Kelly Vasami Photography Blog

Bride's Choice Awards 2012 Winner!

2012-01-29T16:27:00.012-05:00

For the 4th year in a row, Kelly Vasami Photography has been awarded the Bride's Choice Award! This award "recognizes the best local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards™ are determined by the quality, quantity, recency, and consistency of reviews from over 1.2 million WeddingWire newlyweds. The 2012 award recipients represent the top five percent of WeddingWire's vendor community, which consists of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the US and Canada."

Thank you to all of my brides and grooms who reviewed my services this year and helped me to win this award once more, it mean so much to me - THANK YOU!

Aimee & Mike's Wedding at Highlands Country Club

2012-01-10T17:13:00.022-05:00

Aimee and Mike are East Coasters who are now living on the West Coast. This seems to be a recurring theme among my clients! The fun part is, when I first met Aimee and Mike for their initial meeting, it was in San Francisco! Of course I don't usually take cross-country flights to meet with potential clients, but it just worked out that I was going to tag along on my husband's business trip around the time when Aimee contacted me about potentially photographing her wedding...And the rest is history!

I'm so glad Aimee and Mike decided to hire me for their beautiful fall wedding at Highlands Country Club (one of my favorite venues, and I find myself working there frequently!). They are a wonderful couple, and their friends and family were so much fun to photograph. It was a beautiful wedding through and through.

I love when couples choose to do a first look - that private moment when they see each other for the very first time!

It is always so sweet to see a groom beaming at his beautiful bride, and Mike was all smiles!

Aimee is truly one of the most joyous brides I have ever photographed!

A few beautiful details:

Aimee and Mike are absolutely gorgeous together, and that warm late afternoon sunlight doesn't hurt either!

Just as we were walking inside for the start of the reception, the sky became painted in the most amazing vibrant colors:

(How cute is this young guest getting in on the action?!)

Clearly Aimee is a very good sport - I'm pretty sure this was not on her wedding agenda, but she smiled throughout!

Candlelight filled all of the various areas of the venue and made for an even-more-romantic mood:

It was SUCH a great night!

One last shot: I had to balance on my tippy-toes outside the window of theHighlands Country Club to get this, but it was a favorite!

Aimee and Mike, I hope to see you again soon - whether that be in San Francisco or New York! Thank you for including me in your wedding plans.

WPJA Award-Winning Image - 2011 Q3 Contest

2011-12-26T12:25:00.012-05:00

I always hold my breath when I get the email from the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) that the results from the quarterly contest are available. Each quarter I enter, presenting my strongest images and just praying that one might be selected. The WPJA is an organization that counts as it members some of the most talented and amazing wedding photojournalists around the WORLD. Not just the US-- we're talking photographers from Russia, France, Japan, Australia - everywhere. I've never won an award from the WPJA before (just being accepted into the WPJA was one of my career goals), so I didn't know if an award-winner would receive a separate email alerting them of a winning image. So slowly I click through the stunning images, holding my breath hoping that I might see one of my images pop on the screen in one of the ten categories.

Well this morning it happened.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw an image of mine - a ring detail shot from Meggan and David's Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club wedding in October (yet to be blogged) - had been awarded 18th place in the Ring Details category. I was alongside my photography heros and the people whose work I draw inspiration from. Today was a very good day, one I've been hoping for a long long time!

Here is the award-winning image, the rings were placed on the edge of the free-standing coin-operated binocular-type machine (I'm sure there is a name for these, I'm drawing a blank in my excitement) that lets you gaze out into the Long Island Sound:

The Lewis Family's Annual Portraits

2011-12-17T12:39:00.010-05:00

I've been photographing this sweet family since their son Jackson was just a baby! Now Jackson is a big boy, running around and enjoying being a big brother to his adorable sister Jocelyn. It's always so fun to see a baby when they are a newborn, and then to see them grow into walkers and big kids.

We headed out to a familiar location (super bonus points if you recall this location in the comments section) in Chester County, PA and took some great portraits of this gorgeous young family. Jackson has grown up into SUCH a big boy!

It's so sweet to see Jocelyn sporting the curls that her big brother has as well:

Thanks again as always Jesse, Jody, Jackson and Jocelyn - can't wait to see you next time!

Colleen & Cameron's Wedding at Bear Mountain Overlook Lodge

2011-12-05T14:53:00.019-05:00

There were so many beautiful weddings this fall that I have fallen behind in my blogging! Expect a bunch of wedding blog posts in the coming weeks, with a few fun portrait sessions sprinkled in as well!

Colleen and Cameron's wedding took place at Bear Mountain Overlook Lodge. They were lucky enough to have nice weather for their outdoor ceremony in this beautiful wooded setting. The views were breathtaking!

Bear Mountain Overlook Lodge is nestled among the trees along the edge of the mountain. What a gorgeous setting for this heart-warming emotional ceremony (as you can see on the faces of the bridesmaids).

We snuck up to the top of the mountain for a few quick portraits of the newlyweds. I was shocked when Colleen offered to sit in this spot on the edge of the mountain. It made me more than a bit nervous, but it made for a beautiful photograph (thanks Colleen!). See those tiny ridges on the horizon in the upper right hand corner? That's Manhattan.

Colleen's lovely mom Eileen (in blue) watches her daughter and new son-in-law during their first dance.

Colleen and Cameron are so sweet together, so connected. It's just beautiful to watch.

A heartwarming toast by the maid of honor, Colleen's little sister.

Cameron dancing with his mom, and Colleen dancing with her dad:

Of course, plenty of fun was had in the photo booth too!

Colleen and Cameron, thank you for letting me capture all the beauty of your wedding day!

Pictures featured in the Journal News in Westchester

2011-11-23T12:50:00.012-05:00

Recently, The Journal News did a story about capturing the perfect picture for your holiday cards, and a few of my clients were lucky enough to have their images featured. Congratulations to the Reid Family, the Muzzio Family, and the Gavigan Family! I'm so thankful to have such wonderful clients to work with during the holidays and year-round. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Click HERE to see the article larger.

Lauren & Michael's Wedding at Highlands Country Club

2011-11-03T18:18:00.008-04:00

Lauren and Michael (you may remember them from their engagement session last year) had a beautiful wedding at one of my favorite locations in the area, Highlands Country Club in Garrison. It is a beautiful, intimate space with rustic charm, lush rolling hills, and so many great spots to take beautiful photographs.

Lauren's bridesmaids photographing her as she comes down the stairs. I love that you can catch a glimpse of her in the mirror!

I told you Highlands Country Club had some gorgeous spots for taking photographs!

Liam, one of the cutest ringbearers EVER!

I love getting pictures from the couple's point of view:

LOVE how Michael is looking at Lauren here!

I think this last one pretty much sums it up! :)

The Korpai Family on Extreme Makeover Home Edition!

2011-10-18T15:56:00.029-04:00

Earlier this year, I met an extraordinary family. Jimmy and Darlene Korpai are the parents of a beautiful five year old girl, Hailey, and an adorable one year old boy, Hudson. When Hailey was born, Jimmy and Darlene learned she was born with a growth hormone deficiency known as dwarfism. Jimmy and Darlene were, like most people, not very familiar with the condition. They instantly became advocates for their daughter Hailey, knowing she was growing up in a world that wasn't designed for people her size.

Hailey and other people with dwarfism face challenges every day - not only the challenges of navigating in a world built for average-sized people, but also the stares and insults that can be tossed at someone who is "different". Knowing this, and wanting the best for their daughter, the Korpai's joined Little People of America, where Jimmy now serves as President of the Hudson Valley Chapter, and Darlene serves as Vice President. Jimmy and Darlene created a website, Understanding Dwarfism to educate the public by answering questions and giving a better understanding of the condition.

When Jimmy contacted me earlier this year to photograph members of Little People of America to use on their educational website, Understanding Dwarfism, I didn't know much about dwarfism. I had enjoyed watching the TV show Little People Big World, and was fascinated to find out that average sized parents can have children with dwarfism, and that parents who are Little People can give birth to average-sized children. When I travelled to Long Island to the regional event that Little People of America hosted, I was so blessed to be able to meet and photograph so many wonderful families. There were so many different types of families - parents who were LP (little person), children who were AP (average-sized person), and vice-versa, and a mix of both. But one common element? They were some of the nicest, friendliest, most welcoming people I have ever worked with.

Hailey's mom Darlene first explained to Hailey about dwarfism: "There are big flowers, and there are little flowers, but ALL flowers are beautiful." I think that is a message we can all teach to our children.

When I found out last month that the Korpai family had been chosen to be featured on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, I was absolutely delighted for them. The episode aired this past Sunday, October 16th on ABC. I watched the episode to cheer on this wonderful family, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw some of my images appear in the show! I've grabbed a few screenshots below, but I think it would be great if you watched the show yourself to learn more about dwarfism, and to see what life is like for a little person living in a world designed for an average sized person. Kudos to ABC for helping to make more people aware of the condition, and educating the public and promoting the Korpai's fantastic website, Understanding Dwarfism.

Here is the Facebook page advertising the Korpai's episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. (Somewhere along the way Hudson was photoshopped into my photograph!)

The ABC.com website for Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Click here to watch the episode that aired October 16, 2011 (Korpai family).

Within the first five minutes of the episode, they showed the Korpai family having an LPA chapter meeting in their home. The Korpai's made tradeshow booth banners with some of the images from our shoot. I jumped off the couch when I saw one of my images right in the middle of my TV screen!

The Korpai family often host meetings for Little People of America's local chapter in their home. (Spoiler alert!) Extreme Makeover Home Edition built the Korpai family a brand new building to use for their LPA meetings!

Here are some more photographs from the Understanding Dwarfism photo shoot. Hailey and her super-cute brother Hudson...

...and some of the other wonderful girls I met, who you may recognize from the Extreme Makeover Home Edition episode as well!

Toward the end of the episode, Extreme Makeover Home Edition took the Korpai family to Times Square before the "big reveal" to show them some billboards they put up to promote their website Understanding Dwarfism.

The Korpai family got to meet Bill and Jen from TLC's The Little Couple, and they all took a look at the billboard in Times Square together.

Below is a close-up of the billboard in Times Square, featuring one of the photographs I took of the Korpai family:

Another version of the Times Square billboard, again using one of my pictures promoting the Understanding Dwarfism website:

At the end of the episode, you hear those famous words: "Move That Bus!", and with that the Korpai family gets a look at their new home!

Extreme Makeover Home Edition created an absolutely beautiful new home for the Korpai family. This house is completely accessible for both Hailey and the rest of her family. The designers made the house functional for an average-sized person as well as for a little person.

Members of the Little People of America Hudson Valley chapter were invited to be a part of the unveiling of the Korpai's new home. I recognize many of these smiling faces from meeting and photographing them in March. They were some of the nicest, friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure to work with!

ABC.com's website showed another view of the Korpai's new home from the street. I love that the family used this opportunity to put up a banner promoting the Understanding Dwarfism website (and ok, I'm excited they used my pictures again too!).

All of my best wishes go out to the Korpai family, and to all of the friends I made while attending the Little People of America's Understanding Dwarfism photoshoot. It was an absolute joy to be a part of. I am so excited that the LPA Hudson Valley chapter have a beautiful new space to meet in, as well as the new headquarters for Understanding Dwarfism. If you haven't already, please visit the website to learn more about the condition.

Photo Published in New York Magazine's new Wedding Issue!

2011-10-13T14:55:00.007-04:00

I'm so excited to learn that one of my photos from Laura & Dave's wedding has been published in New York Magazine's new Weddings Issue! Turn to page 132 to see a picture of their wedding band, the Amish Outlaws, performing at the reception.

Baby Lyla's Newborn Portraits

2011-09-12T14:59:00.007-04:00

At one month old, sweet Lyla is just a bit older than the newborns I typically photograph (under 10 days old), but she was a perfect little angel during her newborn portrait session.

It was a fun treat to photograph some newborn portraits outdoors, this is a rarity! Lyla seemed to love laying in the basket and looking up at the leaves swaying in the summer breeze.

And how adorable is her headband? A fashionista at only four weeks old!

The wind in the trees put her right to sleep.

One nice benefit to scheduling the newborn session four or five weeks after baby's arrival: Lyla's mommy looked incredibly beautiful and well-rested, (any new mom knows this is quite a feat!). Lyla and her mom were such an adorable mother-daughter combo, and even dad was a willing participant in our portrait session.

I love having pictures of mom and dad with their new bundle of joy!

One last photo in Lyla's adorable nursery:

Laura and Dave's Wedding at Brynwood Country Club

2011-08-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

Laura and Dave are a fantastically fun couple. They met while working at a summer camp together, and held their summer wedding ceremony at the same location where they first met. It was a beautiful day, filled with vibrant colors, happy people, love, and so much positive energy.

The details in Laura's wedding dress were so beautiful.

The girls help Laura get ready to walk down the aisle.

How pretty are these bridesmaid dresses?

Laura is a natural beauty, even more gorgeous on her wedding day!

One of my favorites of the day:

Is this a fantastic looking group of girls or what?! They were SO much fun - I was laughing the entire day!

Dave watches as his bride walks down the aisle.

I love when a groom shows emotion as he sees his bride walking down the aisle.

Married!

The light was so pretty as we took formals on the grounds of Brynwood Country Club in Armonk. It's a gorgeous location to hold a wedding reception in Westchester County.

So much fun!

The ballroom at Brynwood Country Club is a beautiful space with lots of natural light, there is a great view of the rolling hills in the distance.

Laura and Dave shared a very sweet first dance to the song "To Make You Feel My Love" (always a favorite!)

Such a sweet couple. (P.S. - I love the details in the bustled train of Laura's dress here!)

The toasts were sweet and funny, but I think it was the mention of Derek Jeter's 3000th hit that had these guys cheering loudly. That was a nice wedding gift from the Yankees to Dave and Laura.

A few fun cobalt and yellow details - their cake looked amazing!

Laura and Dave had something memorable at their wedding that I have never seen anywhere else. They hired a band called The Amish Outlaws, who were fantastic! The band is comprised of former members of the Amish community who have "escaped" and now play rock and roll. The whole band is dressed in full Amish garb - blue cotton shirts, button suspenders, heavy black farming pants, straw hats - the works. And they ROCK! You absolutely have to check them out.

I'm pretty sure this was everyone's first time seeing an Amish man impersonating Mick Jagger. And it was impressive, let me tell you!

The band was really good at playing a variety of music and keeping the crowd dancing and involved. Fun crowd + fun band = amazing, unforgettable reception.

As you can see, The Amish Outlaws kept the party going until the wee hours. It was an absolute blast to be a part of Laura and Dave's fantastically fun summer wedding celebration!

Alexis & Dominick's Wedding at Traveller's Rest

2011-07-13T22:03:00.022-04:00

You might remember Alexis and Dominick from their fun engagement session at CitiField last fall. Well the engagement session was a great introduction to the FUN this couple likes to have! On their wedding day, Alexis & Dominick's friends and family were just as lively and energized as I expected. It was a LIVELY reception, to say the least!

Alexis is a stunning bride! The back of her Maggie Sottero wedding gown was so beautiful and elegant.

Alexis gets a little fatherly advice before walking down the aisle.

While Dom and his groomsmen look calm, cool, and collected.

The outdoor ceremony took place among the gardens at Traveller's Rest in Ossining.

This is one good-looking couple!

I love this photo of the new Mr. and Mrs!

The reception took place in the cozy, traditional ballroom at Traveller's Rest, with a contemporary black and white color scheme.

The first dance...

...and the moving toasts...

And then it was time to dance!

There were some great moves on the dance floor - I told you they liked to have fun!

The DJ had a light system that created vibrant splashes of color on the dance floor.

And there were big smiles from ear to ear on all the guests' faces.

It was a beautiful night to celebrate Alexis & Dominick.

Thank you so much for having me there to capture your beautiful wedding day! It was a blast!

Ashley & Danny's Engagement Session at Rye Playland

2011-06-23T15:26:00.015-04:00

I was so excited when Ashley told me she and Danny wanted to take their engagement portraits at Playland in Rye. A Westchester County institution since the 1920's, Playland has no doubt been the site of many first dates - Ashley and Danny among them! We strolled along the boardwalk, marveled at the coastline, took in the sights of the Art Deco buildings, and grabbed a few sweet romantic pictures of the two of them as well.

I processed a few of the images with a vintage-y black and white tone, and I love the timeless feel of these portraits:

Ashley and Danny were a little nervous at the beginning of the session, but as you can see they were naturals by the end of the session - they look like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine!

Meagan and Scott's Wedding at The Garrison

2011-06-10T16:13:00.011-04:00

Meagan and Scott celebrated their wedding recently at The Garrison. The ballroom is currently being renovated, but because Meagan and Scott were having an intimate ceremony and reception, they were able to hold their reception in the Windgate Room. Their ceremony took place on the large deck off the Windgate Room, overlooking the Hudson River Valley.

Meagan's friends look so happy upon seeing the beautiful bride for the first time!

Meagan and her adorable five-year-old son wait for the ceremony

Scott is a very handsome groom

Meagan and Scott are so sweet as they recite their personally-written vows:

One of the best kisses I have seen in a long time:

Married!

Meagan and her two adorable children:

As the fellow mom of a five-year-old boy, this image cracks me up. Even on your wedding day, you still have to take care of the little details like keeping your little guy's shoes tied.

And then we took a few pictures of the whole family, and of the gorgeous newlyweds alone:

As you can tell, Meagan is a beautiful bride who made my job very easy:

The reception at The Garrison was elegant, intimate and memorable.

Meagan dancing with her father:

Thank you Meagan and Scott for including me in your wedding plans! It was an absolute delight!

Grace's Portraits at Pepsico Park

2011-06-01T12:10:00.005-04:00

Meet my new friend Grace. She is 27 months old, and it takes exactly 27 seconds to fall in love with her.

Grace brought along her dog Shannon, who has been a sweet and lovable companion to Grace's mom for many years.

We found these beautiful flowering trees which made such a pretty backdrop.

I absolutely love this image and sent it to Grace's mom as soon as I pulled it up on my screen:

Don't you just want to hug her?!

Grace can also be serious and soulful. I love how bright she looks among these large shady evergreens.

Grace finished the session by throwing magnolia petals into the air with her mom - it was so much fun!

Grace, please thank your mommy for letting me have a lovely playdate with you and your doggie. It was an absolute delight, and I am already looking forward to next time!

Allison & Greg's Central Park Engagement Portraits

2011-05-27T11:11:00.015-04:00

When I met Allison in my office, we found out we had all lived in the same town in Delaware at the same time. Delaware is a small state and I've always found the people to be some of the most friendly on the East Coast. Allison and Greg went to the University of Delaware, where they met. Greg is a Delaware native, so it's no surprise he's friendly and outgoing.

Allison and Greg are now living in New York and planning their beautiful November wedding, which I am thrilled to be a part of. We took a stroll around Central Park recently and captured some really fantastic photographs to celebrate their engagement. Allison is such a natural in front of the camera, and Greg kept us laughing the entire time. Their wedding is sure to be fantastic and memorable!

We started out near Bethesda Fountain:

And clearly, these two are very easy to photograph :)

Greg proposed to Allison last November while they were in Paris. This image has such a Parisian feel to it, oui?

The light in the park was just perfection:

Then we made our way around to Bow Bridge:

And finally stopped here to capture my new favorite engagement photograph ever:

Allison and Greg - thanks again for all the laughs! Can't wait til November :)

Newborns and more Newborns!

2011-05-02T20:35:00.042-04:00

I spent the long cold winter photographing a bunch of absolutely adorable newborns. I have three sweet little girls and one handsome little boy for you to feast your eyes on today.

First up is adorable baby Ava. I've been lucky enough to photograph Ava's mommy's wedding, Ava's aunt's wedding, and even Ava's grandma's wedding (which reminds me: Happy 1st Anniversary Aunt Nancy)!

Ava has this great little faux-hawk:

So we contained it again with the super-cute bear ears hat:

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Next I had the pleasure of photographing sweet little Chloe:

Her mom and I had a few props to photograph with her, but Chloe is an absolute beauty all on her own.

One of my all-time favorite 'brand new family' photographs:

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A few weeks after that, I met baby Charlize and her family on a rainy, soaking wet day. But it was bright and sunny indoors!

Gotta love pics of mom and dad lovin' on their gorgeous newborn girl!

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And finally two weeks ago I went to Manhattan to photograph baby Alexander. It was a nice change to see a little blue after so much pink! :)

Alex was wide awake for our entire session, and was such an alert little handsome man!

I hope you've enjoyed this baby overload post I've been waiting to share. Soon enough, the blog will be back to weddings, weddings, weddings!

Recent Portraits in Ardsley, Pelham and Southport

2011-04-04T16:44:00.009-04:00

I have a few portrait sessions that didn't get blogger over the winter, and with spring arriving, it seems like I had better get caught up with my posts before wedding season is in full swing again!

Here are some favorites from over the winter:

These two adorable brothers couldn't help but ham it up for the camera:

And then I got to meet these two sweet sisters, along with their mom, grandma and great grandma:

I was so honored to capture this family portrait of four generations, ranging in age from 9 months to 90 years!

And I had so much fun with this little guy, running around with him and his mom and dad on a freezing cold beach in Connecticut!

Stay tuned for three sweet newborn girls that still need to be featured on the blog!

Lauren & Michael's Engagement Portraits at Wave Hill

2011-03-07T17:12:00.011-05:00

As you can probably tell by all of the golden leaves still on the trees in these photographs, Lauren and Michael had their engagement session with me back in November. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful late-afternoon light and gorgeous gardens at Wave Hill. It was great getting to spend some time with Lauren and Michael, who were so fun and so relaxed together in front of the camera. I can't wait to photograph them again this September at their wedding!

I wish we were always so lucky to have such gorgeous golden afternoon light! I could use a little bit of this light right now. Is it Spring yet?

My favorite portrait from our engagement session:

Lauren and Michael, thanks for being patient in waiting for your turn on the blog (I'm still playing catch-up)! Can't wait til your wedding in September!

Kelly Vasami Photography Featured in The Journal News

2011-02-21T18:59:00.014-05:00

I was recently interviewed by a reporter from our local newspaper, The Journal News, about the trend toward Westchester families hiring professional portrait photographers like myself to come to their homes to create modern family portraits. I was thrilled to be interviewed and even more excited when my husband brought home the paper and showed me the photograph, front and center, of adorable sisters Sofia and Guiliana, who I photographed in 2009. Their mom Angela has become one of my favorite customers, referring me to her friends and family, purchasing gift certificates for her friends to have newborn portraits made. You might recall I photographed Angela's sister Stefanie's amazing wedding this summer. I am so lucky to have really fantastic clients who say such sweet things about me in the newspaper! Here is the link to see the full article online.

If you would like me to photograph your family, please call me at 914-262-2893 or email me at kelly(at)kellyvasami(dot)com!

Megan & Bill's Massachusetts Wedding

2011-02-11T01:40:00.020-05:00

It's no secret that I always love October weddings and have a special bond with my October brides. Megan and Bill were referred to me by another fantastic October bride, Eileen. Eileen and Megan are cousins and Megan hired me based on Eileen's recommendation (thanks Eileen!). I knew Megan had to be a fantastic bride based on the fact that's she's Eileen's cousin, but when I heard her wedding date (October 23rd), I was even more excited - 10/23 is my own wedding anniversary!

The Rolls Royce waiting in front of Megan and Bill's home was a beautiful sight on a crisp fall morning.

While we didn't meet face to face until the wedding day, I felt instantly at ease with Megan and her warm loving family and all of her sweet bridesmaids. This beautiful bride is calm, cool and collected as she gets ready for her big day!

I snuck upstairs to photograph the dress and as I ascended the staircase, saw how Megan's gorgeous dress was naturally framed by the doors, windows and walls.

The macro lens and I are very good friends when it comes to photographing the wedding rings.

We were then off to the church for the wedding Mass (as in, a catholic ceremony, not Mass as in Massachusetts. Well, that too actually...).

Love to capture the sweet little looks that occur between the couple as they sit at the altar.

Married! Look at the huge grins on both Megan and Bill's faces!

The wedding reception was held at the beautiful Lake View Pavilion in Foxborough, MA.

Megan and Bill were all smiles, and were just so natural and relaxed together.

I don't usually show many bridal party formals on this blog, but this one was really a favorite. Great looking group and amazing autumn background = "blogworthy".

I loved the decor inside the Lake View Pavilion. The sparkling chandelier is the centerpiece of the room, and the draped fabric is so elegant.

Amazing-looking cake and beautiful flowers? Check!

The strong spot lighting on the dance floor made for beautiful first dance pictures.

I'm always looking for a new or different angle when shooting something that happens at every wedding.

Cheers!

Megan's parents were so sweet together on the dance floor.

And the post wouldn't be complete without a picture of Eileen and Ivan! :)

Megan and Bill supplied their guests with a snack for the drive home - fresh soft pretzels and ice-cold bottles of water. I might have snagged one for the drive back to New York (Shh! Don't tell!).

Bill planted one more sweet kiss on Megan to end their fantastic reception. It was a wonderful wedding and I was so happy to be a part of it!

As it turns out, Eileen and Ivan's wedding was my last of the 2007 season, and Megan and Bill's wedding was the end of my 2010 season. They were both such wonderful and memorable weddings to finish up wedding season. A big "Thank You!" to all of my end-of-season brides and grooms (Julie D, I know you read the blog!), as well as all of the wonderful couples I had the pleasure of photographing this season and over the years.

This Photo Needs a Caption!

2011-02-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

Not everyone wants to be photographed apparently. And this nine-day-old cutie certainly told me how she felt about me taking her picture. Leave me a comment letting me know what you would title this hilarious photograph from a recent newborn session!

The Knot's Best of Weddings and Bride's Choice Awards!

2011-01-28T22:23:00.018-05:00

This has been a great week here at Kelly Vasami Photography! I am absolutely humbled and honored to announce that not only did I find out that I was selected as a Bride's Choice Award Winner (for the third year in a row) from WeddingWire.com, but I am also thrilled to announce that I was chosen as a winner of TheKnot.com's Best of Weddings 2011!

Thank you so much to all of my brides and grooms who voted and reviewed my services - it really means the world to me. I can't wait to see what 2011 brings! Thank you for coming along for the ride!

Solt Family Holiday Portraits

2011-01-19T13:28:00.017-05:00

I have been photographing Madison since she was a baby! It's fun to see how much she has grown up over the years. Maddy's mom Kristen and I go way back... we're cousins :)

And may I introduce Maddy's equally adorable little sister, Presley:

This was my favorite from the session, and one of our very last images. The girls were almost ready to call it a day, but when I spotted this hill with the sun setting behind it, I just knew the shot I had to capture. Luckily Chris, Kristen and the girls were such good sports (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the M&M's I was promising them after the session).

For young families, I always like to do a mix of a few semi-traditional 'posed' pictures, and then some fun, active, candid photos of the kids just being themselves. It helps to let kids run off a little steam in between having to stand still for a quick minute.

Madison and Presley have the bluest of blue eyes you have ever seen (from their mom). And I am very jealous of Presley's gorgeous curls too (from dad)!

The setting sun makes such amazing long shadows.

We finished off our session by standing on a fence and yelling at goats. Isn't there a movie about that? ;)

It's always fun photographing family and friends, even more so when I get to look back and see how much has changed and how much the kids have grown, as my photography has grown right along with them. Kristen has always been so supportive of my work and was very sweet letting her little girl be one of my guinea pigs when I was just starting out in 2006. Thank you!

Julie and Rick's Chester County Wedding

2010-12-16T17:11:00.018-05:00

It seems I have fallen behind in my blogging responsibilities during the holiday hustle-and-bustle! I have two wonderful weddings I need to share with my blog readers, as well as a handful of adorable family portrait sessions. I hope the visual loveliness will help excuse my lack of blogging content lately.

Without further ado, I present to you Julie and Rick's fantastic and charming Chester County wedding which took place back in October, when the weather was warmer and the trees were aglow with their beautiful multi-hued leaves. You may recall Julie and Rick from their engagement photo session last spring, which also took place on this lovely Pennsylvania horse farm.

Julie's sister-in-law Chrissy (a dear friend of mine who just had a gorgeous baby girl!) had this made for Julie and Rick - it was so unique and I had never seen one of these hangers before!

Julie's dress had beautiful details, including her late father's initials embroidered on the bow of the dress. Julie's father had helped her pick out the dress, and the bow was his favorite part. I love how Julie honored him in such a personal way.

Julie is one of the most beautiful brides I have ever photographed. Her brother Jeremy (one of my husband's best friends) jokingly told her something along the lines of, "You don't look too bad." Gotta love big brothers. He made up for it by giving one of the most heartwarming toasts I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Julie's horse Beau is a huge part of her life. Julie and Rick also have two very special dogs, who were also present for the ceremony and made a cameo appearance at the reception.

The ceremony took place on the large front lawn, with the gorgeous stone barn as a back drop.

Julie and Rick walk toward the reception, just moments after becoming husband and wife. The perfect time of the day with the lovely long shadows, and one sweet moment, come together to make one of my favorite images from a wedding. Ever.

Just down the hill was the reception, with lots of lovely details Julie made by hand.

With all of the horse shoe details, Julie and Rick are destined to be very lucky in love.

A spotlight on the couple during the first dance made for some dramatic lighting inside the barn.

The lighting outside of the barn was pretty nice too.

As always, the guys had a great time dancing to the music (Rick has some of the best dance moves of any groom I've ever photographed!), and a fun time was had by all.

Julie and Rick, I had a fantastic time photographing your wedding and spending time with you and your families. It was an absolutely perfect day in October, and I savored every minute of the beauty of Chester Conty in the fall! Thank you for including me in your plans, and I wish you both love, luck and a lifetime of happiness together.

A few odds and ends

2010-12-01T11:46:00.010-05:00

Lots of exciting things have been happening here at Kelly Vasami Photography! First, I was very honored to recently be accepted into the Wedding Photojournalist Association, "a professional organization composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world. What sets [their] members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach – a distinctly artistic vision toward wedding photography." I am very proud and excited to be a part of the WPJA. Many of the world's best wedding photographers are a part of this organization, and many of the photographers I look up to are WPJA members.

Next, I was recently featured in an article by the Bronxville-Eastchester Patch, an online local news source. The article was highlighting the work done by volunteer photographers for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, who donate their time to bring remembrance photography to parents of critically ill and stillborn babies. NILMDTS is an amazing organization and I am honored to be a part of the work they do.

I also learned recently that two of my photos were featured on Wedding Wire in the "Favorites" category - one bouquet from Julie and Rafael's wedding was chosen as one of the favorite orchid bouquets, and one bouquet from Carlyn and Matt's wedding was chosen as one of the favorite pink bouquets!

What new and exciting things are going on in your life?

Alexis & Dominick's E-Session at CitiField

2010-11-21T10:58:00.008-05:00

Dominick and Alexis are BIG NY Mets fans, to say the least! Dominick proposed to Alexis using a personalized "Will You Marry Me?" brick at Citi Field, the Mets new stadium. When I suggested having their engagement pictures taken at Citi Field we all thought, hmmm... that might just work. So we headed down to Flushing on a sunny, breezy October day and did just that:

I rarely use fisheye lens, but I think of it as somewhat of a "bunt" - not something that you use every at-bat, but sometimes it's what you need to get the job done...

We took a little stroll in the areas around Citi Field to find some fun colors and cool textures.

And then back to the stadium for a little more of a nature-inspired look (I love these last two!)

Alexis and Dominick, I had a great time getting to know you both better, and I am looking forward to your wedding in June!

Shana & Paul's Engagement session in Brooklyn

2010-11-15T14:37:00.011-05:00

I had such a fantastic time photographing Shana and Paul in and around Prospect Park in Brooklyn on a lovely October day, almost exactly a year before their Fall 2011 wedding. Shana and Paul are a great fun-loving couple and I always think an engagement session is a wonderful way for me to get to know my clients even better. Plus it gave Paul a great excuse to stare into Shana's gorgeous blue eyes for an hour :)

Mmmm... sunlight and long shadows during the golden hour.

We then headed down into the subway once the sun had set for the day.

I always love it if I can find artwork/billboards/found objects that relate to the subject I'm photographing. This Absolut Brooklyn prop was exactly what I had in mind!

Shana and Paul, thanks again for showing me the sights of Brooklyn and for the stimulating conversation along the way! Can't wait for next October!

Baby Alexander & Family - Westchester Baby Photography

2010-11-06T15:42:00.018-04:00

My brides and their families value the art of capturing a moment in time and remembering that fleeting moment forever. Because of this, many will buy Kelly Vasami Photography Portrait Gift Certificates for their friends and family who are expecting new additions to their family. I come to their home just days after they have brought their beautiful baby home from the hospital, and have a relaxed portrait session with baby (and sometimes big brother or sister and mom and dad).

Baby Alexander and his family were one of those lucky recipients of a Kelly Vasami Photography gift certificate from a fantastic previous client. I always love photographing beautiful sleepy newborns, and it's even better when big brother, mom and dad join in too!

Alexander was surprisingly alert for being only a few days old!

I always try to show a sense of scale with newborns, so that when they are bigger one day, you can see how much they've really grown!

Big brother Matthew was my super helper during the session :)

...and here he is reading with dad in his room.

And I just love this moment in time, the whole family reading together in Matthew's room.

If you are interested in purchasing a gift certificate for a newborn portrait session, click here and get in in time for the holidays!

Jesse, Jody, Jackson & introducing Jocelyn!

2010-10-27T21:14:00.000-04:00

I've been photographing this fantastic family since 2007, when Jackson was just a baby. He had grown up so much the last time I saw him, in 2009. Now, Jackson is a big brother to adorable baby Jocelyn!

This one just steals my heart!

Jody and her sweet baby girl!

Jesse and his tiny new clone!

Jackson (who is the tiny blond version of his father) is so sweet and loving to Jocelyn!

I love how intensely he studies her!

Same shot, three years later!

This one just cracked me up while I was editing. My eye follows Jackson all the way to Jocelyn's big toe. I have no idea why he's plucking her toe, but it cracks me up, so I had to include it!

A nice traditional family shot :)

Jody and Jackson clearly have a special relationship.

I think this tired girl has had enough of having her picture taken!

Jesse and Jody, it's always such a joy to photograph your family. I look forward to it every time!

Personal Photos - Chester County, PA

2010-10-24T22:43:00.008-04:00

After a weekend with a wedding and a portrait session in Chester County Pennsylvania (where I was born and where most of my extended family still lives), I grabbed a couple of quick pictures for myself as the sun slipped beneath the horizon after my portrait session. I was on my way to my next destination, but the moment was calling me and I had my equipment nearby, so I gave in. I've been trying to make more time to photograph things for myself lately. I've started a personal project that had been stirring around in my head for some time, and made it a priority to stop my car and grab the camera, whenever the moment allows. I've opened my mind to seeing things differently and to remember why I fell in love with photography in the first place. It's been incredibly rewarding so far.

I love that this photograph could have been made one hundred years ago:

I'm hoping to be able to share more of my personal work here on the blog, but for now I have SEVEN other recent posts that are waiting to be blogged!

Family Portraits in Larchmont

2010-10-18T23:20:00.007-04:00

It's always fun photographing friends and watching their families grow. Our dear friends Pietro and Cindy recently had their third beautiful daughter and I was so excited to photograph them and their cuties in Larchmont last month. Autumn is a great time of year to have your family photographed in preparation of holiday cards and gift-giving. There are so many great locations in and around Westchester to have your family's annual portraits created.

Cute times TWO! Westchester Baby Photography

2010-10-04T21:31:00.013-04:00

What's the best job in the world? Photographing a newborn baby.

What's even better than that? Photographing TWO of them!

I recently had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful set of newborn 6lb twins. One boy, one girl, both absolutely gorgeous and perfect in every way:

I think he's checking out her adorable little headband, possibly wondering why he didn't get one too.

Both so tiny in Dad's big hands:

And so peacefully sleepy in Mom's arms:

I hope you enjoy this little break from wedding pictures, as I've been lucky enough to photograph two more newborns since this session. Wedding posts will be back in full force soon, you might remember that October is my favorite wedding month! (I was an October bride myself, so I'm a little biased) Also, a BIG fun announcement is on the horizon here at Kelly Vasami Photography - stay tuned to this blog for more details! :)

Christine & Michael's Wedding - Westchester Renaissance Hotel

2010-09-17T00:14:00.003-04:00

Christine and Michael had a beautiful wedding ceremony at a private home in Riverdale, followed by a delightful reception at the Westchester Renaissance Hotel in West Harrison. You might remember this fantastic couple from their engagement session, also in Riverdale.

Christine was calm, cool and collected as she and her bridesmaids prepared for the wedding.

This bouquet of roses is so beautiful, I love this shade of champagne pink.

Christine's bridesmaids all looked so pretty in their blush-pink gowns.

Watching the guests arrive for the ceremony

The girls gathered for a quick moment of prayer before the ceremony. It was a moving and beautiful moment I was so honored to be able to witness.

The ceremony took place in a tent on the grounds of the private residence. My awesome second shooter, Sherri Jackson is responsible for these next three lovely images:

I love the look on Michael's face as he watches his bride walk down the aisle!

The weather was so perfect and beautiful for a late-summer outdoor wedding.

Next, we headed down to the Hudson River to get a few portraits with the water and the skyline as a backdrop. The whole experience was also captured on video by the lovely and brilliant Jen Cassaro from Masterpiece Video. I had a great time working with Jen and Alyssa, and look forward to working with them again in the future. If you are looking for a fantastic videographer, look no further!

My favorite shot of the day. Christine's cathedral-length veil is just breathtaking.

Christine is a beautiful bride!

Lulu Cake Boutique in Scarsdale made both the wedding cake and the groom's cake. Lulu's cakes are as delicious as they are gorgeous! Michael's cake was a surprise from Christine, in honor of his 20 years of service with the NYPD.

The Westchester Renaissance Hotel has a beautiful ballroom that can accommodate large wedding receptions.

First dance as husband and wife

I was so excited when Christine told me they would be having the Pipes and Drums of the Emerald Society playing at their wedding. It is an amazing, moving, patriotic experience that must be seen and heard in person to be fully appreciated. Christine and Michael both kicked up their heels to the lively music.

Christine danced with her dad and Michael danced with his mom as a slideshow of the bride and groom as children played on two screens.

I love how their pose is repeated in the slideshow playing in the background!

Christine and Michael had a vase filled with corks from the bottles of wine they celebrated with during their engagement. I grabbed three of the corks to get this fun shot of their wedding rings.

Christine and Michael, it was such an honor to be a part of your amazing wedding day. I had a fantastic time capturing your moments, and I hope you are delighted with your wedding photographs!

Karen & Matt's Wedding at the Glen Sanders Mansion

2010-09-06T23:14:00.000-04:00

Karen and Matt had their delightful wedding at the Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia, NY. It was my first time in this part of upstate New York (near Schenectady), and I enjoyed every bit of it!

Karen's purple color palette was evident throughout the event, and was a refreshing choice. Karen's birdcage veil and feather fascinator were absolutely gorgeous (as was the bride!).

Can you spot Karen?

The beautiful bride is all smiles while the ladies add the train to her gown

I love how Karen's girls are so attentive!

The beautiful summery blooms had purple accents which coordinated well with the bridesmaid dresses.

Just before going to see Matt for the "reveal"

One of the things I love about Jewish weddings is that the bride and groom have the chance to see each other (to sign the ketubah) before the ceremony. I love the look on Matt's face as sees Karen for the first time.

Glen Sanders Mansion is right on the Mohawk River, which makes for a beautiful backdrop for portraits.

Love these succulent boutonnieres

Matt and his handsome groomsmen

Karen had two adorable little fairies serving as flower girls ;)

Once the ketubah was signed, it was time for the ceremony, which incorporated many many beautiful and wonderful traditions from a number of cultures, making the ceremony a sweet and unique reflection of themselves as a couple.

Matt's dad gives him a hug before the start of the ceremony.

I love how Karen's dad is looking right at Matt, his future son-in-law...

...and the look of love on Karen's face as she says her vows to Matt.

This quick moment right after the ceremony is always my favorite of the day - the "second" kiss, right after the ceremony, one of the few quiet moments between bride and groom (shot with a telephoto lens so they can have their moment in peace!). This is my favorite image from Karen and Matt's wedding:

Karen and Matt wanted all of their family to be in a single group shot after the ceremony. It took a bit of work, but was well worth the effort:

Once the sun went down, the moonlight and the patio lights made for a nice warm glow during the cocktail hour. How cute are these two?

Then it was time for the reception, held in the ballroom of the Mansion

First dance as husband and wife

This looks like so much fun!
(My Catholic husband not-so-secretly wishes we could have danced the Hora to Hava Nagila at our reception)

I loved this fun moment between Karen and her dad during the father/daughter dance. Karen and Matt's families were all so joyous and full of cheer!

Karen and Matt and their friends and family danced the night away. It was quite a celebration!

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day, Karen and Matt. It was truly a joy to be a part of it!

My Family

2010-09-02T00:37:00.015-04:00

I've just finished my busiest August on record (some fantastic weddings posts coming up!), but I wanted to take a little time to photograph my own family before we head into the fall. Plus, it's always fun to see some cute smiling kids between all of the wedding posts. So, without further ado, here is our 6 month old Alexandria, our four year old Jake, and our little dog Ruthie:

Alex just got her first two teeth!

Jake is SO sweet to his baby sister

Ruthie has finally, after five years, gotten used to being posed for pictures

Best friends (at the moment)

Jumping The Broom Animation

2010-08-25T13:46:00.005-04:00

This fun animated GIF is a sneak peak from my wedding over the weekend at the Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia, NY. Karen and Matt incorporated many different traditions into their wedding ceremony, including jumping the broom:

Wedding Inspiration Board: succulents, blue, green, brown & orange accents

2010-08-12T18:26:00.011-04:00

I recently helped out my good friend JC Carley at another wonderful wedding at Wainwright House in Rye, NY. The details from Jenni and Greg's wedding were so sweet, I decided to share them in an inspiration-board style. Their wedding was so full of chic and on-trend details, it looked straight out of one of the hot wedding planning blogs.

Michele and Jon's Wedding at Highlands Country Club

2010-08-05T00:59:00.022-04:00

Michele and Jon are such a sweet loving couple, and just gorgeous inside and out. They were surrounded by friends and family as they exchanged vows on a beautiful July day in the Hudson Valley. As usual, I was thrilled to photograph the gorgeous details (Michele's fabulous wedding gown, her beautiful flowers, and the candle-lit reception) and the once-in-a-lifetime moments that happen at a wedding.

Michele's parents' home was such a beautiful light-filled space to photograph the girls getting ready.

And there were some fun spots in the backyard to get creative with the shoes (my long-time readers should know I have a thing for the shoes!)

Michele's flower girls were beyond adorable:

And Michele, with the help of her mom and the flowergirls, is a stunningly gorgeous bride:

I love this juxtaposition of bridal preparation with the groom's preparation:

Jon getting his first look at Michele

And Michele taking a quick happy glance at her husband-to-be

We walked through a field to take a few pictures, and at some point we noticed we had picked up a little hitch-hiker. Michele was a good sport (thank God she's a nature-lover), and we put the world's cutest froggie back into the pasture and out of Michele's layers of tulle. I've seen a few tiny bugs and insects in a tulle skirt before, but a tiny frog was a first.

We headed down to Cold Spring to get some dramatic landscapes along the banks of the Hudson River.

Next, we headed to Garrison to photograph the reception at Highlands Country Club, which is one of my favorite places in this part of the Hudson Valley to photograph a wedding. The staff at Highlands Country Club is superb, the grounds are beautiful, and there are many different areas for guests to mingle and relax throughout the night.

Is this a good-looking couple or what?

I love this casual and relaxed portrait of Michele, laughing at her sweet and funny husband Jon.

My favorite detail shot of the night. The candlelight, the sparkling wine glasses, the orchid blossoms...ahhhh....

Michele's flower girls spent the evening tossing flower petals, twirling around in their chiffon skirts, and generally being adorable little girls.

I LOVE the detailed piping on Michele & Jon's wedding cake!

Michele and Jon, thank you for letting me be a part of your beautiful day. It was an honor to capture these moments for you!

A good time was had by all! I always love when the DJ or band cranks up Bon Jovi and/or Journey toward the end of the night. What is your favorite music to dance to at the end of the night? Disco? Hair bands? MJ?

Emily & Steve's Wedding at Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club

2010-07-22T20:32:00.017-04:00

When you show up to photograph a wedding and you see these Christian Louboutin shoes, you pretty much pinch yourself to see if it's a dream. Luckily, it wasn't a dream, it was another spectacular wedding that I was so blessed to be able to photograph! Emily and Steve met in college and have been together ever since. Their wedding was a gathering of friends and family from near and far, and it was visually stunning to photograph!

Emily carried a beautiful bouquet of peonies, orchids and hosta leaves from Limelight Floral in Jersey City. She also wore her great-grandmother's vintage art deco ring, which was spectacular.

The ceremony took place at the Church of Saint Joseph in Bronxville. I love getting a glimpse of the groom's face as he has just gotten a glimpse of his beautiful bride. I think Steve is holding his breath as he sees Emily.

I keep coming back to this image. Emily embraces her father as he hands off his daughter to the man who is about to become her husband.

The cocktail hour and reception took place at Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club.

The bridal party gathered for formals on the deck overlooking Long Island Sound.

The grounds of MB&YC had so many spectacular locations for photographing this gorgeous couple.

The escort cards were placed in slits on champagne bottle corks. I obtained a few corks to get a fun shot of the rings.

Lulu Cake Boutique in Scarsdale provided these delicious-looking cupcakes. I may have to take a trip down the block to try out some Lulu's for myself - don't they look yummy?

Jordan, the head chef at Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club, does an amazing job. Feast your eyes on his seafood bar:

Lliquid always knows how to get the party started:

Congratulations to you Emily and Steve - your wedding was so beautiful and I wish you all the luck and love in the world. Thank you for including Kelly Vasami Photography in your wedding plans - cheers!

2 Year Old Twins & a Baby Boy

2010-07-15T23:45:00.005-04:00

This adorable little guy was in town to meet his twin cousins for the first time, and his mom wanted to have a portrait session with the three of them. I had a great time chasing the twins (and letting them chase me too), and spending time gazing at this beautiful 3-month-old baby boy too. This session was more like a fun playdate, I just happened to bring a big camera instead of a tub of play-doh.

Here are some of my favorites from our session:

The twins had way too much fun kissing their new baby cousin

My favorite from the session

This image will be so sweet to look back on in a few years when the kids are all grown up (it will happen before you know it)

The twins had such unique little personalities already: reserved, shy "A", and adventurous, outgoing "O". But the one thing they have in common is how absolutely adorable they are!

Poor little "M" was all worn out by the end of our playdate!

Stefanie and Lenny's Wedding at Wainwright House in Rye

2010-06-30T00:46:00.003-04:00

For some reason, June 12, 2010 was probably the most-requested date of the whole year for me. I turned away one bride after another for the date, because I'd already been booked - by one of my favorite brides of the season. The instant I read the first email from Stef, I knew I wanted to photograph her wedding at the Wainwright House. Luckily, she felt similarly about me. I was fortunate enough to be able to photograph Stef's nieces last year, so when I showed up to photograph her wedding, I knew quite a few members of the family, and they made me feel even more at home.

So many great Etsy details!

One of my favorite photos, ever. (I've photographed this little cutie before).

And this one, of Stefanie descending the stairs to see her grandfather, is so precious.

The cermony was held at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in Scarsdale.

The luck of the Irish...

My brides are known for having amazing taste in footwear.

After the ceremony at IHM, we headed to Wainwright House in Rye, which is a spectacular location to hold a wedding. The waterfront property is just stunning.

Also stunning? This bride:

Stef's bridesmaids were pretty cute too. I loved these navy blue bridesmaid dresses.

The flowers and details were really gorgeous. I expected nothing less from Stef, who like myself, is a big lover of flowers and details. The catering was done by Cornerstone Caterers, who did an amazing job.

Stef had these cufflinks made (again on Etsy) showing where they met (Boston) and where they got engaged (New York). With Stef being from New York, and Lenny from Boston, there were more than a few Yankees/Red Sox jokes tossed around that night.

So many great locations for photos at Wainwwright House.

Stef and Lenny were surrounded by loving family and friends, and their beautiful Irish and Italian celebration (always fun!) was just wonderful in every way. Their guests were funny, sweet, energetic, lively, and loving. It was an absolute delight, and I had a hard time making myself leave at the end of the evening. There were more than a few tearjerker moments:

Stefanie and Lenny, it was a true delight to be a part of your wedding day. I have never laughed more while photographing a wedding. You are blessed to have such great friends and a loving family. Thank you for being such an awesome couple, and I wish you lots of love.

Christine & Michael's Engagement Session in Riverdale

2010-06-22T23:19:00.019-04:00

We started our session out on the rooftop terrace of Christine & Michael's building in Riverdale. Million dollar views, fantastic weather and a nice spring breeze -- not to mention a gorgeous couple -- make my job, well, a breeze!

That's the GW Bridge in the background. Not too shabby.

We headed down to the nearby train station (more on that later in the post) for some fun shots...

I love the intimacy in this shot... plus, Christine has gorgeous hair :)

Being a non-native New Yorker, when Christine suggested we might take some pics near the Spuyten Duyvil train station during their engagement session, I copied down a bunch of consonants on my notepad and wondered exactly what word she had said to me....

When I got there however, I quickly memorized the name and knew I wouldn't soon forget what must be the most beautiful location for a train station on all of the Metro North. This unique location produced my two favorites from our session:

I am really looking forward to photographing Christine and Michael's wedding later this summer, these two are such naturals in front of the camera. Plus Christine showed me a sneak peek of her dress...And. It's. FABULOUS!

Jimmy's 2 year old Portraits in Central Park

2010-06-17T19:30:00.020-04:00

You may remember this sweet little face from last year, when I photographed Jimmy right before his 1st birthday. Well, in the blink of an eye, another year has passed. I was delighted to photograph Jimmy on his 2nd birthday in Central Park. He has grown so much in a year but he's still the same adorable happy little guy I remembered!

This year, next to last year:

We started off our portrait session with Jimmy and his parents in their beautiful light-filled home in Manhattan. I LOVE how Jimmy is looking at his dad here!

Then we moved on to Central Park, where Jimmy enjoyed playing baseball with Mom and Dad.

There are so many great playgrounds in the city where children can play. It was fun to shoot Jimmy's portraits there - I got quite a workout climbing around on the jungle gyms to get the perfect shot :)

Then we got a few more fun pictures with the birthday boy's mom and dad - and the balloons! (How cute is Lynn here?)

So much fun - if it weren't for the camera gear I was hauling, I might have joined them in the fountains :)

And back home again for a few more fun portraits of Jimmy.

I think this one might be my favorite... what's yours?

Jimmy, I hope you had a great birthday, and thanks again Lynn and Matt for having me out to photograph Jimmy. I'm hoping this becomes a yearly tradition!

Marisa and David's Wedding at Trump National

2010-06-10T15:22:00.034-04:00

Small world: Marisa and I came to know each other through a mutual Facebook friend, and then it turned out she knew my cousin as well. I live in the town where Marisa grew up (in Westchester NY), and she lives near the town where I grew up (in West Chester PA).

You may remember Marisa and David from their fantastic engagement session last month - they are such a cute couple, which made me even more excited for their wedding day. I always recommend taking advantage of an engagement session, it helps everyone to relax in front of the camera, and when you're relaxed on your wedding day, it shows (see below!).

The flowers were provided by one of my favorite florists in Westchester, Frank at House of Flowers in Mamaroneck. I love when brides choose House of Flowers, I know the bouquets and centerpieces will be gorgeous.

It's always so sweet when the bridemaids get teary-eyed when they first lay eyes on the bride in her gown.

Marisa is clearly a naturally beautiful bride

Next, we were off to St. Pius X in Scarsdale for the wedding ceremony.

I love the thumbs-up from Dave's adorable nephew. All of his nephews, as well as Marisa's cutie-pie nephew, served as ring-bearers.

Marisa and David had a beautiful elegant wedding surrounded by their lovely families and sweet friends. One of which was Marisa's maid of honor, Mandy, who sung a beautiful and emotional rendition of Ave Maria.

Here is the moment I spoke of in the previous post, that moment when the couple has walked the aisle together and have a private moment to soak it all in.

Marisa is a veterinarian and Dave is also an animal lover, so their pets were a big part of thier courtship, engagement and wedding. I love how the family dog was dressed for the festivities.

We moved on from Scarsdale to Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, which was the backdrop for their beautiful reception, and every last detail was in perfect place. I wish I could always be so lucky to photograph at such a breathtaking setting and enjoy such pleasant weather!

Once we arrived at Trump National, we were whisked off to the 13th hole to take some photographs in front of the waterfall. What a view!

I could have photographed the wind catching Marisa's veil all day long!

More beautiful blooms from Frank at House of Flowers. The peonies in this centerpiece and Marisa's bouquet were intoxicatingly fragrant.

The first dance

Every time I look at this picture, I find myself opening my mouth too - ha!

I love when couples do candy bars at the end of their wedding! Not that I have time to enjoy the candy myself, but it's always a beautiful display and I know the wedding guests enjoy the sweet surprise after a full night of dancing.

Marisa and David, thanks again to you and your families for including me in your wedding plans. I hope you had a fantastic time in Italy. May you enjoy many many wonderful years together as husband and wife.

Nancy & Brian's Lancaster PA Wedding

2010-06-02T19:19:00.013-04:00

My aunt Nancy got engaged on Christmas and asked me to photograph her May 1st wedding, my first of the season. After photographing both of her daughter's weddings, in 2006 and 2008, I couldn't wait to photograph hers as well. It's always a bit of a challenge to be a guest and the photographer, but it's a nice way to start off the wedding season.

I was excited to photograph the getting ready, as it was just me, my aunt, and my cousins Rebeccah and Jessica.

My son Jake signs the guest book.

Married! I love the happiness on Nancy and Brian's faces!

There is a moment at nearly every wedding that I am honored to be a part of, and normally I am the only person to witness it. The bride and groom have said their vows in front of all their friends and family, and have walked back down the aisle as a married couple. Before everyone comes out of their pews, the couple embrace and share a moment together to let it all sink in. I try to back off (shoot with a telephoto lens) and be respectful of this sacred moment, but take great pride in recording it forever. This is Nancy and Brian's moment:

We head outside for pictures on a beautiful day in May!

My cousin Beccah made a beautiful toast.

My son Jake (4 years old), tearing up the dance floor.

And my daughter Alex (2 months old here) enjoying some quality time with Aunt Marianne and Cousin Caley.

One last sweet kiss at the end of the night.

Aunt Nancy and Brian, thank you so much for letting me photograph your special day, it was an honor! Lots of love!

Sneak Peek - Wedding at Trump National in Briarcliff Manor

2010-05-28T22:30:00.004-04:00

I'm editing Marisa and David's wedding at Trump National Golf Club and I came across this image of the newly-married couple and had to share one little straight-outta-the-camera-no-Photoshop-or-adjustments photograph with you. It doesn't get more gorgeous than this! Stay tuned for their wedding on the blog soon.

Summer Intern

2010-05-26T11:15:00.004-04:00

Kelly Vasami Photography is currently seeking a summer intern. Currently, the hours are Mondays and Thursdays from noon to 8 pm, and a few Saturdays throughout the summer wedding season. Responsibilities include managing incoming client inquiries, managing incoming and outgoing reprint orders, organizing client mailings, assisting on photo shoots, and other assorted responsibilities that go along with running a busy portrait and wedding photography studio. This is not a photography position, you will not be taking on any photo shoots of your own, but you will learn on the job how to run and manage the day to day operations, and what goes on during real sessions. The ideal candidate will be a college student who is currently studying photography or design who would like to earn college credit. Please email your resume to kelly (at) kellyvasami (dot) com, with the subject: "Summer Intern" or call 914-262-2893.

Julie and Rick's Chester County Engagement Session

2010-05-20T00:01:00.011-04:00

Julie and her family have been dear friends of ours for years. I was delighted and honored when Julie asked me to photograph her October wedding. The wedding will take place on an amazing horse farm in Chester County, PA (where I always enjoy shooting because it's where I was born). Julie and Rick had their engagement portraits taken on the farm, and it was great to get the lay of the land - I'm even more excited about their wedding after seeing the gorgeous setting!

Julie and Rick along with their dogs, who helped in the engagement using the tags above - isn't this the cutest idea?

Happy Birthday shout-out to Julie's horse, Beau (left).

One of my favorites from the session. The ponies in the background had been stalking me earlier, but eventually found me uninteresting.

LOVE the Hunter wellies.

I love these two shots of Julie and Beau. He is a beautiful horse, and Julie is going to make a stunningly gorgeous bride!

Julie, it's always great seeing you and your family. Rick, it was so much fun getting to know you better and I am so excited to photograph the two of you on your wedding day!

Marisa & David's Longwood Gardens Engagement Session

2010-05-12T12:20:00.007-04:00

Marisa and David will be having their wedding here in Scarsdale later this month, but since they live in the Philly area and I was in town, we met up at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square Pennsylvania to take their engagement photos. Marisa swore she didn't have prior knowledge of all of the purple flowers in bloom on the property, but I think her dress matched the scenery all too well to be a coincidence ;)

It was great seeing you Marisa and David, I can't wait for your wedding in a few weeks!

Sarita & Jamie's Botanical Garden Engagement Session

2010-05-08T17:56:00.013-04:00

Sarita and Jamie had originally planned their engagement session for a few months ago. February to be exact. Cold, nine-months-pregnant February. I felt awful when, on doctor's orders, I had to reschedule, but I think the warm weather was a much nicer way to photograph Sarita and Jamie in the beautiful Botanical Garden in Bronx, NY. We had a great time walking around the Gardens, and the scenery could not have been a more perfect backdrop for these two lovely ladies.

We found these really cool trees where many many couples had visited before us and carved their initials into the bark.

Sarita & Jamie are absolutely gorgeous. Some days, my job is really easy!

The light was so beautiful in these next two, I really like how they turned out.

Two paths converging into one...

Thanks Sarita and Jamie! I had so much fun getting to know you both a bit better. Glad we were finally able to get together!

Newport Rhode Island Wedding

2010-04-29T11:09:00.015-04:00

Occaisionally things get pretty busy around here and a wedding or portrait session doesn't get blogged. This was the case with the wedding I am sharing today. I was second shooting for my good friend JC Carley and never got around to blogging the photographs from this lovely Newport Rhode Island wedding last fall. This wedding kept popping into my head in the off-season, so I thought it was worth re-visiting. I'm glad I did, Kim and Greg had a beautiful wedding!

I loved the color palette that Kim and Greg chose for their wedding: deep purple (bridesmaid dresses) with accents of silver (bridesmaids shoes, reception tablecloths, etc).

I love this image of Kim's bridesmaids helping her out with some of the final touches.

The preparation and reception took place at the Hotel Viking, and the guys looked very handsome en route to meet up with the rest of the bridal party.

After the ceremony, we headed to The Elms, one of the many beautiful Newport Mansions to take some formal photographs of the couple and the wedding party.

The grounds and the gardens of The Elms were so beautiful, there were so many magnificent spots to choose from.

One of my absolute favorite shots from the day, Kim is such a gorgeous bride!

Then it was back to the Hotel Viking for dinner, dancing, cake, and fun!

Thanks again JC for bringing me along to Rhode Island, for the second time!

Portrait session with Trevor

2010-04-26T19:40:00.003-04:00

I recently had a fun session with Trevor, who is four months old. He was a natural in front of the camera and was happy to have his picture taken, indoors or out. Photographing this blue-eyed cutie was a pleasure!

My favorite image from our session - I love how he is staring right into the lens!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T01:43:00.001-04:00

Featured on Elegant Owl!

2010-04-01T20:57:00.008-04:00

Ever the multi-tasker, as I was sitting in the waiting room in early labor with my daughter Alex, I saw a very exciting email come across my Blackberry from Samantha, the editor of the fabulous wedding inspiration blog, The Elegant Owl. I was so excited to find out that The Elegant Owl wanted to feature Carlyn & Matt's wedding, and I would check to make sure that was cool with Carlyn - as soon as I, you know, gave birth.

I'm thrilled that all went well and The Elegant Owl featured Carlyn & Matt's wedding yesterday. You can check it out here.

New Pictures of Our New Baby Girl

2010-03-26T23:03:00.011-04:00

I always recommend my clients have their newborns photographed within the first 10 days. Newborn babies are sleepy and will curl up in tiny balls and stay where you put them at this stage. But I understand how busy those first days at home are! It was a challenge for me to find the time to photograph Alexandria, but I was so glad I made the time in those first 10 days.*

*Because now we still have a lovely little 4 week old girl, but her receding hair line, her baby acne and her peeling skin isn't quite as photo-fabulous! ;)

Announcing Alexandria Mary

2010-03-03T11:58:00.005-05:00

We are proud to welcome a new member to our family! Alexandria Mary Vasami was born on February 23, at 12:04 am. She was 8 lbs, 6 oz and 20.5" long. We are so happy to have her here with us!

Thank you in advance for being patient while I'm on maternity leave until early April. I'm doing my best to answer emails, voicemails and inquiries as quickly as possible in the meantime.

NYC Fashion Shoot

2010-02-15T08:36:00.013-05:00

Recently, while attempting to catch up on posts that never made it on the blog during the busy season, I was talking to a potential bride and she mentioned she would be having a New York City wedding where she wanted to do some shots in the streets of New York City. She wanted to have photographs of the juxtaposition of the beautiful clean white wedding gown against the backdrop of Manhattan's vibrant gritty street scapes. Sweet!

I immediately thought about this shoot I participated in over the summer, and realized that since it happened right in the middle of wedding season, it fell through the cracks and never got posted. I'm not known for my fashion shoots, but I thought this was a fun exercise to participate in with other photographers. A large group of us gathered in the meatpacking district to photograph these models, step out of our comfort zones, and experiment with new techniques. It was a lot of fun, I made some new photographer friends, got to say hello to some old friends, and I was happy with many of the shots I took.

Big thanks to all the models who participated, the photographers that shared their expertise, and all of the assistants who helped to make the shoot a success!

Ben & Erica's 'Day After' Session

2010-02-09T14:07:00.012-05:00

Ben and Erica had planned to take photos in Central Park on their wedding day, but Mother Nature had other plans. So instead, we headed to Central Park a few weeks later to do a "day after" session, and the weather could not have been more beautiful. The trees still held many of their golden-hued leaves, and it was fun to get all dressed up and re-live the fun of the wedding day.

I recommend day-after sessions to couples who don't have quite enough time on the wedding day to get everything accomplished. A day-after session is a great opportunity to get beautiful pictures in your wedding clothes without the stress of time constraints, uncooperative weather, a tight schedule, waiting guests, a hungry bridal party, or the fear of getting your dress a bit dirty.

My favorite photo of the day. I love how Ben is tenderly assisting Erica with her veil.

Central Park was very crowded, but we managed to eventually get a photo on Bow Bridge without a hundred other New Yorkers in the picture.

This was another favorite as well:

Thanks Ben and Erica for the fun time in Central Park. What a beautiful day we had!

Portraits with Kelly Marie

2010-02-01T22:26:00.011-05:00

Frequent blog visitors may recall the previous photo sessions I have done with baby Kelly, who isn't a baby at all any more! I had to get this shot to see how much Kelly has grown since I last photographed her. The letters spelling out Kelly's name were made by one of my previous brides, the lovely and talented Erica, who works with Kelly's lovely mom Erin.

We headed outside to get some photographs of Kelly in her Christmas dress. Yes, I am a bit behind on blogging :)

Such a sweet happy girl!

One thing I notice about some of my favorite photographs of Kelly is how she is always checking out the world around her. Kelly is such a smart, curious little girl! And yes, totally adorable too.

Thanks Erin and Mike for having me photograph Kelly - it's always a good time! Hope to see you again when the weather warms up.

2010 Bride’s Choice Award Winner!

2010-01-19T16:22:00.007-05:00

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Kelly Vasami Photography has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Kelly Vasami Photography is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Kelly Vasami Photography is among the very best photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today.

2009 Favorites Recap

2010-01-12T10:48:00.012-05:00

2009 was a great year at Kelly Vasami Photography. Each year that the company grows, meets new clients, and takes on new challenges is really amazing. It was such a rewarding year and I can't wait for 2010. Here are some of my absolute favorites from the past year. Thank you to each and every couple I worked with, thank you to each and every family, every smiling baby and energetic toddler. It was a great year and I hope to see even more of all of you in the New Year!

On with my 2009 favorite photographs, in no particular order:

Favorite newborn portrait:

Favorite wide-angle documentary/scene setter photograph:

Favorite shot I had to get dirty to capture:

Favorite bride and groom portrait:

Favorite classic NYC portrait:

Favorite creative bride and groom portrait:

Favorite emotional bride and groom portrait:

Favorite candid family portrait:

Favorite candid toddler portrait:

Favorite mom and son moment:

Favorite place setting/reception room detail shot:

Favorite reception room before anyone comes in photograph:

Favorite candid bridesmaid photograph:

Favorite "photographing the bride while she thinks the other photographer at the bottom of the stairs is the only one photographing her" portrait:

Favorite cake:

Favorite windy, backlit moment during a ceremony:

Favorite emotional moment captured at a reception:

Favorite bouquet photograph (you know this was a hard one for me to narrow down!)

Favorite "found related objects" at a wedding photograph:

Favorite funny bride and groom moment:

Favorite hand detail shot:

Favorite huppah:

Favorite wide-angle environmental bride and groom portrait:

Favorite ring shot:

Favorite shoe shot:

Favorite low-light dress-swooshing decided to take last minute at the end of the night photograph:

Thanks again to everyone who helped make 2009 such a successful and fulfilling year at Kelly Vasami Photography. My clients are the best!

Happy Holidays from Kelly Vasami Photography!

2009-12-21T01:42:00.004-05:00

Julie & Rafael - Married!

2009-12-02T10:00:00.019-05:00

"Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring."
-Oscar Wilde

A fantastic couple, tons of beautiful details, a loving laid-back family, and a spectacular location - everything came together beautifully at Julie and Rafael's wedding, and it was such a phenomenal way to end the 2009 wedding season.

Start off with a gorgeous dress and a stunningly beautiful bride, and I know my day will be a breeze! Add in some great florals by the amazingly talented Frank at House of Flowers in Mamaroneck, and I'm all smiles! Frank's work is always top-notch.

Julie and Rafael had this amazing vintage Bentley - it was a gorgeous automobile!

Rafael sees his bride for the first time

Married!

One of my favorite pictures from the whole day - just about to leave the church in the vintage Bentley.

The leaves were in peak fall colors, and the rain stopped just long enough for us to take a few pictures outside surrounded by the spectacular orange, brown and yellow foliage.

The reception was held at the Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown.

While Julie reclined against Rafael, I had to take a shot of those lashes.

Julie and Rafael were all smiles all day - it was a blast to photograph them!

The most gorgeous cake I saw all season:

One of the best toasts I heard all year as well. It can be a tough job to take great shots when you are cracking up along with the guests!

Julie and Rafael had their first dance to Make you Feel My Love by Adele, and the song is just so emotional and beautiful. I will admit I had a few tears while trying to photograph the first dance. (I do this about once a year, and it always seems to be at my October weddings.)

Julie dancing with her dad.

One last shot of the sweetheart table on the edge of the dance floor.

Julie and Rafael, I cannot thank you enough for including me in your special day. You are such a sweet couple and I hope to see more of both of you as you continue in your beautiful new life together. Thanks for letting me end a great wedding season on such a high!

Ben & Erica's New York City Wedding

2009-11-13T15:40:00.017-05:00

Ben and Erica had a beautiful wedding in New York City. Despite the weather complicating some of the initial outdoor plans, we headed to Grand Central and took some great shots there instead.

I love this series of Erica as she gets ready with her bridesmaids at the Shelburne Affinia in midtown Manhattan.

Erica and her bridesmaids entering Grand Central Terminal. They were like rock star celebrities! Everyone was turning to see the beautiful bride on her wedding day.

The whole bridal party.

Ben and his beautiful bride.

We grabbed our umbrellas and took a few shots at the New York Public Library.

We got kicked out eventually - something about not having a permit to shoot at the NYPL. Oh well, off to the next spot with the groomsmen!

Then headed to Brooklyn, where it was so windy! Erica had to be freezing, but she is such a good sport.

Told you it was windy! ;)

The reception was held at Stage 6 at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, an amazing Abigail Kirsch venue.

The most beautiful and amazing chuppah I have ever laid eyes on!

We managed to get a beautiful sunset during the cocktail hour!

Erica hand-made each of the fall leaves that were placed on top of the cupcakes that served as their wedding cake. What a great idea - Erica is a very crafty fall bride!

The band, Bruce Saunders Entertainment, was so lively and so much fun!

Erica had votive candles set up on the ledges that lined the huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan. It made the room GLOW!

Thanks Ben & Erica for including me in your wedding plans - it was an amazing wedding to be part of. Stay tuned for portraits of Ben & Erica's "day after" session that took place on a beautiful day in Central Park.

Alyson & Tommy - Married!

2009-10-30T09:54:00.013-04:00

It's very rare that I will meet with a bride for a consultation, and then discover a picture of her or her grandparents in my home later. Sounds strange, huh?

As some of you may know, my office is located in our home, which has been in my husband's family for five generations. It turns out my husband's grandparents were very close friends and neighbors of Alyson's grandparents. Up until we renovated the house a few years ago, a picture of my husband's grandma, along with Alyson's grandparents, hung on the refrigerator in our kitchen. Then, not long after Alyson hired me (and her mom made the connection with my last name and where we live), I came across an old Christmas card with a picture of a young Alyson and her little sister Chelsea proudly beaming at the camera. I guess it was just meant to be!

Alyson and Tommy were married in the beautiful St. Patrick's 'Old Stone Church' in Yorktown Heights, with a lively reception at Ceola Manor. Alyson and Tommy incorporated lots of beautiful fall details into their wedding, which was just fantastic. Enjoy some of my favorites from their beautiful and heartfelt day!

How gorgeous is Alyson's dress? This was by far the most unique dress I saw all wedding season:

Two of my favorite ring shots of all time:

At the beautiful church:

This October was the rainiest I've ever had, but we got lucky and the rain held off for another outdoor session (woo-hoo!)

I guess I just couldn't get my fill of ring shots that day...

Alyson told me this is her favorite picture from her wedding day:

This is my new little buddy Jake, who was the oh-so-adorable ringbearer:

Love Alyson's big laugh - this is a couple that knows how to have fun!

Thanks again Alyson and Tommy for making me a part of your wedding day. Ro and I had a wonderful time, and you treated us like family. Hope to see lots more of you both in the future!

Carlyn & Matt - Married!

2009-10-21T11:06:00.016-04:00

Carlyn and Matt had a fantastic wedding at the Nyack Seaport, overlooking the Tappan Zee Bridge. They were surrounded by family and friends, who made the day special, memorable, ad fun. I had a great time getting to know Carlyn and her family from the first time I met with them. It's clear how important her family is to her, and the wedding was filled with so much love - and fun! :) Carlyn and Matt went to college together, so much of the bridal party was made up with both of their friends from college. What a fun group!

I loved the beautiful letterpress invitations

The girls' shoes were too cute

What a gorgeous bunch!

The wedding was held at St. Anthony's Church in Nanuet.

I love when couples do this as they leave the church!

We went to a park after the ceremony and got some fun bridal party shots, and luckily the rain held off!

This was my absolute favorite photograph of the entire day!

The whole wedding party on the dcok - while this was NOT my idea, I do think it turned out pretty well, considering it could have (and almost did) end up disasterously.

I think Carlyn and I were both relieved to get OFF the dock! My brides are such good sports!!

We then headed to the Nyack Seaport for the reception

I love this kiss/dip/dance combination!

The toasts were hilarious, heartfelt, and memorable

Lliquid kept the crowd dancing the whole night - they are great!

Thanks Carlyn and Matt for letting me be a part of your special day - best of luck and lots of love!

Kelly & George - Married!

2009-09-29T23:41:00.019-04:00

From the minute Kelly told me about her Manolo Blahnik wedding shoes, I had a feeling this would be a great wedding. Then, at our pre-wedding meeting to discuss the last-minute details, they told me they and the wedding party would be introduced to a Mötley Crüe song and a Metallica song. I was pumped - I knew this wedding was going to rock, and it did not disappoint! :)

Kelly and George are a fun-loving couple who celebrated their wedding at the Chapel of the Divine Compassion on the campus of Good Counsel Academy in White Plains. We then headed to one of my favorite places to photograph a reception, The Fountainhead in New Rochelle. Thanks Kelly and George for having me photograph your rockin' wedding and all of the gorgeous details that you worked so hard on.

It's not officially a wedding without an adorable flower girl, now is it?

I love this picture of Kelly - she is just glowing!

These flowers, by Arcadia Floral in Mamaroneck, were spectacular!

Kelly is such a beautiful bride!

I just love this photo of Kelly and George standing in the doorway of the Chapel with the divine light shining through!

The formals location, also on the campus of Good Counsel Academy, was so beautiful. I love when I can combine a beautiful landscape photograph with a formal portrait photograph.

They had their monogram lit up on the dance floor the whole night - I love this look.

Excellent favor cookies!

Arcadia Floral in Mamaroneck, once again doing a spectacular job.

This one just makes me smile - Kelly and George totally in their element, enjoying their party and their guests - as it should be!

I'll end with this photograph. I love this raw, beautiful, emotional moment of Kelly's mom viewing the slideshow. A wedding is full of so many emotions and I love being able to just step back and record the day, and all of its' emotions, as it unfolds.

Kelly & George, thank you both so much for letting me be a part of your special day. I hope the Honeymoon rocked! :)

Published on CNN.com!

2009-09-04T11:53:00.020-04:00

I am super excited that one of my clients had their photo published on CNNMoney.com's Money Magazine site today. Jesse, Jody and Jackson are always such a joy to photograph, and I love when clients keep in touch. So I was delighted when Jesse called to let me know he had sent in a money-saving tip to Money Magazine and they published it, and wanted to use one of the photographs I had taken of his family last March along with Jesse's money-saving tip on CNNMoney.com's website.

Here is the photo that ran today:

And they even got on the front page of CNNMoney.com too!

Congratulations Jesse, Jody and Jackson - and thank you for letting me share in your '15 minutes' of fame! :)

Wedding in Block Island

2009-08-08T23:00:00.029-04:00

When my good friend JC Carley asked me to shoot a wedding with her on Block Island, I jumped at the chance and rearranged my schedule so that I could make it. I had never been to Block Island before, in fact I had no idea where Block Island even was (it's in Rhode Island), but it just sounded like an offer I couldn't refuse! So JC and I got a mini-vacation away from our kids and husbands and had a blast working, dining, and photographing like crazy. Block Island is only accessible by ferry (and airplane) and it is incredibly laid-back and relaxed. I would go back in a heartbeat! If anyone is considering a unique location to get married, consider Block Island - and bring me with you to document your beautiful day (hint, hint).

The wedding was held at the Sullivan House, which is right on the Great Salt Pond. The views are amazing, and the location is magnificent:

Diane's beautiful dress hanging in the doorway of one of the guest rooms in the Sullivan House

My favorite picture of the day, Diane descending the staircase in the Sullivan House.

I love the look on this flowergirl's face. She's got a looong day ahead of her...

The wind was doing beautiful things to Diane's veil...

I think my loyal readers already know how I feel about flowers, flowers and more flowers....

The girls...

...and the guys.

Diane and Bud said their vows on the lawn of the Sullivan House, overlooking the Great Salt Pond.

We took a quick trip to a nearby beach for a few photos.

Back in the reception tent, the details were all spectacular.

The band, Brass Force, flew in from Newport Rhode Island, and they were great.

Diane and Bud take a minute to themselves on the porch of the Sullivan House after the sun has set and their wedding reception is in full swing. I love the ambient light here (no flash).

Congratulations to Diane and Bud, and big thanks again to JC for bringing me along to shoot with you - I had a great little getaway. How much do I love my job??

The "B" Family

2009-07-28T23:19:00.020-04:00

A few weeks ago, I met up with this fun and energetic young family for a photo shoot. I had a great time meeting Giorgio (who is the same age as my son Jake and likes a lot of the same things), and sweet little Catherine, who is a year old.

The "B" family recently moved into a beautiful older home in Westchester, and the home and the property were such a beautiful place to photograph. I love nothing more than a yard filled with mature trees, and a home filled with beautiful woodwork and huge windows to let in the mid-afternoon sunlight.

Here are a few of my favorites from our session:

There is something about this photograph that I love! While it is not your typical everyone-sit-down-and-smile-at-the-camera photograph, I feel like it truly captures the life of this family. Everyone is busy running around, having fun, exploring, and seeing what's going on around them.

Ok, NOW, everyone-sit-down-and-smile-at-the-camera ;)

Thank you Erin and Nick for allowing me to spend time capturing your fun family! Looking forward to photographing you again in the future and watching your family grow! :)

Une Idee Folle (A Crazy Idea)

2009-06-30T10:36:00.005-04:00

Marie and Marc decided to fly all the way from France to get married in Central Park. They found me, and booked me, completely over the internet. I was a bit nervous about possible language barriers (I was never an exemplary student of the French language), but all fell into place, and I remembered enough French and the couple knew enough English that we all got by just fine.

Marie got ready in the Belvedere Hotel in midtown Manhattan

Marie & Marc's wedding announcements

Marie is a stunningly beautiful bride

Wouldn't you know it - record rainfall in Central Park on their wedding day. I can't even imagine how much good luck that means for their marriage!

The Lady's Pavilion in Central Park is a beautiful place to hold an intimate wedding ceremony

Despite the rain, Marie literally smiled the entire day

With this ring....

...I thee wed!

The rain paused long enough for us to take a few portraits in Central Park

We then took a limo ride around NYC, ending up in Times Square, where the rain had finally stopped all together

M & M - Marie & Marc!

This group of schoolgirls broke into applause when they saw the newlyweds!

My favorite - luckily the cab didn't honk at us after the light turned green :) I told Marie you can get away with pretty much anything when wearing a wedding dress - even in NYC.

Quick, casual portrait of the lovely newlyweds

Thank you Marie and Marc, for having faith in my photography without meeting me beforehand! I had a lovely time at your wedding and wish you both all the luck and love in the world!

Six Days Old...

2009-06-26T22:07:00.010-04:00

Recently, I had a very sweet portrait session with a family who just welcomed their second daughter. Big sister "Gi-Gi" was very proud of her six-day-old sister, and was a natural in front of the camera. Thanks so much Angela & Ray for having me over to photograph you and your beautiful family. Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

You can only take photographs like this with a newborn who is under ten days old. They are so still, such deep sleepers, so perfectly pliable at this stage. (Don't worry, mom is just out of the frame to the right, just in case.)

In daddy's big hands, you get a sense of how small little "S" really is!

Some photographs of the proud big sister....

Watch out mom & dad! You have a future heartbreaker on your hands! :)

Matt, Lynn & James (Cotton too!)

2009-06-23T18:50:00.003-04:00

I recently had a really nice portrait session in the city with a fun young family who lives right near Central Park. It was a great day to visit the park and take some fun pictures of the family interacting. Jimmy was just about to turn a year old a few days after the session - hope you had a great birthday little buddy! Matt & Lynn, I had a great time, hope to see you again soon!

Here are some of my absolute favorites from the session:

Jay & Amanda - Married!

2009-06-05T12:50:00.003-04:00

Jay and Amanda were the first couple I met with in my new office back in June of last year. I instantly thought they were a fantastic couple and was really really hoping they would choose me to be their wedding photographer. Jay and Amanda are not just gorgeous, funny, generous, sweet people, but they are also members of the military. Jay is a Marine and Amanda is an Army Soldier. I have such great respect for what they do to protect our freedom, and I was honored to photograph their special day - my first military wedding!

Amanda waits in the limo in front of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in White Plains.

We then headed off to the Rowsley Estate, (also known as Scarsdale Women's Club) for the reception. Jay looked incredibly handsome in his Marine Corps Blue-White Dress uniform, and Amanda was a goddess in her beautiful white wedding gown.

A few formals of the new Mr. & Mrs.

This image just makes my heart melt!

Amanda and her maid of honor (also Amanda) toast to finally being done with the formals - let's party! :)

The Rowsley Estate is such a beautiful place to hold a wedding reception. The maroon and gold damask wallpaper is so elegant. I love the flowers they chose from Mamaroneck Flowers - the white hydrangea and red/orange roses look perfect.

The couple, lit up by the videographer's light. They come in handy now and again ;)

This has to be one of my favorite cake feeding pictures of all time - I love how Amanda is taking charge and getting Jay by the neck!

One last one, in the elegant foyer of the Rowsley Estate.

Jay and Amanda - I can't thank you enough for your generous service to our country. You are both in my prayers, as are your families and your friends. Ro and I had such a wonderful time photographing your wedding. I wish you all the luck and love in the world!

Sneak Peek - Jay & Amanda

2009-05-28T12:10:00.004-04:00

Another Saturday in May, another great couple, another fantastic wedding! Stay tuned for more images, but this one was by far my favorite capture of the day...

Christine & Brendan - Married!

2009-05-21T17:36:00.039-04:00

This is going to be a long one...

Christine and Brendan were married at Highlands Country Club in Garrison. As soon as I walked into the room and saw the beautiful space and the breathtaking flowers, even before I took a single picture, I knew this wedding was going to be one of my favorites. I was not disappointed!

Ned Kelly and Company, in Piermont, provided the gorgeous bouquets and centerpieces for the wedding. Ned and Angela did a phenomenal job and were so nice to work with. I highly recommend checking them out if you are getting married in the area.

The wind was catching Christine's beautiful cathedral-length veil, as was the early evening sunlight.

As you can tell, Brendan had a hard time taking his eyes off of his beautiful bride.

This picture sums up Christine & Brendan perfectly: fun & funky, stylish & creative, down-to-earth & mellow...my absolute favorite kind of couple! :)

Christine has a number of beautiful tattoos adorning her body. I had taken a picture of the wasp on the peony bud earlier in the day, before I had even seen her artwork of the bee on the flowers on her back. The two are so beautiful together.

My favorite wedding band, ETA (they played at my own wedding), rocked the house, as usual. They are incredible! ETA is always professional, always keeps the party moving, and knows how to make any event a memorable one.

Christine had mentioned to me that it was important for her and Brendan to have some photographs of them dancing together. These turned out to be some of my favorite images from the wedding:

Christine's maid of honor and Brendan's best man gave beautiful and moving toasts.

I love the lighting on this bouquet toss shot.

Christine dances with her dad, who was quite talented on the dance floor!

Another thing I liked so much about Highlands Country Club was the fact that there were so many places for the guests to mingle - there was the main dining room with the band playing, and then there were porches on the front and the back of the building for people to catch a bit of fresh air. There was a big lawn with a fire pit, and a separate bar in the cozy tavern off the main room as well. Christine & Brendan's wedding had such a nice, relaxed, mellow feel to it, just like the couple themselves.

One more shot of the lawn at the Highlands Country Club. Did I mention in this gigantic post how fantastic the entire staff was? The food was delicious and the staff was so friendly. Christine and Brendan did an amazing job selecting all of the right vendors to come together and produce one of my favorite weddings ever.

Congratulations Christine & Brendan - it was my distinct honor to be a part of your beautiful wedding day! I wish you all the luck and love in the world and can't wait to catch up with you soon. Big thanks to Ro Rappa for coming along with me to shoot this wedding - we had a blast :)

Debbie & Staicy's Wedding

2009-05-07T21:48:00.037-04:00

My first wedding of the 2009 season was also my first Indian wedding. Debbie and Staicy had a beautiful ceremony in Hartsdale, followed by an elaborate reception at the Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown, with 550 of their closest friends and family. The very talented DJ Sharad mixed contemporary songs with traditional Indian beats - it was an amazing sound experience. The room had beautiful lighting, alternating from pink to aqua, red, purple and green, which was also designed by DJ Sharad and his team at DJs Unlimited South Asia. The theme of the wedding was Bollywood, complete with amazing dances and beautiful costume changes. Flowers were provided by Odyssey Floral Design in New Rochelle, and the exotic food was catered by Cafe Spice. Many thanks go out to the talented and enthusiastic Karen Schlink who did a great job assisting me at the wedding.

The bridal party was big, bright and colorful. Is there nothing more stunning than a hot pink sari?

Beautiful henna designs on Debbie's hands

Overlooking the Tappan Zee Bridge at Matthiessen Park in Irvington

Once we were in the Grand Ballroom at the Doubletree for the reception, I was blown away by the details. Dramatic lighting makes all the difference in the world!

My favorite photograph of the whole wedding. Debbie and Staicy were being introduced into the reception for the first time as husband and wife. As they made their way through the crowd, I tried to keep up their quick pace. This is all in-camera. I am panning and dragging the shutter with Debbie, making her in tack-sharp focus, the guests behind her in a motion blur.

Our gorgeous couple, on their platform sweetheart table

Okay, this is my favorite too ;)

Debbie dances with her dad in dress #2...

...before making a costume change again into this amazing sari to dance with her charming husband Staicy.

Debbie's guy friends performed an impressive dance, and she even got up with them for a minute - very very cool!

I love this shot of giving one of the many toasts

More details - this time in hot pink/magenta...

I can't stress enough what a great job DJ Sharad did at Debbie & Staicy's wedding! There were people of all ages crowding the dance floor. The beats were amazing and DJ Sharad kept the large crowd going all night. (I love shooting close-up on the dance floor with my fisheye lens.)

Thanks again Debbie and Staicy for letting me be part of your beautiful wedding! It was an experience I will never forget!

Portrait Session with (baby?) Kelly

2009-05-01T00:12:00.021-04:00

When we last visited with baby Kelly and her sweet parents, she was still a teeny tiny baby! But look how much Kelly has grown over the last few months! Sitting up and walking with help - they grow up so fast! But one thing remained the same - Kelly was the same adorable, happy little girl I remember.

A little comparison from six months ago...

Fun little piece of trivia - the photos of Kelly's name spelled out were done by the lovely and talented Erica, who works with Kelly's mom Erin, and also happens to be one of my October brides - how cool!

Love, love, LOOOOOVE this one. It's going on the website immediately :)

In Kelly's bright and sunny bedroom.

I'm trying to convince Erin that this would look amazing blown up really really big above their couch :)

One last one of this blue-eyed cutie...

Thanks again Erin & Michael for letting me photograph you and Kelly. See you soon! :)

April Showers Bring... April Flowers?

2009-04-08T22:48:00.014-04:00

All of these April showers lately are making me think of May flowers. But I say, why wait until May? It should be no surprise to anyone who reads the blog that I. Love. Flowers. I am always taking numerous detail shots of the bouquets, centerpieces, cake toppers and the baskets of flowers along the pews. There is something so irresistible, beautiful and amazing about flowers! They are delicate, intricate, fragile, bursting with color, incredibly fragrant and, ultimately, temporary - until you take a photograph of them, that is. Here are a few of my favorite flower shots from over the years.

Peach roses with hypericum berries, zinnia:

Green limes, foliage, ferns, ivy, leaves, orchids, hydrangea:

Roses, calla lilies, orchids and hydrangea all in shades of fall:

Gerbera daisies, roses, peonies are so pretty for spring:

More peonies and roses with hydrangea, orchids and green mum accents:

Hydrangeas and delphinium are the way to go if you want blue flowers:

Roses, peonies and calla lilies burst with color:

Roses, peonies, orchids, calla lilies and hydrangeas are a great place to start if you want a base of white flowers, accented here with mums, orchids, and hypericum berries:

Brides: If you like these, let me know and I will feature other wedding favorites (cakes, shoes, dresses, invitations, rings, etc).

Image Featured on Wedding Chicks

2009-03-23T00:05:00.009-04:00

One of my images was recently featured on the fabulous website for brides, www.weddingchicks.com. In their own words, the wedding chicks "live, talk, breathe, and work weddings, all weddings all the time!" They feature "all sorts of great tips from engagement to honeymoon and everything in between". I was flattered when they featured one of my images recently. If this shot looks familiar, it's from Lauren and Paul's wedding I photographed in October. Hop on over to www.weddingchicks.com to get daily inspiration and win fantastic prizes.

Spring Has Sprung!

2009-03-10T00:27:00.011-04:00

I am pretty sure that if I photograph a session with an adorable toddler boy playing barefoot in the sand over the weekend, I can officially announce that spring has sprung! It's been over a year since I last photographed this little cutie, and he is just as happy and fun as I remember!

Yes, I was laying directly underneath the swings to get this one. Jackson and I were both FILTHY after the shoot, and it was totally worth it! :)

This next one just makes me smile!

I always look for the non-obvious angle:

Jody, Jesse and Jackson all were total sports and up for anything. The three of them went down the slides twice, and I captured some of my favorite family shots EVER from this sequence. Narrowing it down was next to impossible, but I think this one is my favorite:

I usually include a ton of black and whites, but the colors were just so fun and vibrant that I only used one this time:

Thanks again Jody, Jesse & Jackson for letting me come and play and get all dirty at the park with you. I'm so glad the rain held off. :) Hope to see you again soon!

Bride's Choice Award Winner

2009-03-02T13:58:00.011-05:00

I was so excited to find out this afternoon that I won the 2009 Bride's Choice Award from the Wedding Wire Network! Woo-hoo! :)

In its inaugural year, the Bride's Choice Awards recognizes vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride's Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

A HUGE thank you to all of my brides and grooms for rating my service and helping me to win this honor. I am tickled pink!

Let it snow!

2009-01-21T15:03:00.010-05:00

It felt like it never stopped snowing over the holiday weekend. Round the clock shoveling and dusting off the cars. By monday night, I finally embraced it and saw it for what it was - beautiful! My camera and I took a stroll after the flakes had stopped falling, and I used the moonlight and the streetlights to record mother nature's beauty.

All photos shot without a tripod, without a flash, using only available light. Canon 5D, ISO 3200, 50mm f/1.4 lens and 85mm f/1.8 lens, wide open, 1/30 to 1/320. Luckily none of my neighbors called the cops on the weird girl crouched in their yard at 10pm taking pictures of their trees and fences. ;)

Cameron & Connor

2009-01-08T15:49:00.008-05:00

These two sweet guys helped me to have a lot of fun in their backyard, on a semi-warm day in early winter, right before all of the last leaves of fall were carted off for the season. I met their sweet mom Kristin while we were roommates in the hospital delivering our sons nearly three years ago! While we don't get to see nearly enough of each other, Kristin and I enjoy keeping up with each other on our blogs...gotta love this modern world of ours!

Thanks again for showing me a fun afternoon - and Kristin, I had such a good time at Mac Grill afterward, even though I think I am still finding leaves in my sweater ;)

Four dogs, three boys, two parents, one awesome house.

2008-12-26T16:07:00.011-05:00

Prior to Thanksgiving, I got together with this great family to photograph portraits of their boys and their dogs for their Christmas cards. It was one of the more challenging sessions I have had this year (and also one of the most fun!) because of the unpredictable nature of photographing man's best friend...or, four of them ;)

We had originally planned to shoot outside, but the weather was below freezing and I didn't want to subject these cuties to such harsh conditions. We made do inside their gorgeous home and got some great shots. Thanks "W" Family, and I hope to see you all again soon!

This is the one they chose to use (in color) for their Christmas cards - they looked great!

Yellow labs are the best!

I managed to get John, Steve & Chris to genuinely laugh at my bad jokes ;) - this is my favorite photograph of the session.

Snowy Sky, Our Backyard, 15 mins ago...

2008-12-19T17:31:00.005-05:00

I spied the sky and ran for the camera! I love how orange the sky looks when it snows, or is about to snow. These images are straight out of the camera, only resized and sharpened for the web. The colors are 100% mother nature. You can even see the snow falling in the last one. Hope everyone is staying safe and warm indoors during our first big snowstorm of the winter.

All three images - ISO 3200, 85mm focal length, 1/30 sec, f/1.8

Chris & Danielle's Wedding

2008-12-08T23:58:00.002-05:00

I must beg my loyal readers to forgive me for not posting for a few weeks! The little elves here at Kelly Vasami Photography are working hard on holiday cards, albums and reprint orders...

With that being said, here are some images from my last wedding of the season. You might recognize Chris and Danielle from their engagement session back in June. Chris and Danielle were married in New Jersey on a fall weekend during which the trees were in perfect fall hues, but the weather didn't exactly cooperate. That didn't stop Chris and Danielle from having a great time at their wedding! Special thanks go out to Erik Matey for tagging along to second shoot for me. You can see some of Erik's images from this wedding on his blog.

Danielle gets ready with the help of her cousin Maggie at her salon.

Looking gorgeous and ready to get married!

Love these details - the handkercheif belonged to Danielle's grandmother.

Danielle's bridesmaids help her to get dressed.

And then help to hurry her inside the church and out of the wind and rain. (And yes, the very next day was a perfect, cloudless, sunny fall day -- but rain on your wedding day is good luck!)

This image of Chris and his two brothers might be my favorite image of the day.

The church was really beautiful and modern.

Okay, this image might be tied for my favorite of the day ;)

Married! And Bubbles!

Sneaking off for a few minutes alone.... with their photographer ;)

Don't worry, she got him back...

This little guy was quite the dancer!

...but Chris had some great moves of his own on the dance floor!

Not to be outdone, Chris' little brother Nick had a few moves of his own...

Thanks again Chris and Danielle for including me in your special day! I hope the rain on your wedding day brings you many many years of good luck! :)

Gift Certificate 50% BONUS!

2008-11-24T19:42:00.013-05:00

Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and I'd like to make your shopping a lot easier - no lines to wait in, no parking spaces to fight over, no waking up at 5 am to beat the crowds! This is a once-in-a-year promotion that lasts only as long as your Thanksgiving leftovers. Buy a gift certificate in any amount (up to $1000), and I'll give you a 50% bonus!

Baby Drew

2008-11-19T20:00:00.009-05:00

Our good friends Kerry and Alex drove all the way down from New Hampshire with baby Drew for their portrait session. I was honored and flattered. And of course, Drew was just picture perfect!

Already sitting up like a champ!

How cute is this little guy??

I'm loving those teeny tiny little bubbles!

One last one, this time with mom and dad.

Thanks again for coming all the way down to NY for our session Kerry, Alex and Drew! I had a great time! :)

Holiday Card Designs Have Arrived!

2008-11-10T17:11:00.012-05:00

Pick from our six new designs. These custom-designed holiday cards start at $75 for the first 24 cards, and $50 for each set of 24 after that. Choose from many different sizes and paper options. All cards include envelopes. Call the studio at 914-262-2893 to place your order by Thursday, December 4th.

Purchase of digital files are also available if you would like to use an image from your wedding or portrait session on your own holiday card. The freedom to print your image anywhere you choose is available for $50.

If you would like to order multiples of the same image to use in your own holiday cards, the price is 50% off of the normal price of reprints when you order 10 or more of the same image!

Lauren and Paul

2008-11-06T00:40:00.002-05:00

It was a pleasure to photograph Lauren and Paul's wedding earlier in October. It was an intimate gathering of their closest friends and family at the Kittle House in Chappaqua. The weather was perfect, the mood was sweet and romantic, and Lauren and Paul had a simple, elegant celebration of their love. Here are a few of my favorite images:

Yes, not one, but TWO shoe pictures :)

One of my favorite ring pictures ever...

Lauren's face just says it all in these next two pictures...

Thank you Lauren and Paul for including me in your wedding plans. You two look so blissfully in love, and I hope that continues for many, many years!