Splendid October Wedding

Everyone knows I am perpetually behind the 8-ball when it comes to blogging, especially after the rush of fall weddings!! But come wintertime, I do enjoy it and wanted to share this lovely wedding.

Kelin and James were married on October 16th of 2010 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel In Poughkeepsie, NY and had their reception at Christos in Poughkeepsie. Kelin is a dancer on a cruise ship and has the beauty and poise one would expect her to have. James, a piano entertainer also aboard the cruise ship, has the swagger and intelligence(along with a great British accent) of most musicians and they made for an easy-going pair with a flair for drama!

I love a bride that will HAM IT UP just a little and Kelin had no problems doing that whatsoever, and she laughed at herself quite alot whenver she tried to be serious!

The front of Mount Carmel Church in Poughkeepsie offers very little room to step back and take a group shot, but I so love seeing the steeple when I drive down Route 9 that I thought a fisheye lens would fit it all in and it did!!

Kelin's NOT cracking up in this picture...but that was only for a short second!!

Probably my favorite image of the day, as it captures Kelin and James just as they are, full of laughter and just strolling along. Done with all the hard work of the wedding day and on their way to party with their friends and family.

Christos was looking very nice, having been redecorated with very nice gold chairs and a light creamy paint. It is certainly one of my favorite venues to shoot at, since I love the grounds and the staff is just fantastic!

Here are a couple of very sweet moments, caught by my assistant Dawn, who will be getting married at Christos herself this year!

Thank you Kelin and James, for being who you are and making my job EASY. Wish we could do it all over again!

Christmas Kiddies!

I've had some cuties through my door this year to sit in front of my tree. Here are just a few of some of the cutest kids ever! (Not being partial...though one of them belongs to me!!)

Alisa and Derick August 6, 2010

Alisa and Derick were married on August 6th at Christos in Poughkeepsie, in the new pavillion that has been so popular with brides and grooms since it was built. They had a perfect day, not too hot and not a drop of rain. Alisa was lovely in her simple, flowing gown and bright bouquet. The bridal party was a great looking bunch, and the colors were beautiful together.

The guys looked great in their tuxes, and all wore matching black and white wingtip shoes which I really got a kick out of. It's nice to see groomsmen get into the spirit and put their own special touches on their attire! As you can probably tell, they were a funny bunch and were truly great sports throughout the whole process.

My new favorite place to shoot at Christos is against this simple brick wall, which gives me opportunity for a "different look" to some of the images, and so far the images have been fun!

Derick's wingtip shoes....ya gotta love 'em!!

I love weddings at Christos. There's always plenty of places to take pictures, the staff is great, and the new decor inside is beautiful and classy. Chris is more than accomodating, and I think this bride and groom really enjoyed their time there!

Congratulations Alisa and Derick!

Elizabeth and Michael 6/26/2010

This June I had a full weekend that began with the wedding of Elizabeth and Michael Stephens. This pretty bride was picture perfect from the moment I arrived and really seemed to shine in front of the camera the whole day through. Her hair, makeup and jewelry were tasteful and elegant, and she was organized and prepared for her day!

The nuptual ceremony was held at Drew Methodist Church in Carmel, NY, where the pews were decorated with coordinating pink roses as Elizabeth and Michael exchanged vows. The strong faith that Elizabeth and Michael share was evident throughout the ceremony.

Perhaps we had a little help from above, since the impending rain held off long enough for plenty of outdoor photos at the church and at Villa Baron'es lakefront property!

The Villa Barone Hilltop Manor in Mahopac was the setting for their reception and it looked fabulous, complete with ever-changing room lights that really added something the the images. Adding room lighting enhances the ambiance of a reception by glowing in the backround. Shades of magenta, purple and peach alternated to create a mood that was memorable for all. Michael even wrote a song for Elizabeth and performed it in front of a captive audience! Besides having great room lighting and decor, Elizabeth and Michael were also a pleasure to work with and I am so happy they chose me to photograph their wedding!

Summer Love

I actually photographed this wedding for another photographer, and am only posting it finally because of how much I loved the details of this wedding. The bride chose the most gorgeous accents and went all out with a candy table, lavish, ornate champagne glasses, sunflowers and gerbera daisies galore, and to-die-for table menus and favors. Much of the decor was done by a family member as well, making for a more affordable way to really go all out to decorate a tent wedding. As a photographer, you really couldn't ask for more to photograph!

Trash the Dress: A Creative Way to Get More Mileage Out of Your Wedding Gown

Trash the Dress: A Creative Way to Get More Mileage Out of Your Wedding Gown

Marissa and Justin's Trash the Dress shoot

On Memorial Day weekend, I had the pleasure of doing a Trash the Dress shoot alongside Jennifer and Michael Walker of Beautiful Memories Digital videography. We had shot Marissa and Justin's wedding last year, and so enjoyed them that we were thrilled when they expressed interest in doing this type of shoot!
We started out in Poughkeepsie along the waterfront and then by Mahoney's Irish Pub for some portraits before we got them REALLY dirty.

We then moved on to the creek near The Overlook Drive-In in Poughkeepsie where we continued doing portraits and just started easing them into the wetter, dirtier part of the shoot. I had no idea it was so beautiful back there and both of them were open to all of the ideas we had.

We had one more portrait sitting in mind before we completely trashed the dress. I had purchased an old rust-red leather chair from a yard sale and really wanted to try an edgy shoot in the woods behind my house using that chair. A totally natural setting, but a little different and upbeat. Marissa and Justin took to it like fish in water! (and then we moved on to the REAL water!!)

Our last location was Pine Woods Park in Hyde Park. I had been there many times but never ventured beyond the swingset, so I was stunned when I saw the waterfall and beautiful creek running through. I snapped a portrait of Marissa on a log stretching across the creek that I am particularly fond of. She is stunning!

And then, we got to it! The waterfall was a little tricky to get to, but they made it and it was well worth it!

By the end, Marissa's dress was filthy, and all of us were so excited to see the images and video we had made throughout the day. We all had a great time, and Marissa was totally pleased with her complete and total trashing of the dress!!!

Stay tuned to Beauiful Memories link on the right for the video portion of the day. I am sure Jennifer and Mike are cooking up something amazing!