RACHEL + LIONEL ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Recently, I had the pleasure of shooting a fun Engagement Session of a beautiful couple…Rachel and Lionel.  The groom is the nephew of my hair stylist, and the bride…she’s simply gorgeous!

The session was photographed at the Sculpture Gardens of the world renowned PepsiCo company headquarters in Purchase, NY.  It was a beautiful fall “Indian Summer” day, with an amazing blue sky, full of fluffy white clouds, and a warm breeze.  PERFECT for shooting an Engagement Session!

Let me just say that Rachel and Lionel were naturally photogenic, and open to any suggestions…a photographer’s dream! 

A couple of unexpected perks occurred during our session…[a] I was able to capture Rachel’s beautiful hair blowing in the wind, and [b] an aircraft flew over the park, which I was able to capture in the background of one of their shots.  The jet was NOT PhotoShopped in!  LOL

There were so many amazing photos…too many to include here.  However, please enjoy some of the photos from their fun session:

I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding on June 10, 2011.  Rachel is definitely going to be a stunning bride!

Ciao, until next time…

MELISSA + STEPHANE WEDDING

Okay, so I'm really trying to get better with keeping my blog updated and current, but hey, I'm a busy woman, so bare with me!  Anyway, let me tell you about a couple who's wedding I photographed a couple of months ago.  I liked Melissa and Stephane from our first meeting.  They were both funny and fun, and I knew that as a couple, they would not disappoint on their wedding day.

Stephane's family is from Europe, so some of his family members traveled a great distance to share in their joyous wedding day.  Melissa was a joy to shoot when it came to her pre-ceremony photos.  She was a breath of fresh air, and enjoyed the process of preparing for her grand day.

The church was gorgeous...I admit I have a thing for beautiful stained glass windows.  And, as a photographer, I love a church with a balcony, which affords additional photograhic opportunites!  And dare I say, that the Father of the Bride became very emotional during the ceremony...awww. 

I try to ride in the limousine with the bride whenever possible, which also lends to great photographic opportunities.  In this case, the Father of the Bride also rode in the limo with us.  The ceremony was held in a beautiful church in upstate Wappingers Falls, NY and the reception was held at an historic venue, which was over 169 years old!  The historic Bykenhulle House in Hopewell Junction, NY, was quaint, but beautiful, and perfect for this couple's wedding day and their guests.

And, as I always say, I love it when a couple incorporates their own personalities into their wedding day, and in this case, there were lots of fun nuances:

¤ Melissa wore a checkered flag race car themed garter, a tribute to Stephane's love of race cars
¤ The bridal bouquet was my favorite flower...calla lilies, while the bridesmaids had a fun bouquet of yellow roses and bright sunflowers
¤ The cake topper was a sculpture made of carved wood...so cute!
¤ Melissa's father created a wonderful tribute to the couple by making a money tree, with REAL money rolled and placed on the branches of the tree...unique!
¤ For the aching feet of her dancing female guests, the bride provided flip flops
¤ The bride's family provided generations of wedding photos, which were displayed at the entrance to the reception...so thoughtful and beautiful!
¤ A candy bar was provided as a fun touch for their guests favors...yummy!

Enjoy some of Melissa and Stephane's wedding day photos, and see how this couple can poke fun at one another:

Ciao, until next time...