Masterpiece Video

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