Awbury Arboretum Wedding – Philadelphia – Miriam & Jeremy

Miriam and Jeremy’s Awbury Arboretum Wedding was my second time photographing at this green oasis in the urban landscape of Northwest Philadelphia. Not one, not two, but three couples I had worked with in the past were in attendance, which made for a delightfully warm village feeling.

We began with a first look on the porch of the Francis Cope House. Miriam and Jeremy approached each other back to back, and before they had laid eyes on each other, they were already dancing. I have the distinct pleasure of documenting some of the most deliriously happy moments of people’s lives, but Miriam and Jeremy’s energy had me running for a thesaurus to try to describe the fever pitch of their happiness. Insuppressible. Irrepressible. Ebullient. Rhapsodical. None of this does justice to the spirit of the day.

There were countless blessings by a flock of rabbis, so much dancing, so much singing, there was jumping rope with tied-together napkins, a raucous horah, a puppet show, and to top it all off there was Jeremy serenading Miriam with I want it that way.

More like these two please!

Vendors

Venue: Awbury Arboretum and Francis Cope House

Catering: Miss Rachel’s Pantry

Goat Farm Wedding – Amelia and Mark

Amelia and Mark were married on a warm June day at Windy Hill Farm in Cedar Grove, North Carolina not far from Chapel Hill. The two prepared for the day in a sweet old farmhouse full of antiques and curiosities. A pair of rabbits dozed in a hutch, Tiger lilies reached for the sun. The ceremony was held on the far side of a sun-drenched field under the shade of a gorgeous stand of trees at the edge of a forest. Amelia and her family made their way across the field on the back of a tractor with parasols for cover. They were met with old time banjo music. Nestled into the shade, Amelia and Mark’s friends and family shared readings and laughter. During cocktail hour guests sheltered from the sun under parasols and ate oysters. The barbecue dinner was scrumptious, the dancing lively, and the goats came out for a romp in the gloaming. It was a storybook day that I was honored to document.

Many thanks to my talented 2nd photographer, Yuri Vaysgant

Vendors

Venue: Windy Hill Farm

Wedding dress: Judd Waddell

Florist: Bluebird Meadows

Wedding planner: C+D Events

Hair: WINK Hair and Make up

Band: Dwight Hawkins & the Piedmont Highballers

DJ: DJ Gonzo (Aharon Segal)

Cake: Details Cake Design & Bakery

Catering: ACME Food & Beverage Co.

Invitations: Dana Cheit; JesSmith Designs

Best Wedding Photos 2017

Hazel Photo Best Wedding Photos 2017

In 2017 I photographed 14 weddings in California, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

In 2017 more people trusted me to make art about their love than ever before, and I am eternally grateful for that.

My 2018 schedule is shaping up to be even fuller, and I can’t wait for all the unexpected beauty to come.

Here are some of my favorites from this past year:

Boston City Hall Wedding – Briitta & Mathijs

Boston City Hall Wedding – Briitaa and Mathijs

Briitta and Mathijs had such a lovely Boston City Hall wedding. It was just the three of us, and the justice of the peace. We built time in before and after the ceremony to explore the city and make portraits. They were so very happy, and easy in front of the camera. Afterward they took me to a super fun hotel with a great view of the Boston skyline.

San Francisco City Hall Wedding

Low-Light Wedding Photography San Francisco – Emma and Max

Emma and Max

Emma and Max had a delightful low key wedding on a lovely May day. They told me they wanted lots of fun candid photographs, so I did just that. Their guests were good dancers, which made everything easy.

The wedding reception was held in a white tent, so bouncing my flash off the ceiling was always a good option, but I like to mix it up. There are five different flash setups here. Let’s start with simple, and proceed from there:

low light wedding photography san francisco

#1 Bounce flash. This is a very simple technique. My flash is set to ettl and pointed up and behind me. The camera is on manual exposure with a high enough iso to let ambient light in.

#2 Shutter Drag. This is also just one flash. Here the flash is pointed directly at my subject, and zoomed in a bit at 1/4 power. The camera is in manual iso 100 f18 1.6 sec shutter.

#3 Backlight. This is two flashes on light stands at 1/128 with a trigger on camera. Almost all of the light is coming from behind. All settings are manual here. Sets the mood, doesn’t it?

#4 key light plus hair light. This is the same setup as the last, but I am standing in position for one of the two flashes to act as a key light.

#5 Two kickers plus fill. Here I have the two flashes on stands, but I have added bounce flash at 1/4 power on camera as a fill for a more balanced look at a delightfully chaotic scene.

State Room Wedding – Boston

It was a great pleasure to photograph Lindsay and Joe’s State Room wedding as a 2nd with the fabulous Denny Kwan. We hopped across Boston from The Ames Hotel, to Boston Common, to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Boston, and finally to the spectacular Great Room at the State Room Boston. Wait for the views. They will knock your socks off. I started with Joe at the Ames. He and his groomsmen were infectious with their laughter. We made a pit stop at the bar on our way to meet Lindsay, who was back at the Ames Hotel waiting with her bridesmaids. The two had a joyous first look in the brick plaza across from The Old State House. Then we headed to the Commons for formals. I had never been to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral. There is so much beauty inside that building from mosaics, to paintings, to stained glass. As I photographed the two during the ceremony, I watched their faces cycle from awe to, humor, to joy, and back again. Eventually we ended up at the State Room, where we had the pleasure of watching as the sun set, the lights of the harbor sparkled on, Wilson Stevens’ Beantown Band played, and Joe and Lindsay danced into the night.