A Summer Wedding in Northport, New York
Nicole & Daniel’s wedding was one of those days that gave me completely different environments to work with: the intimacy of getting ready at home, the traditional architecture of St. Philip Neri Church, and finally the open gardens and waterfront character of The Old Field Club. As a professional wedding photographer, that variety gives me the opportunity to tell the story without making every part of the day look or feel the same.
We started at home with the Getting Ready. Nicole’s preparation had a relaxed, joyful energy, and I wanted the photographs to preserve that feeling rather than turn every moment into a posed portrait. One of my favorite images from the morning is a simple black-and-white photograph of her putting on her shoes, surrounded by the volume of her wedding dress. Daniel’s preparation had its own rhythm, sharing those final moments with his groomsmen before heading to the ceremony.
The ceremony took us to St. Philip Neri Church in Northport, where Nicole & Daniel officially became husband and wife. Afterward, the steps of the church became the setting for a completely different kind of photograph: the newlyweds surrounded by their wedding party, celebrating rather than posing formally. Those moments of movement and personality are always an important part of how I photograph a wedding.
From there, the day transitioned to The Old Field Club, where the gardens gave us room to create their wedding photo session. The landscape, white pergola, greenery and open sky provided a clean backdrop for portraits of Nicole & Daniel and their wedding party. For the couple’s photographs, I wanted something more romantic and understated. Nicole’s long veil gave us exactly that opportunity, catching the air and creating one of those images where a small, unpredictable detail transforms the entire photograph.
Once the reception began, my approach changed again. The first dance called for a wider composition that showed Nicole & Daniel together while still preserving the character of the room and the guests watching around them. Later, the dance floor became much less controlled—and that was exactly the point. Nicole surrounded by family and friends, laughing and dancing, tells a completely different part of their story than the portraits earlier in the day.
That’s what I enjoyed most about photographing this wedding. It wasn’t one continuous style of imagery. It moved from quiet preparation to tradition, from carefully composed portraits to a reception full of movement. As a professional photographer, my goal during a wedding and every photo session is not simply to create beautiful photographs, but to make sure the final collection actually feels like the day that was lived.
