Shawna & Michael were married at Montgomery Place, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. They had told me they like to dance – but wow – so does everyone they know. The dance floor did not stop until the band shut down. Shawna & Michael asked me to focus on getting pictures of the party (they knew it would be wild) plus formal shots in the stunning formal garden. This couple had fun on their wedding day.
Ramy told me it would be fun: An Egyptian zaffa band (complete with drummers and two belly dancers) introduced Ramy & Mia as a married couple and the guests leaped from their seats to join them. Dancing on the lawn was followed by dancing under the tent, and one of Hank’s famous bonfires finished out the night.
Anna and Adam were married at Cat Rock on June 6. It was a beautiful day, then it was windy, then there was an unprecedented tornado warning. The rain came hard and fast and guests ran across the lawn from the ceremony site back to the castle. Hank Osborn and his crew sealed up the tent walls. Then, as quickly as it came, the storm passed. Hank rolled out a long carpet so the bottom of Anna’s dress would stay dry, and the ceremony proceeded as planned. Perhaps because of the near miss, spirits were extremely high. By early evening guests were dancing barefoot all across the lawn.
Between May & June 2010, I photographed 4 weddings at Cat Rock (Osborn Castle) and I will post photos from those weddings as soon as the brides and grooms have seen their preview pages.
Susan and Jeffrey were married at Cat Rock / Osborn Castle in June. While it seemed to be raining everywhere else in the Hudson Valley, not a drop fell on top of the mountain. I love cross-cultural unions. This one embraced Susan’s Korean heritage and Jeffrey’s Polish roots. There were speeches in three languages.
My first book of portraits is to be published August, 2010. River of Words, Portraits of Hudson Valley Writers features almost 70 black & white portraits of writers such as the late Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes), bestselling memoirist Julie Powell (Julie & Julia), non-fiction writer extraordinaire Susan Orlean (The Orchid Thief), and musician and author Pete Seeger. The portraits are paired with profiles by Nina Shengold and will be published by SUNY Albany Press. Visit the book’s website:
Sara and Ryan were married at the beautiful Buttermilk Falls in Milton, NY. The wedding party stayed the night before and took advantage of the facilities (spa, trails along the Hudson River, gardens, etc.). One thing that made this wedding stand out is the bride & groom and all their friends took dance lessons for a year prior. They hired a great swing band (Jesse Gelber) and the dance floor was full.
Sometimes the best things come together quickly. Liz and Chris were planning to travel to Mexico to get married, but the swine flu became a concern. The didn’t want to ask their friends to journey into the heart of it, so they changed their plans and planned a last minute ceremony at the Glynwood Center in Cold Spring, NY. They kept the guest list small and pulled it off beautifully.
I was just updating the published credits on my editorial website and I thought I would post a few here, too. Here are a selection of tear sheets including section covers for the New York Times, and some magazines I shoot for regularly. More examples are on my main site, www.jennifermay.com.
