Ward Pound Ridge Reservation : Engagement Session : Pound Ridge, NY

A natural retreat in Westchester County, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation offers a different world entirely just an hour’s ride from NYC. The magic in the morning as the sun rises over the hills makes an already stunning location dynamic and fun to shoot in. While Central Park is a lovely spot for an engagement session for a variety of reasons, I sure didn’t mind this change of pace.

Roundhouse Wedding : Jess & Josh : Beacon, NY

Jess & Josh held their Spring wedding at The Roundhouse in Beacon, NY.

I am lucky to shoot at The Roundhouse quite a bit and it was great to kick off this season of visits with this spirited couple. This was one of those weddings that feel like is photographing itself. So many raw and real expressions and a well crafted vibe. This venue is great just on its own without little dressing up, but Jess & Josh’s disco ball theme really upped the ante. I had a spree of 3 or 4 weddings in a row where they all had disco balls and it added so much! I hope to see more in the future.

These days I’ve found myself really gravitating towards the hotel building on the property at the top of the hill. I love the brick details and contemporary landscaping which. The warmth plus the cool greens really pop and I feel like many modern couples look and feel at home there.

Jess & Josh lucked out with both the ceremony and cocktail hour being held outside. I love how easy it is to get big group shots with family and friends on the expansive patio or down by the waterfall. It’s the ideal setting for cocktails.

Moving inside for the reception, the lights came on and we were in amazement at the zillions of bright disco spots swirling about the room. As we light various elements with flash the disco balls pick up that light and send it out like a sparkler. It’s pretty amazing to see flying across the viewfinder.

Photography: Brian Hatton
Venue: The Roundhouse
Florist: Lavender & Leaf
Hair & Makeup: Gem House
Officiant: Rabbi Lori Koffman
Lighting: LNJ
Band: Atomic Funk
Cinema: Kiss the Bride Films
Wedding Dress: Rebecca Schoneveld

Sole East Resort Wedding : Ying & Eric : Montauk, NY

Ying & Eric were married in the exquisite Hamptons, choosing the relaxing getaway Sole East Resort in Montauk, NY for their wedding ceremony and reception.

It makes for an early start to my day, but I love the drive to Montauk. When you’re headed East from NYC, there is a point a 90 minutes or so in where the trees transition from your typical random highway-side assortment to these ethereal, sea-green pines. This is the moment where any lingering stress begins to dissolve, even if I'm on my way for work.

This lovely couple asked me to come to Sole East to document their day after photographing their friends’ wedding in the city at The Pierre. I love these types of referrals that take you between two opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of venue style.

Upon reaching Montauk, I had a couple of hours to spare before I was to start by documenting the traditional Chinese tea ceremony. I utilized this time to familiarize myself with the venue and scout potential locations for photography. Located just a few moments from Sole East, we made our way to the bay side which was absolutely serene. We gathered the bridal party and family there after the first look and then it was off to the ceremony under the absolutely gorgeous sky that we were offered in the Spring.

Photography: Brian Hatton
Venue: Solé East
Florist: Pink Jasmine Designs
Hair/Makeup: EJ Kim
DJ: DJ Lou
Ceremony Music: Julian Schwarz & Marika Bournaki
Wedding Gown: Amsale

Central Park Zoo Wedding : Ashley & Kip : New York, NY

Ashley & Kip were married on a Spring afternoon at the Central Park Zoo in New York City.

I met up with the bride and groom with umbrella in hand at the Park Lane Hotel which was especially gracious is allowing us to use their rooftop bar for 5 minutes. This is a very rare occurrence as most hotels common spaces are totally off limits in NYC for photography. We staged a first look there and then hopped in cars to go to Grand Central Terminal for some portraits. If you show up at GCT with a bridal party you’ll need a permit, but they’re always cool if you keep a small footprint with a bride & groom.

At the Central Park Zoo, Ashley & Kip’s ceremony took place under a covered walkway which offered a long and anticipation building aisle. A lovely tent was erected nearby which kept everyone high and dry. Fortunately by the time cocktails rolled around the sky dried up a bit and the guests were ushered over to the sea lion tank for a demonstration with drink in hand.

Photography: Brian Hatton
Getting Ready: Park Lane Hotel
Ceremony & Reception: Central Park Zoo
Wedding Planner: Alinato Events
Catering: Bartleby & Sage
Florist: Rosehip Social
Stationery: Swell Press/Little Black Dress Paperie
Hair: JC Hair Design
Makeup: Beauty on Location NJ
Lighting: Frost Lighting & Production
Band: Silver Arrow Band
Wedding Dress: Ines di Santo
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale
Rings: Howard Engle

Central Park Boathouse Wedding : Olivia & Daryoush : New York, NY

It’s back. Olivia & Daryoush were wed at the iconic and elegant Loeb Boathouse in the heart of Central Park. Closed for a time, the Central Park Boathouse is under new management and I cannot wait to get back to shooting in what I call, my office. Although ultimately the bride and groom were lucky to be graced with a picture perfect day, I felt like the lucky one with the kind of scene setting weather that wedding photographers cross their fingers for every weekend.

The day began at the luxurious Park Lane Hotel located just across from the park on 59th Street. I arrived as hair & makeup were making their final touches and Olivia was preparing for the first of the first looks of the day… with her dad. I love when dads light up and Olivia’s father most certainly did. The moments kept rolling as we brought Olivia to Daryoush for his first look followed by some photos on the street in front of a vintage taxi courtesy of Film Cars. It’s pretty fun when you’re taking photos and each image that flashes through the viewfinder looks like it’s from a magazine.

As it tends to do, time slipped away and I switched gears from my role directing the photo session to disappearing into the event as guests began entering the front gate of the boathouse.

Behind every fantastic wedding is a superb team of vendors and this wedding certainly followed suit:

Event Design: The Bride
Photography: Brian Hatton
Cinema: Frank Ahn Films
Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier
Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Groom’s Attire: Suit Supply
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BHLDN
Rings: Spring Lake Jewelers
Cake: A Simple Cake
Day of Planner: Exquisite Affairs Productions
Florist: Eros Flowers
Stationary: Binvited
Hair: Salon Yoshiko (Kenji Ishimoto) Bergdorf Goodman
Makeup: Alexa Rae Makeup
Officiant: Louis Olivieri
Band: Elegant Music Group - Neon Transit
Transportation: Film Cars & NY Trolley Company