Real Couples // A Vibrant and Dapper New York Engagement: Ben + Paul

Real Couples // A Vibrant and Dapper New York Engagement: Ben + Paul

Ben and Paul wanted to keep their engagement session casual yet classy and chose to contrast their dapper looks with the more industrial feel of the borough of Queens — in particular the Queensboro Bridge in Long Island City and Hells Gate Bridge in Astoria Park. Additionally, they finagled their way into a badass view of Manhattan by utilizing their wedding hotel's rooftop deck (Ravel Hotel) for their engagement session, avoiding the need to shell out any extra funds for an exclusive location. They made sure their tailoring was bold and vibrant to celebrate their ability to marry. They got engaged shortly after the repeal of DOMA, and their backgrounds are in theater.

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Wedding Elopement Planned and Executed in 6 Hours: Gabby + Callie

Wedding Elopement Planned and Executed in 6 Hours: Gabby + Callie

Gabby and I were engaged and planning a wedding for November 2016. We had joked about eloping, both of us not wanting a big spectacle, and one morning it became more than a joke. Around 11:00am on a Wednesday morning, it just clicked for both of us. We knew we wanted to get married that day so we jumped off the couch and started scrambling. Seven hours later, with our beautiful daughter and two amazing friends, we were getting married in a little chapel in LA. We had a tiny little cake, a few flowers, a photographer and the clothes we picked out in ten minutes at a Banana Republic on the way. After the short ceremony we went to a restaurant nearby for champagne and dinner.

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Real Couples // A Hawaiian Elopement: Michael + Jon Mark

Real Couples // A Hawaiian Elopement: Michael + Jon Mark

n addition to scripting a completely creative and unique wedding experience for themselves, Mike and Jon Mark are a perfect example of an amazing couple who beat the odds: thirteen years ago, they serendipitously met at a Minneapolis gay bar when Jon Mark was visiting from the East Coast and Michael was out with friends: their eyes met across the crowded bar, they struck up a conversation, and they've been together ever since. They both live professional lives in New York City, love to travel extensively (their first date was a trip to Norway!), and have family and friends throughout the country. Because of the logistics of marriage laws, family dynamics, etc., they opted to tie the knot in the most private and pleasurable way possible. They flew to Maui, one of their favorite places on earth, for some sightseeing and relaxation. About a week into their stay, they went to the courthouse Wailuku where Justice Rhonda Loo (reportedly the first female judge in Hawaii!) performed a sweet, tear-filled ceremony for the couple and a witness. After the ceremony, the couple went to a nearby bistro to start the flurry of texts and phone calls to loved ones back home- surprise, everyone, we’re married! After a celebratory meal, Michael and Jon Mark went to a gorgeous beach on Maui's north shore for some quiet time and relaxed portraits by the water as the sun began to set on their wedding day. Their deep connection and gratitude for each other is so plain to see in the resulting photos. 

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On the Social Pressures around Weddings and How to Maintain a Sense of Self Despite Them

On the Social Pressures around Weddings and How to Maintain a Sense of Self Despite Them

I think part of the reason I struggle with having a wedding is that I am new to it. I have identified as a queer, white woman for years. I have had years to grapple with heteropatriarchal systems and my position as a financially privileged white person, even before I had a critical vocabulary to discuss them. But I am only newly a bride-to-be and only newly have to confront the related assumptions that are made about me.

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Real Couples // Two Humbly Extravagant Weddings: Julie + Christina

Real Couples // Two Humbly Extravagant Weddings: Julie + Christina

Julie and Christina are an interfaith, interracial lesbian couple who enhance, rather than diminish, each facet of their individual lives in their wedding(s!). The pair, who met playing roller derby in Ohio, hosted their first wedding at a gorgeous synagogue in San Francisco followed by an all-out reception at Fire House 8. Their follow-up wedding was held in their home state of Ohio with only their closest friends and family. This is a couple who really knows where their values lie and were able to create the best of all worlds: the extravagant, fun and exciting San Francisco wedding contrasted with a humble, family-oriented celebration in the majestic fall forest of Hocking Hills, Ohio. Their story is beautiful; the pictures speak for themselves. Julie & Christina’s magnetic energy truly comes through in this intoxicating series of photos.

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Real Couples // Sharon & Michelle: A Celebration of Mindfulness and Love

Real Couples // Sharon & Michelle: A Celebration of Mindfulness and Love

While many couples get lost in the minutiae of seating charts, the number of flowers in each centerpiece, and other such details for the so-called "perfect" wedding, Sharon and Michelle's intent was much different: to this couple, the perfect wedding was a day of mindfulness and love.

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Real Couples // Nick + Brad's Awesome Wedding

Real Couples // Nick + Brad's Awesome Wedding

We met Nick and Brad at a marriage equality wedding show in Philadelphia. We have always believed love is love and can't be more thrilled that amazing couples like Nick and Brad can now be legally married with the same legal rights as anyone. They chose to have their wedding ceremony and reception in a less “typical” venue. The held it at JG Domestic in the Cira Center in Philadelphia. This is a fantastic restaurant run by the Garces Event Group for weddings. It offers a small, intimate and unique setting for couples looking for something different. The whole theme of the day was love and family. The couple wanted a fun and relaxing wedding so they could share it with the people they love and those who love them. We think they had the perfect day. They got ready together instead of in separate rooms. This is always a great moment because they are helping each other for their wedding! I think it is so cool to share that time and memory together. We had a blast capturing photos and video of them at the 30th street station and were then joined by their wedding party. Their ceremony was filled with so many cute moments and stories about how they first met.

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Real Couples // An Intimate, Love-Filled Brooklyn Wedding: Kat + Lauren

Real Couples // An Intimate, Love-Filled Brooklyn Wedding: Kat + Lauren

"We have a running joke that we are always kind of late to the game on things - showing up to shows after they have closed, missing events that we talked about going to for ages. This story is not dissimilar. In June we had planned a trip upstate as a getaway, but our cats (yes, both of them) caught some sort of stomach bug so we had to cancel. Little did we know, that both of us were planning to propose to one another that weekend. Fast-forward a couple weekends later to the third of July when we rebooked our trip. It was a Friday and we both had off work. A typical day off consists of coffee in bed while we read the news and stuff on our phones. Kat got up to serve the coffee, while Lauren was in bed (unsuspecting) checking Facebook when our cat Napoleon bounded on the bed with something special tied around his neck. Kat totally beat Lauren to the punch! Lauren was prepared with a ring to return as a bottle of bubbly was popped later that morning."

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Real Couples // A Home-Grown Wedding: Erik + Ryan

Real Couples // A Home-Grown Wedding: Erik + Ryan

In 2014, Erik officiated the first legal same-sex ceremony in Wisconsin. The next day, he and his partner Ryan came back to the courthouse to get legally married themselves. It took almost a year for all of the legal and political dust to settle when the Supreme Court finally weighed in making same-sex weddings the law of the land. After this momentous ruling, Erik and Ryan decided they would like for their family and friends to to take part in their marriage as well. Their ceremony was a simple and classy affair focused on their family and friends.

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Real Couples // A Queer Wedding With a View: Brandy + Conley

Real Couples // A Queer Wedding With a View: Brandy + Conley

Brandy & Conley (lovingly referred to as Bronley) are one of the most amazing couples I've ever met. Their wedding day was gorgeous and memorable for so many reasons. These two are very dear friends of mine, so photographing their celebration was already an honor. Everything about their celebration magnified just how much these two love each other and their friends and family, as well as what an incredible and caring support system they have. The ceremony was held at a local park that overlooked the city. Brandy & Conley said this was really important for them, because they could come back and visit the spot where they said their vows anytime they wanted. The reception was hosted by a fabulous drag queen and one of their friends did a pole dance performance in the middle of the dance floor that left everyone with their jaws on the floor. Many people at the wedding didn't know that Conley had started transitioning (including his Father), and it was a beautiful moment to see Conley called by his chosen name for the first time in such a public yet intimate setting. Everything was uniquely Bronley. No bullshit, just awesomeness, tons of laughter, and lots and lots of love. 

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Real Couples // An Inspired Celebration of Love: Gary + Michael

Real Couples // An Inspired Celebration of Love: Gary + Michael

While Gary and Michael felt that their wedding overall was fairly traditional, there were certainly elements that made it un-traditional. Their wedding ceremony was based off of Aristophanes's Speech in Plato's Symposium and lyrics from the song "Origin of Love" from the musical, Hedwig & the Angry Inch. In Plato's Symposium, men attending the symposium were asked to deliver a speech in examination and praise of "Love". Aristophanes's speech sets up the original myth of love and the feeling of "wholeness" when you find your love partner.

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Real Couples // A Nautical New England Wedding: Donnie + Jamie

Real Couples // A Nautical New England Wedding: Donnie + Jamie

Donnie and Jamie's wedding took place July 27, 2014 before gay marriage had been legalized nationwide, so they decided on a destination wedding in Massachusetts, a state going on 10+ years of legalized same sex marriage.  They chose a place they both loved, Provincetown, most commonly known as P-Town! If you haven't been there yet, this place is AMAZING — one of the most idiosyncratic and extraordinary towns in the United States. It is a huge summer attraction with its beautiful beaches, quirky shops, and a popular destination for same sex couples. 

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Real Couples // A Shamanic Wedding in Austria: Sarah + Miriam

Real Couples // A Shamanic Wedding in Austria: Sarah + Miriam

Sarah and Miriam’s wedding combined a number of things, which break with wedding traditions in Austria. For one, domestic partnerships have only been legal since 2010 here. As feminist wedding photographers concerned with equal rights, we were thrilled but have only seen emerging numbers of same-sex ceremonies in the past two years. Same-sex weddings are still a bit of a novelty in Austria.

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Real Couples // A Lush Maine Engagement: Jessica + Lauren

Real Couples // A Lush Maine Engagement: Jessica + Lauren

Lauren and I met through an online dating service ;). Lauren sent me an email to initiate communication, and I was immediately interested after reading her email and profile. Our back-and-forth emails on the first day quickly turned into back-and-forth text messages, and about an hour or so into our conversation Lauren invited me over for dinner the following night. She cooked a complete meal from scratch, including homemade buns for our veggie burgers. Dinner, a friendly board game, and instant chemistry made for the start of our love story.

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Real Couples // Downtown Norfolk Mural Elopement: Molly + Tricia

Real Couples // Downtown Norfolk Mural Elopement: Molly + Tricia

Tricia and Molly met and fell in love in an unconventional and completely 21st century way: on an online dating website. They shouldn’t have met, but their combined fates could not be stopped by the 10 mile radius set by Tricia. They decided on a small wedding at the Norfolk Courthouse to keep the most important people involved in their wedding day, opting for immediate family only. Tricia recalls the day of the ceremony being stressful yet glorious. One of Molly’s favorite moments was on the way to their honeymoon in the Outer Banks, rocking out to Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, their unofficial wedding song. Tricia’s favorite moment was having dinner with their families, while enjoying the aura of love. Currently, Molly is an Auto Damage Adjuster and Tricia is a banquet server by day and rockstar bassist by night for the band Blue Ribbon. They live in the Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia with their cat ShiShi.

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Real Couples // Joyful Mexican Destination Wedding: Joann + Dawn

Real Couples // Joyful Mexican Destination Wedding: Joann + Dawn

Joann & Dawn met in Chicago and got engaged at the very cool Ironhorse Hotel in Milwaukee, WI where we shot their engagement session. It was important to them to have an intimate, joyful destination wedding that included all of their closest fiends and family. They spent a long weekend with their guests enjoying an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, playing games and hanging out in the pool. It's nice when the guests from all over the world get to know each other before the wedding day- it makes the party even more fun! They were walked down the aisle by a best friend and brother and had male friends and family as part of their wedding party. Dawn handmade their beautiful and unique wedding bouquets, and she surprised Joann with a song during the reception. They had a non traditional guest book and a Cards Against Humanity make-your-own-card set which was I'm sure will provide many years of entertainment.  But it wasn't all rainbows and butterflies: Joann had a foot injury and wore one heel and one flip flop the whole day! Still, they were super relaxed and had such a great time--they even jumped in the pool in their dresses at the end of the night!

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Real Couples // LA Arts District Engagement Session: Alissa + Bethany

Real Couples // LA Arts District Engagement Session: Alissa + Bethany

Alissa and Bethany traveled from Chicago to LA and while they were in town they wanted to do their engagement photos. They had planned out the shoot months in advance and seeing their style, Elmer knew the Los Angeles Arts District would be perfect — a real LA vibe. At the end of the shoot, they went down to the LA river where you can see all the iconic bridges in the background (if you’ve watched any car commercial it’ll look familiar). The thing that stuck out most to Elmer about Alissa and Bethany was the way they got along together: specifically, how Bethany was happy simply seeing Alissa happy. Bethany is apt to do little things to show Alissa she cared for her. 

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Real Couples // Winter-in-Amish-Country Wedding: Crystal + Jayleen

Real Couples // Winter-in-Amish-Country Wedding: Crystal + Jayleen

Wedding photographers know that there are many different kinds of love, and many different ways to show love. Some couples have a low-lying, steady love that is on the quiet side; some couples have loud, boisterous love that encircles everyone around them. Somehow, Jayleen and Crystal have both and everything in between. There wasn't a moment of their wedding that wasn't steeped in pure joy, from the (few, haha) silences to the end-of-the-night dance-offs. Getting married in the winter isn't for the faint of heart, but Jayleen and Crystal didn't let some chilly rain put a damper on anything. Their ceremony was full of warmth and roses; their dinner was full of laughter; and their reception (where they each danced with all their parents) was endlessly emotional (in a good way). Everything was authentically them, and thus authentically wonderful. 

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Real Couples // Heritage + Hometown Richmond Virginia Wedding: Vanessa + Ed

Real Couples // Heritage + Hometown Richmond Virginia Wedding: Vanessa + Ed

Ed and Vanessa are a queer couple that are activists for social justice in the Richmond area. Their wedding was DIY and cost less than $500 including Vanessa's traditional West African wedding dress, jewelry and headpiece. The food was catered by potluck through friends. Vanessa made the gluten-free red velvet wedding cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting with a friend's help with the frosting and decorating with the flowers! A true celebration of love and community! 

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