Ladies Pavilion & Loeb Boathouse in Central Park NYC

Spring in Central Park might just be the perfect wedding venue. Pelin & Efe made the most of everything the park has to offer, taking a carriage ride to the Ladies Pavilion where the ceremony was attended by friends, family, and a few lucky park visitors who happened to be in the area. Afterward, they strolled with their guests around the lake, through Bethesda Terrace to the Loeb Boathouse for their reception. For me, shooting in the park is a particular joy because it combines so many elements I love about documentary wedding photography. The locations are stunning, of course, and in the Spring there are flowering trees and every shade of green imaginable, but the park is, of course, a public space, which means anything can happen (and usually does)! Strangers will stop to watch, applaud, or sometimes march right through the area with an “I’m walkin’ here!” attitude. As is the case with any wedding, my job is always to capture the action, whatever it may be, as it happens. There is no better place to do that than Central Park.

Pelin and Efe’s wedding was also a wonderful mix of modern and traditional elements. Pelin took a few moments as she was getting ready to write the names of any single female friends and relatives on the soles of her Manolo Blahnik shoes, which is a Turkish tradition meant to bring love and good fortune to those whose names are written. It’s always incredibly special when a couple cherishes the cultural traditions handed down through generations and incorporates them into their wedding day.

The other fun thing about shooting in Central Park is that it has been the backdrop for so many movies and shows, and in this case, the bride was a huge fan of Sex & the City, so we stopped at Bethesda Terrace to take a few photos on the steps where Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth were photographed in a shoot for Vanity Fair, years ago near the end of the original run of the show. It’s important to me, as I chat with the couple, to keep these seemingly trivial things in mind, because you never know when there will be an opportunity to weave it in to the course of the day.

And finally, as ever, my goal is not to direct the action, but to simply be along for the ride, capturing the moments as they happen, in all their harmonious imperfection!