$Anne and Jim\'s Wedding - Ely, Minnesota$

Anne and Jim's Wedding in Ely, Minnesota

Nov 142010

a+j minnesota ely wedding photos 29 Anne and Jims Wedding in Ely, Minnesota

As the temperature cools, another wedding season comes to an end. This was my first full year photographing weddings and without a doubt a very productive, educational and inspiring experience. Anne and Jim’s wedding was the perfect way cap off the season. I flew to Minneapolis and then drove five hours north to the small town of Ely, Minnesota. Ely serves as the gateway to hundreds of miles of wild canoeing near the Canadian border. It’s also the heart of Northern Minnesota’s cabin country. Appropriately enough, the wedding took place in Jim’s family cabin which appeared as if straight from the pages of Dwell magazine.

I had a very fond connection to the bride even though the wedding would be the first time we would meet. I’ve been very good friends with Anne’s sister Sarah for most of my New York City life. Sarah had been living in Copenhagen when she approached me with the idea of photographing her sister’s wedding. In several emails, Anne kept insisting “you would be our guest” in addition to photographer. Meeting her and Jim was as special as the wedding they so lovingly put together. I took photos to keep with the pace of the event, which was calm and peaceful. I took the time to get to know my surroundings and relax with Anne, Jim and their family and friends. We had a great rehearsal dinner the night before where I scouted out the cabin and the nearby woods for unique backgrounds and settings.

And then I started clicking the shutter… oh about a couple thousand times throughout the weekend. The highlight was after the ceremony when Anne and Jim jumped into their canoe and did a victory lap on Burntside Lake. Then, they came back to grab me, laughing and rowing while I sat in the middle snapping photographs.

Victory Lap

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My Wedding Photography Featured on Glamour.com!

Brooklyn Wedding Photography

Oct 182010

Exciting news, fellow readers! My photographs from Will and Hollie’s wedding was recently featured on Glamour.com’s Save the Date blog. Special thanks to Glamour.com blogger Kim Fusaro for reaching out to me to make it happen.

Check out Kim’s full blog post on Glamour.com.

Michael and Heather’s Wedding, Montauk Club, Brooklyn

Brooklyn Wedding Photography

Apr 122010

heather mike montauk club wedding ceremony 17 Michael and Heather’s Wedding, Montauk Club, Brooklyn

Saturday, April 3, 2010 — Wedding season is upon us, dear friends! Last week, I had the pleasure of photographing my first ceremony of the year. The happy couple were Heather Plourde and Michael Rubiner. Heather, a talented interior designer, was a one-woman planning and decorating team. She blended her craftiness and personal touch to every element — from handmade felt flowers for each guest to an adorable bride and groom cake topper (see photo at end). Michael, an accomplished screenwriter, added his wit and humor to a very funny toast and also made sure all the arrangements went as per schedule.

This being an April wedding, the theme was “pushing spring.” Heather and her bridesmaids wore bright, vibrant colors (Heather, an exquisite lime green and white dress) which added a nice contrast to the classic architecture. The weather was also in total agreement with the theme. It was a fine spring day with plenty of sunshine and even a cool breeze. As per usual, I arrived hours ahead of schedule — a tip I picked up from my friend (and fellow wedding photographer) Jacob Pritchard — and even had time to stop for coffee at the neighborhood establishment Tea Lounge. I then arrived at the breathtaking Montauk Club.

The Montauk Club is a true hidden gem in my hometown of Brooklyn, New York. It’s a private club that’s been a gathering place for the Park Slope community since 1890. The architect, Francis H. Kimball, was inspired by a palace on the Grand Canal in Venice. Michael and Heather are members and somehow scored this superb space for the big day. (Word has it Martin Scorsese just filmed a scene of his new movie there).

The wedding itself was unique and inspiring. I saw a lot of familiar faces — Heather and Mike were guests at a previous wedding I photographed last year and that was the point of contact for their own ceremony. They, along with a couple of hundred of their closest friends and family, filled the space with laughter, cries, a beautiful rendition of the Magnetic Fields’ song, “Book of Love” and of course plenty of dancing and rocking out. Dinner included a delicious buffet and no less than a dozen homemade cakes (one for each table)!

All in all, it was a great celebration and a wonderful party!

Prints available for purchase

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Dave and Jenn's Wedding in Queens, New York

Brooklyn Wedding Photography

Sep 252009

Dave and Jenn are now married!

Last weekend at the Kum Gang San restaurant in Flushing, Queens I had the privilege of photographing Dave and Jenn’s colorful and inspiring Korean wedding. You might remember the lovely Lower East Side-based couple from a previous post where I had taken some pre-wedding photos. Now the day had come for the main event.

It would not be an overstatement to say the wedding blew my mind and expectations in every way. There was so much color and food and friends that I didn’t feel like I was just the hired help dressed in all-black. Instead, I mingled with old Condé Nast friends I hadn’t seen since our days of working together, I met Dave and Jenn’s lovely parents, family members and friends, and oh yeah, I took some photographs. Boy, did I take a lot of photographs!

Another reason it was a special day — as least for me — was because it would be my first solo wedding as a photographer. Earlier in the summer I had shot Ravi and Laura’s charming wedding at the Foundry with my good friend, wedding photographer extraordinaire Jacob Pritchard, in part to prepare for this event. (Jake and I are also shooting another wedding together in Connecticut this weekend. Stay tuned.) Perhaps that was one reason I shot so many frames — I knew Jacob wouldn’t be just around the corner in case I missed a precious moment or two. In fact, I inhaled my dinner while sitting by the reception desk with one eye and ear glued to the main stage and my camera strapped around my neck, and actually ended up having to jump in mid-oyster-slurp when Jenn’s mother was approaching the podium for the first toast of the night.

Despite the stress and craziness that all wedding photographers undoubtedly face — especially those without a second shooter, it was a lot of fun. And I have no doubt (and plenty of evidence, in fact) that Dave, Jenn and everyone else present at the ceremony also had a really good time. Here are a few glimpses of the amazing night. I hope they serve as wonderful reminders for Dave and Jenn and their families and friends, and perhaps future generations of the Cho-Ross household.