Jennifer & Efren....Mexican New York Wedding

When I first met Jennifer and Efren, we had a fabulous engagement session in Central Park. Originally they were to wed in their family's homeland of Mexico, but they ended up reciting their nuptials here in New York. To honor their culture, everything about their wedding had Mexican flavor and it was so lovely to witness the joyous celebration of two very happy people, joined by their ecstatic families and celebrating with authentic Mexican cuisine and music. It was quite an event!

Pretty detail in the bouquet.



I like the use of empty space here.



Absolutely stunning detail in Jennifer's gown.



This dress takes my breath away....and Jennifer's not even in it yet!



Fits her beautifully.



I love capturing these first moments of wearing a bridal gown on the actual wedding day.



I really love when more than one thing is happening in an image.



Vibrant blue sky, puffy clouds and magnificent church.



I opened the church doors just enough for some great light. The limo guy was super sweet and I really love Jennifer's face here. (And that's her papa fussing with her dress.)



Lovely ceremony.



I love when couples raise their arms up like this. Your mind completes the picture that lies before them.



Married!



You may kiss the bride. So he did.



I'm really into this lately.



This is my absolutely favorite shot of the day. I just love their pure expressions and the drama of the veil just makes it all the better.



Love the strong background here.



Traditional and gorgeous.



Super cute.



If you haven't noticed, I had a mild obsession with Jennifer's gown. But I tried to not make it the exclusive focal point of every image. It does play an important role here. With this angle, it serves to draw your eye to the happy couple.



This little girl (their niece) was absolutely adorable. I like this little moment and especially Jennifer and Efren's casual body language.



More casual stuff, even though it's posed.



The room at the Elmwood Country Club in White Plains was spectacular.



The layers of Jennifer's dress were just calling for a spin. Love the colorful lighting in the background, too.







Jennifer and Efren wanted a shot of themselves in the main reception area before everyone got there. Good call.



Pretty details.



Loving their first dance.



Nice moment.



Efren shares an emotional dance with his mom.



As a wedding and children's photographer, I just love when I can blend the two like this.



The party has officially begun and stayed at this level all. night. long.



People were swingin' and movin' in ways I didn't think was possible!



Fabulous!



Haven't quite figured this one out, but I really like it anyway.



More dress, um, I mean dancing.



(To see more dancing from this fantastic wedding, check out this highlight from videographer Chris Fig Productions. )

Jennifer's mom and little bro. Super sweet.



Group hugs are the best.



Another special dance for the bride and groom.



Enjoying the moment.



These handmade signs say it all but it's the moment they are sharing that is even better.



Jennifer and Efren, I had a blast shooting your wedding. I wish you all the best today and always!

Family and Fall....Fantastic!

Fall is a popular time for taking family portraits. The colors are wonderful and we still have plenty of light to shoot later in the day when the sun is most flattering. This was the case for a recent family session. I photographed a family and their infant daughter, along with the mom's two sisters and their families.

Do you just want to eat up this little sweetie pie?



Her gorgeous eyes are my camera's best friend.



There are a ton of possible captions for this one. Want to take a stab at it?



Stick a kid in the grass and the images almost create themselves.



Busted. She saw me.



"I'm daddy's little girl and I know it."



This right here is website worthy image. I love the expression on the baby's face and even more so, I love how you can feel so much of mom's expression without seeing her whole face.



Snuggled in between mom and dad. The best place to be.



Full body portrait of a cousin. I like the composition, her expression and.....I love her outfit.



Those of you regular blog followers know I am always popping myself into the bushes for my shots. I also like to stick the kids in there for a natural backdrop.



What's the first thing you notice in this photo? (And no, her eyes are not photoshopped AT ALL.)



A bit of a different angle.



Love his look.



And his big kid pose with just a tad of attitude.



Little bro had an awesome gift of looking right into my lens.



Again here. Love the colors and composition here, too.



Cousin shot! I love the baby's expression in particular.



Happy family. Big smiles.



Another family shot. Love the angle, green grass, blue sky and the height differences of each subject. This will be nice to look back upon as the kids grow taller.



Enough with the formal shots...let's have some fun. (Always my favorite.)





I was kind of dangling from the top of the swing set for this one. I like the way she is looking up as well as the texture on the ground behind her.



Using lines to draw you to the subject. (Funny, this is apparently a popular swing set model....I find myself doing this shot with many family sessions.)



Pretty as a princess on the swing.



Back to the blanket for baby.



And we ended up with a group shot of everyone. I like using the swing set as a prop. It really sets the tone for the stage these families are in right now. And just makes it fun.



Great session everyone...it's a wrap!