Oheka Castle Wedding : Abbie & Tony : Huntington, NY
Abbie and Tony were married on August 20th, with a ceremony and reception at the Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York.
In mid-August, I found myself sitting in a hotel room in Rome when I received a phone call from Abbie’s wedding planner: “Are you available to shoot a wedding at Oheka Castle this weekend? Yes . . . this weekend.” This is officially the closest to the date that I’ve ever booked a wedding! But I ended up loving it all the same—especially because I got to meet an amazing couple because of it.
Abbie and Tony have always dreamed of getting married at a castle, so in the NYC area, the obvious choice is Oheka Castle on Long Island in Huntington. As a Long Island wedding photographer, I’m at Oheka every year and am always impressed by the expansive property. It’s so vast that every couple can really bring their own tone to the wedding.
For Abbie and Tony, it was the chance to have some fun and take some great pictures with Abbie’s THREE dresses. Abbie wore her first dress, a red ballgown, for the Chinese tea ceremony honoring her parents. We took a few photos around the grounds before Abbie got ready in Oheka’s famous bridal suite, changing into a white gown for the wedding ceremony in the garden. The gown looked stunning in the super soft, warm, late afternoon light. After the ceremony, there was another dress change—this time into a highly-detailed red dress for the reception. I especially loved the way the red popped against the neutral colors of the castle.
During the ceremony itself, as Abbie walked down the aisle, we were able to get that quintessential Oheka shot with a photographer in the elevated position to take it. Doves were released, the newlyweds departed in a horse-drawn carriage, and the whole thing looked absolutely magical.
It was a spectacular afternoon with perfect weather—and the most enthusiastic groom I think I’ve ever had for taking photos. The planner kept trying to nudge us along to the next scheduled event, but Tony was all about getting the shots that Abbie wanted. After this, Abbie and Tony are headed to Shanghai for a reception in China, and they planned to display the photos that we took during this wedding for their hundreds of guests, so getting that perfect shot was so important to them.
Tony & Abbie, thank you for letting me be a part of your celebrations. I hope these photos are a hit at your reception in China! Thanks also to Bliss Wedding Films—you guys were a pleasure to work with, and your drone operator was one of the most talented I’ve ever seen.
Vendors:Florist: Metro Floral Decorators Hair: Make-Up Pro Officiant: Reverend Will Mercer Lighting: Ambient Events DJ: Marc Bauman Events Cinema: Bliss Wedding Films Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara Bride's Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Rings: Tiffany Groom's Attire: Zegna Couture Photo Booth: Fun Booth Horse & Carriage: Regal Carriage Inc