I had the honor of photographing Terra and Eric’s beautiful wedding in June 2011. They welcomed an adorable baby girl into the world in October. I was over the moon to meet her and photograph their family at their home in northwest Washington, DC!

Meet sweet little Lola:

newborn baby professional photography

newborn baby professional photography

newborn baby professional photography

newborn baby professional photography

Terra shares, “Lola Irene Blodnikar was born on October 24, 2013, at Sibley Hospital in Washington, DC. Despite being 3 weeks early, she weighed in at a healthy and strong 6 lbs, 6.5 oz and was 19.5” long. We were just hoping for a healthy baby, which we got, but we were not expecting and were astounded by her beauty from the moment we met her.
We chose Lola’s first name because it’s beautiful and simple but rather uncommon. Neither one of us has known another Lola. Her middle name, Irene, is after her maternal great grandma, who had a huge personality and lived life to the fullest. We hope the same for Lola!
The past 6 weeks of learning to be Lola’s parents has been an adventure. People often ask us whether she’s easy or difficult.  Since she’s our first, we don’t have a frame of reference to know, but we figured out early that milk is key to her happiness so we feed her as often as she wants, which generally keeps her happy. We are so grateful to live in the city so we can walk everywhere and make the most of our time off with her. Lola is out and about with us every day, taking walks, running errands or doing lunch dates. Sure, we also have the dirty diapers and sleepless nights, but it’s worth it, and we’re already really excited to see how much she’s grown and changed in these past 6 weeks, including her latest trick, smiling!”

newborn baby professional photography

newborn baby professional photography

This one is my favorite. What a beautiful family!

newborn baby professional photography

baby nursery

Newborn baby photography

newborn baby photography

Newborn baby photography

Congratulations to the happy family!

I met Jill and Josh at one of their favorite restaurants, The NoHo Star, to begin their engagement session.

SoHo Engagement NoHo Star photography NY

NoHo Star Bleecker Street Photography

SoHo NYC engagement photography city street

Jill and Josh met in Manhattan Beach, California, in 2003 at the Hennessy’s Bar and Tavern. Jill was a regular. She would walk in and there Josh would be, sitting by himself at the bar, reading a book. She says, “I never believed he was really reading it. I think those were our only words for the first few years we knew each other, “You’re not really reading that, are you?”….. “Yes.”

It wasn’t until 2006 that their relationship really bloomed. At a friend’s wedding in New York Josh liked Jill’s dress. Josh shares, “The first time I saw Jill in a dress was the last time I wondered who it was that I would marry. Because of that day in the dress our relationship withstood a year and a half long distance between New York and Cairo… and the 2006 World Series.”

SoHo NYC artistic engagement photography

Autumn nyc engagement what to wear

ornamental cast iron flower architectural detail NYC, soho

SoHo NYC engagement photography graffiti

SoHo NYC engagement photography graffiti

SoHo NYC engagement photography graffiti

cool locations for NYC engagement photography graffiti

SoHo NYC engagement photography graffiti street

New York city cozy autumn engagement SoHo

SoHo NYC engagement photography autumn

In January of 2011, Jill and Josh were finally together in New York City. They add, “Studio apartment? We got this!” Now living in Long Island City, Jill adds, “I have two great views:  Josh and the Manhattan skyline.”

On September 29, 2012, Josh took Jill back to the church where they both attended that fateful wedding. He stood in the same spot that he saw Jill in that memorable dress and asked if she would marry him.  She said…

“Can you say it one more time?? (I mean, why not?)”

He did, and she said.  “Yes!!!”

Just as they began celebrating in the Roman Catholic church, a priest came by and blessed them. They will have a Jewish wedding.  : )

Jill adds, “Josh always seemed so quiet and shy… but he’s totally goofy and cracks me up!  I mean, he’ll travel to Cairo to be with me AND take engagement pictures at the Forbidden Planet. Total Score.”

Forbidden Planet unique engagement photography NYC

Forbidden Planet comic book store engagement photography NYC

Forbidden Planet comic books engagement photography NYC

They will be married at The Foundry in New York City in February.

Happy engagement, Jill and Josh!

Taneshia and Earl were married on a beautiful, brisk October day in the Poconos.

Wedding Photography

Taneshia wore gorgeous sparkly Badgley Mischkas!

badgley mischka sparkly bridal wedding shoes

Calla Lily bouquet pink and purple

Poconos Wedding photography Pennsylvania

Taneshia and Earl had many favorite moments of the wedding day. She shares, “We both loved the first look. I was sooooo anxious beforehand and seeing Earl made me feel so calm, plus this was the only real alone time we got to spend together during the day.”

Poconos Wedding photography Pennsylvania

Poconos wedding

Poconos wedding

Poconos Wedding Photography

Poconos Wedding photography Pennsylvania

Poconos Wedding photography Pennsylvania

Wedding Poconos

The ceremony was held outdoors of the Stroudsmoor Country Inn with a fabulous view of the Pocono Mountains.

Poconos Wedding photography Pennsylvania

Stroudsmoor Country Inn Wedding Cake photography

Taneshia describes her wedding as  “a ceremony full of love that was uniquely us and a reception where everyone can come together, celebrate our love and have a great time!!!”

Poconos Wedding Stroudsmoor

Husband and wife!

Poconos wedding

Sunset Poconos Mountains

Poconos Wedding Chalkboard menu

Taneshia continues, “Our all-time favorite moments were when we entered the reception and were announced as Mr. and Mrs. and the crazy bouquet toss/battle.” Taneshia’s bouquet toss was one of the wildest I have ever seen. A few girls ended up on the floor!

Wedding Poconos

Wedding first dance

Stroudsmoor Country Inn Wedding Cake photography

Wedding cake photography

Congratulations Taneshia and Earl!

For more photos check out the slideshow:


Also check out their wedding photo booth here!

Special thanks to all the Vendors:
Venue: Stroudsmoor Country Inn
Coordinator: The Stroudsmoor’s Cathleen Fillman
Officiant: Suzanne Wilson, Journeys of the Heart
Cake: Stroudsmoor Inn Towne
DJ/Band: DJ Nix in the Mix
Florist: The Village Common at Stroudsmoor
Makeup: Stroudsmoor Spa and Bridal Studio
Rings: K. Scott Jewelers
Bride’s Dress: Mori Lee, Irini’s Originals
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Jewelry: Swarvoski
Bridesmaid Dresses: Irini’s Originals
Groom and Groomsmen’s Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
Videographers: Willow Tree Films
Slideshow Song: Where Do We Go by John Lengend
Photography: Jessica Schmitt and Eric Swartz

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Comments Off on Poconos Wedding: Congratulations Taneshia and Earl!

Lauren and Todd had a modern, elegant, and very fun wedding at the W Union Square Hotel.

The W hotel Union Square Wedding suite

New York book wedding photography

Union Square view NYC

bride getting ready

groom getting ready

Classic black and white new york invitation

They both got ready in rooms at the W and then met for the first look in Union Square.

Union Square Wedding NYC

Todd’s favorite moment from the wedding day was right after the first look, “Before the first look Lauren was the bride and I was the groom, but once that was all done, we were just Todd and Lauren again.  Everything was normal and I knew the rest of the day would go off without a hitch because even in our wedding attire, we were still ourselves.”

Union Square Wedding NYC

Union Square Subwau station Wedding NYC

W Union Square Hotel Wedding NYC taxi

W Union Square Hotel Wedding NYC

Todd shares, “Lauren and I met at the New York Sports Club on 15th and Irving. She taught the Monday evening spinning class, which I dutifully attended each week. After months of small talk and flirting before and after class, Lauren mentioned to me that she was teaching on the Upper West side that weekend, so I trekked from Brooklyn to the UWS early on a Sunday to be there. After class we grabbed some breakfast, which finally gave me the courage to ask her on a real date. The rest is history.”
bride and groom NYCS
“I moved to LA in November 2010 and Lauren followed in February of 2012, but we will always be New Yorkers at heart. During the 1 year plus that we were doing long distance, the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier was always our safe place. The place we went just to forget about the fact that we lived 3,000 miles away from each other and have fun. So that is where I proposed.”
Union Square Wedding photography

Union Square NYC wedding photography

Lauren and Todd stopped to share an iced coffee at the hotel’s Todd English Bar, Olives, just before the ceremony.

Todd English bar Olives Union Square

W Union Square Hotel Wedding NYC

Todd and Lauren designed their wedding with one goal in mind:  for everybody to have fun. Todd continues, “We designed our wedding so WE could enjoy it.  This was our big night out in NYC and our chance to show our friends from all over the world–Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, Detroit, and Cleveland–how we throw a party. We figured if we were having fun, everybody else would feed off of us.

“We aimed to keep the mood light the whole way through, from our bridal party entrance music (I walked down to the Hulk Hogan theme!) to our joking around during the ceremony… we made sure to enjoy every moment.  The goal was to be classically Manhattan without being pretentious.  For this, the W was the perfect choice as the room had the beautiful gold ceiling while the rest of the hotel had a very modern feel.”

The W Union Square Wedding photography NYC

The W Union Square hotel Wedding photography NY

W Union Square Hotel Wedding photography

W Union Square Hotel Wedding Ballroom Photography

The FUN continued right into the reception.

W Union Square Hotel Wedding Ballroom Photography

Hora Jewish wedding dance photography

W Union Square Hotel Wedding Ballroom Photography

W Union Square Hotel event reception

Union Square NYC White wedding cake with flowers

Congratulations Lauren and Todd!

For more photos check out the slideshow:

Special thanks to all the vendors:
Venue: W Union Square
Officiant: Rev. Annie Lawrence
Florist: Greenworks
DJ: Star Talent DJ
Cake: Provided by the W Hotel
Groom’s Suit Designer: J. Crew
Groomsmen Suits: TheBlackTux.com
Engagement Ring: Custom-designed
Bridesmaids’ Blue Bracelets: Made by Lauren!

Invitation: Vera Wang
Slideshow song: Nothing Here But Love by Lenka
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz and Brandi Toole

Mindy and Lee had an elopement-style, intimate wedding on a beautiful fall day in Central Park.

purple and white wedding bouquet

central park wedding wagner cove

wagner cove central park

Mindy and Lee met at a rock show and the very next day had their first date watching the Back to the Future movies.
They chose NYC because, “We wanted to get married in a  state that allows everyone to get married.”  They decided to have the ceremony at Central Park so it could be special, planned, and less stressful than going to the courthouse.
Mindy shares, “Lee is British and I grew up in Texas, so our family and friends came from all over to celebrate with us.”

wanger cover central park wedding

nyc wedding photography

central park wedding nyc

nyc wedding photography

toms wedding custom shoes i do

central park nyc wedding photography

Congratulations Mindy and Lee!

Special thanks to all the vendors:
Coordinator: A Central Park Wedding
Florist: Jess Stage
Officiant: Barbara Michaels, Jester of the Peace
Cellist: Egil Rostad
Cake Designer: Enchanted Icing
Hair and Makeup: De Barkley
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography

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