Jensen Studios NYC BlogJensen Studios NYC Bloghttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009-11-30T19:05:40ZSquarespaceSharon and Brianhttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009/11/25/sharon-and-brian.htmlRyan Jensen2009-11-26T00:29:44Z2009-11-26T00:29:44ZInitially introduced to me through their work in the theatre a few years back, Sharon and Brian have become great friends of mine. They are just the sort of driven, fun-loving people who you know are going to have an unforgettable wedding. What an outstanding group of friends and family and an incredible location!
Sharon is the sort of bride who can’t stop laughing the whole day. Every time you think she is smiling the biggest smile that life can provide her, she somehow finds a little more joy…a little more grace…a little more absurdity; their wedding was full of all of those moments. Brian’s emotions seemed to ricochet around the room, swept away by the enormity and blessings bestowed upon them both with every passing second. Every friend seen for the first time, every recollection in a toast and every warmth-filled hug brought a new discovery and he cherished them all.
Their friends and family were absolutely committed to keeping them aloft…a spiritual hora that lasted the whole day. I can only imagine that by the time they fell into bed, they could barely summon another “I love you”…another kiss…another act of surrender. Then again… ;)
]]>Jennifer and Dylanhttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009/11/25/jennifer-and-dylan.htmlRyan Jensen2009-11-25T17:37:40Z2009-11-25T17:37:40Z
(Please allow a minute or two after clicking the “Play” symbol for the slideshow to download.)
When I met Jennifer and Dylan last year, I got cocky and decided I knew how this wedding was going to go.
She was the planner and he was the color commentary.
He would party while she controlled the flow of the day.
She would cry in the ceremony and he would laugh.
So much for my intuition! What a difference a wedding makes.
Jennifer is one of my favorite ever brides. Come the day, the planning was all but left left behind (note to brides…really good strategy if you want to enjoy your day!) She simply spent the morning getting ready and loving her amazing, gorgeous bridesmaids and mom. Smooth sailing. Smiles. No barking, tears or cajoling. She was perfect.
I didn’t see Dylan (also one of my favorite ever grooms) until he was at the altar. And the cool demeanor was abandoned. He waited impatiently for her, fidgeting and seemingly unsure of what to do with his hands, his eyes, his brain. And then she walked in the church.
She was grace in human form, clearly brought to the height of her beauty by her love for Dylan. The moment he saw her his tears flowed… so clearly humbled by his soulmate’s elegance and the prospect of spending the rest of his life with her. Then their smiles and laughter and shared love joined together on the altar and they became so much more together. Deeper, funnier, more beautiful and complete.
The rest of the day seemed a blur for everyone involved. Hilarious toasts. Amazing family. Brilliant dancing. Ridiculously tasty food. Rocking, talented band…and one new Danish tradition that I’ve never seen:
Nearing the end of the night, several men got together on the dance floor, lifted Dylan up, forcibly removed his shoes and someone came at him with a pair of scissors (mind you, this is later in the night and drinks have been flowing liberally)…and then they cut the toes of his socks off.
I love my job. Best of luck to both of you (and your little nugget of a dog Sebastian) as you move forward in your new lives together.
(Major note to brides who want to plan a city wedding: New Lead Café is an INCREDIBLE venue with attentive staff, the best food I’ve ever tasted at a wedding and an ability to roll with the punches of the day without ever asking the guests to.)
]]>Libby and Erichttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009/8/6/libby-and-eric.htmlRyan Jensen2009-08-06T19:07:19Z2009-08-06T19:07:19ZWedding Venue: Full Moon Resort
Oh my Gosh! Where do I start on this wedding!? At the beginning…
I met Libby, Eric and Libby’s mom, Chris this Spring and was informed immediately that they all hated having their photos taken. Of course, I am ALWAYS up for a challenge…
…and come the wedding day, no challenge showed up. The brief period of rain in the middle of the day happened when everyone was beneath the reception tent and only REALLY opened up once everyone was either safely in bed or tearing up the floorboards in the after party. Eh? And where was the couple who was camera shy? (Their guests certainly weren’t: I got my first intentional flasher in the photo booth.)
As my guest photographer, Jennifer Boyle, said: “I want these people to be my friends!” I felt the same exact way. And, as you can see, the dancing went late into the night, starting at the reception tent and moving into what Full Moon Resort calls their “Party Barn” but seems to be a full-on bar and dance hall. DJ friends rock. I’ve never heard such great music at a wedding. I don’t know if these guys do weddings regularly but if they do and you are looking for hipness personified…email them.
Full Moon Resort is an extraordinary place to have a wedding. I just can’t say it enough. It’s a little off the beaten path but worth the drive (which is stunning in its own right!)
]]>Christine and Jasonhttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009/7/19/christine-and-jason.htmlRyan Jensen2009-07-19T19:38:28Z2009-07-19T19:38:28ZI have been blessed this September with couples with so much style and love and joy. Christine and Jason raised the bar for me in their wedding at Osborne Castle in Garrison, NY overlooking the Hudson Valley. (If you brides are thinking about a wedding with under 100 people, I would seriously consider booking here.)
I have already decided to steal like FIVE things from their wedding for mine, so that should be some indication of how awesome they are. Christine sang to Jason during the ceremony while the assembled guests passed their rings amongst themselves and blessed them with their wishes. The food was just ridiculously yummy and beautiful to look at. And the family. Ooof. What an awesome family and group of talented, beautiful friends. Ahhhhh…this was as relaxing as a wedding photography day gets.
]]>Stacey and Trevorhttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009/7/18/stacey-and-trevor.htmlRyan Jensen2009-07-18T19:39:00Z2009-07-18T19:39:00ZStacey and Trevor are a pair of my favorite human beings on the face of the planet. In addition to being total freakin rockstars, they have just incredible friends and family and incredible taste in photography. ;) And they ain’t too hard to look at either…
We had a lovely time down shooting in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and their whole ceremony was right under the Manhattan Bridge as well, right on the water and they held their reception at Smack Melon Studios. They had the most awesome use of the Photo Booth so far, with a couple of pro photogs who starting directing things. I shot this one with my awesome guest photographer, Stephen Young and with a TON of help from Shannon Cunningham.
It’s a long slideshow, but it ONE OF MY BEST PHOTO SHOOTS EVER. EVER.
]]>Joanna and Peterhttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009/3/28/joanna-and-peter.htmlRyan Jensen2009-03-28T02:35:34Z2009-03-28T02:35:34ZI met Joanna and Peter up in Canada at Keaton and Oliver’s wedding last Autumn and we chatted really briefly about their wedding in March of 2009. Lo and behold, I got a call this winter from Peter and the ball got rolling and suddenly, I am at The Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley, CA, just north of the San Francisco Bay in March. (Just as I start enjoying how “warm” it’s been in NYC, I get smacked in the behind with 65 degrees for 6 days.)
My friend Matty and one of my new favorite shooters in the Bay Area, Heather Powell, rocked this one, even with the threat of rain looming. It broke for the ceremony and gave us an hour or so to shoot their family, wedding party and their portraits. What a bunch of champs! (Because 65 degrees is “cold”…you know…”winter”…I am a boy from Minnesota. I see people put on heavy coats and 60 degrees and I am baffled.)
The wedding went off without a hitch. I’ll admit we got more naughty pictures in my photo booth than I can show here or anywhere for that matter. I think I am going to have to hold a few back because of potential lawsuits. I have to give a major shout out to Grace Dougan of A Touch of Grace wedding and event coordinating. Not only did she facilitate the smoothness of a rainy day event but somehow found a way to accommodate every single thing I asked her for. Every single thing. I started making stuff up later in the day: “I want a diet coke, no ice, served in an ostrich shell…” And there it would be. And the buffet provided by Cater Marin was excellent as well! Terry saw I was eating standing up and forced a chair under my butt…highly needed.
And I need to mention one other thing: When I ran across the street to meet Joanna at the salon, she turned around and my heart cheered a little inside! Just gorgeous. She got the dress on and it cheered louder. By the time we got to Peter and Joanna’s portraits, I had a full-scale cardiac “Wave” going on when she took direction and ran with it like a paid model. This was a good day. Blessings on both of you and everyone who attended. You all made me love my job just a little bit more today.
]]>Clemencia and Ajayhttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2009/2/28/clemencia-and-ajay.htmlRyan Jensen2009-02-28T06:00:00Z2009-02-28T06:00:00ZThis was my very first midnight wedding. What a hoot! And what an amazing couple and location! Clemencia and Ajay decided to have their Indian ceremony and reception at The Metropolitan Building in Long Island City, which is a stunning location. Four floors of antique furniture and beautiful mirrors and perfection for a wedding (not to mention for a wedding photographer). The entire ceremony was a deluge of red and gold and all the love two people can have for one another. I love the brilliant chaos of Indian weddings as both Clemencia and Ajay were ushed into the space, surrounded by dancing, chanting, laughing and unselfconscious expressions of love from their South American and Indian families.
We only had a brief time to shoot their portraits after the ceremony, but we got some lovely work done. My favorite part was asking Clemencia to try and put on a straight face. She couldn’t! That wonderful smile was on her face from the first moment I saw her until the end of the night when they discovered that, in their immersion in the party, they had forgotten to cut and eat their cake! They both laughed and ate the cake with no hands. Just awesome. What is love but eating a cake together with only your faces?
]]>Karin and Evanshttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2008/12/20/karin-and-evans.htmlRyan Jensen2008-12-20T16:27:06Z2008-12-20T16:27:06ZAh, San Diego! I’ve been looking forward to this wedding for a while. And when Karin told me she was buying a special wedding dress for our beach shoot the day after the wedding, I did a happy dance which turned into my own personal dance concert once I saw the Prado and Balboa Park.
Rain can often be a real downer for a wedding day, but these two barely blinked an eye as the rare San Diego rain poured down and pulled their ceremony inside. They were more concerned about how their guests were feeling about it than themselves. People had come from Texas, Arizona, New York, Portland, Colorado….all over the place. In spite of the drizzles and sprinkles, we got some kickin photos of both of them and their ceremony was intimate and lovely.
One small memory that brings a smile to my face….just before the ceremony, Evan called Karin and she had the rings in her hand and gazed at them while sweetly asking, “So…are you excited to marry me?” (You can see that photo in the slideshow) And of course, ANYONE who uses Willie Nelson for their wedding dance has my number.
I also had the pleasure of having Ariel and Josh from Anika London Media along for this as a guest shooter and videographer respectively. So many thanks to such talented people giving up a Saturday to come and play. What fun!
]]>Capron and Matthttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2008/12/10/capron-and-matt.htmlRyan Jensen2008-12-10T18:02:00Z2008-12-10T18:02:00ZAh, January weddings are so much fun! On a cold, blustery night, nothing can compare to the warmth inside a beautiful hall with all your best friends and family as they join you in celebration of your love and commitment to one another! Capron and Matthew decided to have their wedding and reception at The Downtown Association, which is housed in a beautiful old building in the Financial District of Manhattan. There was this wonderful buzz during the preparation as the bride and groom artfully dodged seeing one another. The ceremony was beautiful, Capron and Matt absolutely glowed the whole time. And the reception contained probably my favorite moment of all time: the pastor who was co-officiant of the ceremony got up and belted out “Mustang Sally”…seriously and tore it up! And it completely blew the lid off the place. Just Awesome!
]]>Brenna and Richardhttp://blog.jensenstudiosnyc.com/journal/2008/11/28/brenna-and-richard.htmlRyan Jensen2008-11-28T21:00:00Z2008-11-28T21:00:00ZSo, my sister, Brenna, got married! She is one of my favorite people in the whole world and just wanted to spend the money on traveling and everything, so she and her beau, Richard, got married with the Maid of Honor, Best Man and an officiant on a high hillside in Northern Minnesota in the middle of a serious snowfall! Of course, I gave her a talking to about my selfish need for photos and she and Richard let me take them out in Arcadia, California as we visited my brother Brett and his wife and their new baby. (A heck of a lot better than a snowstorm!)
