Sleepy Hollow Country Club Wedding : Lauren & Jack : Briarcliff Manor, NY

Lauren wanted the day to feel timeless, romantic, and elevated with a refined evening feel — and Sleepy Hollow Country Club gave her exactly that kind of range without ever having to leave the property. The 1911 mansion in Briarcliff Manor sits high above the Hudson, its Italian Renaissance facade framed by old trees and a golf course that rolls straight down toward the water, and by the time the light started to go gold over the Palisades, it felt like the house had been waiting all day for that exact hour.

Lauren got ready upstairs in a Danielle Frankel gown, architectural through the bodice and soft everywhere else, paired with Christian Dior heels she'd have on her feet well past midnight. Her father's first look happened on the staircase in front of the Tiffany windows, that particular slant of colored light landing across the hallway right as he turned the corner and saw her — the kind of moment that doesn't need staging, just someone in the right spot with a camera already raised. Jack had his own version of it fifteen minutes later, in the private courtyard behind the club, the two of them alone for a few minutes before either family pulled them back into the day.

Ceremony ran 5:30 to 6:00 on the front lawn, rows of white folding chairs facing the mansion with the river and the hills behind it, gold urns at the aisle's edge holding loose, garden-cut arrangements of peach and blush from Forever in Bloom that didn't look overworked so much as gathered. A live painter had arrived earlier that afternoon and worked off to the side through the vows, building the scene in real time the way the guests were living it. Sunset landed at 8:07, right in the middle of dinner, and the terrace cocktail hour that preceded it ran long enough to catch the first shift in the light — string lights coming on gradually against a sky that kept changing color while people found their seats and caught up.

Inside the tent, the room went from soft daylight to candlelight almost without anyone noticing, tall pastel arrangements anchoring each table under two crystal chandeliers, the kind of lighting that makes a big room feel close. Lauren and Jack were announced into their first dance a little after seven, and her father stepped in on violin right after — not a detail you get to write very often. The father-daughter dance rolled straight into a mother-son dance before the room broke for the first course.

From there the night moved through its usual rhythm and then some: guests locking arms in a circle, someone's uncle getting hoisted overhead mid-song, light-up wands passed through the crowd later as the band leaned into its last stretch. Cake cutting came around 9:30 — Ron Ben-Israel's tiers pulled just off to the side of the dance floor for a quick photo rather than a full room moment, then back to dancing.

And at the end of the night, Lauren's father brought the car around for the classic photo exit — Jack and Lauren pulling off into the dark in a vintage Porsche while the whole party spilled out to watch, headlights cutting across the driveway before the two of them looped back to change and head off in a town car for the after-party.

Brian Hatton Photography - brianhattonweddings.com
Danielle Frankel — daniellefrankelstudio.com
Forever in Bloom — foreverinbloomonline.com
Ron Ben-Israel Cakes — weddingcakes.com
Hank Lane Music / Kevin Osborne Band — hanklane.com
First Day Films — firstdayfilms.com
Bridal by Alexandria — bridalbyalexandria.com
Katie Schlichting, Day-Of Wedding Coordinator
Sleepy Hollow Country Club — sleepyhollowcc.org

NY Historical Society Wedding : Liz & Evan : New York, NY

Elizabeth and Evan got married on a Saturday evening in April at the New York Historical Society, tucked into the Upper West Side just across from Central Park — the kind of New York wedding that feels effortless because every detail was so clearly considered.

After getting ready, the day started blocks away in the park. Triplets Bridge, the Ladies Pavilion at the water's edge, the stone arch at West 77th — spring canopy just coming in, that first fresh green against grey stone and yellow cabs. Guests filtered into the Smith Lobby for cocktails, then moved into the PDK Library for the ceremony: rows of chairs, a hydrangea-lined aisle, a floral arch framed against the room's original stained glass. Officiant Alex Hance led the ceremony to Hans Zimmer's Interstellar theme, Elizabeth walked in to a string quartet version of "Can't Help Falling in Love," and the room emptied out to Avicii's "Levels" — phones down the entire time, which changes the way a room watches a wedding. You could feel it.

Cocktails moved through the Skylight Gallery and past the museum's Tiffany lamp collection — not staged, just there, glowing behind the guests the whole time. Dinner was in Dexter Hall, under a two-story Picasso, with floral print linens, gold tapers, and low hydrangea centerpieces echoing the ceremony flowers. Melarosa built the whole palette in blues, whites, and greens — quiet, garden-toned, nothing overworked.

Then the library transformed. Black and white checkerboard floor down, GYE took the stage, and the first dance to Kygo's "Firestone" opened a night that didn't let up — father-daughter to Celine Dion, mother-son sliding from "Stand By Me" into "I Want You Back," and at 11pm, Evan and Elizabeth stepped behind the decks themselves for a surprise DJ set that the room will be talking about for years. Cake cutting came late, to Benson Boone, a four-tier white cake from One the Cake standing at the center of it all. Brunch the next morning at Park Loggia closed things out slow, the way the best weekends do.

Photography: Brian Hatton

Planning: EAP Weddings

Venue: New York Historical Society

Catering: Great Performances

Florals: Melarosa

Video: First Day Films

Band: GYE / Soundtrack Central

Beauty: VickyC5

Cake: One The Cake

Dance Floor: Dance Floor Kings

Lighting: L&M

Photo Booth: 321 Photo Booth NYC

Crystal Plaza Wedding : Marnie & Brandon : Livingston, NJ

Marnie & Brandon were married in April at Crystal Plaza: a converted turn-of-the-century mansion in Livingston, NJ — over thirty crystal chandeliers, a gold-detailed ceiling, a round marble dance floor. For a Jewish wedding with big families and a full evening of dancing, it's nearly impossible to beat.

The day started the evening before, at Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange for the rehearsal dinner. By the time wedding morning arrives, the families already know each other a little better, the nerves have been burned off, and everything runs warmer.

Planner Carrie Gold of Carrie Gold Events has been with Marnie's family for twenty-five years — she planned Marnie's bat mitzvah, and here she was again for the wedding. That kind of history is rare, and you feel it in how a day like this runs. Carrie brought me on board, and the day reflected her in every detail.

The morning began with Marnie's father David seeing her before anyone else. He came through the door and just stopped. Marnie reached out to steady him and he laughed, which made it worse, which made it better. Her mother was around the corner wiping her eyes before it was even over.

Ceremony was in The Atrium — Crystal Plaza's glass-skylighted upper space. Pedestals built a chuppah that ran wall to wall: hot pink, magenta, purple, coral — roses, orchids, ranunculus, cherry blossom. The aisle matched it all the way to the front. Steve Rimland performed live, Marnie processed in to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" on violin, and Rabbi Amar officiated. The ketubah signing was warm and surrounded — both families crowded close, hands held.

Portraits moved between the atrium and The Vault downstairs — low ceilings, dark paneling, a wall of wine bottles — which photographs completely differently than the ballroom and gives the set a nice range.

Pedestals scaled everything up for the reception: towering centerpieces, taper candles, rose petals, hot pink and deep red against all that gold and crystal. Unique Musique had the floor moving from the first song. Brandon dipped Marnie at the end of their first dance and the room erupted — flower girls front row, completely losing it. The hora ran long. David ended up in the air, arm raised, fully committed. After party until 1:30am.

The cake cutting: Marnie smashed it into Brandon's face with full conviction. His reaction said he probably had it coming.

Congratulations, Marnie and Brandon!

Liberty Warehouse Wedding : Allison & Seth : Brooklyn, NY

Allison & Seth | Liberty Warehouse Wedding | Brooklyn, NY

Allison and Seth got married on September 6th at Liberty Warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn — one of those venues that does everything well. The bridal suite alone is reason enough: massive, flooded with natural light, a genuinely luxurious place to start a wedding day. Liberty Warehouse handles both ceremony and reception under one roof, which makes for a seamless day and lets the whole thing build momentum from beginning to end.

Before the ceremony, Allison's father got a first look at his daughter. I don't always get to photograph that moment, but when I do it tends to be one of the most unguarded of the entire day. He turned around and just lost it — eyes closed, full smile, the kind of reaction you can't manufacture.

The ceremony was Jewish, officiated by a rabbi who led the ketubah signing beforehand. The chuppah, designed by Arcadia Floral Co., was one of the most lush I've seen — blush roses, white hydrangea, cascading burgundy amaranthus, and draping greenery filling the entire arch from floor to ceiling.

We kept an eye on the weather all day. A classic late-summer storm was building over New Jersey, moving toward Brooklyn — you could see it coming across the harbor from the venue. We got Allison and Seth outside for portraits on the pier and along the waterfront promenade, and the light was exactly what you want: soft, even, no harsh shadows. About five minutes after we headed back inside, it started to absolutely pour. That kind of timing is half skill, half luck, and entirely worth it.

Inside, the room was transformed. Thousands of fairy lights blanketed the ceiling above round tables dressed with low, garden-style centerpieces from Arcadia — anthurium, blush roses, floating candles. The arched windows looked out over the harbor, the Statue of Liberty visible in the distance even through the storm. The Jenna Wynne Band via Hank Lane Music had the floor packed all night — I'd seen them just weeks earlier at a wedding at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, and they are flat-out excellent. Ally and Seth's crowd needed zero convincing.

The grand entrance said everything you need to know about this couple: Allison came in with both arms raised, full laugh, pure joy. Seth right behind her, beaming. The dance floor never really stopped after that.

Congratulations, Allison and Seth. It was a great day.

Vendor Credits:

Venue: Liberty Warehouse Coordinator: The Day Of Company Florals: Arcadia Floral Co. Band: Jenna Wynne Bandvia Hank Lane Music Hair & Makeup: Bridal Squad Pro | Styles by Susan | Rachel Anne Malkin Lighting/Production:74 Events Videography: Photography by Alfonso Photo Booth: Flux Photo Booth Cake: Wild Flour NYC Catering:Liberty Warehouse (in-house)

Buttermilk Falls Wedding : Alex & Erik : Milton, NY

Alex & Erik : Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa : Milton, NY

I photographed Alex and Erik's engagement session in Brooklyn last year — one of those fall afternoons where the light just cooperates from start to finish. So I wasn't entirely surprised when their wedding day turned out the same way. Some couples just have that kind of luck with weather. Late September, crystalline sunshine, and the drive up the Hudson River to Milton feeling exactly like it should this time of year.

Buttermilk Falls Inn sits on 75 acres on the Hudson River, dating back to 1680, and the grounds are immaculately kept — richly green in a way that photographs almost don't do justice. Exquisitely landscaped gardens, flowering terraces, winding brooks, a pond. It's the kind of property where you could wander for an hour and still find a new corner worth shooting.

The ceremony took place by the pond, quiet and intimate, the water catching the afternoon light behind them. For portraits we worked our way around the weeping tree — one of the most genuinely stunning natural features I've encountered at any venue — its long draped branches creating a canopy that felt almost cinematic. The light through those branches had a jewel-like quality I keep returning to when I look back at these images.

The reception tent overlooked the Hudson River, and the design of the day leaned into the blue and white palette with warm wood farm tables, blue glass stemware, and loose garden florals from Wild Blooms Bridal that felt perfectly at home in this setting. Catering by Henry's at the Farm — the inn's own farm-to-table restaurant — kept everything grounded and seasonal in the best way. As the sun went down and the tent began to glow against the river, it was one of those venues-at-dusk moments that I genuinely never get tired of.

Alex changed into a sleek second dress before the sparkler exit — a sharp contrast to the ballgown, and just right for running out into the night hand in hand.

A fantastic team made the day what it was. Planning and design by Virtually Perfect Events, florals by Wild Blooms Bridal, hair and makeup by CEO Beauty, Alex's gown by Wona Bridal, Erik's suit by Watson Ellis, cake by The Pastry Garden Bakery, rings by Sackowitz Jewelers and Jangmi Jewelry, music by Planet Mercury Band, and video by Orange Films.

Congratulations Alex and Erik.