intimate wedding: vitalina & jeremy
Sunday, March 12th, 2023
Some weddings have a high guest count and a full-day timeline. Often, a mega-talented planner is involved to execute everything to perfection and schedules are sent months in advance. For these events, I would often meet the couple prior to signing the photography contract and once more, a few weeks before the actual wedding.
Other weddings have none of the above. After the pandemic threw the industry into turmoil, lots of couples opted for more intimate celebrations; ones that could be organized rather quickly in case restrictions and rules changed again. Vitalina and Jeremy reached out less than two months before their wedding and after one phone call, everything was set.
So I met Vitalina for the very first time as her black sedan pulled up to Cluny, a beautiful French bistro in the Distillery District. She was sitting in the back seat, layers of white wedding dress billowing decadently around her. Luckily, this made it easy to pinpoint her as the bride I was set to meet, but even still, I am sure I would have recognized her from the smile on her face.
Vitalina tucked herself off to the side, greeted by girlfriends and family, while guests grabbed craft cocktails at the bar and took their seats.
Jeremy was hidden inside since he was going to see his bride for the first time as she walked down the aisle… and as soon as he did, tears shortly followed. It was a beautiful ceremony and with a friend as the MC, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be hilarious and highly personal anecdotes that get everyone laughing.
With a kiss, they made it official and recessed down the aisle, straight into private portrait time. I frequently suggest this to my couples because I think it is such an important moment to share with each other… a moment to slow down, take a breath and celebrate together, before the rest of the evening begins.
We wandered around the cobblestone lanes of the Distillery District and then tucked up an alley to escape the crowds. I asked a venue assistant to bring us two glasses of bubbly and the couple shared a private toast. They were beaming and joyful and each photograph exudes a warmth that I truly cannot take credit for.
Photography coverage ended with some family photographs on the patio, as well as a few candid moments at cocktail hour, before everyone sat down to dinner.
It was one of the shorter events of my year, but it just goes to show that there truly is not a one-size-fits-all approach to weddings, nor to wedding photography. Because sometimes, all you really need is a few hours of coverage to say your vows, drink some champagne and laugh with your closest friends.
