Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill Mansion Wedding in Tarrytown, NY

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Nick + Carly

Fate is a problem for me because I believe in the power of our choices. I believe that it is our responsibility to put ourselves in positions to make good ones, and to learn from our inevitable bad ones. But sometimes the universe throws things like Covid or wild fires at us and our future is determined by forces out of our control. Nick and Carly’s decision-making and execution in the planning of their wedding showed that despite what fate had in store, their choices on how to celebrate their love would prevail.

The Storytellers NYC Wedding Band

Nick and Carly are one of those couples that can fit in with any crowd: class it up, dress to the nines, and listen to some world class jazz, or smash plastic pitchers on the dance floor—they take whatever the world gives them. Their wedding band, The Storytellers out of NYC, brought the effing house down. Carly’s dress and bright blue Manolo Blahnik shoes, Nick’s custom suit and Del Toro loafers—they were dressed to kill. RIP dance floor.

Trusting Your Upstate New York Wedding Photographer

Perhaps the most refreshing and empowering trait Nick and Carly showed on their wedding day is how much they trusted us. Whether it was for first look, family formals, or bridal party shots, we gave them options in terms of backgrounds, lighting, and locations, and they thought about it, discussed what was important to them, and then put the ball right back in our court. We will never under-appreciate this trust because it helps us do our job and will always produce a better product. We understand that our roles as photographers can be more advisory, contingent with what our couple wants, but to not only feel seen and heard, but encouraged and deferred to, fostered a beautiful relationship that made their wedding an absolute joy to document.

How to Choose the Right Partner

And it all comes down to the choices that we make. Not just for your wedding, but for the partner you choose and the life that you choose to lead. My brother was recently surprised when I told him that I was vetting Heather from our very first dates. Not just what does she like or what we have in common, but how will she behave in a tense situation, or what kind of mother she will be. You know, the small stuff. I just didn’t see a purpose in dating if I wasn’t looking for indicators of long-term personality traits. I knew I wanted a family some day, and while I enjoyed dating in NYC, I was constantly marrying short-term fun with long-term goals. I think I was sold the first time I saw Heather playing a silly game with a kid in a brewery. You just have to be looking for the things that you care about.

Or in the very wise words direct from Nick’s vows, “I chose you in New York when we first closed down our favorite little East Village bar…Here we are, more than seven years later and I choose you today. I promise to choose you again tomorrow. And I'll continue to choose you every day for the rest of our lives. You're my best friend Carly, and I love you.”