Liga Photography Blog

It was literally a week prior to our trip when Lisa with E-Events contacted me about her couple, (who’s names shall remain undisclosed), wanting to get married in New York City in one week!! With their big day happening in Summer 2011, the bride and groom, decided that they didn’t want to wait over a year to exchange vows, and wanted to get married in a secret ceremony at The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City. I absolutely loved their story and so before I knew it, I was booking my flight and packing my bag to New York.

And for the remainder of this post, I will be using “B&G” (bride and groom) to reference their names.

We all know the weather in February in New York City is not the most ideal for weddings, however, in this case, I feel it made it all the more magical and memorable of an experience. I was also really excited to share this trip with two of my favorite friends and vendors, Lisa Konecny with E-Events and Jeffrey Stoner with Stoner Video. With the weather forecast calling for the second major blizzard this Winter hitting the DAY our couple was tying the knot, Lisa, Jeffrey, and I began preparing to make our trek up to snowy NYC with hopes that we would get up there and not stuck on the runway. Thankfully, with Lisa’s intuition, we decided to leave a day earlier than planned and luckily, we made it safe and sound. As we drove into the city, we had the chance to meet up with Jay Casiano, the amazing florist who owns Flowers of Winter Park and also owns and operates a flower company in NYC called The Plant Shed. Grateful to be in the city, Jay treated us all to Mama Mexico, some of the best Mexican food I’ve had in the city!! There, we were welcomed with 3 shots of tequila and the best guacamole I’ve had in a while! Yes, I said, 3 shots of tequila. Apparently Lisa, Jeffrey, and I didn’t know what we were getting into when hanging out with Jay. I normally don’t take shots and I was a little fearful that I was not going to be a happy camper the next morning, but I have to tell you, I felt like a million dollars the next day!

As the blizzard came through that evening, I woke up and looked out my hotel room onto Times Square and everything was pure white. Not many people were out on the streets and there was a really peaceful silence about it all. Wedding day was here, and it was time to document the happy couple’s day! So there were two things, okay, three things that I was obsessed with. 1. The brides’ STUNNING dress! 2. Here FABULOUS Stewart Weitzman shoes 3. Her vintage bird cage veil to top it all off! Thank you!!! I’m such a shoe gal so you will see below that I had to put a lot of images of the shoes in this post. Sorry boys. The ceremony was perfect. Spontaneous and sweet. The bride and groom looked amazing and despite the blizzard, it was one of the most magical weddings I’ve witnessed. After the ceremony, the family hung out and drank wine. Everyone was so kind and talkative. Jeffrey and I took the B&G all around the hotel and captured some fabulous portraits. They loved the black and white floor and I made sure to implement that into their portraits.

The next day, we all headed to Central Park to begin our Day After Session. Lisa and I had to make a stop at Macy’s first to purchase our own pair of snow boots, as our shoes and socks were wet from all the snow. Poor Jeffrey had to sit and help us pick out which pair of boots as we couldn’t decide. Lisa ended up buying the ones I liked and I ended up buying the park that she liked. Go figure. I am now the proud owner of my first pair of alligator green wellies!!! We couldn’t have picked a better day to photograph in Central Park. The blizzard had stopped and now everyone was out playing in the snow. I was shooting about a foot and a half and it was such a great feeling to be out in Central Park and doing what I love to do best! The B&G did such a great job with all the snow and cold weather. They truly were amazing to work with and I hope that you two enjoy these memories for years to come. I can for sure say that I truly had a memorable time hanging with dear friends and photographing in my favorite city. It couldn’t have gotten better. Great friends, amazing clients, awesome food…I heart NYC!! xoxo-Abby

Amongst all the amazing weddings I’ve had the opportunity to photograph this past Fall 2009, I really enjoyed being a part of Valerie and Justin’s. These two people are not unfamiliar with being in front of the camera as they met while pursuing their acting careers here in Orlando. They were referred to me by one of my previous brides, the wonderful Kelly and Rob, which I’m SO happy that they did. Thanks guys! Working with Valerie and Justin is pretty easy considering that they’re um…GORGEOUS!! And not to mention, incredibly nice and down-to-earth. While working on their engagement session, I really saw how “perfect” they really were for each other. We had the chance to hang out and dish about the wedding and all the fun and exciting things happening in their lives. Moving onto wedding day, Heather Ahrens, Amy (my fabulous Sister), and I arrived at The Lake Marty Events Center to begin documenting what was sure to be the most amazing day for Val and Justin. And sure enough, it was and so much more. Every little detail was accounted for from the fantastic direction and planning by Blush by Brandee Gaar, to the breathtaking floral provided by Greenery Productions. The color pallet was precise and nicely incorporated throughout the day. The element that stood out to me with their wedding is how much they put each other on a pedestal. From the thoughtful gifts they gave each other to the emotional last dance with just them in the room, you could easily see the amount of unconditional devotion they had between them. It had me saying in my mind, “see, that’s what it’s all about”. Pure respect, admiration, and undeniable devotion. It’s cool to witness this between two people. I feel like I’m getting a VIP pass to see the most intimate, important moments in people’s lives. Thank you Valerie and Justin for inviting me in to be a part of your wedding. It was beautiful and I know you two will have an amazing life together. xo – Abby A special thanks to the following vendors who made their day perfect: Blush by Brandee Gaar, Greenery Productions, Lake Mary Events Center, Junction 88 Productions, 404 Films, Heather Ahrens Photography, Cut the Cake, Levan’s Catering, and Charles Dawes.

It was about this time last year that I began communicating with Abbie about her wedding in Scotland. When the wedding that she originally started planning in Florida began to transform into something she wasn’t passionate about, she decided to take a completely different turn. She told me that one day, in her crazy search for venues in Florida, her friend emailed her one of the many forwards we get filled with funny jokes and iconic images to “brighten ones day”. In this email was an image of a castle that sparked her imagination. One thing led to another and Abbie began trying to track down where that image was taken. In her search out of pure curiosity, she found the element that was missing in her planning process. She began to research weddings in Scotland and after much clicking of the mouse, her and John settled on the quaint little town of Dornoch, Scotland to have their wedding. I truly was so excited when Abbie and John chose me to document such a intimate wedding in an absolute gorgeous destination. It has been one of the best experiences that I have taken with me so far in my career. Between a visit to their hometown in Chicago to photograph their engagement session, to traveling halfway across the world, I really feel that I’ve gotten to see all the beautiful things that make up Abbie and John’s relationship. They are meant for each other. With a year to plan, I decided that I wanted to share this experience with my sister Amy. With a wedding guest list of only 40, I knew she would make the perfect assistant! So on December 9th, Amy and I hopped our first out of many flights on our trek to Dornoch. Arriving there was surreal. I felt that I was living in a little snow globe. We were welcomed by the friendly staff at the Dornoch Castle Hotel. It was exactly how one would imagine. The lobby with a huge, roaring fire place, wooden floors, stone walls, and the perfect little bar serving great beer. I was home! There was even a resident castle cat named “Charley”. All he would do is lay by the fireplace. We think it helped with his arthritis. So, inlay a picturesque and perfect setting for a wedding. All that Abbie imagined, and all that this Abby was hoping for! The next three days were purely magical. As family and close friends arrived, everyone, including Amy and I, shared a sense of excitement and closeness. We all ate and drank together, and got to know one another. It was really nice to be so close and apart of their circle. I felt that we were just another friend in this exceptional trip to celebrate their wedding. It was a magical time being able to have a glimpse into the lives of these people, and being able to laugh and share stories. The day after the wedding was great too. Since it gets dark so early there, we didn’t really have much time to capture portraits of Abbie and John during the day. So, the next morning we all met back down in the lobby and set out for two hours to photograph all over Dornoch. Amy and Kate helped with styling and even shot some video. Then they headed back to plan our trip to Edinburgh, Dublin, London, and then Paris. Yes, we had just begun our trip to the UK and France! It was so exciting and so much fun. So many memories were made! Below is the wedding story of Abbie and John from rehearsal to day after session. I hope you all enjoy viewing these as much as I truly have enjoyed capturing them. To Abbie and John, thank you for the amazing opportunity to document your wedding. I will always remember it! xoxo – Abby

Here’s a “Behind-the-Scenes” look into our trip!