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I am so excited to share that I have won the award for 2017 The Knot Best of Weddings!

This is an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by actual wedded couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot. For 2017, less than 2% of the wedding professionals in the entire country received this distinguished accolade.

I want to thank all the awesome couples I had the joy of photographing this year! I have the best job and every review means so much to me. I hope I can make all my couples feel like they have received the best service and have been given wonderful photographs they can cherish for always. I’m looking forward to 2017!

Melissa and Justin were married on a beautiful, windy day on Block Island, Rhode Island.

Melissa and Justin shared a first look at the lighthouse.

After we took photos at the Southeast Lighthouse, we drove over to the amazing Mohegan Bluffs. The bluff’s cliff’s are nearly 200 feet high and showcase stunning ocean views.

Melissa continues, “Early on in the planning process, I decided I wanted to knit the flowers for our wedding. Despite a lot of people thinking I was crazy, the idea quickly snowballed into incorporating yarn throughout all of our décor. Together with an army made up of my mom, sister, aunts and cousins, we made knit flower bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres, bow ties and over 1,300 yarn pompoms used in our centerpieces, ceremony aisle and backdrop. After all of the hours put in making everything, seeing it all come together on the day was amazing.”

Congratulations Melissa and Justin!

Venue and caterer: Spring House Hotel
Hotel Coordinator: Brittany Cardinal
Officiant: Mary Janigian (Melissa’s aunt)
Cake: Sugar Rush BI, Kate Musso
Cake topper: Deadcraft
DJ/Band: Silver Arrow Band
Invitations: Minted, Lace & Kraft design by Katherine Watson
Hair and Makeup: Beehive Hair Design, www.beehivehairdesign.com, Dorisa and Molly
Rings: Village Jewelers
Bride’s Dress Designer/Shop: David’s Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Nina
Jewelry: Earrings Macy’s, Necklace Jared
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff
Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss
Groomsmen Suits: The Black Tux
Knit Flowers, ties, and pom pom decor: Knit by Melissa, the bride
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography

Samantha and Ben were married on a crisp autumn day in Union Square.

Samantha, you look gorgeous!

Samantha and Ben shared a very sweet first look in the hotel suite.

Samantha and Ben’s very dapper dog, Oliver, was an important part of the celebration!

The ceremony was held in the grand ballroom at the hotel.

Samantha shares some of her favorite parts of her wedding day, “I had so many favorite moments, but one was definitely the exchanging of vows. Ben and I wrote our own and didn’t share them with each other until we recited them, so that was really special.

I also thought our music choices – mixing 50’s and 60’s classics with soul and some of today’s hits – was awesome. So many people tore it up on the dance floor.

It was just really special to be with everyone we love as we celebrated our big day!”

Congratulations Samantha and Ben!

Also, check out their engagement photos here.

Special thanks to the team:

Venue and Caterer:W Hotel Union Square
Hotel Coordinator: Leah Maio
Officiant: Eric Morgenstern
Cake: Nine Cakes
DJ/Band: 74 Events
Florist: Petals and Roots
Invitations: Minted
Hair and Makeup: Mable Pang
Rings: Richard Wasserman (Sam’s wedding bands)
Bride’s Dress: Anne Barge / Kleinfeld
Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Jewelry: Tiffany & Co.
Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Groom’s Suit: Calvin Klein
Groomsmen Suit Designer/Shop: The Black Tux
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Allison and Brady were married on a beautiful October day in Union Square.

Allison and Brady shared a first look in the hotel suite.

The rain subsided and we went outside to Union Square for some photos.

Allison, you look gorgeous!

The ceremony was held in the grand ballroom of the W Hotel.

Allison shares, “I chose the W Union Square because it has the perfect blend of old and new. It being the old Guardian Life building, constructed in 1910, it has much of the original marble and the beautiful ceiling lights. This classic New York ballroom, combined with the modern eclectic style of the W Hotel, was the perfect mix for Brady and me. Since the majority of the guests were coming from out of town (I am from Florida and Brady is from Colorado), I tried to include fun NYC elements such as taxi escort card holders and tables named after our favorite NYC neighborhoods.

Congratulations Allison and Brady!

Also, check out their Greenwich Village and Central Park engagement photos!

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: W Union Square
Coordinator: Emily Lester – EM Event Management
Officiant: Rev. Jesse Hendrich
Cake: Butterfly Bakeshop
DJ/Band: Bud Maltin Band
Florist: Ariston Flowers
Makeup and Hair: Michelle Elise Artistry
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Kara and Gary were married at the New York Botanical Garden on a beautiful October day.  The ceremony and reception took place at the Stone Mill and we got some beautiful photos at the nearby Rose Garden.

The couple shared a first look before the wedding ceremony.

Gary shares a few of his favorite moments from the wedding day, ” I loved seeing Kara for the first time. I had no idea how she would look. She was, is, and will always be beautiful! I also loved our ceremony – feeling the presence of everyone there, sharing my words with her, and listening to her words for me. The reception was a blast and it has been great hearing our guests tell us that they had a great time.”

The first look was also one of Kara’s favorite moments, “I had pre-wedding jitters before seeing Gary. When he turned around, I felt completely calm and knew that this was going to be one of the best days of my life.”

We strolled down to the Botanical Garden’s beautiful Rose Garden for some photos.

Kara shares, “We got engaged in August in San Diego and found the New York Botanical Garden a short time after that. We loved the Stone Mill and its peaceful surroundings and felt that the simple sophistication of the space represented us well. We also knew that it would be the perfect setting for our small gathering of the people who are closest to us.

The year leading up to the wedding came with many changes including Gary moving to New York City from Massachusetts and starting a new job last spring.
It was wonderful to be in the same city after Gary’s dedicated commute back and forth on weekends. It also made the final stages of planning our big day much easier.

My favorite parts of our wedding also included the advice that our officiant gave to us at the ceremony, including that each person should give 100% percent to their marriage. His words were heartfelt and meaningful. I also loved dancing the night away with family. Our wedding was the first time Gary and I ever cut loose on the dance floor and we had a blast. Anyone can tell you that I did not want the night to end. In fact, if given the chance I would relive that night over again as often as possible.”

The Botanical Garden is filled with so many picturesque scenes and bright pops of color.

Kara and Gary’s good friends, Jen and Tom, served as their wedding party and helped them get ready for the ceremony.

The ceremony took place at twilight as Kara’s brother walked her down the aisle.

The reception felt very cozy inside the white brick walls with so much warm glowing candlelight.

Congratulations Kara and Gary!

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: New York Botanical Garden, Stone Mill
Officiant: David Dae An Rynick, Roshi, Worcester Zen Center
Flowers: Forever in Bloom
DJ: Michael and Claudia Narvaez, ANS Entertainment
Lighting: Shades of Grey Productions Inc.
Bridal Gown: Princess Bridals, Huntington, New York, Designer: Kitty Chen
Groom’s Suit: Brooks Brothers
Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands: Greenwich Street Jewelers
Vegan Wedding Cake: Vegan Divas
Hair and Makeup: Christo, Mariana and Hazel at Christo Fifth Avenue, NYC
Invitations and Programs: Wedding Paper Divas