Rebecca & Josh's September Wedding

It's always a pleasure when I can photograph a wedding of the daughter or son of a dear friend. That was the case with Rebecca Levy and Josh Grossman last September. They came up from Florida to get married at the Doubletree in Tarrytown, New York, near where Rebecca's mom & dad Judith & Bruce live. I've known Judith and Bruce for over a year and had been hearing about Rebecca all along, so it was wonderful finally to meet her when she came up a few months before the wedding. She's a very solid, sensible young woman, and Josh is a warm highly competent young man. It was really a pleasure to work with them.
Of course, I usually end up feeling like a member of the family for all the couples I work with, but in this case, I had felt that long before the wedding. I even knew some of the other family members.
The dark blue dresses of Rebecca's bridesmaids were striking, as was their collective humor. I didn't have to coach them much to get into fun configurations.
Here are the best images from the day:

 I love that navy blue of the bridesmaids' dresses.

 Dad Bruce, Rebecca, and mom Judith.

 Mom Judith, Rebecca, and her grandmother, who celebrated her 100th birthday this year.

 Rebecca dances with her brother, Matthew.

 I get in on the act.

 From my 5-foot ladder.

Quinn & Brian, High School Sweethearts, Get Engaged

Two of the sweetest people I've met—it's really such a deep pleasure to meet such bright and clear-sighted young people, who are clearly deeply in love. They had both attended the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, a beautiful campus, so that's where we went. I photographed them in front of the school, in the gazebo they have on the grounds, in front of the sports banner, on a rock that's part of the stone wall that separates the woods from the sports fields, and down a woodland path that's also part of the cross-country route. Then we went inside the building for a few shots overlooking the lobby. The fall colors cooperated with us, and we had a grand time.

 In the gazebo.

 On the stone wall.

 On the woodland path.

 Inside the main building.

Sonia & Earl's Wedding

One of the best benefits of this job is that I get to know people I ordinarily might never meet much less get to be friends with them. Sonia Ingram and Earl Monroe are two of the sweetest people I know, and Sonia has a very colorful sense of humor. I felt like a member of their family by the time the wedding came around, October 16, two weeks ago. And that feeling always prompts me to work a little harder—which is how I have fun anyway.

It was a beautiful wedding, all of which took place right here in Union at Galloping Hill Catering. Venus Amor did the planning, and my friend Dawn Hutcheson also mistress of ceremonies. Everything went extremely smoothly. They wanted lots of family photos, which was great, and of course, I brought my 5-foot ladder for the big group photo of everyone at the wedding (waving)—a image of the outpouring of love.

My projection of the images of the first half of the day was very well received.

Here are some photos from the wedding.

 Sonia checks her makeup before heading out.

 from the passenger seat of the limo

 Sonia's mom Judith (pink dress) could not hold back tears.

 Black and white reveals more emotion than color...

 Sonia dances with her mom, who seems to have recovered...

 ...and with her dad.

 Sonia's mom Judith offers a humorous toast.

 Earl gets lost looking for the garter.

 I'm on my 5-foot ladder to take this photo.