Kawomi and Alan
Staten Island has no shortage of amazing wedding venues and spaces. Our team has taken the ferry over to the borough many times to capture our client’s celebrations. From the Vanderbilt at South beach (a beautiful beach side venue) to Casa Belvedere (a historic landmark and Italian Cultural Foundation) we are always impressed with the beautiful locations the borough has to offer, so we were excited to shoot at The Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.
Snug Harbor is open to the public and offers an assortment of performing arts, educational forums and a farm producing fresh fruit and vegetables for the local community. The center also has several options for your big day! Nestled on 83 acres of lush grounds (including a Chinese garden) they can host your wedding from start to finish with space to get ready, indoor and outdoor ceremony locations and several options for your reception as well.
Kawomi and Alan planned to elope and reached out to our studio seeking a photography package (with an engagement shoot) to capture their Bride and Groom portraits in the garden and their wedding celebration after wards. Our photography team was happy to oblige! We started with the happy newlyweds in the Heritage Rose Garden. Kawomi was stunning in a backless ivory lace gown. She wore her hair down and carried a beautiful bouquet of pastel roses. Her groom looked picture perfect in a navy blue suit with pastel tie and boutonniere.
Whether you choose one of our all-inclusive elopement packages or you are hosting a full wedding, we always recommend setting extra time aside before the ceremony or reception for your portrait session. Your wedding day goes so fast and it’s really important to have some unrushed time with your honey so our photographer can capture beautiful photos like these that you will cherish for a lifetime!
After visiting the Chinese Scholar Garden the Bride and Groom headed over to the Great Hall for their reception. The space is beautiful and features dark wood accents and a vaulted ceiling. Their tables were decorated with fresh flowers as centerpieces and glowing candles. We loved the personalized touches like the birdcage wedding card holder and the guestbook featuring one of their photos from the engagement shoot we captured in Brooklyn Bridge Park (a popular engagement session location). The party kicked off with cocktails and their first dance before their guests treated them to funny speeches and a slide show of the couples photos growing up!
Everyone (including our photography team) had a blast and we can’t wait to return to Staten Island again for another amazing celebration!