The St. Regis New York Wedding Photographer
From the amber glow of the ceremony to the energy of the hora, I photograph weddings at The St. Regis New York through the moments that make the room feel alive.
A Wedding at The St. Regis New York
The St. Regis has a sense of occasion before a single guest arrives. Inside, crystal chandeliers and gilded walls give the light a warmth I wanted to carry through the photographs. In the portrait of the bride and groom, that warmth is everywhere, but what holds my eye is the way she looks up at him, her bouquet tucked into one arm and her hand folded into his.
Before the Ceremony
There’s a particular kind of joy in the room when the bride is finally in her gown and the ceremony is still ahead of her. It can come through in a glance or in the way someone who’s been helping her get ready pauses to take her in. Those are some of my favorite moments to photograph. The people closest to the bride get to share a little of what she’s feeling before everyone else sees her walk down the aisle.
In this photograph at The St. Regis New York, the window light falls across her face and picks up the flowers on the bodice of her gown. My eye goes straight to her smile, then to the woman at the edge of the frame who’s smiling, too. I like that there’s just enough of the room around the bride to feel that she has company. Her expression belongs to an exchange, and seeing a little of the other person makes it easier to imagine what it felt like to be there.
When I photograph the preparations, I pay attention to where the light falls and give people room to stay absorbed in what they’re doing. Sometimes the expression I’m waiting for comes while someone is still moving or looking across the room. That little bit of activity at the edges is part of what I love here. You get the closeness of a portrait and the feeling that the morning was still unfolding around her.
When I look at this photograph alongside the ceremony images, I see two different kinds of joy. Under the chuppah, she laughs openly as they exchange rings. Here, the smile is shared among the few people in the room, with everything still ahead of her. I want her to remember how that part of the day felt, too.
The Bride on the Staircase
I love what a little blur does in this black-and-white photograph. The curve of the banister stays distinct while the bride’s gown and veil soften into motion. It’s a fleeting moment, and the photograph still feels like it’s passing as I look at it.
What draws me back is how little of the bride you need to see to feel her presence. The sweep of the veil tells you she’s moving, and the dark railing gives your eye something solid to follow as she rounds the bend. I like that you have to look for her for a beat. By the time you find her, she already feels halfway out of sight.
Beneath the Chuppah
Before the guests arrived, the aisle at The St. Regis New York led through rows of gold chairs to a softly lit chuppah. I like having a photograph of the room at that point. It gives you a chance to take in the chandeliers, the deep red drapes and the blue light at the windows before all your attention goes to the people.
During the ring exchange, I framed the bride’s face and their hands together. You can see the groom steadying her fingers as she laughs beneath her veil. That’s what I love about putting these two photographs together. The wide view lets you take in the room, and the close-up brings you near enough to see how they were with each other in it.
Wedding Portraits of the Couple and Their Family
In the portrait of the bride and groom, the crystal sconce and gilded walls give the frame the warmth I associate with The St. Regis New York. What keeps me looking is the way she smiles up at him through her veil, her hand resting over his. When I make a portrait like this, I give the couple a little direction to bring them together, then give them time to settle in. The expression I’m waiting for usually comes when their attention returns to each other.
I give family portraits their own time on a wedding day. I want everyone’s face to be clear and the group to feel at ease, so I pay as much attention to the way people stand together as I do to the light. In this photograph, the bride and groom stand close with four family members. The woman on the right has her hand on the groom’s arm, a small gesture I’m glad is in the frame. Years later, those familiar faces and gestures can be what make a photograph worth coming back to.
The First Dance Beneath the Chandeliers
In the first dance photograph, I kept the chandelier high in the frame and let the couple sit low beneath it. The ceiling and drapery tell you where they are, but your eye comes back to the bride looking up at the groom. There’s a quietness to that frame even with guests standing just behind them.
The dip has a completely different rhythm. Her hair falls toward the floor, his face drops close to hers, and the guests behind them are smiling. I like seeing those two photographs together because you can feel the dance change in the space between them.
At the reception table, the bride and groom lean toward each other, their faces almost touching. I like how much of the table is still in the frame. The candles, flowers and stemware draw you into the photograph before you notice the two of them. There’s a roomful of people around them, and for an instant they seem to have the table to themselves.
A Moment by Candlelight
The Faces I Watch During a Toast
During a toast, I spend a lot of time watching the people listening. In the wider photograph, you can see the speaker with the microphone, the bride leaning into the groom, and the people around them laughing. It’s the kind of frame where you find another expression each time you look.
At the table, the candles and stemware catch the light in front of the couple. You can see both of them smiling toward the speaker. I like how much of a toast you can remember from the way someone received it.
The Hora at The St. Regis New York
In the first frame, the bride turns toward the groom as guests clap around them. Her hair is still swinging, and you can see the circle closing in around the dance floor. I like keeping that much of the crowd in the picture. So much of the joy of the hora comes from the people who join in.
Then the chairs go up. The groom throws one arm into the air while the bride holds the other end of the napkin between them. My favorite detail is the man looking up and laughing as he helps lift the groom. His face tells you as much about the moment as the couple’s do.
From Across the Ballroom
Even from across the ballroom, I could feel the tenderness in the way they leaned toward each other, their faces barely lit by the red glow.
Planning Your Wedding at The St. Regis New York?
If you’re planning a wedding at The St. Regis, I’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to most. I make time for portraits with the people you love and stay attentive to the moments you couldn’t have planned, from laughter during the ceremony to a quiet glance across the ballroom. Tell me a little about the two of you and what you’re imagining for your wedding day.