Jul
18
I’m on a bit of a stay-close-to-home kick right now. Not for me so much, but for our couples. We’ve had several engagement sessions in which our clients have chosen to do their shoot in and/or around their home, or got back to their roots. I LOVE this!!! It’s so nice to get to know people in their natural environments and we get a great sense of who they are and what they like to do, simply by walking by this cafe or that park.
And so it was with Cleo and Dieter. They had initially thought we should do the session in New York City, as they live right across from the Big Apple. But as the day approached, we realized that their town of Hoboken provided the perfect backdrop for their session. They showed us their favorite spots to walk and bike ride, and the views of Manhattan were the views they could see by stepping out their door. Absolutely perfect!
We started down by the water. You can pretty much see the Empire State Building from anywhere in town. I especially love this photo because their story is central, but there are also two other neighborhood stories and life cycle stories- the dad and his son on the right were fishing (future family) and the couple by the railing is an elderly couple (to me, symbolizing the golden years in Cleo and Dieter’s life together).
Dancing and fooling around. Why not?!
On our walk, we popped onto the campus of the Stevens Institute of Technology (Cleo takes a class here for fun). Wow, the views! It must be a great place to go to school.
Hoboken just built this fabulous new park on the water. And there was this beautiful bridge.
We finished our tour at the Hoboken Terminal (Dieter rides his bike through here every day). It has character and charm and few people on a Saturday. It is truly a gem of a spot.
Loving this simple formal portrait.
A quiet moment.
And this one with a bit more drama.
After we were done, we took a cab back to their apartment and enjoyed brunch at one of their neighborhood haunts. I couldn’t get over how great Hoboken was. Having never been there, I had no idea. Seeing the town through their eyes was such fun. And seeing them through a filter of their town helped me get to know Cleo and Dieter even better.
If you would like to see a few more, check out their slideshow.
Oct
07
Me oh my- I am so excited to share more from Lauren and David’s amazing day at the Castle Hill Inn.
With the rain far behind us, we captured a few images of our happy couple with the beautiful scenery whenever we could steal them away.
And then we spent the rest of the evening photographing all the joy- and there was lots.
Lauren and David definitely like to have fun. They are so playful together. And Lauren must have had about a thousand different facial expressions to show her happiness.
After the first dance, the hora.
Each couple went up in turn, Lauren and David first, followed by Lauren’s parents, and then David’s. His mom was a little nervous I think.
David’s cousin gave one of the toasts and he rewarded her with a huge thank you hug.
Dancing got underway in full force. Lauren’s parents, so fun.
I loved this moment. Just before they fed each other the cake, there was definitely some teasing going on. And Lauren, all with her eyes, says, "Please."
Then more dancing. Lauren made sure to have a little time with each of her grandfathers.
And with her girlfriends.
Lauren’s sister was a great help throughout the day, and also enjoyed a little time on the dance floor once the party got underway.
Maybe the best thing about a destination wedding, like this one in Newport, is that everyone has more time together, because all of the guests stay for the weekend.
Lauren enjoys another chance to connect with friends.
I have to close with one of my favorite images from the day. We had this amazing sunset over the water. Such a beautiful place to spend a couple of moments as newlyweds.
Many thanks to the professionals who helped make Lauren and David’s day so special.
A big shout out to Nancy and her team at Castle Hill. Nancy was truly amazing, top notch all the way.
Also special thanks to Rocco Michaluk of Video & Vision. It was really great to work with you.
And for helping to complete Lauren and David’s vision:
Floral Design (more on this in a later post because WOW! gorgeous work): Laurel Lane of Laurel Lane Floral Design
Wedding cake and groom’s cake: Scrumptions
Invitations: Ruth at The Party People
Other printed materials: Judith Carroll at Papers
For creating Lauren and David’s personal looks:
Hair and Make-up: Jen Murphy and Frank Antonio from Frank Antonio Hair & Makeup
Lauren’s wedding dress: Romona Keveza from Bridal Reflections
Bridesmaid dress: Lazaro from Fontana’s
David’s attire: Georgio Armani
Groomsmen’s attire: Calvin Klein from Century 21
Plus a huge thank you to Lauren and David and your families. It was such a joy to be a part of your day and to celebrate with you.
Make sure to check out their slideshow as well.
Oct
01
I adore Lauren and David. Yup, I do. Why? Because nothing could dampen their spirits on their wedding day. And they had a few more things than normal to contend with, including a torrential downpour that came out of nowhere about 20 minutes before their outdoor ceremony was set to begin. Throughout it all, they handled everything that came their way with grace. I not only adore them, I admire them. And it doesn’t hurt that they are super nice and darn cute together.
So let’s start at the beginning of their day. We met up with Lauren at the Castle Hill Inn in Newport where she and David were celebrating their wedding. We started with Lauren in her room as she and her girlfriends were getting ready.
Then she met up with David in the chalet garden, where they saw each other for the first time on their wedding day.
The rain started coming down just as we finished the family portraits. And it kept coming down for a good long time. Fortunately, the ketubah and bedeken ceremonies were scheduled to be indoors. The went off without a hitch.
It seemed like the rain would pass. It was amazing- on one side of the building you could see sunshine and blue skies, on the other side rain. Lauren waited and watched.
They held off the ceremony as long as they could and just in time, the skies cleared completely. Except for a few of the most perfect fluffy clouds. It was definitely worth the wait.
A few of my favorites from the ceremony…
That’s David’s brother walking Lauren and David’s puppy, and ringbearer, Henry. Isn’t Henry such a sweet little pup?
Lauren walking down the aisle under the enormous sky…
Lauren during the ceremony…
The sun shining down on the happy couple under the chuppah…
I love Lauren’s smile.
And David’s.
And a fabulous kiss under blue skies.
Talk about weathering the storm. Lauren and David absolutely enjoyed all of the good stuff that came their way. It was such a delight to be with them on their wedding day.
There are definitely lots more to come. But if you want more now, check out the sneak peek on the Allegro Photography fan page.
Sep
23
Last night, Dave and I hopped down to New York to join our friends from David Tutera Inc in celebrating the premiere of Season 2 of My Fair Wedding along with the launch of David’s new line of wedding dresses, David Tutera by Faviana. We had such a great time. We were invited because Dave photographed one of the episodes from this season. It was an absolute treat to be a guest for this affair, rather than working it. Of course, that also meant we only allowed ourselves to bring a little point and shoot camera.
The event got kicked off with a performance by Nuttin But Stringz. This rock violinist duo totally captivated me. I love their music and their performance- they are clearly influenced by world music, classical, rock and hip hop. Check out their sound on their website and check out their moves below.
Then we were treated to a fashion show of David’s new line of wedding gowns. So different sitting in the seats rather than the press area, like we have when we were shooting for Lucire magazine. I could see just enough to develop some strong favorites. The concept behind the gowns is that they are all inspired by red carpet dresses worn by celebrities, refashioned into something glamorous for your wedding day. There is definitely something for everyone in this line, both in terms of style and body type.
My favorites? Let me begin with Eva. This dress starts off full-length with gorgeous tafetta roses directing the eye along a woman’s curves. The lowest part of the skirt can be removed to reveal a short party dress with an assymetrical hemline. A little surprise when the bride returns for the party. A fun, flirty, vivacious dress. I also really liked Charlize and Fergie, another dress that turns into a cocktail dress- totally wearable.
Gwenyth, below, was simply stunning. I loved the color imbued in this dress- champagne, ivory, gold, crystals reflecting the light- along with the lines and the empire shape. Beautiful, simple, elegant.
And another favorite was Olivia. It actually reminded me of something from the movie Titanic. Really soft with antique touches. And you have to love the cap sleeves bejewelled at the edges. So pretty.
They concluded with the grand finale dress- the Platinum Gown. This dress was dripping with 33 carats of diamonds, white keshi pearls and more than 145 carats of aqua marine. The dress was pretty, but honestly I liked the other styles better. I guess that’s a good thing because the Platinum Gown retails for over a half million dollars. Wow!
The last walk…
With David and Faviana- the model in the back is wearing the Platinum Dress…
One more note about the fashion show, Dave and I were totally laughing because we recognized all of the music. I don’t know a lot about music artists and I am not really up on what’s popular, so this is definitely a rare thing for me. (Dave actually does know this stuff- he is way more hip than I am.) But these songs were all the fun songs we hear at weddings. So of course, I knew them and they were totally appropriate.
After the fashion show, David (Tutera) introduced the premiere of Season 2 of My Fair Wedding.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode with Quiana and Michael’s wedding. Quiana is so lovely, offers up surprises at every corner. And you can see how much she appreciated this opportunity. Totally fun moments from the viewing, which unfortunately I am pretty sure won’t happen in your living room, they shot butterfly confetti out at us when David revealed the ceremony space and the reception space to Quiana and Michael. Such fun!
I am so excited to see the episode that Dave photographed, now. It must be really different to watch the event unfold on the day, almost like slow motion, versus the edited version where everything happens in a whirlwind.
Okay and just to give you a sense of what Gotham Hall looked like last night. Love the lighting design.
A few young girls who had to get in on the runway action.
Dave photographed David Tutera’s decor from a wedding at Gotham Hall earlier this year and we always love seeing a space used in different ways. Set up for the fashion show was definitely different.
After diving into the dessert bar upstairs- yum!, we had to see what it felt like to be on the other side of the camera and stand in the lights. Aren’t we glam!
Thank you to David, Liz, Ashley, Nora and Nicole- you guys put together another amazing event- no surprise there- and we had a really great time celebrating with you. Congrats!
Jun
27
Just two weeks after photographing our David Tutera wedding at The Plaza, Dave popped back down to New York to photograph the decor of this fabulous wedding at Gotham Hall. It was all blossoms and sparkles and simply amazing details. And the food looked to die for.
When the guests first arrived, they were greeted by a security detail and serenaded by violinists.
They entered the Grand Ballroom of Gotham Hall to find their escort cards laid out on this beautiful table. Then took their seats for the ceremony behind it.
At the top of the entry, you see the full view of the ceremony space. The aisle lined with elegant floral arrangements on pedestals. But the Chuppah was simply out of this world. I love the view from the inside looking out. This is one canopy I would gladly start the rest of my life under, and for that matter spend the rest of my life under (assuming the flowers wouldn’t die).
And a close up…
And you can get the full awesomeness of the scene, as the bride takes her first steps done the aisle…
Another amazing aspect of this wedding was the food- the presentation was simply a work of art. The champagne was chilled in ice sculptures.
An array of sushi in every shape, size and color.
The bride and groom were Russian Jews so the food also needed to pay homage to their roots. Each guest received a rainbow of caviar at his seat.
And the piece d’resistance, the stunning cake designed by Sylvia Weinstock. The craftsmanship, technique and attention to detail that goes into her cakes are exemplary.
During the cocktail hour, the David Tutera team transformed the space from the ceremony arrangement you saw above to the reception arrangement below. I think they had just over an hour to get it all done.
They turned the Chuppah into a canopy for the sweetheart table. This is the bride and groom’s view (looking to the right) during the reception.
And another view (straight ahead), where they can see the dance floor.
Some of the tables were arranged in a criss-cross patern. In the center was this tall arrangement with roses, willow branches, and all kinds of flowers pouring out of the urn and the pedestal.
These displays of calla lillies, roses, and crystals were placed throughout the hall and reached way into the sky.
The whole look was stunning. A huge thank you to David Tutera and his team. We are so thrilled that we could be a part of this beautiful design and capture these images for you.
Want to see more? Check out the slideshow.
