If you ever visited Fort Tryon Park you know it’s full of beautiful green filled pathways with some surprising architectural elements and vast Hudson River views which definitely makes this one of the most photogenic spots for wedding photos around NYC. For Gabbi and Max though Fort Tryon Park means so much more than just a pretty location.

Max’s dad, George, is originally from Germany and came to the US in 1939, as a Holocaust survivor. George’s first home in the US was in Inwood, right across the street from Fort Tryon Park, where he spent a lot of his time and where Gabbi and Max live now. To make it even more special, Max’s dad — now a youthful 89 years old — officiated their ceremony and Gabbi’s dad translated parts of it into Portuguese. I think almost everyone said a couple of touching words to Gabbi and Max during their ceremony and I was moved by the emotions everyone shared. It was amazing seeing two different families from two different cultures make a ceremony that was meaningful to all.

I love a couple who is ready to adventure in some of the most unusual colorful places around NYC on their wedding day! Suzannah and Anders were set on China Town for their wedding day portraits so we made it happen even in crazy traffic and with the street closures nearby:) They celebrated with the closest family and friends at one of my favorite private rooms at Locanda Verde.

A stunning Central Park celebration documented by Yunika for Elvira Kalviste Photography

One of my favorites from 2019! Chill neighborhood celebration of James and Claire in Astoria at the Bonnie.

I love when an engagement session turns into a little family shoot:) This time around it was Ashley and Julia and their adorable dog Calvin. We started shooting in their home, explored the rooftop with Calvin and finished the session at Fort Greene Park!

It’s 2020 and I am beyond excited to get back to blogging all of the beautiful celebration I have in my queue:) First up is an international NYC love story of Jamie and Jerome!

Jamie: “My friends and I were out for her birthday and I was the 7th wheel. I guess they had felt bad and had asked their boyfriends to bring someone later that night. We were in an East Village dive bar when Jerome walked in. I thought he was tourist with his thick French accent and I thought "Score! Summer fling!" Well, here we are 7 years later!”

Yunika was lucky enough to work with Jamie and Jerome on their intimate wedding day and I am absolutely in love with their mini Brooklyn tour around their favorite hang out spots:)

It’s time for another gem of a wedding shot by my amazing associate Yunika! This one is full of style and those chill intimate celebration vibes I love so much! Raz and Dave exchanged vows in front of 30 of their closest friends and families at a pretty cool bar event space in Williamsburg - Humboldt & Jackson. Scroll down for some Brooklyn street adventures with Raz and Dave;)

Obsessed with this gorgeous couple and all the special moments from their Bowery Hotel wedding celebration! Patti and Lu are the definition of a modern partnership and it makes me so happy that their relationship goes so deep and their wedding represents more than just a one day party but their lifelong commitment to each other. As always, I love to let my couples describe their relationship so here are a few words from Patti:

“Lu and I met during college in November 2007 at a "Friendsgiving" that our maid of honor, Amanda, was hosting in Brooklyn for those who weren't going home for Thanksgiving. We had pretty instant chemistry and went on a date a few days later and have been together ever since :) I think what is one of the most important things after being together for almost 11 years is that we still really like each other and at the very base of it all, are still best friends at the core. We've gone through ups and downs like every other couple, but at the end of each day, we choose each other. We've grown up together through alot of life events (studying abroad apart, graduating college, first jobs, law school, etc) and thus understand the importance of partnership.

Lu will joke that his favorite thing about me is my (bad) singing and my favorite thing about him is his insane productivity (he designed all the invites, stds, menus, etc by himself because he enjoys design as a hobby even though he's a lawyer by trade) but ultimately I think that we both like making each other laugh and there's a sense of comfort when we're close together where our anxiety fades and we just know 'everything will be OK' if we got each other. We're so integrated in each other's lives at this point, that it feels like Lu is as part of me as is my arm or leg. It's a wonderful feeling to have such a deep friendship and partnership with someone :)”