Jean and Steve met one night while out with old college friends who happened to be dating at the time (and are now married).  It wasn’t a set-up but somehow we ended sitting next to each other and talking all night.  Our friends were high-fiving in the corner and patting themselves on the back.  And the rest, as they say, is history!  So on this day, in Long Island’s Wine Country, Jean and Steve are preparing to get married.  Jean got all glamorous, with the help of Pam Geiger, while Steve perfected his bow tying skills with the help of Cole Haan and his buddies.

Doesn’t Steve look all dapper in his traditional tux?!  Jean looked stunning and she had the support of her closest girlfriends, some of whom I’ve known for a few years now from their weddings.  It is such a great time seeing everyone again, hearing how lives have changed, and celebrating the newest marriage in the group!

Steve and Jean chose to have their “first look” at the home where they got ready, before they greeted all of their guests upon arrival at Bedell Cellars winery on the North Fork.  Jean and Steve loved Bedell from the moment they turned into the white gravel driveway (see photo with the red truck sitting in driveway).  Location, location, location.  We couldn’t help but get some great landscape shots, super easy to do when working on such a gorgeous property like Bedell’s.  We are fools for wineries and their splendor.

Their outdoor ceremony took place under this big Oak tree on the property, and the simplicity provided for an understated elegance. Jean’s uncle officiated the heartfelt ceremony, and everyone was treated to music by a A Touch of Jazz who were classy, kind to work with and so very soulful.

There was laughter, tears, and a sense of trust, because these two have seen each other through the best of times and even the awful times.  One of our favorite photos is the embrace between Jean and Steve below from during their portraits.  You can just tell that they feel comfort in each other.

We loved walking through the vineyards with the bridal party for some candids, but instead of some photo examples, we wanted to share the awesome video that Anthony shot for us using drone technology.  We are pretty sure that it is the first aerial wedding trailer photographed using a Canon 5D Mark II at 50-100 feet in the air via drone!

Loved it so much that you’ve got to watch it on the go?  iPhone and iPad users, visit this link to watch: Jean + Steve Wedding Trailer!

Bedell’s incredible wedding coordinators worked closely with Catering By A Small Affair to bring all of the delicious food and fabulousness together!  Now on to the gorgeous flowers of red, orange, green and gold tones that were the creation of Karen Lenahan Designs.  But look closely for the Grasshopper’s that were placed in the centerpieces too. So cute, and they were part of the Asian flair in the theme of the day and hand made by Jean’s talented Mom!

Jean changed into her red party dress before the reception kicked off, pulled her hair back and got her Jimmy Choo dancing shoes ready for her surprise swing dance with Steve! Stages Band (who has been entertaining my NY brides and grooms for years) got the party started and the dance floor was packed the rest of the night!

The sun began to set on the evening, and it allowed us to get some more detail shots of the winery and the wine (of course)! Doesn’t this make you want to have a glass?  If you haven’t been to Bedell Cellars yet, definitely check it out.  It’s should be on your Northeast staycation or NY places to visit list!

Keeping with Jean’s touch of Asian flair in her theme, Peconic Baking Company incorporated the red ribbon that matched Jean’s party dress into the cake.  The cake cutting caught us all by surprise since Jean totally *smashed* it into Steve’s face!  So much fun to watch, and we were drooling over the slices of cake that were served. Yummy!  And, check out those dreamy paper lanterns all lit up fantastically by the team from Matt Murphy Event Lighting!

Jean and Steve, we know you’ll be in touch and we can’t wait to hear about all of the incredible things you will do together in life.  Many blessing for you both, S & P

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It was a hot, sunny day in Stamford, CT and the always beautiful Stamford Yacht Club set the stage for an incredible wedding and epic party for the friends and family of the new Mr. & Mrs. Petropoulos!
Overlooking the Long Island Sound, guests were treated to the beauty of the surroundings and our gorgeous bride (of course)!  Once the pastor made it official, this fun and fabulous bridal party helped to get this party started!
We hope the honeymoon was just as sweet!  Stay tuned for more details and dance floor action in our complete blog post that is coming soon!  Congrats to the happy couple!!

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Congratulations to Jean and Steve!  They tied-the-knot this past weekend out on the North Fork of Long Island. And yes, our good friend Jimmy Choo made an appearance.

Their gorgeous outdoor ceremony took place at Bedell Cellars winery in Cutchogue, NY.  Jean and Steve wanted classic elegance in their wedding fashion, and in their day they wanted to show warmth, family and tradition.
The trust and compassion these two share was completely evident throughout the touching and personal celebration. We loved being there to witness and document their love.

Simply stunning are two words we would use to describe the location!  This is just a *sneak peek* so please be sure to check back soon for the complete blog photo selection, that will be chock full of details and bold pops of orangy-red flowers, more vineyard essence, and gorgeous decor!  Plus, we love to include all that raw emotion and excitement from the day, so stay tuned!

Many thanks to Anthony for helping out with the incredible aerial photography and video!  We knew his work would be awesome and in our next post we’ll include the work he got from the sky.  Enjoy the honeymoon Jean and Steve!

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The Hansen family has a lot to celebrate!  JJ turns 3 years old this month and GG turns 3 months old.  They are now a party of 4 and they couldn’t be happier.  Life with the girls is great, and the sisterly bond is already there.
GG loves to watch her older sister run circles around her.  At 3 months old, she takes everything in, has quite a personality, and such a sweet smile!  And beyond that soft smile and her serious eyes, GG has this incredibly soft… MOHAWK!  Yup, it’s the natural kind.  No product needed.  Seriously, it’s the kind that makes you grin from ear to ear because it is so stinkin’ cute!!
JJ on the other hand, is in awe of her little sis right now.  She is loving the fact that now she has a built in audience and it will only get better as her new playmate gets older and can keep up.  So for now, JJ tends to the garden with Daddy…his very own little helper.
JJ wanted to help us hold her sister’s little feet for these photos above.  (Toddler hands and baby feet pictured.)  We love to capture the tiny details, they seem to put it all into perspective sometimes.  How fragile, how sweet, how amazing life is!  Everything seems brighter, more fun, and awe inspiring when a new baby enters the picture.
Hansens, we hope that your family is enjoying all the beauty, change and growth in your daily lives!  Thank you for sharing this special time with us!  Here’s a quote that we thought you might like.  “Life is a child playing around your feet, a tool you hold firmly in your grip, a bench you sit down upon in the evening, in your garden.” -  Jean Anouilh

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Recently, Peter had the opportunity to photography a family on a gorgeous summer day and in the comfort of their backyard.  Their children were growing so fast and baby’s first year had gone by, and it was all in the blink of an eye.  So it seemed the perfect time to preserve these memories for them.
Although the shoot started off with the child or sibling photographs, it became evident real quick that this was going to be a family affair and that Dad would be the highlight of these.  What we normally see is…Mom wants a few photos with parents included, and Dad is immediately out of his comfort zone.  But this time it was completely different.  You see, this Dad seemed to light up around his kids and was a complete natural in front of the lens!!

Immediately you could feel the love in this family.  You could sense the “light” that this Dad brings into all of their lives.  If there was ever a question of the “super” powers a father has, it is clear in these photos that sheer JOY is one of them.
Now Mom is the glue here.  She keeps everyone together and everything in order as it should be.  She holds the fort down, and is chasing two energetic and handsome boys around while she does it.  And yes, she looks fantastic as she does it all!  What are Mom’s super powers you ask?  Well, care…devotion…and never ending love, just to name a few.
At this stage, she can kiss, hug and squeeze her boys to her hearts content.  But in a few years, the “tween” stage will hit her household and all off a sudden it won’t be cool to kiss Mom in public.  Her son will trade Silly Bandz (or the newest craze) for hugs.  Guess it’s a good thing these photos will cover their walls, providing a little reminder of her boys’ younger days.  Why-oh-why must they grow so fast?
Wishing this beautiful family a summer that is filled with all the simple joys that childhood brings…

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Mollie and Joey both went to college at the University of Delaware, but didn’t even know each other when they were at school. After college they met at a mutual friend’s birthday party in NYC. Both went to the party by themselves, so it was definitely fate that they met that night in the summer of 2006.
Mollie and Joey love date night. With their busy and complicated lives, they love to set aside a special night and plan something for just the two of them. It might be as simple as dinner, watching a movie or even just a walk together, but they love taking time out of their busy lives…for each other.  We thought that taking photos in some of their favorite places (to walk and relax) in NYC would be perfect!
They love to spend time with their adorable yorkie, Lucy (pictured here).  Isn’t she just the cutest?!!
Joey took Mollie to dinner after work one night, on December 10, 2009. After dinner, they went back to their apartment, and Mollie opened the door to their bedroom to find rose petals all over the room and on the bed in a huge heart shape. Inside the heart of rose petals, Joey had placed the ring!
Joey got down on his knee and said, “Will you marry me?” Mollie said, “Yes!” of course. She was completely surprised and thrilled!  Mollie’s heirloom ring is absolutely beautiful. The center stone was Joey’s grandmother’s, and he had it re-set just for Mollie.  We love how history takes part in this love story.  We’re suckers for a good engagement story!
Mollie and Joey, we can’t wait till the wedding this fall!  What a great engagement shoot this was…your wedding is going to be just amazing!  To see more from this engagement session, view their slideshow.  (QuickTime Plug-in required in browser. If you cannot view the show, please visit here to download the latest version of QuickTime — it’s FREE for Mac and PC.  Thank You!)

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We hope you will enjoy a few photos from a recent engagement session in NYC with the totally adorable Mollie and Joey (and their little pup too)!  Can’t you just tell that they are so into each other?!!  There are a lot of sweet moments between these two, and gorgeous smiles too…

Here’s a little bit of that old New York City romance that we love to capture!

And if this wasn’t enough, then you’ll have to come back next week for the full sha-bang!  Lots of beautiful, fun, candid photos and even more of our favorite furry friend (Lucy).  We can’t wait to have a full day of fun at the wedding to get amazing photos of you two!!

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Every once in a while, the planets align themselves and the right people meet at the right time.  I’d like to think this happens for everyone all of the time, but let’s face it…finding true love is hard and finding the right person for you… even harder.  Sometimes finding the perfect match can happen, but before you are ready for it.  And then somehow, magically, it all falls into place.  This is what happened for Amanda and Joey.  Take some time to see their wedding story unfold in these images.

Amanda is a natural beauty, and she has this zest for life that should be contagious!  The people responsible for Amanda’s looks are her parents, grandparents in heaven, and we have to give a big shout out to the awesome Jill and crew of JKFlashy who helped to make her extra gorgeous on this day.  Our bride happens to love butterflies, so check out how she incorporated that as a personal touch on her MOH’s bouquet.  Cool side note: In the Japanese culture butterflies are thought to be representative of young maidens and marital bliss.  How perfect is that?!

Joey and Amanda met at his family’s summer restaurant. She was a waitress at the restaurant and Joey would always come by to help out in the kitchen. Her eyes lit up each and every time she saw his car pull into the parking lot.  They flirted a lot, and Joey’s stepmother always insisted that they go out, but both denied any attraction to one another – never going out or exchanging numbers.  The summer job ended and that was how things ended too.  It’s funny how timing is everything.

Two years later, Joey sent Amanda an email. They planned their first date at Carmine’s in NYC and immediately Amanda knew he was THE ONE!  It wasn’t until their August 2008 vacation to the Cayman Islands that Joey proposed while they were snorkeling under that amazingly blue water!!  But on this day, their wedding day, they stood under the blue sky as husband and wife.

Throughout the day, we try to spend some time with the families and give our brides and grooms some time to breathe.  (Enter champagne and other frosty bevs.)  After the emotional and exciting start of the day, we find a moment later on when the parents get to pause and reflect a bit.  During this time they are usually beaming, full of pride, and ready for the party to get started.  Pictured are a few examples of that.  Now on to the crazy, fun and fabulous bridal party – that never stopped!

You are probably wondering where all of these incredible portraits were taken. They were done at the utterly beautiful Untermyer Park in Yonkers, NY (permit required).  We absolutely love it when our clients schedule enough time in for photos so they are guaranteed to get plenty of creative shots and also so they don’t have to rush!  We had 2 hours of photography bliss in this gorgeous park to get these.

Welcome to the reception of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Oddo, that was held at the Villa Barone Hilltop Manor!  Let’s just begin by telling you what a fantastic job the staff and Vinny did over there.  You can tell that a vendor is good, not by just presentation or quality of food, or how they treat a couple and their families out in the open.  But instead, by how they treat their staff and the vendors that they work with (behind closed doors).  Everyone is treated with respect, and they go above and beyond for their clients!  Loved the professionalism we received, and it is always so refreshing to meet vendors who exceed your expectations.  Plus, they do have a super-fabulous dessert ending to the evening that only Willy Wonka himself could rival.  It was out of this world!!

Our wonderful bride and groom pulled out all of the stops for their guests, and part of the night’s festivities was this special presentation by the Police Emerald Society of Westchester, NY’s Pipes and Drums Band.  We were floored by their performance, it was incredible!!  Everyone was on their feet and it was not just a quick number, they really rocked and gave their hearts and souls in this performance.  They formed a circle around our bride and groom and the crowd and families just loved it!!!

Dancing the night away is one of our favorite past times.  We are so psyched when the guests are on their feet and shaking their thang’ all night long!  It makes our job even better as it provides the greatest laughs and candid photos along the way.  Kuddos to DJ Paul of Big Apple Entertainment for the non-stop dance floor action!

Amanda and Joey, we thank you for welcoming us into your family and for sharing the love!  You two are wonderful, and we are so lucky to have met you and to have shared this day and our photography with you.  We will be thrilled to hear the news of little bambinos in the future, and please keep in touch through all of your life events.  Wishing you many blessings for your families and lives ahead. xoxo

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We now have a unique way for our clients to carry their treasured photos. We’ve partnered with Kotori Jewelry, and can now offer their handmade, waterproof and UV resistant pieces featuring your favorite photos.  These beautiful pieces make great gifts for yourself, grandparents and other family members beyond the traditional framed print.

The line features a variety of pieces from necklaces and charm bracelets, to rings and key chains. Each piece is handmade and totally customizable so you can mix and match items to create a truly personalized piece. We are so impressed with them that we’ve added these into our portrait collections (packages) so clients can choose these as options for their photo products as well as purchase pieces a la carte.

You can order a necklace with one photo pendant to make a simple elegant statement, or choose multiple pendants to reflect a more modern eclectic style. We also love how you can add hand-stamped charms with names or other text to make it a truly one-of-a-kind piece!

We just know you are going to love these “must-have” items, so don’t forget Mom’s birthday, Father’s Day (which is right around the corner) and all of those other reasons to show your love with a photo gift.  Order yours today by calling 203-653-4615 or emailing us using our contact form!  Gift certificates towards product purchases are available as well.

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Lindsay and Scott met in high school but they weren’t a couple until later on in life.  Now they are getting married, and we decided to visit a few of their favorite spots in Norwalk where they grew up, shared some great memories, and have since fallen in love.
We started by the water near the aquarium and headed towards one of their favorite pubs, Donovan’s & Mackenzie at the corner of Washington and Water in SoNo.  It was warm out and we figured that a little “liquid courage” never hurt, especially when doing a photo shoot in your home town where you are bound to run into tons of familiar faces and some heckling from the crowds.  (We didn’t experience too much heckling anyway.)  Scott was mighty brave and would do anything for his lady, and I don’t think he needed the liquid courage after all.  He is very photogenic and has a great smile and quite a sense of humor.
These two are just super steamy together, and you can tell that they have great chemistry!  We snuck inside a little alleyway and tried our best to get some private moments…and a quick portrait for the parents or for the newspaper announcement!

Lindsay and Scott will be having their wedding at a yacht club on the water, so we decided it would be most fitting to head towards some boats and see what we could get!  Well, with these two…when they aren’t kissing they are laughing at something!  You could just tell that they make each other happy just by being themselves.
Lindsay has this warm personality and such a kind heart.  Yes, her hair is gorgeous and she’s growing it out for the wedding.  She is going to be a stunning bride!  But after talking with Lindsay, I could sense this incredibly nurturing yet strong character that she has.  She is a teacher after all, and I give all the credit in the world to her.  Teachers are as good as they come, and I think they have the biggest hearts and the most patience!  And, incredible Lindsay is going to be running in her first 1/2 marathon in June, and I can’t wait to hear how she does!

Scott is about to embark on a journey of his own, he is hoping to become a police officer in Fairfield County and that means hours of basic training at the CT Police Academy when you get chosen.  Come on local PD’s — hire Scott!!  (I put in a good word in my town!  Sending good vibes and hoping something works out for you soon, Scott!)
Lindsay and Scott, we can’t wait till the wedding!  You guys rocked the engagement session, so the big day will be a blast!  Enjoy the rest of your engagement… xoxo

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