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
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.
Wythe Hotel Wedding : Hilary & Andrew : Brooklyn, NY
A wedding at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Hilary and Andrew were married in an intimate summer wedding at Wythe Hotel, a gorgeous boutique property in Williamsburg. In fact, I believe it was one of the first of such hotels in Brooklyn. Its warm brick facade invites you in from the street while its stunning bi-level penthouse suites open up to sweeping views of the neighborhood as well as all of Manhattan. I love the way the outdoor event space at ground level feels almost like an indoor space since it's nearly entirely enclosed - yet you feel an actual breeze. Pretty cool. I'd say that it makes you feel almost like you're on the patio of someone's home rather than at a hotel. And, the food from Le Crocodile is amazing. Win win.
As this was a small wedding with less than 40 guests, I photographed this alone and got to spend a few minutes with Andrew as he finished his prep before heading up to Hilary's room. It was nice to get settled with him and his family before the day really got rolling. Both he and Hilary were pretty much squared away once I got started so getting ready flew by in a second before it was time to queue up for a first look on the roof. The bright afternoon sun was a true reflection of the overall mood of the day and made for a perfect setting for the bride and groom to see each other for the first time.
The great thing about the Wythe's location is that you really don't have to venture far at all to get some great street scenes for portraits. We took a tour of a one-block radius and then head inside to the stunning floral design by Bride & Blossom which framed the ceremony. The evening hummed along perfectly thanks to the great staff at the hotel and the guidance of Brittany Ward of Modern Rebel. I hadn't worked with Brittany before but it was great to get to know her as she kept things calm and collected for Hilary and Andrew.
As we get back into the swing of things here in 2021, I'm excited to share this wedding which is uncharacteristically one of the first of the year!
Photography: Brian Hatton
Event Planning: Brittany Ward, Modern Rebel
Venue & Catering: Wythe Hotel
Florist: Bride & Blossom
Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations
Hair: White Rose Collective - Halie Kellagher
Makeup: Alexa Rae
Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville
Bride's Shoes: Ted Baker
Groom's Tux: Armani
Green Building Wedding : Alyssa & Brett : Brooklyn, NY
A late summer Green Building wedding in Brooklyn, NY.
On the most quintessentially perfect street corner in Brooklyn, Alyssa & Brett were married in the distressed brick walled space of the Green Building featuring a ceremony and cocktail hour with friends & family in the open air courtyard. Just steps away lie a number of great backdrops which made their portrait session a piece of cake.
Photos: Brian HattonBride's Dress: Alexandra Grecco, Lovely BrideBride's Shoes: Stuart WeitzmanGroom's Attire: AlfredoEvent Planning: Fromsouptonutz - Madeline SantiagoCaterer: The Raging SkilletFlorist: Rosewood Floral CoHair: Glam SquadMakeup: Tanairi PaganStationery: MintedDJ: Jose + Gill DJ EntertainersRings: Sarah O. Jewelry & Jewelry Unlimited
Prospect Park Boathouse Wedding : Melanie & Andrew : Brooklyn, NY
A Prospect Park Boathouse wedding in Brooklyn, NY is one that surrounds your guests in a magical in-the-city getaway. Unlike the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park which is all about being encircled by iconic NYC sights, Prospect Park's boathouse is surrounded by its mystical emerald green reservoir and dense trees giving an almost fairy tale feeling. It's like you've been whisked away to another world.
It's just this kind of setting that makes for an event where people let loose, throw the rigidity of a typical wedding to the wind and have an amazing party. I hope you'll pick up on the intimate, fun, destination feel of this wedding while being smack dab in the middle of Brooklyn.
Preparations began at the stylish Sixty LES hotel before a first look in the park. A ketubah signing set the stage for the ceremony and the rest is history.
Photography: Brian Hatton
Event Coordinator: Two Kindred Events
Caterer: Purslane
Cake: Nine Cakes
Florist : Atlas Floral
Stationery: Bella Figura
Makeup & Hair: MG Hair & Makeup
Officiant: Rabbi Darren Levine
Band: Around Town Entertainment
Wedding Dress: L'Fay Bridal
Bride's Shoes: Sam Edelman
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Rings: Zwikker & Zacher
Groom's Tuxedo: Enzo Custom
