New York Wedding Photographer – Ulysses Photography Blog » artistic. unobtrusive. fashionable. fun.

We love photographing maternity sessions so much. Francheska has actually been a fan of our work for several years. When she and Fernando called about photographing her, we leapt at the chance! They’re a beautiful couple full of love and affection for one another. We took them to one of their dream locations and simply enjoyed a relaxing afternoon getting to know one another better. Francheska is clearly in love with the thought of meeting Baby Micah. We’re so happy to be their family’s photographers and can’t wait to meet their little guy soon!

More with Francheska + Fernando.

Kinjal_e040CHOOSING A PHOTOGRAPHER

My parents were abroad vacationing when I began the wedding planning process. I was reluctant to book a photographer without consulting with my mom. But, I knew I wanted to lock in a great photographer; after all the dust settles, you have only memories and photographs to keep.  Ulysses and Jenni were the first vendors we booked and hands down the best decision we could have made.  We chose them for their incredible artistry (the pictures speak for themselves!). They made us feel right at home in front of the camera and captured every natural moment. The pictures really do tell our story.
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What made Ulysses and Jenni unique as photographers is their grasp of the wedding business. They navigated all our questions with the greatest of ease and almost instantaneous responsiveness (4 months after the wedding we have our wedding album in hand!). No email went unanswered for more than a couple of hours. They set the tone for the wedding planning.
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Some advice for a bride: undoubtedly, great photographs of special moments on your wedding day is a must. But, take some time to craft a great engagement session. Splurge on the location, the outfits, meaningful props, perhaps choose an extended session. This is really the time to enjoy one another before the wedding madness begins. Anil and I absolutely loved our springtime in Central Park engagement session with Ulysses and Jenni. The photographs have a casual sweetness to them and compliment the more formal shots from the wedding beautifully in our home.  Thanks, Ulysses and Jenni for our first family heirlooms!

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CHOOSING WEDDING VENDORS

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My wedding planner, Rashi Shyam of Event Nirvana, was our fearless leader. Planning an entirely outdoor, at-home wedding is a tall order with logistical challenges at every step. She took on each challenge with calm and logic. The last minute changes, additions and rearrangements due to unforeseen weather barely phased her. A small piece of advice to brides planning outdoor events: budget for a great wedding planner!
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My best advice to a bride planning a wedding: Choose vendors with whom you communicate well and whose personalities you enjoy. There are so many options out there. But, if you choose someone you click with, I guarantee they will do everything in their power to accommodate you.
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HAIR/MAKEUP

I wanted to look like myself on my wedding day. Since I normally wear my hair down I thought long soft waves would look great. Make stylist, Pauline of Flawless Beauty by Pauline, agreed. But, plans don’t always work out. My wedding day was hot and humid and loose hair was out of the question. Pauline and I came up with a soft, natural, slightly undone updo. I absolutely loved it. I think it was actually better than the original plan! With this classic, elegant and clean look, the first thing people saw was my face and not my hair. The red lipstick and well defined eyes finished my daytime look. We switched to a neutral lip, smokier eyes and luminous cheeks to match my blush gown in the evening.

 

More of Kinjal + Anil’s wedding story:

Kinjal_collage01_part3THE LENGHA

After endless hours (and miles!) of searching for high-end and well-established designers for my bridal lengha, I chose a fairly new luxury designer, Saa.n.she.  I couldn’t have been happier! Though bridal consultants told me the latest style was to choose varied colors such as hot pink and neon yellow for bridal wear, I knew I wanted to keep it traditional. My Saa.n.she design used the truest of reds, deepest of greens and smoothest of ivories. With Pauline Nobles’ professional touch on my bridal makeup (the red lipstick was all her idea!) I transformed into a classic Indian bride. I never felt more beautiful.

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More of Kinjal + Anil’s wedding story:

Kinjal_w1040In case you missed it, Kinjal’s story began here yesterday with the story of how she met Anil and his proposal to her. Enjoy part 2!

THE WEDDING DRESS + FLOWERS

My favorite part of wedding planning was dress shopping! It’s no surprise to anyone that knows me that I love fashion. But more importantly, spending quality time with people that love to see you happy is what a wedding is all about. Trying on beautiful dresses with the women I admire the most as my vision for my wedding came together was my idea of a time well spent. With the help of Tara Duffy, my bridal consultant at the Monique Lhuillier boutique in New York City, I chose a romantic blush gown (a unanimous choice).
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I continued the romantic theme into the decor, choosing shades of champagne and pink for the reception.  Sharda Shenoy, of Elegant Affairs, flawlessly executed my vision using quicksand roses with heavy greenery to mimic a garden feel.  The floral centerpieces looked like they came straight out of a garden fairytale. They were one of my absolute favorite things about the wedding!
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 Anil complimented my beautiful blush gown in a sharp classic custom tuxedo. Parag Patel of Hattmanan Brook did an excellent job guiding Anil through the customization process, eventually choosing a three-piece notch-lapel tuxedo. Anil added a black Tom Ford bow-tie to complete the look.
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We first met Kinjal over 5 years ago, at an amazing wedding in which she was a bridesmaid. When she contacted us about her own wedding, we were over-the-moon excited! Although Kinjal’s wedding day has now passed, she wrote some beautiful words to convey and remember her feelings surrounding this special day. We’re going to publish them in 6 parts, so we hope you enjoy this mini-series. Brides, we know you’re going to get lots of great planning tips! 🙂

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DATING + THE PROPOSAL

Kinjal_e056When I moved from Manhattan to New Jersey, I joined an online dating website. Anil and I met online… yes, it works! We took our time to get to know each other. Our relationship grew, slow and steady. We’d meet casually on the weekends for dinner or a movie. After a couple of months the dates became longer and more frequent. We’d find excuses to meet in the middle of the week. Dinner would be followed up by 3 hour long phone conversations. I knew I wanted to spend a lot more time with this caring, open-minded, fun-loving, hard-working, good-natured person. There wasn’t any one moment that made me think Anil is “the one.” But there is one moment that stands out. Right before Valentine’s Day, Anil and I were texting with one another. We were being silly (as we often are with one another… life is short!). I asked him to do one thing or another which he met with some reluctance. When I playfully asked “don’t you want to make me happy?” He simply wrote back “always.” Wearing his heart on his sleeve and being completely sincere, I thought, this feels right.
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Kinjal_e010 Although our relationship was slow and steady, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I wanted to marry this man. I knew Anil was ready too. The holidays came and went with no proposal. Valentine’s Day came with a very sweet gift and date, but, no proposal. The Friday after Valentine’s Day, I called Anil on my way home from work complaining that there was a ton of rush hour traffic and suggested that we should meet at the mall for happy hour. He insisted that I come home and promised that he’d do all the driving for the rest of the weekend. After some cajoling, I agreed. When I walked in, the entire apartment was glowing with candlelight, the floor strewn with rose petals, Anil in a black suit. He had prepared a slideshow of photographs of our fun moments together and when I turned around at the end he was on one knee with ring in hand. He asked me to marry him; of course, I said yes! We celebrated with blush champagne (which would become an inspiration for one of the signature cocktails at our reception). The proposal was followed up with a limo ride to New York City and a romantic dinner at the first class French restaurant, Per Se. I called my parents from the limo. They happily joined in my excitement, but, it turns out they knew the proposal was coming. Anil had driven to my parents’ house while I was away on a girls trip in Miami to ask for their blessing to marry me.  I was so touched. There was nothing too dramatic or over the top about Anil’s proposal.  It was celebratory and sweet and true to us.

 

More of Kinjal + Anil’s wedding story:

What a difference only a few months make, especially when you’re an infant! Of course, Maddie couldn’t possibly remember us from her newborn photo shoot. However, we definitely felt a special attachment to her, and she easily read our genuine feelings and was playing and laughing with us in no time. She loves cuddling, reading, and exploring literally everything with those bright beautiful eyes! Watching her grow and seeing how much her parents adore her and shower her with affection is a real highlight of this year for us! We can’t wait to see the family again to do something special for Maddie’s next session! What a cutie!! 🙂

More with Grace + Mike.

Tara_w0256_E7We love New York City and its iconic scenery! All the things we most enjoy most about NYC and its people carry that extra touch of the spectacular, take place on a grander scale, and seem somehow a little bit larger than life. When we found out the editors of Style Me Pretty were as floored by Tara + Erik’s black tie wedding as we are, we knew we had to shout about it and share it! These two really know how to celebrate in style. With the day starting at the opulent Plaza Hotel and ending at the historic Harvard Club, there was a feast for the eyes and for our cameras at every turn. Of course, Tara + Erik made us feel like family throughout the day, allowing us to put a little extra love into their breathtaking day of photography. Their Style Me Pretty story is now available, as is the full gallery of photos. There’s so much inspiration and fun to be seen, so please make sure you leave a comment for this beautiful couple!

More with Tara + Erik.

JeanneM_w448When a couple like Jeanne Marie + Peter come along with ideas and style that gels perfectly with our own for photos, we do quite the happy dance. When they knock it out of the park by giving us complete freedom and creative expression, we’re over the moon! We love these two! That’s why kind words like Jeanne Marie’s mean so much to us, and we’re so excited to share them with other brides.

We love Ulysses and Jenni!! From the very beginning we felt so comfortable with them and knew instantly we wanted them to be our wedding photographers. Well they ended up being so much more. Ulysses and Jenni became a huge part of the entire year leading up to our wedding day. Together, they create beautiful artwork. It’s like each has their own creative eye that together makes for absolutely stunning results. They are amazing at what they do and we couldn’t be more thankful! Our family and friends agree and still tell us how not only professional but personable Ulysses and Jenni were. There’s no question that we will continue to work with them in the years to come. Thank you Ulysses and Jenni! We are forever grateful for the memories you helped us create and keep.

More with Jeanne Marie + Pete.

To read dozens upon dozens of similarly enthusiastic reviews about Ulysses Photography, please visit WeddingWire.com.

Teryn_w0094WeddingWire_Couples_Choice_2015We recently got the exciting news that our work has been recognized for the WeddingWire.com Couples’ Choice Award 2015 — our 7th year in a row receiving this award. More than anything else, we view it as an award that comes from — our brides & grooms, our clients and our friends, most of whom we continue to keep up with long after the wedding day and well into the start of a growing family. For such great honors, we THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! Without your support, reviews, and raves to others, what we do in the photographic field would simply not be possible.

We’re eagerly looking forward to making 2015 every bit as meaningful and exciting for our upcoming engagement sessions, weddings, newborn babies, family life sessions, and portraits!

Read all of our Photography Reviews at Wwlogo 83x19

 

For years now, Nikki + Jared have been among our favorites to photograph. They love our freestyle, relaxed artistic approach to family lifestyle photography. We truly enjoy the closeness and deep level of trust we’ve cultivated with them from their engagement and wedding and on thru their growing family. When Nikki asked us to photograph their second child, we already knew it was going to be a fantastic experience for everyone. It was no surprise at all that Baby Nathaniel was a dream to spend the day with. Even at only six days old, we could already see glimpses of his tiny personality shining through our lenses. Cuddled into the warm, loving arms of his two parents, and giggled at by his big brother, this beautiful family was the picture of perfection during this winter afternoon. 🙂

More with Nikki + Jared.

Kinjal_w0195We’re starting off this week with a loud BANG as we celebrate the news that Kinjal + Anil’s fabulous wedding was published by the editors of Maharani Weddings. We’re in love everything about their day —the vivid color palette, the open display of emotion throughout our time with them, and their inclusion of both Eastern and Western traditions into their wedding day. Clearly the editors are just as thrilled as we are about her details and photos. Once you’ve visited the links below, make sure you leave some comments there for the happy couple! 🙂

 

More of Kinjal + Anil’s wedding story:

Alyssa_w386We’re always excited to see photos of our brides published in magazines. But having Alyssa’s wedding day photo and story picked up by Wedding 411 Magazine represents more than a feather in the cap for us. It’s also an affirmation of the power of determination and endurance as Alyssa worked hard to get more fit not just for the wedding day, but for life. She looks amazing! We’re so happy for both her and Alex! 🙂

Read the article for Alyssa’s tips and inspiration for starting, maintaining, and enjoying your own program.

More with Alyssa + Alex.

We are nothing less than over-the-top excited about Laura + Chris! We go wayyy back with Laura, having photographed the weddings of several of her very close friends. When she told her mom years ago, “I already know who my photographers are going to be,” all she needed was for Chris to walk into the picture and sweep her off her feet. Mission accomplished! So here we found ourselves with them at a beautiful vineyard to enjoy the scenery, the wine, and the celebration of their love and devotion for one another. They’re a beautiful couple, and we’re so pumped to be their photographers! We can’t wait to join them on their wedding day, when we’ll see old friends again and meet plenty of new ones at the Venetian Yacht Club with its picturesque waterfront views.

More with Laura + Chris.

Our time with Kerrie + Frank couldn’t have been more delightful. We joined this affectionate duo on a local family farm to get to know them better and to show them how engaging and how much fun the photo experience with us can be. As with most couples these days, they each have incredibly full schedules, so this time together was so valuable. Kerrie is simply gorgeous to photograph, and Frank gave her plenty of attention and warmth in the chilly temps. Their true love for one another was fully evident in front of our cameras as they stayed close. Plenty of farm animals also came up to greet them and kept everyone entertained. We’re very eager to join them and their families for what we know will be a beautiful wedding day at the rolling hills of the Hollow Brook Golf Club.

More with Kerrie + Frank.

Lucille + Jack’s deep love for their family is clear in everything they do. When Lucille saw some of our wedding photos, she fell in love with our relaxed style and approach and wanted something similar for her own family. Though it was cold outside, we had the warmth and comfort of their home to showcase the genuineness of their family connection. They’re thrilled with the results, and so are we! 🙂

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Ilana + Paul gave us what has to be one of our most enthusiastic and joyful weddings of 2014! We’re both proud and tremendously happy to have given them the sort of experience they’d heard about from other family and friends whom we had the joy of photographing. We couldn’t be more appreciative of the following kind words Ilana shared with other brides:

We love Ulysses Photography!!! First off, they are a pleasure to work with. Kind, understanding, and a lot of fun. From our first meeting, we were hooked. We were so nervous to do our engagement shoot. (Oh and VERY stressed with all of our wedding plans). Ulysses and Jenni turned our engagement shoot into a date that they photographed! We had the best time and were obsessed with the pictures. Our wedding pictures were unreal. They really captured the day (without being intrusive in any moment). Somehow, with their magical photography powers, Ulysses and Jenni caught every moment on film, without distracting from the organic moments happening. Within two weeks of our wedding, our album is already ordered!! They are talented, professional, and the results are evident in the gorgeous pictures they take.
[NOTE: Ilana + Paul made excellent use of our easy-to-use album ordering system and instructions.]

You’ll find Ilana’s amazing words shared on WeddingWire, as well many other independent reviews by some 70+ equally excited couples. Take a look at what they’re saying about their experience with Ulysses Photography!

More with Ilana + Paul.

We first got acquainted with Megan + Matt when we met them at Kara + Nick‘s amazing wedding. Even then, while they were dating one another, it was clear that these two were inseparable. When they called us about becoming their photographers, too, we had to control ourselves because that’s how excited we were (and still are)! They booked an extended engagement session with us so we could help them more fully realize the possibilities for creating beautiful art, conveying Matt’s devotion to firefighting, and even including their furry family. With the beauty of Westchester, the Hudson River, and the rolling hills of the exclusive Sleepy Hollow Country Club serving as multiple backdrops, everyone was energized and completely focused on a photo shoot that did not disappoint. We’re truly excited to be their photographers and cannot wait for their upcoming wedding at Sleepy Hollow Country Club!

More with Megan + Matt.

We first started getting to know Danielle by way of her sister, Mallory, whose wedding to Greg we photographed. Referrals like these are thrilling because it’s more of a continued relationship than anything else. We joined them at the incredibly scenic Mohonk Mountain House, which was still in full bloom although we were now well into the autumn season. Whether taking a fun stroll together, hiking up the mountain, or even giving us a quick demo of their mutual love for crossfit workouts (yes, we were each sore the next day!), we loved each moment we got to spend getting to know them better. And everyone is absolutely thrilled with the gorgeous results from the photo session. We that much more pumped about seeing them for their wedding at the Tappan Hill Mansion.

More with Danielle + John.

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