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

SECOND Floor NYC Wedding : Kevin & michael : New York, NY

Kevin and Michael tied the knot in early spring at SECOND Floor NYC, situated within the Eventi Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

This unique venue combines the charm of an urban industrial loft in Brooklyn with all the amenities of a towering NYC hotel. The location is perfect as Madison Square Park is just a stone’s throw away, providing a stunning backdrop for couples portraits. During cocktail hour, the entire wall of windows surrounding the bar can be raised to create an indoor/outdoor ambiance, weather permitting. A distinctive feature is the massive Jumbotron screen, which projects a slideshow of images across a courtyard. The grooms chose to showcase their beloved cat, making it seem like he was present at the event. What really stood out to me about this particular wedding reception was the use of an amazing disco ball. I think all weddings should have these! When it comes on - people go nuts haha.

I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to shoot at SECOND again, and the vibe was nothing short of fantastic.

Vendor Team:

Photographer: Brian Hatton Photography
Event Planning: The Union Studio
Cake: Lulu
Florist: Rosehip Social
Stationary: Bella Figura
Groom's’ Attire: Brooks Brothers
Grooming: Salon SCK
Lighting: Universal Light & Sound
Ceremony Music: Venus Ensembles
DJ: James Mulry
Rings: Tiffany

W Loft Wedding : Jenna & ben : Brooklyn, NY

Jenna & Ben were married in the Fall at W Loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.

Forgoing getting ready in favor of maximizing time for portraits and the party, we dove right into a first look on the roof deck of a Williamsburg condominium building. With truly spectacular views of the Williamsburg Bridge and lower Manhattan, it was a perfect way to get started. Family joining us shortly thereafter and I captured their intimate ketubah signing before we made the quick walk down the street to the ceremony and reception venue. I love these Brooklyn venues that you’d never know existed from street level and then you make it upstairs and it’s like - “oh, wow“. We were blessed with a shockingly gorgeous day which meant that Jenna & Ben could make use of the expansive roof area at W Loft. You’re completely enveloped by skyline and the pictures seem to take themselves.

The lovely and talented team at Fern Botanica added a bit of whimsy to the contemporary atmosphere in a way that blended in seamlessly. Remixologists manned the DJ booth. I go way back with Remixologists and it’s great to see them doing so well all these years later.

This was a fun wedding to shoot. I can feel the personalities shining through these images and I love the overall intensity of personal connections exhibited throughout the day.

Photographer: Brian Hatton
Venue: W Loft
Hair & Makeup: Julia Valldi
Lighting: Universal Light & Sound
DJ: Remixologists (DJ Jams Bond)
Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville
Groom’s Attire: Suit Supply

Park Hyatt Wedding : Ellena & Kevin : New York, NY

Ellena & Kevin were married at The Park Hyatt New York on Billionaire’s Row in New York City.

Walking in to this event at the beginning of the day, it became immediately apparent that the bride and groom had worked tirelessly to create a beautiful, unforgettable atmosphere for their family and friends. With two towering trees framing the ceremony, the height of the Onyx Room at the Park Hyatt was an amazing backdrop for what was a wedding that literally tantalized all the senses. A custom fragrance blend blanketed the space which set a luxurious mood but also served as a sensory memory to which the bride and groom could refer back to throughout their years together. Every last detail was customized to be one of a kind including the music Ellena walked down the aisle to.

Photographer: Brian Hatton
Videographer: 15 Minutes of Frame
Event Planning: Exquisite Affairs Productions
Cake: Ron Ben-Israel
Florist: Samantha Su, Sterling Design
Hair/MUA: VICKYC5
Wedding Gown: Elie Saab
Veil: Yuri Chang Bride

Tribeca Rooftop Wedding : Julia & Ezra : New York, nY

Julia & Ezra were married in late Summer at TriBeCa Rooftop in New York, NY.

I have been photographing weddings and events at TriBeCa Rooftop for a decade or more. I’m still continuously reminded of how unique it is as a wedding venue in NYC. There just aren’t many places out there with a rooftop so large that there is a completely separate and dedicated ceremony area from an equally (if not more) expansive outdoor space for cocktails. And then downstairs in the event space it’s just massive. Plenty of room to have a lounge set up for guests to wander over after dinner and hang out as well as plenty of room for a photo booth without being crammed into a corner. And then for portraits, you can either use the venue or go right outside for cobblestone covered streets and quintessential TriBeCa industrial facades. Pretty fantastic.

Supported by the fantastic Shay Castro of Runway Events, my day began with Julia at The Dominick Hotel on Spring Street located within reasonable walking distance of the venue. I photographed her final touches with Beautini’s Brittany Lo before we met up with Ezra on Staple Street for a first look with the iconic Staple Street Skybridge in the background. Making our way back to TriBeCa Rooftop, the bridal party met us at street level for some photos before we made our way upstairs to prepare for the ceremony. At this point for any wedding with a first look, it really feels like things are kicking into gear as all the staged photos are compete and guests begin to arrive. It’s fun to see the look on people’s faces as they step out onto the roof positively surrounded by the NYC skyline.

Cocktail hour here tends to be timed to coincide with sunset which sets the perfect stage for venturing down the main staircase to dinner. The steps and upper tier always make a perfect platform for getting the money shots during the hora and open dancing. Forever in Bloom’s design was stunning giving a classic yet modern feel to the space. While many loft spaces can be somewhat stark, TriBeCa Rooftop has a warmer feel and the florals work to complement this rather than pick up all the slack.