We've moved

As we simmer down to the end of the wedding season extravaganza we have finally made some time to do something that has been on our To Do list for quite some time. We are VERY excited to release our NEW blog which we have redesigned to fit more of our style and panache.

So for the sophisticated readers who like myself go weak in the knees for all things Anthropologie, who cannot resist buying another Vogue magazine from the register when your about to pay for your groceries, I present to you our new blog site...drum roll please...


www.dovephotographyblog.com


Keep in mind, soon, you might log onto this site and it will no longer be. Hop on over RIGHT NOW to our new site and click on the "SUBSCRIBE" button at the top and then you will always be abreast at what Scott and I are up to ;-)

The Heart of a King

On a chilly December day in upper Manhattan, their worlds came together in a perfect moment that forever changed their lives. A proposal of love, loyalty and devotion. He chose The Cloisters Museum to profess his endless love to a girl who possessed golden trusseled curls and his heart in her hands. Her name is Kiera. And rather than write anymore, I shall instead share their words with you because there is no way I could ever write anything more beautiful, emotional or breathtaking than the words they spoke to each other.

Above the museum, on the rooftop overlooking the New York Hudson River, with the crisp, cold winter wind blowing her hair,  he whispers to her these words...

"Kiera, your hands are warm to hold. Your blue eyes are natural wonders in themselves. I can count on you to laugh at my jokes, good or bad. With you, I feel empowered to do anything. You are a true compliment. My love, the one I will care for the rest of my life."

With tears in her crystal blue eyes, she replies "David, you are not your average, adorable, tri-lingual mexican...You are humble, spiritually driven, undeniably genuine and you have the heart of a King. Falling in love with you was simple and unavoidable. If before, I saw in black and white, with you, I now see in color."

This is just their beginning. The first chapter.

Pictured above is the Three Village Inn.

Love is patient, Love is Kind

Her favorite number is four because she likes the way it looks. When I tell her she's beautiful, she makes the ugliest face possible. Here is what it looks like.

 I can't help but laugh at almost everything that comes out of that perfect mouth of hers. She makes me take doubly long to take her photograph because most of the time I cannot stop laughing at what she's saying. She is probably one of the coolest moms I've ever met and when I have my own children one day, I hope to me as amazing, patient, and wise as she is with her own two sons. Her name is Melina, and she is one of my best friends.

You know someone is a good friend when you don't have to talk to them every day to know you love them. You know you love one another, truly, and deeply when no amount of time can separate the bond you share, so that when you do finally get together , its as if no time was lost at all. I am fortunate to say that I have many good friends that  I dearly love, and Melina is one of them. Here are some images from her session with Luca, her second born son.

All You Need is Love...and a picket fence?

Stephanie and Sena are both meek, humble and truly sweet people and we met them for the first time on the day of their engagement session. They found out about us through an online forum  on The Knot where one of our brides sung high praises about us- thank you Lindsay, and being that they live in Chicago we were commissioned by them last year via the good old fashioned telephone to photograph their upcoming wedding the end of this month.  Since they are from out of town and had no specific attachement to location, Scott and I decided to challenge ourselves with taking the ordinary scenes and neighborhoods we drive through everyday and turn it into something extraordinary and the results  excited us both! With a little bit of forethought and some planning we scoutted a few spots along the way to the beautiful local town of Ridgewood and captured Stephanie and Sena strolling along the daffodil lined picket fences of small town suburbia. We brought along some props as well including a gorgeous bouquet I had made earlier that morning at our local Whole Foods. Their floral department works wonders for me all the time! It was wonderful to get to know them better and find out what sparked their deep love and devotion for one another.

If you ever doubt whether an enagement session is something worth taking the time to dress up for and get your makeup done and have some fun may we cast that doubt deep into the bottomless ocean. Both Sena and Stephanie told us how they feel a tremendous sense of relief having spent the afternoon into evening with us and now they know their wedding day will feel calm, smooth and comfortable knowing how well we all gelled together ;-)

Thanks Stephanie and Sena for being such amazing peeps...we love you!

I absolutely love her eyes!

We love bringing out the lines and curves of the architecture that surrounds us and there was certainly plenty of that at Ridgewood Train Station!

One of my favorite images...Stephanie wrote to us she wanted to capture something that showed fast moving things in the background and them standing still "poetically reflecting our stable love for each other"...isn't she adorable!

Sweet Little Bambino

We want to welcome a new baby into this world. His name is Luca Marcello Jondee. He was born on March 11, 2011, sharing the same birthday as my dear husband Scott so we have no excuse in forgetting each year Luca gets older, lol. He breathed his first breath of life weighing in at 8lb 8.2 oz. and 21 inches long so I give his wonderful mom and my very good friend Melina some  B~i~G  props. Here's a little taste from our session yesterday.

Luca Marcello Jondee

This is no "Trash the Dress" Session

Many of you peeps out there who keep up with the modern trends ever expanding in the wedding photography world have come to hear the newer term "Trash the Dress" which implies utter destruction to a most valuable heirloom...the coveted wedding gown. Here is what image might conjure up in your mind when perhaps you may hear those words spoken...

However, Scott and I understand that "Trash the Dress" is not the most eloquently termed name to evoke romantic images in ones mind, such as this one below. 

We WANT to bring out in you longful feelings of "I want that" flooding your brain and so we sat down, with freshly brewed cappuccinos, donned our thinking caps and thought long and hard, and before you know it we came up with a much better name for this amazing session...We call it "The Hangover". What exactly is this "Hangover Session" you may ask? Well, I shall whisper it into your ear...come a little closer...

You like to have fun. Your wedding day  F~L~E~W  by. You want to wear that gorgeous dress again, without a care in the world. Without a time frame to worry your perfectly shaped brows. This is where we come in. We eagerly plan a day and a time. We make you look gorgeous-again-and then...we create magic. It is usually about 2 hours of complete and utter AWESOMENESS. You will have to endure hearing me constantly moaning and oohing and ahhhing and in the end we will have created an amazing portrait session of you and the one you will love for the rest of your lives together on this earth...We make ordinary locations look extraordinary. And most importantly we capture love, your love, and our love, for each other, for what we do, and for being with you. All of that love reflects through. And yes, I happened to intellectually rhyme that with intention ;-)

So for those of you out there, who perhaps did not pick the right photographer for your wedding day and you would like to have some cherished images of you and the love of your life- this is your perfect chance to recreate how beautiful you really are. We have a stylist on hand to primp you up and have lots of fun, because essentially, that is what we are all about. 

Love Letters

Dear Lauren,

The first time we spoke you called me as I was just about to escape the lights and action of Las Vegas and go into cyber sleep in Death Valley. You were my last phone call from the realms of functional  cell phone existence and what a phone call it was! You had me thinking about you the next three days as I climbed stone mountains and traipsed along salt covered sea beds and I looked forward to hearing your happy voice again. You described your wedding plans briefly giving me a glimpse into your Robinhood world telling me tales of elegantly donned ladies walking down grass covered cobblestone aisles with glowing candle lanterns and you how in your hands laced around your fingers would be your grandmother's rosary surrounded by Stefanotis flowers. And as beautiful as I could have imagined it all to be, the reality was even more breathtaking. You created a fairytale at Skytop and I am honored that you loved me then and love me more today. I appreciate the many cards you've sent me since we've met, my favorite being the last, the one where you wrote "How do you thank someone for making your wedding dreams come true? Our pictures are beyond...I can actually feel our wedding every time I look through the photos." So touching. I love that at your wedding you introduced me to your friends and family, not as your photographer, but as your friend. I adore the way you look at my lens, as if you are staring deep into my soul, so comfortably. I treasure your love and friendship and will forever be honored that you chose both Scott and I to capture the love you and Travis have for one another. Thank you. I love you.

I love love.

The "First Look"

Behold BLHDN

An extraordinary website unveiled its online window shops today. It is called BLHDN. Inspired by the Dutch word for “to keep,” as well as countless tales from family and friends of the extraordinary weddings they’d been part of, they began dreaming up something new. Their roots are with Anthropologie, so a passion for experience and creating one-of-a-kind moments runs deep. That is why, we at Dove Photography also must spread the word from our mountaintops and tell you of the beauty that is revealed within the pages of this site. So explore it. Love it. {Be} hold it and perhaps you shall {be} with us as we blissfully gush over your loveliness when you take your first steps down the aisle wearing such fine accoutrements. 


Here are just a few of my favorite things...

Ethereal Monarch Gown

1 Year Anniversary for Steve & Ali at The Brownstone

When I first met Ali and Steve they told me the most important images they wanted captured on their special wedding day would be the 4 foot long sparkler's their guests would be lighting after the conclusion of their ceremony as they exited the church. I can't believe it has already been one year since they said their vows but as we wish them a Happy One Year Anniversary and a congratulations on their soon to be addition to their new family with their first child I say to you "Ali and Steve, Scott and I wish you the very best in your new family and may you have many more healthy happy babies to fill the joyful home you've both made. We love you!"

Happy Anniversary!

I love the excitement in Ali's face...priceless.

The grand exodus!

The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ