Kristy May Photography | New York City and Long Island Wedding Photographer » Weddings

Nick + Julia: Fire Island Wedding

Kristy — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:25:30 +0000

I first met Nick when we started the MPS in Digital Photography program at the School of Visual Arts just about 4 years ago. It was an amazing time and I have fond memories of running between classes with Nick to grab a bit to eat, often falafel, before photo illustration or scripting class would begin. By the end of the year, we both had new portfolios and skills, but luckily for Nick, he’d also met Julia and fallen totally in love! It was exciting for me, ( old married woman that I am :), seeing their love blossom. It isn’t often that I get to photograph a wedding where I got to live a bit of the couple’s story, so it was a rare and special pleasure to be there for their official union!

Nick’s family has a home on Fire Island, naturally a fantastic location for a wedding! Aside from Nick, there are two other photographers in his family, his aunt and his grandmother, Lillian Bassman. She is one of my photographic heros, and if you know her work or check this out, you will know why! So naturally I was honored to be chosen to photograph the wedding. The location was truly magical, the food divine and I’m so happy my friend Nick found his Julia!

Ceremony and Reception: Private Home, Fire Island
Catering and Cupcake: Lucullean Catering
Flowers: DIY
Officiant: Family Friend
Dress: Vintage

This was not a typical wedding ceremony! It was meant to be lighthearted and fun, and it was!

Nick and Julia are “bound” together. (Seems someone has a thing for Ancient Egypt!)

Guests lined the sandy aisle and gave the couple flowers.

The food was nothing short of amazing, especially considering the conditions that Jason and his staff were working in! It isn’t easy bringing food and drink for 50 people to an island and working in a smallish kitchen. Bravo!

Julia didn’t want a cake, but a large red velvet cupcake emerged and it was so moist. I’m getting hungry now!

As if on cue, the neighborhood swan appeared looking for some wedding treats.

Caroline + Jack: St. John’s of Lattingtown and Meadow Brook Country Club Wedding

Kristy — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:30:26 +0000

The following day after their fun beach rehearsal dinner, Caroline and Jack were married at St. John’s of Lattingtown. The reception took place at the Meadow Brook Country Club in Jericho, New York. And I’m so happy that the world didn’t end on May 21st, their wedding day, because that seriously would have put a damper on Caroline and Jack’s celebration! Aside from some rain during and after the ceremony, mother nature was very well behaved and this beautiful Spring wedding went off famously.

I photographed Caroline’s cousin and bridesmaid, Andi’s wedding, on Nantucket last September and I was so thrilled to be asked to photograph her wedding to Jack. It was so nice to see many familiar faces and photograph a group of people who really know how to throw not only beautiful weddings, but very fun ones indeed! Everything from the flowers adorning the tent to the cake invoked Spring. The Mike Herman Band was truly great, keeping everyone dancing the whole time! And a special thanks to my second shooter Jon and my assistant AKA, my husband Ryan, for helping to make sure things ran smoothly on my end.

Ceremony: St. John’s of Lattingtown, Locust Valley, NY
Reception: Meadow Brook Country Club in Jericho, NY
Band: The Mike Herman Band (a Hank Lane band)
Flowers: Petals in Locust Valley
Dress: Monique Lhuillier
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Cake: Sylvia Weinstock
Bridesmaid Dresses: Thread
Photography: Kristy May Photography
Second Shooter: Jon Lemon

Caroline’s mom and sister sew jewelry onto her delicate veil

These two are quickly becoming professional flower girls!

I just love the moment when they see each other for the first time as bride and groom, so much emotion.

This might just be my favorite moment of the night: the bride and her father dancing – and singing – to Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way”. It was so cute!

Gorgeous shot my second shooter Jon nabbed outside during twilight during the speeches.

So glad I decided to stick around a little longer and catch this great moment when the groomsmen ran after the bride and groom’s getaway car. So funny. Exactly why I always like to arrive early and stay late!

Brandy & Mark: Carter Plantation Wedding

Kristy — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:26:10 +0000

Just perfect timing, the sun setting on the horizon and Brandy and Mark’s first kiss as husband and wife! It isn’t easy to get the weather and ceremony timing to cooperate, but things just fell into place for their wedding at Carter Plantation in Springfield, Louisiana. Now home to a golf resort and a residential community, the former plantation is a fun place for a wedding. The old plantation home is a great location for photos, in addition to the beautiful greens and lush scenery.

Brandy and Mark incorporated lots of South Louisiana details into their wedding. The groom’s cakes represented the 3 football teams most important to Mark, Springfield High School, LSU, and the Saints. The favors were Hubig Pies, a local favorite, with ‘Brandy & Mark, Just Married” specially printed on them. There were also roman candy pieces, another local favorite, adorned with purple ribbon and little rings. Finally, Brandy and Mark took the beer coozie, a popular wedding favor in Louisiana, to a whole new level by having a graphic designer friend turn the popular New Orleans waterworks logo into their own wedding logo!

I always love photographing people dancing at the reception, but rarely have I see this level of commitment on the part of groomsmen and the groom. After a rousing version of Shout!, Mark serenaded Brandy with the 80s classic, “It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right”. Indeed! And the sparkler gauntlet followed by a quick escape via gold cart concluded the evening perfectly.

Ceremony and Reception: Carter Plantation, Springfield, Louisiana
Florist – Ann Madry
Videographer – Chris Huk
Cakes – Cocoa Bean Bakery
Band – Good Feelin Band
Ceremony Music – Peter Simon
Favors – Hubig Pies and Roman Candy

Annalise & Scott: St. Charles Presbyterian and The Windsor Court Wedding

Kristy — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:48:21 +0000

Annalise and Scott tied the knot back in March in New Orleans. I just love working with couples living in New York and getting married in New Orleans, best of both worlds. We did their engagement session around the Brooklyn Bridge a while back. New Orleans is such a great destination wedding location and this wedding brought the best of the city together. The ceremony was held at the beautiful St. Charles Presbyterian Church uptown. (I have a special place in my heart because my parents were married there and after 35 years, they are still in love!) We then made a quick visit to Audubon Park for some portraits. And the reception was at the Windsor Court, my favorite place for afternoon tea. I must say, it was also a great place for a party too and the views of the city at night are amazing. The food was excellent and the cake, a strawberry shortcake like filling and chocolate from Melissa’s Fine Pastries was one of the best I’ve ever sampled. Just a lovely wedding and I’m so happy for Annalise and Scott!

Ceremony: St. Charles Presbyterian Church
Getting Ready and Reception: Windsor Court
Flowers: Nola Flora
Cake: Melissa Cake
Band: Deacon John
Dress: Provinas
Hair and Make-up: Salon Diversions
Photography: Kristy May Photography

One of my favorite moments of the day! Because the church doesn't allow professional photography except from the balcony, I get a rare chance to photograph the last moments between the bride and her father. I think he asked her if she was ready to go.

(Top left) Scott left little notes for Annalise and the bridesmaid's all over her suite! He also left drinks, snacks and an assortment of gum rivaling any drugstore!

The cake from Melissa's Fine Pastries not only looked great, but was so tasty. The strawberry shortcake like layers was just awesome!

Andi + Ed: St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian, Round Table Club

Kristy — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:36:21 +0000

After the wedding was over, we headed back to Ed parent’s house to take a few pictures on the porch. I stepped back for a minute or so and watched Ed and Andi swing, relax and intertwine their feet. It was such a quiet moment, totally opposite from the boisterous second line up St. Charles earlier in the day, but a fitting end to a lovely wedding day.

The day started off with heavy rain. I was pretty much expecting the planned second line from the church to the reception to be canceled give the pretty dismal forecast. However, the isolated thunderstorms stayed away from uptown and following the ceremony at the St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian church we were able to dance our way to the reception after all. Did I mention it was also 70 degrees! Luckily there was plenty of champagne with hibiscus flowers on hand at the Round Table Club for all of the parched guests. (I had to wait until I got home to have mine!) The music was great, in fact you should visit Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns website and run it while you finish this post! When it came time to cut the cakes, rather, stab the croquembouche, Andi and Ed’s sword wielding abilities were impressive. None of the croquembouche went to waste and it was one of the most entertaining cake cutting I’ve seen.

I know you’ll be jealous to hear Andi and Ed are honeymooning in New Zealand and Australia!

And thanks to Misty McElroy for the awesome job assisting and second shooting. I had her running up and down the avenue all afternoon!

Ceremony: St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian New Orleans
Reception: Round Table Club (Private Club)
Planner: Julie Thomas with Fusion Event Productions
Second Line: Algiers Point Brass Band
Band: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns

I love drinking champagne with wild hibiscus flowers. They are from Australia and are a beautiful and edible addition to your champagne flute. (My aunt and uncle live in Darwin and bring these when they visit, but you can order them in the US.)

Andi + Mark : Nantucket Wedding

Kristy — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:51:42 +0000

I first met Andi and Mark at a wedding I was photographing in California back in 2007. They had only been dating a few months, but Mark was the best man and that wedding was their first trip as a couple. We were seated at the rehearsal dinner together and I remember how much fun they had with one another. Of course, I was thrilled when they asked me to photograph their wedding on Nantucket! It was my first trip to the island, and it was even more beautiful than I imagined it would be. And most importantly, it was truly the prefect location for their wedding. Mark’s grandmother met her husband there and clearly the island has rightly held an important place in the family since. The weather was perfect and all of the wedding events, a cocktail hour, rehearsal dinner and of course the wedding itself, was fantastic. Nicole and her team at Unique Nantucket did a wonderful job creating a superb venue steps from the ocean. Just lovely.

Wedding Planner – Unique Nantucket
Ceremony – St. Mary’s Our Lady of the Isle
Reception – 122 Tom Nevers Rd
Catering – Nantucket Catering Company
Flowers – Julie Hilberg Hunt
Cake – Pam Goddard
Music – Soul of Boston
Jewelry – Elizabeth Cole Jewelry
Photo Assistant – Mariah MacGregor

The groom likes elephants! Cufflinks by Elizabeth Cole Jewelry

Desirée + Mike: Hildene Wedding, Manchester, VT

Kristy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:05:07 +0000

Desirée and Mike met on Fire Island and were married in the lush Green Mountains of Vermont over Labor Day weekend. With whimsical flowers in hues of purple, flower girls with wings, breathtaking views of the Green Mountains and a historic mansion, their wedding was sophisticated, personal and fun. The ceremony and reception were held at Hildene, the historic summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, in Manchester, Vermont. The ceremony, officiated by Cynthia Kilburn, included the reading of a letter to each other, and both sets of parents also spoke. A friend of the bride’s made the cake using her Elizabeth Fillmore gown as inspiration. “The thought of having a friend make my wedding cake was something that I thought was so special and really meaningful,” Desirée said. “To me, it embodied the whole idea of a wedding of people and families coming together in love and friendship. Not to mention, I was so flattered (having made cakes and realizing how much work and time they take) that she wanted to do it for me.” A Ben and Jerry’s cart was on hand to serve ice cream in addition to the red velvet cake.

Rehearsal Dinner, Bride and Groom Accommodations – Equinox Resort
Ceremony and Reception – Hildene
Hair – American Hairlines, Manchester, Vermont
Catering – Pangaea Restaurant and Lounge, North Bennington, Vermont
Cake – Made by a friend
Band – Scott Yanney Band from Faze Four Orchestras, NYC
Flowers – Nancy Bishop Flowers
Officiant – Cynthia Kilburn
Dress – Elizabeth Fillmore from Mark Ingram Bridal, NYC
Shoes – Jimmy Choo
Butterfly Escort Cards – Paper Orchid Stationary
Photographer Accommodations – Inn at Manchester
Honeymoon – Bora Bora

Just like each bridesmaid’s dress, their bouquets were all unique. And I just love these butterfly escort cards!

It was overcast and a bit cool during the ceremony, but the sun came out during cocktail hour and was just beautiful!

My assistant Laurie and I stayed at the lovely Inn at Manchester, just a few minutes from Hildene. We had a great time shopping at all the outlet stores in Manchester the day after the wedding. We even stopped at the Big Moose Deli on the way home. Just a lovely long weekend all around!

Cristin + John: Terrell House Wedding

Kristy — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:15:24 +0000

October was just the prefect month for New Orleans style courtyard weddings! Cristin and John choose one of my favorite venues, the Terrell House, for their special day. Of all of the brides I’ve encountered, Cristin was by far the most relaxed! She wore the same dress as her mother did, a pretty lace Victorian dress a relative bought years back.

I first met Cristin and John when I photographed their engagement session, but as it turns out, I went to the same high school as Cristin. (Her brother and I were in the same class!). New Orleans is really just a big small town!

Venue: Terrell House
Catering: Terrell House
Officiant: Jerry K Schwehm
Music: Joe Messina Orchestra
Florist: Adrian’s Florist
Cake: Swiss
Make-up/Hair: Flawless Bride
Second Photographer: Victoria Pisarello

That’s Cristin’s Dad in the background watching the first look. Victoria got this great moment!

Laura + Tim: Hermann Grima House Wedding

Kristy — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:18:41 +0000

Laura and Tim met on a bike ride in St. Francisville, Louisiana a few year ago and were married at the Hermann Grima House in the French Quarter in October. I so admire couples who have a mutual love of something, especially one that takes you to beautiful countryside and burns calories! It was a short, but sweet ceremony and I just love the look on Tim’s face as Laura emerged with her Dad. The evening was just perfect for an outdoor wedding and Bacco provided some delicious fare like shrimp and grits. I’m still regretting not tasting the bananas foster, it looked awesome. (But I did get a shot of it!) Congrats Laura and Tim!

Venue: Hermann Grima House
Catering: Bacco
Officiant: Jerry K Schwehm
Flowers: Tommy’s Flowers
Cake: Gambinos
DJ: 4 U Blanchard
Band: Dr. Jazz

James + Michael: W Hotel and Times Square Wedding

Kristy — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:49:40 +0000

On their 20th anniversary, James and Michael were married during a very intimate midnight ceremony at the W Hotel in New York City. The couple came up from Virginia for the occasion. It was such an honor to be their photographer and witness! Earlier in the day, we took pictures around Times Square, The New York Public Library and Central Park. It was a fun, colorful shoot despite the dreary weather. While I photographed another wedding in the evening, James and Michael got to see Ricky Martin in Evita! We met up again in the hotel lobby and found the perfect backdrop for the ceremony by officiant Kim Worley. After a celebratory stroll through Times Square, James and Michael got cheesecake at Junior’s. Mmmmm. Congrats!!!!!!!!!!