Jeff Kolodny Photography Blog - South Florida Wedding Photographer

Category: Weddings

Neha and Nirav’s Perfect Palm Beach Indian Wedding at the Breakers

June 24, 2009

WOW – what an incredible event! This South Florida wedding photographer was thrilled to photograph all of the festivities on Friday and Saturday for Neha and Nirav’s most spectacular Palm Beach Indian wedding. The Breakers was their venue of choice and what a perfect choice it was! Everything The Breakers does is always beyond the norm, but their facilitation and design of this Indian wedding was truly flawless. This particular wedding was coordinated to perfection by The Breakers own Jeff Fowler. If you are planning a South Florida Indian wedding, definitely take a look at the Breakers.

More about The Breakers later, but for now I want to talk about Neha and her unbelievable wedding outfits. She wore two magnificently adorned lenghas, one for the ceremony and another for the reception. She sparkled, shined and even jingled as she graced the hallways and rooms of The Breakers. Everywhere she went people stopped to admire her beaded and bangled elegance. She was truly a sight to behold! In addition, Neha’s hands and feet were artistically covered with henna designs, another stylish tradition.

Nirav, her groom, wore traditional Indian attire until the ceremony was over and then changed into a more traditional American tuxedo. He was beaming in both outfits!

Cameron Keating of The Breakers design studio created lavish décor for both the ceremony and reception areas. The ceremony colors were gold and red, with rose petals sprinkling the aisle. Behind the ceremony altar, the mandap, were drapes with little white lights showing through – just beautiful. The set-up really captured the colorful essence of a traditional Indian wedding ceremony. The ceremony itself was dramatic, with Neha arriving on a doli carried by a group of men. She ascended gracefully and made her way slowly to the mandap. The ceremony itself was wonderfully conducted by a Pundit who not only injected his sense of humor into the ceremony, but also took the time to explain each ritual to guests who might not have known its meaning.

Once the ceremony concluded, Neha stole away to change into her next outfit while the cocktail hour was happening. We took the opportunity to photograph both the main ballroom at this time as well as guests and food at the cocktail hour. For this Palm Beach Indian wedding, The Breakers devised a cuisine that was both Indian and American for guests to enjoy. During the cocktail hours many Indian hors d’oeuvres were served alongside such American favorites as spinach artichoke dip. Leave it to The Breakers to pull off such a fabulous and tasty combination of food – and so meticulously presented as usual.

The reception was set up in the Mediterranean Room, where Cameron and his team from the Design Studio went all out creating elegant centerpieces – all with white flowers, candles hanging from the ceiling and once again that gorgeous draping with white lights behind it. Simply stunning! The floral arrangements The Breakers creates are always flawless, well put together and well suited to the room they are in. This occasion was no different. The Mediterranean room was at once transformed into a magical, glowing place for Neha and Nirav and their guests to dance the night away!

As the evening progressed, we took more family photos and even a large group shot of the entire wedding – we thought that would be fun for the bride and groom to have. When it was nearly midnight, we approached Neha and Nirav and asked them if they’d like to do any more photos. Although they were clearly tired, they agreed heartily! We went outside and captured some romantic shots with the Breakers in the background, and a few shots in front of the fountain as well. We were creative with the lighting, since it was really dark outside – but we got some great ones! We then decided to go inside and get a few final photos in the bridal suite. After that it was a wrap! It was an end to a truly memorable and momentous Palm Beach wedding.

As a South Florida wedding photographer, I truly enjoy photographing weddings of different cultures. It always presents new and exciting challenges for me.

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Ali & Jason’s Destination Wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach

June 16, 2009

Although the bride’s parents live locally, this was a destination wedding for both the bride and groom who currently live in Chicago. What a fabulous destination wedding it was! They were fortunate enough to have friends and family fly in for the wedding from all over the country and even the world! It was amazing to see such a diverse group of people – from places as far away as Dubai, Peru, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Israel, Canada, Mexico and Aruba. With the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach as their location, Ali and Jason and their guests had the best of everything – a beautiful hotel, amazing food and top-notch service. Danielle Sir Louis at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach and her team coordinated the event for the hotel, while Cheryl Clisby and her team were retained to handle every detail of the event before and on the day of to insure all went smoothly.

Despite some very rainy weather early in the day, Ali and Jason were excited and enthusiastic about enjoying their wedding day and just going with the flow. I had to find some creative spots to do photos, since it was pretty wet outside and the hotel was filled with people. At some point during the day, things began to dry out so we ventured outside a little to get a few shots, including a large group shot of their bridal party. As a South Florida wedding photographer I have learned to adjust to whatever the weather situation might be – spring can definitely be rainy here and one needs to be able to work around that and still create amazing images. I am sure that while planning their Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach wedding, Ali and Jason took into account the fact that the venue would provide them with many amazing locations to do their pictures.

A few wedding details: Ali’s stunning gown was by Amsale, while her shoes were Cole Haan (fitted inside with Nike Air!) The groom’s tux was by Armani and the bridesmaids’ dresses were by Jenny Yoo. Drew T rocked the reception – guests were dancing late into the night! Ali said that Drew T added a Latin flair to his music selections that was really important, given that many of her side of the family came from Peru. The floral arrangements were designed by Dalsimer.

We want to thank Ali and Jason and their families for being so terrific to work with on this very special occasion.

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Sam & Elisa’s Wedding at the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont

May 30, 2009

This was another fabulous destination wedding for us! It was actually a destination wedding for many of the guests, as they were from all over the world – including Chile, Australia, California, New Zealand, and Minnesota – too many places to mention! It was the most interesting and diverse group of wedding guests we’ve ever encountered. As both the bride and groom grew up on the ski slopes, many of their friends and guests were avid skiers as well. That was something many people there had in common.

This was the wedding of Sam von Trapp and Elisa Sepulveda. Sam’s family owns and operates the Trapp Family Lodge www.trappfamily.com in Stowe, Vermont. Elisa was raised in Chile and her stepfather is the owner of a magnificent ski resort in Portillo www.skiportillo.com. This is actually where she met Sam, who was a ski instructor at the resort at the time. Sam and Elisa have known each other for 13 years believe it or not, which is one reason why their wedding day was so highly anticipated by family members and friends alike! Sam’s “singing” family and their history of leaving Austria back in the 1930’s was the inspiration for the Broadway show and later the 1965 film, The Sound of Music. Sam’s late grandmother, Maria, was the actual Maria that Julie Andrews portrayed in the film. His father, Johannes, was Maria and Captain von Trapp’s last child. Several other relatives, including Sam’s Aunt Maria and Aunt Rosmarie also attended the wedding. The von Trapp’s history is so unbelievably interesting. The Trapp Family lodge has a magnificent collection of photos and memorabilia of the family’s long history, plus in each room there is a book with more photos and information about the family. We didn’t have time to read the whole thing so I bought it at the gift shop to read later at home.

We really can’t say enough about both Elisa and Sam’s families. Everyone we met was gracious, friendly and most hospitable. They are all really great people in every sense.

We were also really impressed with the Trapp Family Lodge itself. We’ve been to Stowe many times, but had never stayed at the lodge. Everything there was impeccable – the staff was friendly and helpful, our room was comfy and large and the overall surroundings magnificent. Also, the cuisine at the lodge was to die for! Check out the "TASTY STUFF" section of this blog to see cuisine photos from the Trapp Lodge. We were given the opportunity to photograph (and taste) many of the meals that were served over the course of the weekend. As you’ll see from the photos in this post, the scenery around the lodge is just breathtaking. Also, we are usually in Vermont in the winter, so seeing the green rolling hills in the spring was really neat.

Sam and Elisa’s wedding weekend started off with a rehearsal dinner in the Mozart Room of the lodge on Thursday evening. It was a delicious meal, including soup, salad, a game course and an entrée. There were many entertaining and emotional speeches made during the dinner and the bride and groom were filled with emotion as their many guests and relatives shared story after amusing story for all to hear. A delectable dessert table was set up later in the downstairs lounge, where the guests were invited to a welcome reception and live music.

The next night, we were invited to the groom’s parents’ home for a cocktail party. Johannes and Lynne, Sam’s parents, were terrific hosts as they opened up their magnificent home to all wedding guests. It was a great time and we took the opportunity to photograph Sam and Elisa in a more casual atmosphere before their wedding day. We photographed the food served here as well and as many people as possible as they enjoyed the party in this beautiful, rustic home.

As Saturday approached, so did the rain clouds. By 2pm, however, the clouds began to lift and the sun finally came out. After several days of on and off rain – this was truly perfect timing! There was definitely a concern about rain, as this was pretty much planned as an outdoor wedding. The ceremony was at a chapel that was built by one of Sam’s late uncles (Werner von Trapp) over 50 years ago. To reach this chapel, one has to basically hike uphill through the woods to get there. It is certainly a pretty trek, though, and well worth it! The chapel is made of stone and so quaint – only about 4 people actually can fit inside, so the ceremony was conducted right in front with wedding guests and musicians standing all around in the woods.

From there, we hiked down the mountain with Sam and Elisa and took pictures along the way. There were just too many picturesque spots to stop at all of them! The cocktail hour was held outside amidst a forest of birch trees followed by a reception in a huge white tent. The meal at the reception consisted of a huge variety of passed hors d’oeuvres as well as sumptuous food stations that included a magnificent cheese table, sushi, raw bar, crudités, carving station, fruit and of course, dessert. A high-energy band rocked the tent until 1AM – the dance floor was constantly filled with energetic guests boogieing the night away!

Now this is something we have never seen at a wedding before – a lamb roast on a huge open fire pit! Elisa wanted the lamb to be ready to eat at 2AM, so it was set to roast for HOURS before! Also available to roast were marshmallows and all the makings for smores – so yummy! Guests wandered out of the tent periodically to check out what was happening at the fire pit – it was also the warmest spot around, as the Vermont evening air was quite chilly.

Sam and Elisa and all of their guests had an incredible time during this festive wedding weekend - and so did we!

The grounds of the Trapp lodge is home to a herd of unique Scottish Highland cattle. They are very friendly.

Rehearsal dinner set-up in the Mozart Room at the lodge.

Same and Elisa share a moment in the doorway of Sam's parents' (Johannes and Lynne) gorgeous wooden home.

The path on the way to the chapel was a steep climb through the woods...

Elisa with her bridesmaids and flower girls, nieces Annie and Stella (left to right).

Elisa is emotional as she speaks to her maternal grandmother via cell phone.

The girls have fun making the trek to the chapel.

Sam and his groomsmen pause for a photo on their way to the chapel.

Sam looks on as Elisa's father walks her up the (somewhat muddy) aisle to her.

Have you ever seen wedding guests situated like this? Unusual and beautiful!

Sam's two aunts - Rosmarie at left and Maria von Trapp at right. Maria is 94 years old and one of the original "children" portrayed in The Sound of Music.

Wedding reception set up in a beautiful huge tent. Look at those rustic flower arrangements - perfect for this wedding!

Same and Elisa enjoy a speech by Elisa's mother, Mary.

Ok - now this is something you don't see every day! There was a huge open fire that was used to roast a lamb as well as marshmallows and all the makings for smores. This fire burned way into the night - the lamb wasn't even eaten until 3AM! Guests gathered around the warmth of the fire for hours.

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Leyla & Hossein’s Incredible Washington D.C. “Destination” Wedding

May 15, 2009

Leyla and Hossein found me through a friend – and I am really glad they did! I traveled to Washington D.C. in April to photograph their amazing wedding at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Robin came along to assist, as the wedding included 280 guests! This was a true destination wedding for us and we were really looking forward to it.

We arrived in Washington D.C. on Friday and immediately set out to scope out the hotel where we were to begin and then the U.S. Chamber of Commerce itself. It was a beautiful walk from our hotel near Dupont Circle to the Chamber, which is located directly across from the White House. We couldn’t resist stopping in front of the White House for a few photos and also to admire the incredible flowers that were in full bloom along with the famous cherry blossom trees. The weather couldn’t have been better – perfectly sunny and warm, not too hot and not too cold. Anticipation began to rise for the wedding the next day!

Pausing for a moment in the hallway of the Hotel Sofitel...

Leyla and Hossein were enthusiastic about doing pictures all around Washington D.C. and with the help of their amazing wedding planner, Sara Franklin of Social Scene Events, they set aside plenty of time to get the shots you’ll see here. We were able to ride all around Washington D.C. before the ceremony and capture these gorgeous photos of the bride and groom in this majestic city.

There are several photos here that were taken in the gardens of the Smithsonian Castle including these two (above and below).

We just HAD to do a photo at the Washington Monument.

We couldn't resist including this photo since the White House is actually right across the street from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where the wedding took place.

Once back at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the wedding activities kicked into high gear, as Leyla and Hossein quickly prepared for the ceremony. Theirs was a traditional Iranian wedding, so many customs were involved throughout the evening. From the ceremony right through to the reception, this was an extremely festive affair complete with tango dancers, a knife dance and a lavish meal for their guests. Leyla, an avid cook, was intimately involved in the recipe for their wedding cake as well.

The food was exotic and beautifully served.

Leyla and Hossein share a romantic dance as husband and wife.

We had a great time photographing this wedding in a most beautiful city, Washington D.C.. We would like to give special thank Leyla and Hossein for having us there to capture their interesting and colorful Washington D.C. wedding! Thanks also to Sara Franklin of Social Scene Events their incredible wedding planner for being so helpful and accommodating to us. Also thanks to Tom Trainor of Suburban Video for being so pleasant and easy to work with.

OK - here is the moving blush brush.

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Rebecca & Steven’s “Delicious” Wedding at Boca Grove Country Club

May 7, 2009

This was one fabulous wedding! Linzi Etzion of Linzi Events outdid herself planning Rebecca and Steven’s tantalizing and tasty wedding at Boca Grove Country Club. The groom is a major food connoisseur, thus the main emphasis for the wedding was the cuisine. It seemed as if the food selections were endless! Everything from sliders to authentic Philly cheesesteaks to lobster tails and claws were served. Steven was meticulous in his direction to the chefs on the preparation of the food – he even explained to me just exactly how the perfect Philly cheese steak should be prepared! Good to know, since I love cheese steaks!

Linzi expertly worked with the bride and groom to devise the perfect décor for the event which consisted of centerpieces loaded with candles that added a warm glow to the room. Everything went beautifully and Rebecca and Steven and their guests had an amazing time all night – without a care in the world - thanks to Linzi! As far as a Boca Raton wedding goes, this one was just fab. Xquisite Events created the decor. I was thrilled to be there alongside Linzi to contribute to Rebecca and Steven’s special day.