F&F Restaurant Wedding : Carroll Gardens : Brooklyn, NY
There's a particular kind of wedding that gets everything right by keeping it simple. Long tables, good wine, excellent food, and the people who matter most — pressed in close, talking too loud, laughing at the right moments. F&F Restaurant in Carroll Gardens is built for exactly that kind of evening.
That's what F&F Restaurant in Carroll Gardens does. A sibling to the beloved Frankie's Spuntino just down the block, it carries the same unhurried soul: dark wood paneling, globe pendants casting pools of honey-colored light, the kind of place where you feel like you've been let in on a secret. For a small, intimate Brooklyn wedding reception, it is very nearly perfect.
Before guests arrived, the tables held charcuterie boards, hunks of bread still warm, olive oil in green glass bottles. The couple did family photos just outside on the Carroll Gardens sidewalk — the muted green of the façade making an unexpectedly lovely backdrop — before taking a quick walk through the neighborhood while their guests filtered down the street behind them, the way things happen when no one is rushing.
Inside, the room filled up gradually, then completely. There were toasts, the bride holding the microphone while the groom watched from his seat with the expression of someone being reminded of something he already knew. Later, wine deep into the evening, jackets off, ties loosened, they danced — not a choreographed first dance but the real kind, surrounded by family, everyone a little disheveled and entirely happy.
Shooting a wedding at F&F as a Brooklyn wedding photographer means working in low, directional ambient light in a space where you're often inches from your subjects. Flash would flatten everything — the shadows on the paneled walls, the warmth in someone's face as they laugh across the table. So I shot without it, and let the room do what it was already doing so well.
Vendors
Planning: Bridget Mary Weddings & Events
Venue: F&F Restaurant, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Metropolitan Club Wedding : Jade & Julian : New York, NY
Metropolitan Club Wedding : Jade & Julian : New York, NY
Jade & Julian were married in the summertime at The Metropolitan Club on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
The Met Club is one of those places that makes you feel the weight of the city's history the second you walk in. J.P. Morgan founded it in 1891 — literally because he and a few friends got blackballed from another club and decided to build a better one to hang with his buddies the Vanderbilts and the Roosevelts. The interiors are jaw-dropping in the way that only Gilded Age excess can be. I've shot there a handful of times now and still spend the first few minutes just staring at the ceiling.
Julian wore his Navy dress whites for the ceremony and cocktail hour, switching to a sharp summer white tuxedo for the reception. There's something about that particular combination of venue and uniform that makes the whole thing feel like a different era, the good kind. Jade leaned hard into the glamour of it all and it showed — she was completely in her element in this space.
Jade is a film photography enthusiast and we planned ahead for that. Over the course of the day we went through more than ten rolls. It changes the energy on a wedding day when you're working with film — there's a deliberateness to it, a different kind of attention, and Jade felt that. You can see it in how she carries herself in those images. The overcast summer light was perfect for it, soft and even without being flat.
Jeannie Uyanik did the planning and kept everything running with the kind of smooth efficiency that lets everyone relax. The florals from Bastille Events were big, lush arrangements that held their own against the ornate gilded rooms without trying to compete with them — no small feat. Frank Simmons Band ran the reception floor while Art Strings handled ceremony and cocktails, and John Castillo was on video.
For portraits we crossed 5th Avenue straight into the park and worked our way down to the lake. Jade had a crimson red umbrella that was just perfect against all that green — one of those props that makes a lot of sense the second you see it in the frame. Back inside, the rest of the day was really about being present in the space itself. The gilded walls, the candlelight, the scale of those rooms — you let it do the work. We mixed in a touch of direct flash here and there, enough to give a few frames that modern edge without it taking over.
Vendors
Event Planning/Design: Jeannie Uyanik / C&G Weddings
Venue & Catering: The Metropolitan Club
Florals: Bastille Events
Band: Frank Simmons Band / Hank Lane Music
Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: Art Strings
Videography: John Castillo
Hair: Elena, Bridal Squad Pro
Makeup: Jasmyn, IVJ Beauty Services
Lighting: Fusion
Roundhouse Wedding : Bobby & nathan : Beacon, NY
There’s a particular kind of quiet beauty to December at The Roundhouse in Beacon, NY. The trees outside the massive windows are bare and graphic against the sky. The light turns blue early. Inside, wood beams glow warm overhead and everything feels intimate in a way that only winter can create.
Bobby & Nathan’s wedding was the final celebration of my 2025 season, and it felt like the perfect ending.
They chose to get ready together in one of the Roundhouse suites, and I loved that choice immediately. There was no artificial separation, no big staged reveal — just the two of them adjusting bowties, laughing, checking cufflinks, moving through the morning side by side. The energy was calm but excited, grounded but joyful. Their tuxedos from Indochino were classic and sharp — velvet jackets, satin lapels, clean tailoring — exactly right for a winter evening in Beacon.
The design of the day leaned winter without ever feeling Christmas. Evergreen installations wrapped the staircase. The ceremony backdrop was lush with pine, white florals, and layered texture — sculptural but soft. Florals by Flora Good Times felt organic and seasonal in the most refined way. The boutonnieres were delicate and thoughtful — creamy blooms with subtle green tones that stood out beautifully against black velvet.
Lighting by LNJ Events transformed the reception space as the sun went down. The exposed beams, string lights, and brick walls took on this golden warmth, while outside the windows the Hudson Valley slipped into a cool blue dusk. That contrast — warm interior, cold exterior — is one of the reasons winter is one of my favorite seasons to shoot at The Roundhouse.
We made portraits inside at the bar and lobby, where the architecture frames everything so cleanly. Then we stepped outside briefly — just long enough to catch that crisp air and get a few street and terrace portraits. You can see it in their posture, the way they naturally lean into each other when it’s cold. It adds something real. Then it’s back inside where cocktails are flowing and guests are glowing.
The ceremony was warm, humorous, and emotional all at once. Officiated by One Hearts Ceremonies, it struck that perfect balance — personal stories that made everyone laugh, followed by quiet, meaningful moments that pulled the room in. At one point, both of them were laughing mid-vow while guests wiped away tears. It felt human. Unscripted. Completely them.
The reception room looked incredible — round tables set beneath string lights, greenery framing the windows, candlelight flickering across the floor. And then the energy shifted.
The dance floor was lit. Truly. Matty Stuart and the band absolutely brought it. From the first song, the room was packed. Jackets came off. Bowties loosened. Guests surrounded them, singing, pointing, hyping them up. At one point they popped champagne with pure theatrical drama — hands up, laughter, spray catching the light — and the whole room erupted.
Their guests were fun in that effortless way — fully present, fully celebrating. It made photographing the night feel electric.
Ending 2025 with Bobby & Nathan at The Roundhouse felt right. Evergreen wrapped the staircase. Candlelight flickered against brick. Outside it was cold and quiet; inside it was warm, loud, and full of joy. I genuinely loved shooting this one.
Winter in Beacon never disappoints.
Sleepy Hollow Country Club Wedding : Nicole & Peter : Briarcliff Manor, NY
An August wedding at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Westchester County for Nicole and Peter, with an outdoor ceremony on the lawn and a reception under the tent. Bright summer light, thoughtful design, and a celebration that felt relaxed, elegant, and grounded from start to finish.
Thoughtful planning by Mikie Russo kept the day moving smoothly while allowing space for things to unfold naturally.
The bride got ready on site in Sleepy Hollow’s lovely suites upstairs wearing a sculptural gown by Danielle Frankel. Modern and unfussy, it set the tone for the day. Hair and makeup by Mervat Bridals and KDM Artistry kept everything polished but natural.
Inside the tent, the light began to shift. During the first dance, the sun broke through the tent walls, creating texture and dimension across the floor—one of those unplanned moments that defines how a space feels more than how it looks. The Jenna Wynne Band delivered a high-energy set that became one of the most memorable elements of the night.
As daylight faded, guests drifted outside, drawn toward the Hudson River as the light melted into the horizon—an unhurried pause before the evening gathered momentum again. Later, the dance floor opened up and the celebration took on a different rhythm. Greek dancing emerged organically during the reception—joyful and communal—adding tradition without changing the overall tone of the evening.
Florals by Pat Glenn Productions anchored the space throughout the night, and the cake by Ron Ben Israel fit seamlessly into the design—elegant, restrained, and clearly considered.
Later, the celebration moved into the historic clubhouse for an after-party that leaned into contrast. A DJ, red light, disco ball, and late-night snacks carried the party into the late hours.
Nicole and Peter—she from New York, he a Midwestern transplant who found his way here—share a quiet elegance and sharp personal style. Nothing performative. Just a well-built day, an exceptional team, and a celebration that felt fully lived in.
Creative Team
Venue: Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Photography: Brian Hatton Weddings
Film: Frank Ahn Films
Planning: Mikie Russo
Florals: Pat Glenn Productions
Stationery: Glow Paper Co.
Cake: RBI Cakes
Dress: Danielle Frankel
Makeup: KDM Artistry
Hair: Mervat Bridals
Band: Jenna Wynne Band
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wedding : The Palm House : Brooklyn, NY
Late spring at Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a way of doing the work for you. The greens are confident. The light is generous. Everything feels awake.
Olivia and Sunjay were married on one of those days.
The ceremony unfolded on the lawn beneath a sweeping weeping willow—branches dipping low, framing the moment like it had been waiting for them. Soft afternoon light filtered through the leaves. Nothing was forced or rushed.
Inside The Palm House, color carried the room. Bright, cheerful florals by Rebecca Shepherd played beautifully against glass and greenery—joyful, vibrant, alive. It felt like spring fully committing.
There’s a calm that settles in when a day is well held. Exquisite Affairs Productions coordinated everything with quiet precision, allowing the day to unfold naturally—giving Olivia and Sunjay the space to be exactly who they are together: fun-loving, relaxed, and completely at ease.
That ease shows up everywhere. In the way they laugh. In how they move through the garden. In moments that don’t ask for attention but reward it when you notice.
Alongside me was Fen Video Production—one of those collaborators who just gets it. Professional, thoughtful, unobtrusive. The kind of presence you want when the goal is to preserve a day as it actually felt.
This was a wedding that didn’t try too hard. It didn’t need to. The light showed up. The garden showed up. And Olivia and Sunjay showed up for each other—fully, joyfully, without pretense.
Some days just do that.
