The first time I met with Andrew & Nicole to talk about their wedding ceremony, I was excited to find out what they had in mind.  I knew only a few basics - that the wedding was to be held at Peck's Arcade, a "casually chic bistro" in Troy, NY (the Brooklyn of Upstate NY) on a Sunday evening in July.  As we started talking, I realized that they had a fully formed, non-traditional, idea of what they wanted.  The wedding ceremony was to be the "casual interlude" between a social cocktail hour at Lucas Confectionery, an "industrial-chic wine bar" with a rustic garden) and a intimate dinner party at Peck's Arcade.  Now, I've recently become a huge fan of "drinks before the ceremony," as it loosens people up and sets a social, instead of a formal, tone for the ceremony. But this was a whole new level of "turning tradition on its head" - the cocktail hour BEFORE the ceremony.  "Tell me more!" I thought. They went on to describe how they wanted to casually ask guests to join them in the courtyard for the ceremony, and that there would be no "processing in" of anyone.  Everyone would simply gather in a circle around them and I, with several seats reserved for parents and grandparents.  As the guests stood, circling them with their love and support, we would hear several readings from friends & family, I would talk a little about their relationship, and they would exchange personal vows. After pronouncing them married, a friend would play guitar as they did a "first dance" (yes, DURING the ceremony!), and everyone would then head into the dining room of Peck's Arcade for dinner. As creative as I like to think I am, I had a little trouble envisioning how this all would flow... but in the end, it was PERFECTION.

Nicole & Andrew chose to stay overnight and get ready on the day of the wedding at the Green House Mansion, a 164 year old brownstone on a private urban park in historic downtown Troy. They knew of the location because they had done photo shoots there and saw how it fit the relaxed but classy vibe they were going for.  And because they are both (fantastic!) photographers, they made the wise decision to hire an out-of-town photographer (Jessica Perez) whose work they liked, as opposed to choosing one photographer friend and disappointing many others. The collection of photos (not only from the cocktail hour, ceremony, and dinner, but both before and after the wedding) are nothing short of inspired brilliance!