In a post from a New York wedding last year, the lovely Alex can be seen flashing her engagement ring to excited family and friends. David had proposed that very day and they were both so happy. She told us to watch out for her email and we were thrilled when we realized we would have the opportunity to photograph their wedding the following year. We actually met this couple years earlier, in Paris, at Jason & Mary's wedding, after which their besties Jackie & Dan hired us, followed by Alex & Nicole, and then finally we were lucky enough to run into ALL these wonderful people again at David & Alex's wedding.
This stuff is so fun for photographers, like going back through a family tree, tracing clients through the years. It's the best.
Alex and David chose such a lovely location for their wedding, somewhere I probably would never have seen or visited in my lifetime without an introduction. Kevin and I had never visited the Hudson Valley before, but now we cannot wait to return. Germantown is a little spot on the meandering river map, an idyllic farmer's market kind of old school charm. The airbnb we stayed in had three books of Hudson Valley history on the table, books tracing living locals back to the early European settlers of the valley. I love learning about the history of the places we travel to.
The couple chose a venue called simply A Private Estate, a large property of white oak trees and grasses flowing down to the river and a picturesque view of the Catskills. A nineteenth-century estate built by the iconic Livingston family (I read those coffee table books!) served as a stately and somewhat gothic backdrop. The mansion offered an impressive elegance to the otherwise natural environment.
But all I really want to write about is Alex in her dress. She wore perhaps the most stunning of all the wedding dresses I have photographed in my 10+ years of doing this. The simple, classic silhouette of her Pronovias gown fit Alex like a second skin. It was made with a more weighted material but had a sheen like satin, with clean lines, a slight mermaid skirt, and a simple neckline and V-back cut with a small amount of satin-covered buttons. The truly stunning part was the detachable train that billowed around her, emphasizing her fantastic figure by framing it in folds of creamy fabric. She could very easily take it off for dancing and walking around without all that dreaminess around her. She wore minimal jewelry, simple shoes, and a classic long veil for an overall look Jackie O. or Audrey Hepburn would have loved. She looked like the Dream Wedding Barbie I had as a 5-year-old. I seriously loved Alex in that dress.
Other highlights:
- Both sets of grandparents interacting with their beloved grandchildren (melted our hearts)
- David's reading of the Ketubah to the family
- David helping the (adorable) shy flower girls fling flower petals down the aisle
- Alex's extremely excited mom smiling a HUGE smile all day
- Alex & David's engraved rings (Alex loves you, David loves you)
- Seeing all of our past couples in one place! It was wonderful.
Take a look through this beautiful wedding and enjoy the details of Alex & David's special day.
Congratulations, you two!
And finally, here is a photo of the whole crew. We've shot weddings for four of the couples in this photo, and the others we've gotten to know along the way. We love you all!! (Obviously, I forgot to turn on my flash for whoever took this photo) - Kevin
