Alison and Derek - Studio 450, New York City

If I had to think of a wedding that had the most "ongoings", it would have to be Alison and Derek's. This is a tale of two photographers, a couple in love and one hell of a rain storm.

We started the day by checking into the 25th floor of the Flatotel in Manhattan and continued with the prep shots as normal. The usual day except one of the bridesmaids had broken her leg a few days prior. She was a champ. No pain meds and a smile all night - even during the walk down the aisle and the introduction of the wedding party.

The ceremony and reception took place at Studio 450 in the city. As Alison was finishing last minute touches prior to meeting Derek at the end of the aisle, she realized she had lost an earring and asked that I go back into my photos to see if I could find when she last had it. What a digital revolution - not only did we see where she lost it (cross walk in Times Square), we grabbed a shot of it as it fell off of her ear - midway between earlobe and shoulder. A lost cause at this point, a couple crafty bridesmaids somehow managed to turn one earring into two. It was simply genius.

OK, fast forward through the ceremony, which had the photographers in tears, and end at the formal shots out on the rooftop of the building. We could see a storm rolling in. And when I say "see", there was a definitive black line separating blue sky and torrential downpour (see below). We hurriedly grabbed wedding party shots with wind blowing like crazy. Innocent bystanders holding my lights so they wouldn't fly away. And yes, lighting. Troopers to hold metal stands as we were surrounded by streaks. We finished just as the first drop fell.

The reception was filled with great music, great dancing and great people. This was the first time we were ever asked to sit at a guests table to eat our dinner. It was really sweet. And aside from a pair of split pants as one of the guests busted his moves, the reception ended flawlessly.

Now, these posts really never have anything to do with me, BUT, when we got back to the hotel around 12:30am, the elevators were out. Remember that 25th floor? Well, we climbed it - camera bags, lightstands and all. After flight 8, we were severely regretting our decision but kept on truckin', breaking every 3 flights. Oh, and did I mention it was about 90 degrees in that stairwell?

It was a night to remember so please enjoy these photos as we enjoyed taking them.

Allison and Mike - Tappan Hill Mansion, Tarrytown, NY

It was one of those days when the temperatures exceeded 90 degrees with high humidity and the mission was to get some shots of the groom and his wedding party on the bocce court. Even though we felt like we were melting into the stone surface, it was totally worth it with the shots we got. However, it was the pool that really drew our attention. The first photo is what we WISHED we could do. Admittedly, it is Photoshop's, but hey - the idea was there! And besides, there was no time to dry off before heading to the Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, New York for the reception.