Archive for the 'Raves' Category

Kind Words From January & Glenn

January & Glenn were one of our favorite couples from 2007, and they’re perhaps even MORE exuberant today about their photos than they were back then. They sent this awesome note:

Hi Guys!

FIRST
I am so sorry we haven’t gotten to you sooner, but you know us, busy busy busy…as you said it best in the blog you wrote about us when posting our engagement photos on your site… “our lives are so busy and filled with activity”  (I actually printed it and saved it).

SECOND
Oh my God!! We are so enjoying our album!!! It came out perfect!!! As a matter of fact Glenn doesn’t want anyone even to touch it… LOL He wears the white gloves that were enclosed in the box whenever we take it out to look at it. Oh, and it must stay in its box…safe and sound… LOL

Everything was so nice, the album, mini album, the CD disc and the gloves are such a nice unexpected touch. We have never seen that before. We recommend you to everyone we encounter, not only for weddings, but anything, pregnancy photos, family, birthdays, etc… We know it is so worth it and we truly cant wait till we can see you again and have you do what you do so well… photograph! And of course for the 2ND best thing about you both… The pure pleasure of your company, conversation and insight on anything and everything!! There is no doubt in our minds that our most special day, our wedding day would have not been the same without you two… from planning our engagement photo session over a year ago to present, you both have been wonderful!!

Can you believe its almost our 1-year anniversary??? We are going to Aruba with our best friends who will be celebrating their 10-year anniversary (they got married October 17th, two days before us, nine years earlier). Hey, if you happen to be there at the same time, let me know!!! It would be a great place and time to photograph!!!! LOL

Please feel free to put this on your site. We want everyone to know just how special and talented both of you are! Talk to you soon.

All our love,
Glenn and January Bourke

January & Glenn, thank you so much!!! We were so proud and happy for you on your wedding day (and for your killer engagement photos, too!). There’s nothing quite like seeing it all come together in the way it did for you, and we were so glad to be invited to be a part of it.



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More with January & Glenn:

Grace & Michael’s Kind Words

Wow. Wow. Wow!

Grace & Mike are back from their honeymoon in Tahiti. They sent to us these incredibly kind words:

Jenni and Ulysses,

What can we say? These pictures are gorgeous! We can’t wait to see the entire gallery. We just got back from our honeymoon (half an hour ago), and checking your blog was the first thing we wanted to do. We have checked at every hotel we stayed at in Tahiti, but weren’t able to see the the photos. We read the blog entry multiple times (in multiple locations), and it made our day each time we read it we were really touched by everything you wrote, and especially agreed with the hardest part being saying goodbye to you two. Throughout the honeymoon, we couldn’t help but think of you two whenever we took any pictures (and we took a lot!) especially when the cruise photographer told us to kiss for the camera, and we remembered to linger. We were depressed to be leaving Tahiti, but finally being able to see the pictures after 2 weeks of anticipation was the light at the end of our tunnel.

For both of us, your arrival at our doorsteps was exciting and reassuring as if we were greeting old friends. Throughout the entire day (and for days after), our parents and bridal party couldn’t stop raving about how great you two were and how much fun the pictures at the park were!

Although we’ve only met you a handful of times, it was obvious from the beginning that you’re both really special people. We hope that it won’t be too long before we have the chance to see you again!!

Love,
Grace and Mike

Welcome home, Grace & Mike! And thank you for such a memorable time with you. We can’t wait to hear from you again soon.

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Heather & Tom’s Album Arrives!

We love hearing back from our couples. A response like Heather’s is why we work so hard:

Hello, hello, hello!!! It’s so funny not to have spoken with you guys in a while since when we were in wedding mode. We were in constant communication!!! We just wanted to say….WOW!!!! Our album is absolutely AMAZING!!!! We LOVE it!!! You captured our day like we only could have imagined in our dreams!!! The story it told, the life in every picture…absolutely breathtaking!! We are blown away!! Our families absolutely fell in love as well!!! (they do keep teasing me though, because I put on the white gloves every time I take it out!!!) Thank you for all your hard work….we are speechless! It’s beautiful!!

With Love,

Heather & Tom

Heather & Tom, we are thrilled to hear your reaction to your photos and your wedding album. We wanted it to show every bit as much fun and beauty as displayed on the actual day of your wedding. It was such a privilege to be a part of the day. Love you guys, too. Please keep in touch as your family grows!

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More about Heather & Tom:

Why We Love What We Do

Since before we even met her, Andrea has been one of our biggest fans. When we read words like the ones she recently sent to us upon delivery of her wedding album, it reinforces our desire to do our best for each of our incredible couples.

I wanted to call you, but it’s very hard to speak when you’re hysterical crying!!! I just didn’t think I could cry again. But, I did. My album is just stunning and perfect! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!!! You are so incredibly talented and amazing. I am far beyond honored that you partook in our wedding day. I am mostly honored to call you two friends. My friends did an amazing job on our album. You can see the love that was put into the pictures. I love you guys and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect keepsake.

Now, onto my [print]…PERFECTION!!!!!!! I couldn’t have asked for something more breathtaking. It is absolutely beautiful. I already put it in our Frame. I love it so much!!! I knew which picture to choose and I knew that you should choose how it would look. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. We love you both a great deal and meeting you was just the beginning to an everlasting friendship!!

Love,
Andrea and Frank

Andrea and Frank, you took our breath away during both your wedding and your photo shoot. We’re so gratified to have been a part of it. Hugs from me and Ulysses!

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Kind Words From Andrea

Andrea & Frank were the amazing couple that closed out our 2007 wedding season with a fabulous December wedding at the mansion estate of Skylands Manor. We knew from our very first meeting that Andrea would be a beautiful bride that we had to photograph, and that together she and Frank would be people who would always be very special to us. She recently sent the following note, which touched our hearts so much that we just had to share:

How are you? How is Ulysses??? How is everything? Before I get into my question, I just needed to tell you that I look at my pictures every day, and every day that I look at them I love you guys more and more and I just wanted to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for capturing the most amazing pictures on my wedding day. I have come to realize I am a girl of many expressions, and I find that cool ;-)

Now to my question, I am in a huge conflict with myself and I really can’t pick out my Thank you’s. You guys make it impossible to choose :-)

So, here are the ones I am torn between, and let me know if you have any suggestions, as well.

Andrea

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Aren’t they the coolest couple?? Andrea’s final choice was the gorgeous image seen at the top of this blog entry. It’s one of our absolute favorites from their day because of its warm romantic mood and because of the inspiration from classic films of decades gone by. Click it to see it in better detail!

Andrea, you and Frank are, quite simply, amazing people. You inspire us with your passion for one another. We’re incredibly honored to know that you follow our blog regularly to keep up with the latest happenings with Jenni and myself.

We Won Photo of the Week!

I don’t know how we forgot to mention this one. We got a really cool thumbs-up from the publishers of Wedding Blog Awards, a site “dedicated to finding and promoting valuable wedding blogs; be they bride blogs, groom blogs, or wedding vendor blogs.” They found our blog and spied the photo on the left from Kimberly & Eric’s engagement session, and awarded it Photo of the Week. We were honored because it’s also one of Kimberly & Eric’s own favorites (as well as one of our own). Along with the award, they commented:

There are so many great photos, along with great web design that makes visiting this site a pleasure! Don’t forget to subscribe to their blog.

So we’re having a sort of belated celebration by sharing just a few more photos from their awesome engagement session. We’ve known Kimberly for a few years now (having photographed several of her friends’ weddings). So as you can imagine, we’re jazzed about getting together again with this exciting couple for their wedding at the beautiful Catlin Gardens later this year.


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They Love Their Album!

Jackie & Chaz’s wedding (#80)Jackie & Chaz Montgomery are absolutely in love with their album, and we couldn’t be more pleased at their reaction to it. There is nothing quite like seeing all of those photos gathered into a beautiful story-telling format. Jackie & Chaz are just perfect for one another and are without a doubt one of the sweetest and most heartfelt couples we’ve met. We wish the best for them and their new home!

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After recently receiving their album, Jackie replied with the following rave:

OMG!!! We love the album!!! It is a work of art - an absolute masterpiece. Words cannot express how happy we are looking through and reliving such a perfect day. Thank you for capturing such beautiful pictures, thank you, thank you, thank you… we could never say it enough! You are both truly amazing!

Our Couples of 2007!

Ulysses & Jenni, Photo: Berty Greenbough, PerrotPhoto.com“There is no time like the present.”

No doubt you’ve heard that familiar phrase. One meaning is that the moment in which you find yourself right now cannot be duplicated at any place, or at any other moment, by anyone in the past, present, or future. That expression also implies a sense of joy in experiencing what stands before you - right now.

In a similar spirit, there have been no couples quite like those we had the pleasure of getting to know during the year of 2007. Some were incredibly funny. Some were quietly intense. Others were completely enveloped with emotion. All were beautiful people. We’d like to show them to you in a slideshow you can enjoy by clicking the following link:

Couples of 2007

And please leave us a comment. We’d love to hear back from each of you again. :)

Photo by Berty Greenbough, Perrot Photography

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Cory & Joe’s Album Arrives!

Cory & Joe’s wedding was definitely one to remember. We enjoyed the opportunities for photography so much. After receiving their Magazine style album, Cory sent us this exciting note:

Hi Jenni & Ulysses,

All I have to say is incredible!!!! We love the album - it is more gorgeous than I had imagined it to be. We love it!!!!! I can’t wait to show it to everyone we know. It is so detailed. I can’t believe how you have gotten everyone’s expressions at the right time, and I love how you can see everyone and their expressions in the backgrounds. Now I see what you meant about the album telling a story. It really does. I don’t know how you guys do it, but as I have said before you two are amazing artists. Thank you again so much and it was such an amazing pleasure working with you guys. I can’t wait to get pregnant so we can use you guys again. LOL……

With Love,
Cory

Cory & Joe, we can’t wait either. ; ) Thank you so much for such a heartfelt note, and especially for the precious time we shared with you on your wedding day.

Cory & Joe’s album (Layout 04) Cory & Joe’s album (Layout 14)

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Annie and Jason’s Album on the Way!

How do our couples feel about getting their “Ulysses Photography” album? We just received these fun emails from both a bride AND groom this morning, after I notified them that their album is on the way. This one from Annie:

We are psyched!! I will email you as soon as we get it!!!

Hope all is well!

Annie

This one from Jason:

Hey guys- thank you for the heads up. We are ssooo excited- plus- we are going away to the shore for the weekend with some friends (Matt, Stephanie, Jeff and Jackie- whom you have met) so we would love to bring it along to show them. Once Jeff gets up enough courage- you might have another wedding on your hands.

Thank you again for all of your hard work…Expect another email later today once we have torn into our package!!

Jason

We couldn’t be happier for you guys! We hope you’re as thrilled about seeing and sharing it as we were in designing it for you. :) Say hi to Stephanie and Matt for us. And Jeff - no pressure. ;)

Annie & Jason’s album (layout 12) Annie & Jason’s album (layout 15)

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UPDATE: It arrived! Annie wrote again:

We GOT it!!!!! And we LOVE IT!!! It is so perfect!! Amazing!!! I could throw a ton of wonderful adjectives to tell you how much we love it, but I think you get the point!! We are so excited to show our family and friends! Once again you and Ulysses have outdone yourselves!! We hope you know how much we appreciate all of your hardwork and talent!

We will see you in June and August at our friends’ weddings!! I hope all is well for you both!! We’ll talk to you soon!
Love-
Annie

More from Annie & Jason:

Kind Words from Jan & Greg

Jan & Greg’s weddingAlthough it’s been a busy 2007 wedding season, we truly enjoy hearing from couples we’ve worked with in the past. Be sure to keep up with us through our blog, and drop us notes to say “hello” and let you know how you’re doing! :)

We still feel connected to couples such as Jan & Greg, who had a beautiful wedding last summer at Beckwith Pointe in New Rochelle, NY. In fact, we continue to hear from (and work with) mutual friends even as time goes on. Jan & Greg sent this delightful note:

Jenni & Ulysses-

I just saw the pictures of Annie and Jason’s wedding. What can I say but WOW. You both are the most phenomenal photographers I have ever seen. As Greg and I approach our one year anniversary (can you believe it??), I still get emotional when I look at our fabulous album and relive one of the most magical and perfect days of our lives. When I open the album the emotions flood back like we are doing it all over again. I wish we could because we had such a great time! I keep trying to think of what Greg and I could do next to be able to have you both join and capture the moments of our lives as you did our wedding.

I just wanted to drop you both a note to say hi, as we approach our anniversary and wanted you to know how much your work has touched us. When we first met I remember telling you when asked what we were looking for in a photographer was to have someone capture the emotion of the day. I can truly say you did that beyond my wildest imagination. I didn’t ever think we would have what we have, and for that I thank you.

You are both wonderful, fun and caring individuals. Please stay in touch. If you are ever in California, please let us know.

Jan & Greg, we can tell that things are going so well for you out on the west coast. With the way we’re traveling these days, we may yet see you out there sometime soon! We’ll certainly keep in touch. :)

Kind Words from Julie & Swaroop

We love getting feedback on the photos! Julie & Swaroop had a beautiful wedding day, and then the reception at the fabulous Lyndhurst Castle. As a photographer herself, Julie has an eye for naturally rich emotion and detail, so this one was special for us. After seeing their wedding photos, Julie sent the following note:

Jenni & Ulysses,

Words can not describe your photography….
I knew I loved your work from day one, but to see your work on our day… my breath was taken away!

And now I have to pick! Oi!

I would love your input! For it is your eye, your compassion, your creativity that has created these wonderful memories.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Have a great weekend. Thank you again! :)

Best,

Julie

Julie & Swaroop, you were both amazing to shoot. We had a complete blast with you and your families! Thank you so much for choosing us.

Julie & Swaroop’s Wedding (03)

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Our Couples of 2006!

This post is so belated that I’m almost ashamed. But that’s not going to stop me from talking about the incredible couples that we had the privilege of working with over the year of 2006. You are the reason we love doing what we do. You stimulated us, challenged us, motivated us — but most of all, you trusted us. We hope you’re continuing to enjoy your engagement and wedding photos, whether in prints, in art folios or in books.

We’re going to rave about you through a brief slideshow showcasing YOU — our couples of 2006. Click the image below to take you to your slideshow.

Couples of 2006

We would love to hear back from each of you to let us know how you’re doing. Drop us a note by clicking on the “Comments” link immediately below.

Bride’s Mom Reports Back!

Lauren’s momNews alert!!

For all you brides who are having trouble convincing your moms to allow you to be adventurous with your dress, and all of you who are nervous about getting that gorgeous gown wet, dirty, or otherwise contaminated… Lauren’s mom (Lauren is our famous tubing bride) left this comment for us on TrashTheDress.com:

To Jenni, Ulysses, and everyone else: I took Lauren’s gown to the dry cleaners (it smelled a little fishy) and when it was completely dry they cleaned it and it came out fine!!! So….my advice to all you brides is HAVE A GREAT TIME, ENJOY LIFE AND HAVE FUN!!
Lauren’s mom,
LIZ

Jesyca & Bill’s Rave

Jesyca & Bill’s weddingJesyca and Bill got married last year, and it was a joy to photograph their wedding. Now we have again been privileged to share in another momentous time in their lives by documenting their growing family. Ulysses is about to post a preview from Jesyca’s maternity session, but I thought you also might enjoy reading the letter they sent us after the wedding. Words like these really emphasize to us how meaningful our work is…

Ulysses & Jenni,

A mere thank you does not seem to cut it. It was such a honor to have you photograph our wedding. From the first conversation on the phone, to our first meeting and then the engagement session, wedding day & the choosing of the album photographs, your relaxed professional manner made us confident that everything would be perfect.

Your discreet conduct on the day and professionalism throughout was greatly appreciated by all. You were wonderful to work with, so friendly, so unobtrusive; we loved having you as part of our wedding day.

Bill and I strongly believe that you have done the most fantastic job that we could have ever thought possible, and that also goes for all the other people that have seen the photos, as well. So many people have commented on your work, saying how stunning, unique, extraordinary, relaxed and natural our wedding photographs look. Your photographs are so rich, powerful and honest, as well as being incredibly beautiful. You are very talented artists.

Looking at our photographs, we can see and feel the whole day all over again. The love and happiness you have captured is so amazingly beautiful. Thank you for making the story of our wedding day so precious for us.

Thank you, for being such a special part of our wedding day, for your kindness, your friendship, and unique talent. Our photographs are a truly memorable gift that we will treasure forever.

Love and best wishes,
Bill & Jesyca

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We’re Published in “the Knot”!

Cover photo for the Knot spring/summer ‘07Many of our readers remember Vivian & Johnny’s wedding at The Garrison. We had an incredible day with them, and their pictures were simply beautiful. Vivian and Johnny each had an elegance and true sense of style, making them a joy to be around.

The editors of “the Knot Magazine” felt the same way about their photos and accompanying story. They published an article in the “Real Weddings” section of their Spring/Summer 2007 NY Metro edition of “the Knot Magazine”, which should be coming to a bookstore magazine shelf near you. In the meantime, if you’d like to download and read the article, you can do so here. Click the image below to go to our download page.

We're published in the Knot - click to download

To Vivian & Johnny: Our heartfelt thanks go out to you, as well as your beautiful families, for giving us the privilege of being your wedding photographers. Jenni and I hope to see you again soon. :)

Kind Words From Chicago

We were overjoyed by the time and priority that Evelyn & Michael gave to photography, and the results really shine in their photos. They recently received their album. Here is what she writes about the wedding book and their experience with Ulysses Photography:

Hi Jenni and Ulysses! We received the wedding book and what we have to say is…we knew it would be beautiful. We knew it would be elegant. We knew that it would be masterful. But we did not know it would be so grand. It is truly a book to behold. Our wedding day comes to life from those pages. It is a book to behold and protect. It is our very own treasure and it will be treasured by us and our family for the rest of our lives. What more can we say than to thank you once again for your talent, hard work, and endless enthusiasm for our special day. We could not have asked for more.

I do have to say that though our wedding day was a day of pure love and joy for us and though we thoroughly enjoy being married, having the wedding be over is a bit bittersweet for we do not get to see or spend more time with the two of you. Having the two of you as our photographers enhanced our entire wedding experience–throughout all the planning and preparation, the engagement session, before, during, and after the wedding ceremony. All of it, in its entirety was all the more fun, all the more special, and all the more memorable with the both of you, because of the both of you. That was truly unexpected and deeply appreciated. We will simply have to find new reasons to have our paths cross again in the future! We definitely have been and will be recommending you to any and all who are looking for wedding photographers.

We can’t thank Evelyn & Michael enough for the enjoyable day we spent with them. Hearing words like these motivates us for each and every wedding we shoot.

Raves From Lauren’s Mom

We love receiving and sharing kind words such as those we received from Lauren’s mom. Read on!

HI!! We just received the prints from the wedding and they are gorgeous!! I am still amazed at how you both allowed us to enjoy each moment of the day.

From the minute we first saw our daughter dressed in her wedding gown through the entire ceremony and reception, you both seemed to be enjoying the day as well; and this made us all so comfortable …we hardly noticed you taking pictures.

I distributed many of your business cards after the wedding because I was so pleased with every detail and so impressed with how your pleasant and happy attitude would not allow any of us to feel rushed or stressed in any way. My florist delivered an arrangement to our home the next day on her way to another wedding and I gave her a handful of your cards.

AND of course the pictures at end of the day on the Long Island Sound were unbelieveable!!!! WOW! Thank you so very much for making our daughter’s wedding so memorable! You are both wonderful artists!

Liz and Ken

We wish we had even more time with not only Lauren & Justin, but also their families (see Lauren & Justin’s wedding blog entry here). They each made the day such a pleasure for us. And knowing they were so pleased with our shooting style is the cherry on top of the cake.

Kind words from a recent bride

We get the most amazing thank you notes from our clients, and we deeply appreciate all of them. Here’s one we just had to share with our readers …

Dear Ulysses & Jenni,

Where to start. We have to be honest, we met with you on a whim. We were working with a budget, as most engaged couples are, and knew your work was out of our price range. But we were blown away by the originality of your website and felt so comfortable with you after our initial conversation, we decided we would meet with you. You basically had us at hello!

There are so many components to planning a wedding, I guess at first we didn’t realize how important the photography is. I realize now that it is because all of the photography we had seen prior to your work had been average and ordinary. Your talent is beyond amazing and your professionalism has been truly remarkable. You put us at ease throughout the day and in many ways it set the tone for the whole event.

We couldn’t believe that as little as we saw you during the excitement of our wedding day- you caught everything! Were you wearing camo? We are so grateful for your honesty, patience and guidance and cannot thank you enough for capturing the happiest day in our lives and allowing us to revisit every time we open up our album. We cannot even begin to tell you the response we have gotten from our friends and family. Every aspect of working with you has been nothing short of exceptional and words cannot express how satisfied and impressed we are with your creativity and vision. It is so obvious that your love and respect for each other is the underlying force for why your work is so phenomenal.

Thank you for everything- You’re the best!

Love,

Stephanie and Brian McCormack

Stephanie & Brian, thanks so much for your very kind words. We could not have had a better time than we did on your wedding day! All our love to you both. We’ll talk soon. :-)

The results are in!

The results just came in for the 2005 end-of-year contest for the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA). In among an amazing group of talented photographers from all over the world, we are excited to say that three of our photos placed in the top 20 of their categories. I will show them below (you can click on them to enlarge and see them better):

The first was taken by Ulysses, which placed in the Reception category. This photo was taken at Terri and Brian’s wedding, and I think the excitement and joy are infectious. Ulysses captured such a wonderful moment!



The second is a photo of mine, which placed in the Ceremony category. This was again from Terri and Brian’s wedding. I just loved the expressions on all three faces, and immediately had this one in mind for this particular contest since it tells such a story.


The third is also one of mine, and placed in the Creative Portrait category. This was from Kalan and Mike’s wedding. It was actually taken after their wedding, when we headed up to their room at Monhonk Mountain House for some relaxed photo time. We had such a great time these two – I’m sure people could hear us all laughing out in the hallway. : )


Thanks again to all our incredible couples, who trust us and give us the opportunity to create such beautiful photographs.