WOW….so beautiful….not enough tissues. You brought me back to the day as though it was yesterday. The emotions, laughter, tears…JOY! Pictures are pictures but when they make you feel something in your soul, that’s a gift…and you indeed have that gift. Thank you.

Liza

I’m a certain kind of Philadelphia wedding photographer. I’m not interested in the generic image. I’m not interested in being trendy. I want, and expect, that my work is going to be there for generations. So I strive for the unique way photography can make something timeless, not trendy, and universally creative and emotional. I’m not the right choice for everyone here, Philadelphia is a certain kind of town. I present work that I love to create. So unapologetically, I put my photojournalist and documentary style up front and center. I try to show the best, most beautiful, most exciting, engaging, progressive, moment and vision based work I can create. This is the way I want us to meet over my work and how I want to be chosen as the photographer for your wedding, in Philadelphia or anywhere else for that matter.

Jordan, Liza and I didn’t meet like that, quite the opposite in fact. Liza found me a few years ago on some random page of The New York Times from a story I covered in Suburban Station during a transit worker strike. {I did a couple of small assignments for them when I moved to town and soon thereafter moved on to other pastures.} I guess that picture, I have no memory of what it could have looked like but it was nothing more than commuters sitting and waiting, moved Liza. Nothing like a wedding, nothing progressive or beautiful, exciting or engaging. But something there struck a chord with her. She did some research and found not just my photojournalism website {here} but also found the website showing my wedding portfolio. I can’t remotely imagine what it was about that image that would prompt anyone to go searching online for anything, much less have that search be for a wedding photographer.

But there it was.

I knew it was going to be a different kind of relationship when the subject heading of Liza’s first email was “The Fun Begins.” Liza got in touch three days after she and Jordan got engaged, before they found a venue or set a date. They knew the month and year, Sept. 2011, but that was it. Looking back now 18 months or so later, Liza was right. Working together was, and is, fun and it was really just beginning. Liza did so many things right she should write a book. Everyone who had the pleasure to work with them have all talked about how wonderful they both were to have as clients. They had specific expectations for what they wanted but were always clear, not wishy-washy, and even more important, a real pleasure to talk with. They asked lots of questions and treated everyone with absolute appreciation and joy. Despite what they may have thought of themselves

I really hope you won’t want to kill me Dexter style by the time my wedding comes….hahaha

 Liza

And that joy extended to her bridal party as well. Even the 6 foot tall bridesmaid who nearly lifted a 6 foot 4 groomsman off the ground when he and some others got too rowdy on the dance floor. No one was messing with Liza and Jordan’s day.

Artesano Iron Works is a cool, fun, eclectic, casual yet elegant space for a Philadelphia wedding. It’s one of those “there’s no other place like it” types of venues to have your wedding here in Philadelphia. Few places have a candle package that includes 100s of candles or unique artwork. It’s location in the heart of Manayunk has just the right feel of an urban wedding without all the craziness of Center City.

Enough with the words…

Liza’s Dad takes a sip from a bottle of scotch he bought on the day of her birth to drink on this day.

 Venue: Artesano Iron Works

Planning/Design: Angela Malicki Events

Florals: Family Friend

Make-Up: Beke Beau

Hair: Amanda D’Andrea

Caterer: Peachtree & Ward

Dress: Priscilla of Boston, Vineyard Collection. RIP

Groom’s suit: Calvin Klein