Sometimes you throw out a line and catch a shark.
That is exactly what happened when I posted an Instagram reel to my less than 900 followers hoping to book more travel weddings. I had come up with a bit of a bucket list of locations after flying to Vegas for a wedding in February so I decided to offer a discount for clients getting married in one of those places. The locations included Utah, Arizona, NYC, Palm Springs, Oregon and Hawaii. To my immense surprise I got my dream inquiry the next day. I remember just hoping and praying it was legit.
Nearly a year later and the reel still has less than 1.5k views but it somehow found its way through the very saturated world of NYC wedding photography Instagram content to reach my client's phone. There is no doubt that the stars aligned. My client felt the same way and booked me within the week. I truly could have melted into the abyss.
So, in September 2024 I flew to New York and shot the dreamiest wedding I could have asked for. The couple were both musicians and had a unique plan for their wedding that included no timeline, no shotlist, just complete trust in me. I felt on top of the world and had to keep myself from crying on the subway. I always get emotional on my way home from a wedding because it feels good to capture something so special for people but it felt even greater knowing we were in the city of some of the best photographers in the world and these folks chose me, just a silly girl from Dallas, Texas. And all because of a chance encounter with a 6 second video.
The Rehersal
The rehearsal dinner took place at Radagast Biergarten in Brooklyn where the couple first met. The restaurant was filled with all of their loved ones, the scent of fresh latkes and the sounds of a brass band. As the night progressed and speeches came to an end, the groom and his brothers played some songs with a few guest cameos. Then the bride and groom sang an emotional original song followed immediately by the silly duet, "In Spite of Ourselves".
The Wedding Day
We began the day in the bride's hotel room in FiDi where she got her makeup done with a magnificent view. Her best friends got her dressed and we were off to the church just across the street. The couple was married traditionally before leading all of their guests in a New Orleans style walk down to the pier where the rest of the festivities were ready to begin. Cocktail hour on the water commenced before everyone moved into the reception space to enjoy a never ending charcuterie, array of food and 360 degree bar. The bride shared a dance with her father that could have been a movie scene, I cried during speeches and then lost my mind as they poured espresso over a tiramisu cake topped with the bride's parent's wedding cake topper. The night included an iconic outfit change, a full on moshpit on the dance floor, after-party nachos, a bridal party cuddle puddle and a very joy filled heart for me.
