Julie & Ryan’s spring wedding at Battery Gardens

Julie & Ryan were married last weekend at Battery Gardens, a lovely venue at the corner of Battery Park at the southernmost tip of Manhattan. We started the day shooting their getting ready process in a nearby hotel– Julie looked amazing in her dress and I just loved the necklace she wore (it was her grandmother’s!).  My 2nd shooter, Sarah, took Ryan outside before us and set him up so we could do their first look on some stairs to a museum near the Bowling Green subway station.  Their wedding was on the same day as the NYC Five Boro Bike Tour so naturally we had to navigate a pack of bikers along our portrait walk into Battery Park towards the venue, but it was adorable and the couple got some bike-bell-rings and congratulations as they made their way.  I spotted a beautiful pink-flowering tree not far from the restaurant where we could make the family portraits and not be in direct squinty sunlight or the wind coming off the water… and I gave this tree some bonus points for matching Ryan’s pink tie!  We went inside for the Ketubah signing while guests were greeted with a family favorite cocktail in the ground floor of the restaurant.  Then we were treated to a very sweet ceremony upstairs, after which the staff of Battery Gardens beautifully transformed the room into a tabled reception with dance floor and band setup while guests enjoyed cocktails downstairs and outside on the patio.  Julie & Ryan’s  reception had a uniquely lovely flow to it– they did all their eating and toasts first and then launched into their first dance and Hora so that the rest of the night was one big party on the dance floor.  Everyone had a marvelous time and it showed!  Congratulations, Julie & Ryan!


Julie & Ryan’s spring wedding at Battery Gardens from Sarah Tew Photography on Vimeo.

Dress by Jenny Yoo

Makeup & Hair by Betty Salinas

Flowers by Opalia

Catering by Battery Gardens

Cupcakes by Baked NYC

Music by Mark Grandfield

Officiant: Rabbi Peter Rubinstein

Ketubah by Robert Saslow

Invitations by Designers Fine Press

Child/Family session: Aaron & Eli at Central Park

Yulia saw some of my portraits and inquired about having a shoot with her two young boys at Central Park– we couldn’t have picked a nicer day to shoot! Check out some of my favorite shots from our Sunday morning adventure!

Lincy & Michael’s Spring Wedding at The Palm House

All week the forecast was predicting rain for the Saturday of Michael & Lincy’s wedding, but I paid no mind.  In my experience the forecast is never even close to being reliably right until the day before the wedding… sure enough the weather shifted and we had a gorgeous day (if a little chilly).  This was an early one– we started shooting at 7:30 am so we would have enough time to do their first look and all the portraits before the ceremony, after which they got to go enjoy their cocktail hour.  What a fantastic time of year to get married at The Palm House!  So many flowers just beginning to bloom…  we had a gorgeous bunch of magnolia trees around the patio where I was able to shoot the groups, check it out!   I also fell in love with a hill of daffodils that was ripe for a background.  It was nice to shoot this wedding with almost exclusively daylight, thanks to the amazing glass ceiling at The Palm House and the afternoon reception schedule.  We set up our open-air photobooth and the guests went nuts with the funny props one of the mothers had gathered for the occasion.  After the reception I sent Ryan & Nick home and went back to their hotel to shoot some of the roof party they had planned for their guests.  Shooting Michael and his uncles by the rooftop scotch’n’cigar bar was definitely a high point, as was the sunset over the skyline view from their roof.  Congratulations to Lincy & Michael and a big thanks to my excellent 2nd shooter Ryan & my wonderful new assistant Nick for the fantastic help with this wedding!


Lincy & Michael’s Wedding at The Palm House (Brooklyn, NY) from Sarah Tew Photography on Vimeo.

Vendor credits:

Venue: The Palm House

Dress by Watters / Lasara

Shoes by Badgely Mishka

Veil by Sibo Designs

Makeup & Hair by MG Hair & Makeup

Flowers & Succulants (favors) by Opalia Florist

Catering by Charles Sally Charles

Cake (“Windswept”) by Ana Parzych

Music provided by DJ Rob Kelly for 74 Events

Officiant: Michael Lopez

Invitations & Paper Pieces by Wedding Paper Divas