Masterpiece Video

We haven’t worked with James Ferrara since last year, and now we get to work with him 2 weeks in a row! He’s such an innovative photographer with tons of energy and always inspires me to be more creative and think outside the “traditional photography box”. Janine and Dylan were very lucky to have him there to document their beautiful fall wedding at Tappan Hill.

Janine was stunning in her perfectly fitted gown and her killer Stuart Weitzman heels!  When we arrived in her room, she had an entourage of people helping her get ready. Her 2 sisters, mother, and mother-in-law were all just as excited as Janine!  Tappan Hill overlooks the Hudson and the fall scenery was at it’s peak. Janine and Dulan decided to see each other before the wedding and what a special moment it was!

Dylan was outside on a terrace looking at the river, when his bride unexpectantly appeared from behind a stone wall. Dylan turned at just the right moment, almost as if he sensed she was there. It could not have been more surprising or perfect. They both really enjoyed that moment and were completely calm and happy for the rest of the day.

It seems that all of Cornwall turned out for the ceremony and reception.  At the party, I was greeted by another familiar face-DJ Octavius, who I haven’t worked with in a while but was actually the DJ at my own wedding! He was as fun and energetic as ever – even getting out on the dance floor with the crowd and showing them his signature dance moves. Not to be outdone, the crowd showed him some fancy moves of their own – this crowd could dance!

What a great night with some old friends, new friends, and the brand new husband and wife team of Mr. and Mrs. Dylan Peck!

-jen

Whether it be an orange flower in the hair, blue ribbon trim on the dress, or red shoes, a big trend in weddings this year is to wear an unexpected pop of color somewhere in the bride’s attire.   But my October 17th bride, Erin made her “pop” into a tribute. She donned a pair of violet Kate Spade shoes to honor her dad, who passed away from leukemia.  Violet is the ribbon color for the Lymphoma/Leukemia society.  Her dad was definitely present in spirit – in the shoes, photos, purple centerpieces and speeches.  Erin and her new husband James even made a donation to the Leukemia Society on behalf of their wedding guests in lieu of a traditional favor.

On to the details……

The traditional Catholic mass was followed by some fun photos at the Pearl River Hilton  with my energetic photographer friend James Ferrara. Then it was off to the View on the Hudson in Piermont for tons of food, family and friends.  The bride and groom didn’t leave the dance floor the entire evening and really and truly enjoyed their party and each other.

Much love, happiness and luck of the Irish to the new Mr. and Mrs. James Donnelly!

-jen

Kristy and Ron’s Reflections of their wedding day in their own words. Very sweet!

http://www.vimeo.com/7298085

Fun photo session at Mt. Alvernia and Arbor Ridge.

http://www.vimeo.com/7299454

Kristy and Ronny’s love story.

http://www.vimeo.com/7295118

October 10th came early for me as I left the house at 7:15 a.m. to be at the bride’s hotel room by 9.  But it couldn’t come soon enough for Brenda and Eric, who have been together since high school, and have waited a long time for this day. Thier patience was well-rewarded with a spectacular Fall day, full of blue skies and plenty of dramatic leaf color.

They could not have picked a more  beautiful backdrop than the deck of the Grandview as the location for  their ceremony.  Afterwards, we took some stunning photos of their very large bridal with the Mid-Hudson Bridge as our backdrop. As always, it was tons of fun working with Elissa Davidson and our all-girl team of photo/video pros!

Once inside, Brenda’s leaf-themed decor and thoughtful touches were everywhere.  She loves photography, so the favors were pocket photo albums.  Her beloved poodle,  for some strange reason, was not allowed to attend the reception, so Brenda and Eric place a photo of him right on the head table where they could see his face!

When the bride and groom finally hit the dance floor, the party really rocked! My favorite band, Bill’s Toupee,  hit the mark as always with their music. I have never heard “Devil went down to Georgia” played live at a wedding, complete with the fiddle portion….absolutely awesome! Eric and Brenda did a version of “Footloose” that had me laughing when Eric kept leaping in the air to the beat.  Everyone at the wedding was completely in love with these two sweet people, and they are crazy in love with each other! I know that they’ll be happy forever. Much love to the new Mr. and Mrs. Eric Palmatier!

-jen

August 1st -

I love Summer weddings…more teachers! Catherine and Jacob met when Jacob was Catherine’s teaching assistant and these two are perfect for each other!

Super-organized……I had an itinerary, music selections, photos, and even a seating chart delivered to me 3 weeks before the wedding! Nothing was left to chance except the weather, which cooperated nicely! Blue skies and comfortable temperatures greeted us as we arrived at Cathy’s parents’ house.  Cathy was gorgeous! She looked so classic in her vintage yet modern dress and hair -very Audrey Hepburn!  She was relaxed, excited and eager to start the day that she had been planning for so long.

The theme of the day was peacocks….evidenced by the beautiful peacock feathers that adorned the aisle at Marist College Chapel.  Although I think that they chose the “blue” theme based on their love of the NY Yankees!

Following a very moving ceremony, we strolled the grounds of their alma-mater for some stunning formals of their large families and bridal party.

A wild party followed at the Grandview, with the always-energetic Larry Mulligan from Much Music at the DJ controls. What better way to start out your life together than with a little confetti I always say!  Cathy and Jake really wanted to set the tone early for their guests to have a good time and celebrate with them!  What a treat when Cathy & Jake and her bridesmaids broke into a choreographed dance to “Aint No Other Man” for their guests! Cathy then really brought the house down when she donned a white sequined glove for a little Michael Jackson tribute dance, complete with a moonwalk…IN A GOWN!!  This girl is good! Jake, you are one lucky guy and in for a lifetime of fun!

Much love and happiness to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Gardner.

p.s. no peacocks were harmed in the writing of this blog!

-Jen

Saturday, July 25th.

So, I think that I met Diane and Steve at a bridal show about 2 years ago….it seemed like their wedding day would never get here.  Alyssa and I called them our “dimple couple” – two of the cutest smiles you have ever seen!  We arrived at Diane’s house to find a sea of hot pink dresses! (we were a little late – got stuck in a fireman’s parade detour!)

We got some great shots of Diane getting ready with the always-fun Alistair from CEL images.  It was fun to watch 6ft-something Al pose the tiny 5 ft Diane!  Off to the ceremony we went, where the best man was trying to conceal from the groom the fact that he left the rings on the party bus, that was now on its way to pick up the girls!  All was well when the girls arrived and shuttled the rings in unseen. WHEW! I think that was the only crisis of this otherwise perfect day.

Steve was teary-eyed as his bride came down the aisle – you could tell that he was so proud!  After the ceremony, we were off to Vassar College for some dramatic shots with the bridal party and families, followed by cocktails and dinner at the gorgeous Grandview.

I love it when I get to work with good friends, so I was thrilled when I found out that Jeff and Stephanie from the DJ Solutionwere providing the entertainment!  It was class all the way for Diane and Steve.  Jeff and Steph usually begin the first dance by reading aloud some thoughts from the bride and groom about their new spouse.  Well, there was barely a dry eye when Steve read his comments aloud to his bride in front of everyone.  That takes some guts, or just takes a guy REALLY in love with his wife!

The party truly got started when the bride and fellow Cortland grads hit the dance floor to “Pour Some Sugar” by Def Leppard.  We all laughed as they put Diane on a chair in the middle of the dance floor so that we could see her (did I mention that she’s tiny?)

But the crowd really went wild when Steve got up on the chair and showed us his “Dirty Dancing” moves! These two are meant for each other and it was my priviledge to be there to document their love story – AND worth the wait! Lots of love to Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Farris!

-Jen

My Summer of teachers continued with the July 24th wedding of Marissa and Shawn. I LOVE teachers as brides! They are super-organized and know exactly what they want. Marissa was no exception to this rule. When we arrived at the Hotel Thayer, her hair and makeup were already done and she just had to get dressed – (a rare “On-time” bride in the wedding industry!)

Upon entering her bridal suite, we saw that everything was laid out perfectly…..the dress, shoes, flowers, jewelry and above all…the BIGGEST and most well-equipped bathroom emergency kit we had ever seen!

We got special permission to take photos in the Superintendant’s garden at West Point for Shawn to take his first peek at his gorgeous bride! He was floored when she appeared under the arbor and he later told me that that moment was the highlight of his day.  Her floral-embroidered gown was one of the prettiest that I can remember in a long time, and the garden setting was just a perfect complement.

Speaking of perfect….these two could not take a bad photo! I’m sure that my pal Lori O’Toole gave them more than enough superb images to choose from!

After the Catholic ceremony in Highland Falls, it was back through the gates for the celebration at the Hotel Thayer.  Continuing with the garden theme, the party was outside on the lawn overlooking the serene Hudson River.  We made it through most of the evening without rain, but when it hit – OH BOY! Lightning and rain raced across the sky for a spectacular light show.  It didn’t slow down the party however, as the band, DJ, and Irish musicians played right through.  The bride’s dad jammed with the band and Marissa showed off her Irish dancing skills – so much fun!

Thanks for letting me be a part of the garden party Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Tarkington!

-Jen

Cool couple and cool music at Patriot Hills! http://vimeo.com/6417846

Anyone who has met Trish and Anthony KNOWS who I am talking about! July 19th was a perfect day all the way around.  From the beautiful weather, to the very organized and beautiful bride, to the lovely and touching ceremony…….everything was PERFECT!

Trish is a teacher by trade, but this girl could easily be a wedding planner tomorrow! From the hair, makeup, flowers, music,etc…I can’t think of a thing that wasn’t perfect. Especially Anthony’s face when he saw her walk down the aisle inside the beautiful Poughkeepsie Grand Ballroom!  You just know that these two are meant to be.

We had lots of fun as usual with Lou and Leah Bedinotti when we took the Grand Trolley down to the waterfont by the bridge with just the couple. Lou got the crazy idea to put them out on the rocks along the river and Trish and Anthony were happy to oblige! The dramatic photos were worth it!

Later on, we re-created the opening to “Resevoir Dogs” with Anthony and the guys….awesome!  The reception got started out with some wacky get-ups worn by the bridal party for introductions by DJ Serge.

Guests had tons of fun in the photo booth provided by Lou and Leah and the bride and groom even made time for some fun shots in the booth.

The cake and the food were, (what else) perfect!

Alyssa and I were so happy to be a part of such an elegant and loving wedding day.  Thanks to the new Mr. and Mrs. Perfect! (oops, I mean Mr. and Mrs. Figueroa!)

-Jen

Click here to see how beautiful Catlin can be even in the rain!http://www.vimeo.com/5818912

Click here to view a fun photo session!

http://www.vimeo.com/5820387

Hopefully, this will be the first of many. I was so excited to be shooting Danusia and Oleh’s June 13th wedding for many reasons.  First…I almost got married at their reception site, MountainView Resort  in Glen Spey, NY. (Until my guest list ballooned out of control to 276 and it was too small). Second….I love to work close to home once in a while and this was 20 minutes away.  And third…I love shooting a variety of weddings and I had never done a Ukranian one before- boy was I in for a wild night!

The first thing that I heard the groom say when he got to the house in the morning was, “Why doesn’t the videographer have a drink?” Um…because it’s only 2 p.m. and I’m working?  This crew was ready for a party and wanted everyone to be involved. 

Danusia was so lovely as she descended her parents staircase for the Blahoslovenya – or blessing.  Oleh’s expression definitely changed from party mode into “groom” mode when he saw how  beautiful she looked!

We were then off for the 2 minute drive to St. Volodymyr’s Catholic Church  in Glen Spey for the traditional Ukranian ceremony; followed by the drive across the street for the reception! (I think all of Glen Spey closed down and came  to this wedding!)

We took the bride and groom to the Pond Eddy bridge for some cool photos, and I must admit that Oleh scared us all a little when he literally hung off of the bridge, held up only by Danusia’s hand! A great shot for sure, but it could have ended much differently!  The party was in full swing by the time we returned to Mountain View.  The next Ukranian wedding that I shoot, I am definitely putting a camera behind the bar because that’s where all of the action was! Many many toasts to the new couple were posed  and the dancing was definitely secondary to visiting and catching up with old friends.

“Mnohaya Lita” to the new Mr. and Mrs. Oleh Chernyk!

-jen

I LOVE the Castellanes!  One of my favorite couples of all time, Billy and Megan referred me to Billy’s brother Nick and his beautiful girl April for their May 30th wedding.  I am so glad that they did!  I had forgotten how much this family LOVES to have a good time!

First of all, it was an absolutely perfect Spring day for a wedding in the city.  Blue skies and no traffic greeted us as we arrived at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan for the ceremony. What an awesome sight! The Cathedral is huge, cavernous and breathtaking!  I think it took April 5 minutes just to walk down the lengthy aisle! But it was worth the walk as she spotted Nick in his crisp Army Green uniform waiting for her alongside his dad the Deacon, and Father Bill Scafidi from St. Mary’s in Newburgh. (who goes to more wedding receptions that I do, I think!)  April was stunning in her lace gown and mantilla veil- so classic. 

The best part of the ceremony had to be when April and Nick were walking back down the aisle and the massive doors to the church opened, pouring in the sunlight from outside and the cheers from people on the downtown streets! What a sight. We got some incredible shots of the two of them in Rockefeller Plaza, where Nick proposed, and also right in the middle of traffic! Only in NY!

We were then off to West Point for more pictures with the very cool Andie Whyland;  Followed by  cocktails overlooking the Hudson River at the historic Thayer Hotel.

Did I mention that the Castellanes can party? The groom’s dad wore an Ozzy Osbourne long black wig for the cocktail hour….DJ Patrick from Partytime Productions introduced the bride and groom to their guests as Mr. and Mrs. Fabulous!

No one left the dance floor for the entire evening and by the end, I think that some clothing was lost….OK …Misplaced. 

Lots of family, lots of love and lots of good times are definitely in store for the new Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Castellane!

Party on!

-love,

Jen

My May 29th bride, Jen, was determined to not have it rain on her wedding day. Although rain was forecast, we were able get some  photos done on her mom’s beautiful covered front porch while it sprinkled rain outside.

Now it was off to the Eagle’s Nest for (hopefully) an outside ceremony on the deck. Well I think that Jen willed it not to rain so hard that it actually worked!  She walked down the aisle to her groom Chris, among the oohs and ahhs and tears of all who were present. She was flawless!  The sky started to cloud over and spit a few drops right at the end of the ceremony, but stopped by the time Chris kissed his bride.

We had a great time working with Elissa Davidson and her crew capturing the fun bridal party and family shots overlooking the most fabulous view in Orange County!  Once inside, the guests were greeted by the always fabulous MC Fish. Fish is the only DJ that I have ever worked with who uses a black light and white gloves for a truly unique party experience!  You have to see it to believe it and I’ll try to post some video soon.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Jen surprised her grandfather with a special dance to the delight of all of her mom’s sisters (I think there are 7 of them?)  The group partied well into the night and was only briefly tempted off of the dance floor by all of the fabulous pastries on the Eagle’s Nest Viennese table!

To the brand new Mr. and Mrs. Casillas….may you always have sunshine…never rain!

love-jen

My May 23rd couple was the triple threat…..both photogenic, both in love and ready to show it off! Seriously, they were up for anything! Which is great when you’re working alongside the incomperable Catherine Leonard and her team of photographers.
Following the lovely Catholic mass at St. John’s in Goshen, we travelled to Rockland County to the NY Country Club for the afore-mentioned photography adventure.
We had Christopher lifting Cheryl up, dipping her down, driving out on the golf course, running….you name it! We gave Christopher and Cheryl quite a work out, but the moments we captured were well worth the effort!
It is always a blast working with a husband and wife photography team because it is always competitive – each tries to out-do the other and get the perfect shot. I had to laugh when Catherine and Alistair tried to get their assistant to choose who got the best photo – but ultimately, it was Cheryl and Christopher who were the beneficiaries of these two awesome photographers and their talents.
Once inside, the bride and groom kicked off the night with a spectacular choreographed first dance, complete with Christopher picking Cheryl up and spinning her for the big finish! (Is there a theme here?)
The always-rockin’ party MC Larry Mulligan was spinning the tunes, so you KNOW the dance floor was packed the whole night! Come to think of it, I don’t think that the bride and groom ever left the dance floor.
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Kleister!
-jen

Here’s a clip from Katie and Joe June 14th 2008 from jen cassaro on Vimeo.

Here’s a clip from Jess and Justin from jen cassaro on Vimeo.

a clip from Margaux and Dino from jen cassaro on Vimeo.

I remember last year when my May9th bride Amanda was in my office and I showed her a “sparkle” effect in one of my productions.

She lit up and said, “I love sparkle – Use that a lot!”

 Well, she was NOT kidding! From her dress, to her tiara, to the cake, to the makeup etc…..there was sparkle everywhere.

Especially in her groom’s eyes as he saw her for the first time. Gerard actually could not take his eyes off of her.

The Catholic mass was held in the beautiful Mt. St. Mary’s chapel, the bride’s alma mater.  We got some adorable shots of the couple on the campus working alongside Staten Island transplant Lisa Kimball, a new photographer in the area, then it was off to the sparkly Villa Borghese for cocktails and more photos.

Since the bride and groom grew up around the corner from each other in New Windsor, there were plenty of friends and family on hand to help these two celebrate.  I think they invited the whole neighborhood! And these folks could party!

The dance floor was packed the entire night, dancing to the sounds of K104 DJ Bill Beale, who even gave the couple a shout-out on his Monday morning radio show.

The sparkle theme continued well into the night when the room went dark to reveal the 3 tables of desserts complete with lit sparklers on top. The bride and groom were the first in line for dessert and in the glow of the sparklers, you could see Gerard’s eyes, still staring in disbelief at his beautiful bride.  Gerard, you are one lucky guy!

Love ya Mr. and Mrs. Trotta! May 9th 2009.

-jen

Tiffany and Michael’s day was an elegant affair from start to finish. I have not seen such a polished, relaxed bride and groom in quite some time.  From the lovely ceremony at St. James’ church in Goshen, to the stunning photo session and blue skies, every detail of the day unfolded just as beautifully as the thousands of yellow tulips at Catlin Gardens.

We had such a great time working alongside the fabulous Jackie Pfeffer, who, by the way , is my new blog idol. (she had this wedding blogged the next day! – only took me 3 weeks!)  Check out her web site – she is definitely a photographer on the rise!  Jackie and I got some adorable shots of Tiffany and Michael on a tree swing, amongst the tulips, and on a great wooden bridge hovering over the water at Catlin.  I had to bounce on it a few times to prove to them that it was safe and the shots that we got were well worth the risk!

Two wonderful families combined for a great party emceed by the always energetic Larry Mulligan from Much Music. As always, way too much food was served and the bride INSISTED that I take home some pastries….I swear, she forced me!

From the emotional first dance to the cake cutting, the whole day was elegant, a complete reflection of this very elegant couple.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Michael Novak.

May 2nd 2009.

-Jen

My May wedding season started with a blast last Friday with the fun, fun, fun nuptials of Sherry and Sean. The sprinkles of rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of this crowd who was ready for a big wedding celebration.

Following the beautiful Catholic ceremony in Matamoras, PA, we travelled directly to the lovely Woodloch Pines in Hawley, PA to get some bridal party photos down by the lake just as the sun came shining through.  It is always a pleasure when I get to work with friends, and my pal Thomas Duncan was totally on his game that day! We got some really  sweet shots of Sherry and Sean down by the water, and even took them back out later for the always spectacular sunset shot!

Then it was time to celebrate! Sean was supported by a large turnout from his firefighter buddies and the party was outstanding.  I have never heard a live band play rap at a wedding before! They were incredible. The dance floor was packed the entire night.

One over-zealous guest decided to put some dirty-dancing moves on me behind my back and I guess he put on quite a show! Of course, I was filming what was in front of me, so I couldn’t see him. I wonder if my assistant got THAT on tape? Anyway, I’m always glad to be a part of the party –  And boy can that Heater family party!

Continued fun, laughter and love to the new Mr. and Mrs. Sean Heater.

May 1st 2009

-Jen

I was really looking forward to my April 4th wedding at The Grandview.  Jess and Micah are good friends of one of my all-time favorite couples from 2006 Cherene and Rick.  Micah even made the blooper reel of their wedding, so I knew that I was in for some fun at his own wedding. (Not that his bride Jess was any slouch in the fun department!) But never, in 16 years of filming weddings, has anyone ever asked me if they could wear the wireless microphone all night, just in case I caught any audio bloopers! Well, Micah made the request and I obliged.

I kind of felt badly that I caught him saying “I think the glass went through my foot” during the glass-breaking ceremony at the end of their vows. Only to find out, yup! the glass indeed went through his foot! Another first for me. Something I’m sure they’ll laugh about later, but at the time it was very painful for him.

The many bloopers that I caught throughout the night, however, paled in comparison to the abundance of fun and absolute joy all around. I worked side by side with the fabulous photographer Elissa Davidson to capture some spectacular night shots out by the Mid-Hudson bridge that are sure to be some of their favorites.

DJ Baby Sal has been the bride’s family DJ since her Bat Mitzvah! He really knew this crowd and they responded with a packed dance floor the entire evening.  I have to say, Jess’ s parents are my new favorite parents, as they were the first and last on the dance floor all night and just having the time of their lives at their daughter’s wedding.

One of the cutest moments was when we were leaving the Poughkeepsie Grand to head to the ceremony, and the bride’s veil blew off her head and was on it’s way to the windy Hudson River.  Micah to the rescue as he jumped several times to save the veil.  He is definitely Jess’s hero and she is his Princess. A fairytale to be sure!

Continued love, fun and lifetime full of “bloopers” to the new Mr. and Mrs. Micah Klein!

April 4th 2009

-Jen