First can I just say how much I loved Joanne’s bold use of color in her dress! The aqua ribbon train was so fabulous and fun, it really reflected Joanne’s personality. We were all a little worried about the rain that day, but as usual on all my weddings the skies parted just before it was time for photos. I’ve got connections;) The ceremony started off with a great ice breaker; Joanne’s dad knocked the bouquet out of her hand while hugging her, yet she some how managed this graceful back bend to pick it up. Had everyone in stitches! Well done lady, grace under pressure for sure. Because of the sketchy weather we had Prospect Park all to ourselves for portraits, so romantic. During the reception the kids stole the show. I had a hard time believing that the little Michael-Jackson-in-training ring bearer who had a dance circle around him for 70% of the reception was apparently very shy…until that night! When the music hits ya you gotta go with the flow-man that kid had some moves! To top it all off Joanne served pudding Snack Packs for dessert….you heard me, Snack Packs! It was awesome. That’s her favorite thing to eat and that’s what she wanted to serve at her wedding. I love it. It’s the little personal touches that really make a wedding memorable for all involved and really, who doesn’t love puddin’?

Photos by Kelly Guenther with Assist by Tanya Salazar

I’m overwhelmed with emotion that gay marriage finally passed in my state. It’s about time! It seemed so odd to me that gays could marry in Dubuque, Iowa but not New York City?! I’ve never understood why government would tell it’s citizens who they can and can not marry. I’ve documented over 250 weddings and gay or straight they are all about the same thing: two people committing to love each other for the rest of their lives. How is that ever wrong? I’m so happy that all New Yorkers now have the choice to marry in their home state. So, in honor of gay marriage being legalized in NY I wanted to share the wedding of Brad and Michael. They are New Yorkers who chose to be married in Provincetown, MA, not because they had to go to Massachusetts to be married, but because Ptown is an incredibly important place in their lives and relationship. Knowing that their wedding will be legally recognized in New York makes these images even more meaningful somehow. Congratulations to Brad and Michael and to gays all over NY!

Photos by Drew Anthony Smith for Kelly Guenther Studio

I don’t normally shoot 1st Bday parties, but Chrisann is a friend and hello? have you seen how cute her baby is!? That little Holdon is a heart breaker-I personally love the hair part. She also has a background in events (http://ducksinarowevents.blogspot.com) so I knew it would be a great party w/fun elements to shoot. If you haven’t been to the Bklyn Farmacy it’s worth the trip. It’s like stepping back in time…the old fashioned soda jerks, the ambiance, everything about it is nostalgic but w/that Bklyn hipster twist. I loved the “Message in a Bottle”- Chrisann had everyone write a little message to Holdon and stick it in a bottle that will be opened on his 18th birthday. Such a great idea. I also loved the wrapping job on the rocking horse. I mean really, what other options are there? When it came time for the big Happy Birthday moment Holden was all smiles. It was his first synthetic sugar moment and the little guy couldn’t get enough! So adorable. Happy Birthday Holdon-I can’t wait for #2!

Some of you may have seen our name in the credits for the Tonys (unless you blinked then you missed it;). The sets for the big musical numbers were a combination of actual set pieces and digital LED screens. We spent days shooting thousands of photos of all the nominated musical sets. These images were then pieced together and animated by our own web guru and motion graphic genius Brandon Bell of Design-O-Matic. I’ve attached two videos below, one from the Anything Goes number and one from Sister Act. For Anything Goes, the only thing not digitized is the lower deck and the railing. The boat, the sky, all the portals…basically everything else are all digital animations using our photos. It’s hard to tell the digital from the real thing. The big Mary in the Sister Act number? I took that shot from the balcony…more like I took 1000 shots of Mary from the balcony and they were all pieced together through the different lighting cues to make her come alive. Not literally of course, atleast I don’t think so, I didn’t actually see the show;) Anyway, we were thrilled to be a part of something so big as The Tonys. I apologize in advance if the Anything Goes song gets stuck in your head. And no, I can’t get you tickets to see Book of Mormon.

When you’re choosing someone to shoot your wedding you’re not hiring photographs, you’re hiring a photographer. It’s hard to get a sense of the person behind the camera by just looking at their photos. I always insist clients come into the studio to meet me and make sure that we’re a personality match. But the question still lingers, “What’s it like to work with her on my wedding day?” Well, that’s why I put together these client testimonial videos (soon to be featured on my updated website). You get to hear directly from my clients what their experience was like working with me and get lost in their love story in the process. They’re short and sweet and I even make a cameo or two. Thanks to Arianna&Richard, Nicole&Eric, and Mark&Sarah for participating.

In one year I’ve shot Rebecca and Jason’s engagement, bridal (just Rebecca, not Jason;), maternity and baby portraits. Yesterday Rebecca and sweet baby Haley stopped by the office to put together an “Our First Year” album. It’s been so much fun for me to document their growth from a newly engaged couple to a family. Here are a few of my favorites (and yes, that is the baby in Jason’s hockey helmet-his idea!):

Check our this fun little video of our Studio at the NY Magazine Weddings Event last week (shot by our very own Ben Norman-damn that kids got talent!). That place was packed! We met tons of brides (yes, Tiffany I shoot weddings in Tobago, twist my arm;), made new friends (Greg & Bella from Kate’s Paperie) and reconnected with some of our favorite vendor friends (Hello Super 8, Rewind Pics). Everyone loved the sweet treats provided by 24 Carat Cakes, we could hardly keep them on the table. But most importantly, the people that came by the booth got what we did. People lingered, watched the slideshow&video, chatted with Allison and Joy and signed up for our raffle for a free engagement portrait. (Congratulations Janine!) Over and over I heard from brides what a breath of fresh air our photos were. We wish we could have spent more time with each bride, but we were swamped (as you can see). So if you liked what you saw at the show, call us and set up an appointment today, I’ll even be sure to have more sweet treats on hand.

I’m so excited to finally share these videos! They’ve been months in the making and I’m so proud of them. I got the idea during my pick up meetings. My couples are always soooo excited to see their photos for the first time and I always thought I should film them. I finally did it with the help of Associate Photographer Ben Norman and Editor Milner Ayala. Each video tells the story of one couple and their love story, the wedding day and their experience working with Kelly Guenther Studio. They’re short, funny, beautifully shot and just fun to watch. A special thanks to Eric&Nicole, Arianna&Richard and Mark&Sarah for participating. Your guys are the best! Enjoy and please share the video and let me know what you think.

I’m so excited to be exhibiting at the New York Weddings Event again. Like I tell all my brides, New York Magazine Weddings is the only magazine you need to buy to plan your wedding in NYC, and their event is the only one worth going to. Over 100 highly selected  vendors (ahem;) will be represented. Everything you need to plan your wedding is under one roof.  Be sure to stop by our booth for the chance to win a free engagement portrait session, meet the team and sample delicious goodies courtesy of 24 Carat Cakes. Many of the vendors exhibiting are on my referral list: Nine Cakes, Ray Jarrell Entertainent, Generation Events, Loli Events and many more. If you go, be sure to check in your gift bag for an amazing Kelly Guenther Studio give away for NY Mag Wedding attendees only. I don’t want to give it away, but can you say Kelly Kash? Too much w/the K’s? I’m no marketing genius, I’m a photographer. Photos from the show coming soon!

Josh and Liz are born and bred Brooklynites. They knew if they got married in NYC they’d have to invite, well, all of Brooklyn. They wanted a more intimate wedding. Since they were keeping the guest list small, they decided the perfect location would be a little boutique hotel in Cuernavaca Mexico, Las Mananitis, where they had been vacationing for years. The town is known for their secret gardens, and Las Mananitis has some of the most beautiful gardens around. You’d never know it from the outside, but behind the high stone walls literally lies paradise. Guests took over the entire hotel for the weekend and enjoyed the heck out of the amazing weather, especially since NYC had just been hit with it’s second blizzard of the season. Josh and Liz are both in the food&wine industry so you can bet that there was plenty top of the line spirits and nosh all weekend. Liz looked amazing in her dress with hand embroidered floral details that accented the local flavor. All guests were encouraged to wear bright colors. It’s a toss up for me who wins most colorful guest award: the gentleman in the pink floral sports coat w/matching pants or grandma in the green dress (it’s the white shoes that put he over the top). I think it was the first time this Mexican based orchestra played the hora, I don’t think they knew how to end it! It went on an on….don’t get me wrong it was a blast! I was just worried the guests were going to faint from exhaustion. But everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and that’s the most important thing. Congrats Liz and Josh, and thanks for choosing me, I needed the sunshine;) Oh! And for helping me get over my fear of birds! Part of the charm of the hotel were the peacocks, flamingos and other large stunningly beautiful birds that would wander the grounds. I had just unpacked my bag and I opened my door to explore the hotel and there standing in my doorway was a peacock in its full glory just staring at me! We both screamed (ok, peacocks can’t scream but I could tell it was startled) then ran away from each other. I eventually stopped running and started laughing and that was the end of my fear of birds.