…