The wedding story of Olga and Boris
Each wedding is special and unique and no matter how many weddings we shoot, it’s always nice to be surprised by something different. Our bride Olga chose to get ready in private and enjoy her time alone while preparing for the most special day in her life. She came downstairs looking breathtaking in her one of a kind wedding dress and gazed over to meet her husband to be. The first look holds so much love, it brings back the moment you fell in love.
The weather could not have been better, having rained the night before and the bride to be and groom were worried, but in the morning the air was fresh and the sun was peeking through! This is what we call a perfect wedding weather!
There are many choices when it comes time to pick a location to shoot wedding pictures prior to the ceremony, while New York has a lot to offer, you want something that speaks to you and feels special. The bride and groom chose the Staten Island Botanical Garden based on our recommendation, when they saw it for the first time, they knew they made the right decision. We joined Olga and Boris in their limo on the way to Staten Island and were able to sneak in a few candid shots of the bride and groom.
The location was something out of a fairy tale, with luscious trees and blooming flowers everywhere. Olga and Boris were joined just by the maid of honor Ellen, which made the whole wedding shoot much more relaxed and intimate. It’s important to remember to be relaxed during your wedding day, it passes by so fast, you want to remember it and not rush through or be pulled in many directions. Having a smaller wedding party definitely makes the whole process less stressful and much more enjoyable.
We made our way through the Japanese Garden, stopping to take gorgeous pictures of Olga and Boris, their kisses and laughs filling the garden. Little girls were running around the garden and would stop and hold their breath while looking at the beautiful bride, you just knew what they were thinking, that one day, they would be that beautiful bride on their dream wedding day!
We walked throughout the grounds, capturing the love between the bride and groom from every angle. The finishing touch was the rose garden right by the entrance to the park. June is one of the best months for blooming roses, having a wedding couple surrounded by all the shades of pink made the garden that much more beautiful.
On the way back from the Botanical Gardens, we stopped by Snug Harbor in Staten Island to capture the bride and the groom in front of the gorgeous backdrop of the city.
The venue of choice was one of the more popular catering halls of Brooklyn, Orion Palace. It has 2 floors and is able to accommodate weddings big and small. The ceremony hall was elegantly decorated in pink and white roses and hanging crystals. While all the guests were enjoying the cocktail hour, we caught a few of the younger guests sneaking in to the ceremony hall. They just couldn’t wait to see the magic happen.
The wedding day has so many layers and so many people involved. Our advice is try to relax and everything will flow smoothly, and if it’s not, keep in mind that you are marrying the love of your life! Luckily for us, we had a bride who understood just that. Olga was relaxed and tried to remain calm even with a few very minor mishaps. She kept the final goal in mind, which was walking down the aisle and seeing Boris on the other side.
As I put the veil over her face, she smiled and you could sense her happiness. Nothing around her mattered, she was waiting for the moment. The moment that the curtain opened and she walked out with two of the closest people in her life on her arm. With her mom and dad, Olga stepped her right foot in the direction of her future. When the curtain opened, all eyes were upon her but all she saw was her groom. Boris was looking at his bride, grinning with happiness and in amazement that the moment has come and they are about to embark on a journey of marriage together.
Once all the formalities were complete, our bride and groom were ready to have fun and enjoy the company of their guests. Many of the guests were out of town so it was a big celebration and a family reunion. The toasts flowed as was the champagne and then the real party began. The dance floor got packed and Olga and Boris danced as husband and wife.
Photo FX Studio - Visual Storytellers 