Photographing a friend from high school who’s marrying her high school sweetheart is a sickly sweet feeling. I had the dual feeling of being nervous to capture the lives of people I’ve known for such a long time, but also comfortable knowing I had some insider knowledge into Madison and Dylan’s amazing love story. But even with those feelings, standing in that Wythe Hotel penthouse watching Madison get ready, I still had one of those “how did we all get here?” moments.
Madison and Dylan had a perfect 620 Loft & Garden wedding with St. Patrick’s Cathedral rising up behind them like some kind of guardian watching over their vows. They left in a vintage cab, and somewhere between the ceremony and that getaway, I realized I was documenting not just a wedding day, but the continuation of a love story I’d been watching unfold since we were all teenagers trying to figure out lacrosse plays and Friday night plans.
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Gallery Highlights
Getting Ready at The Wythe Hotel Penthouse
The Wythe Hotel penthouse has this industrial-gorgeous thing happening that photographs like a magazine, but what I kept focusing on wasn’t the exposed beams or the ridiculous light pouring through those windows. It was the way Madison moved through the space with this certain confidence – none of that frantic bride energy, just someone who was absolutely certain about what was coming next. Her dress hung there catching the morning light, and I swear it looked like it was waiting just as patiently for the day to really begin.
Wet Knots Are Harder to Untie
Listen, I’ve photographed a lot of NYC venues (trust me on this), and weddings at 620 Loft & Garden showcase the best: St. Patrick’s Cathedral is right there, and instead of competing with it, the space is built to frame it, even in the rain.
You can even get eloped there during the week – it’s part of a new weekday package that keeps all the beauty of the space, but at a more accessible price point. It’s perfect for couples who want that quintessential New York backdrop without the full weekend production.
On Madison and Dylan’s day, the rain turned everything soft and atmospheric – St. Patrick’s Cathedral looked even more dramatic through the mist, and that overcast sky created this diffused glow that you just can’t get on a bright, sunny day. I was so proud of them (as I am with every couple who faces weather curveballs) for not letting it dampen their spirits. They leaned into it. Madison’s veil caught droplets when they stepped outside for photos, and instead of worrying about it, they just laughed. That’s the kind of attitude that makes for incredible NYC wedding photography – when couples embrace what the day gives them rather than mourning what it isn’t.
Why Film Made Sense For These Two
Madison and Dylan added film photography to their package, and I feel like it really elevated their gallery in an unexpected way. Shooting on film slows me down, makes me think more about each frame, and the results have this grain and depth that matches how memory actually works. And having film woven throughout their images (like the photo on the left) gave everything this timeless quality that matched their relationship perfectly.
After shooting the couple for a while, I took a second to capture some bridal portraits with Madison while Dylan looked on adoringly beside us.
These in-between moments – a quiet moment before the ceremony, rainy Manhattan from the roof – shine through in this gallery, where you can really feel the love between the two of them.
There’s something about watching someone you remember as a teenager – all that uncertainty and hope and messy growing up – become this fully realized human making the biggest commitment of their life. Madison has been part of my world since lacrosse practices and bad cafeteria food, and now I’m watching her marry Dylan (who she’s known just as long).
The Most Perfect 620 Loft & Garden Wedding Ceremony
I keep coming back to this: Madison and Dylan’s wedding felt like watching a promise that was made years ago finally being kept. Not in some heavy, serious way, but in the way that two people who’ve genuinely grown up together get to stand in front of everyone who’s been watching and say “yeah, we’re doing this, we’ve always been doing this, and now it’s official.”
The light at 620 Loft & Garden that day was doing that thing where it makes everything look like it’s happening in a different era – moody but bright and slightly unreal. St. Patrick’s Cathedral kept showing up in the background of their ceremony like it was cosigning their marriage. It was a perfect moment, captured forever.
A Moment for Family & Friends
This venue understands drama, and it showed up beautifully when we took a moment to take portraits after the ceremony with Madison and Dylan’s loved ones. The cathedral view isn’t subtle; it’s grand, overwhelming, and completely breathtaking. Yet somehow, it never steals focus from the people in front of it. The space lets every hug, laugh, and glance between loved ones feel personal, even with New York’s skyline rising around them. Plus, the energy was unbeatable, with the entire crowd riding Madison and Dylan’s just married bliss.
Adding that Vintage Cab Touch
What’s more New York than an exit in a vintage cab?
Madison and Dylan tumbled into their ride with so much joy it was spilling out the windows. Her veil caught the breeze as she waved bye to onlookers, his bow tie was slightly askew by then (as it should be), and they were laughing in that way you laugh when you’re exhausted and happy and can’t quite believe the day you’ve been planning forever has actually happened.
The whole scene looked like it belonged in a movie about falling in love in New York, except this was real, and I got to document it in a way that’ll look just as beautiful decades from now.
The Reception at Juliet’s
I’ll be honest, Juliet’s is an amazing spot for brunch, but it’s not exactly built for a wedding reception. There were a few hiccups, the kind that could’ve thrown off the night if Madison and Dylan weren’t who they are.
That’s what I loved about this day (and couple). When things didn’t go according to plan, they just rolled with it. They were there for each other and their people – all those friends who’ve been around since high school, all the family members who’ve watched this relationship develop over the years – and the imperfections just became part of their story. The cake cutting happened (their bulldogs were there in spirit, even though we couldn’t actually bring them), the toasts were emotional in that good way where everyone’s crying but also laughing, and the dance floor was exactly what a dance floor should be: chaotic and joyful and full of people who genuinely love each other.
Let’s Create Something That Feels Like You
If you’re planning a New York City wedding – whether at 620 Loft & Garden or somewhere else entirely – I want to help you create images that transport you back to exactly how everything felt. Not just how it looked (though we’ll make sure it looks incredible), but how it smelled and tasted and sounded.
I know this city like I know my own story (because they’re pretty intertwined at this point). From the Wythe Hotel penthouse to hidden Midtown spots perfect for couple portraits to the best vintage cab companies, I’ve got you. Let’s make something beautiful together – something that’s uniquely yours, imperfectly perfect, and worth remembering forever.
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