I loved photographing Karenna and Dillon’s elegant wedding at Tribeca Rooftop.
K + D were a sweet and cool couple with a chic and relaxed wedding vibe. Karenna wore a stunning Anthropologie x Jenny Yoo wedding gown with plunging neckline and open back. Bouquets of dahlias and roses complimented the wedding party gowns. Petals of peach, yellow, lavender and ivory decorated the chuppah. The talented New York City based floral designer, Dear Bayard, did an amazing job.
Whitehall Events helped to plan and coordinate the couple’s August 2022 wedding, which had been postponed twice due to Covid. I loved photographing their 2021 micro wedding in a Princeton backyard garden, as well as their elegant wedding at Tribeca Rooftop. What a fun couple and day!
Here are some photos from my favorite Brooklyn B’Mitzvahs! As a Brooklyn event photographer, I feel lucky to witness such happy occasions.
As we kick off the new year, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to all of the amazing couples and families I worked with in 2022! It was awesome documenting your special occasions, which included your weddings, brooklyn b’mitzvahs, proposals, and family sessions. I’m honored that you chose me to document these intimate moments!
As I get ready to photograph b’mitzvahs this spring, I am inspired by the joy and energy captured in these images. Here are some faves from Sydney’s bat mitzvah in Park Slope, Asher’s bar mitzvah at the Williamsburg Hotel, Samara’s garden bat and Toby’s bar in Industry City.
I really love to photograph a Brooklyn Botanic Garden wedding in the summer. The trees are lush in the summer, and a deep, verdant green. The roses are in bloom, and even when it rains it’s gorgeous, as on Sam + Spencer’s wedding day.
The BBG offers so many outdoor options for wedding photography portraits. The fountain, the rose garden, and the Japanese garden and gazebo lend themselves to awesome pictures. Sam and Spencer didn’t let a little rain bring them down; they had an awesome event with so much dancing and celebration!
If you’re looking for a unique place in New York to hold your wedding, you may consider The Liberty Warehouse in Brooklyn. While the word “warehouse” might make you question the venue, The Liberty Warehouse is a beautiful and stylish location that’s perfect for weddings. I’ve photographed a couple of weddings at here and even attended a great event as as guest. This brief guide covers the benefits of this choosing this chic location for your wedding, and how to find the right photographer for the job.
Why Book the Liberty Warehouse
It’s Historic
Built in the 1850s as part of the Red Hook shipping yards, The Liberty Warehouse is full of history and life. This building is no longer used for storage and has since been updated and renovated to function entirely as an event space. With room for over 400 dinner guests and up to 1000 guests for cocktail parties, The Liberty Warehouse offers a unique mix of historical appeal and modern conveniences. The style is both rustic and contemporary, with the original brick walls and the nearby pier making perfect backdrops for photoshoots.
Great Views
A large part of the warehouse’s iconic status as a wedding venue comes from the incredible views it offers. From the waterfront patios, guests will be able to see Manhattan from a unique perspective. Red Hook is one of the few spots in NYC where you can see the Statue of Liberty from the front as she faces toward France. If you or any of your guests have never had a chance to see the statue from this angle, your wedding night will be all the more memorable.
What to Look for in a Wedding Photographer
Expert Lighting
The mix of natural and artificial lighting at The Liberty Warehouse makes for some incredible photo opportunities. However, without the right experience of shooting in cavernous spaces, taking pictures here can be difficult. You want a wedding photographer who knows their way around the venue, who can work in large spaces with high ceilings, and can make the most of the natural lighting and even bring their own lighting setup.
The Liberty Warehouse Wedding Photographer
Dynamic Skills
Your wedding day will include many different types of moments—happy, joyous, hilarious, serious, emotional, energetic and everything in between—and you need a photographer with experience capturing the full range of emotions and scenes. You want someone who can render the beauty of the ceremony as skillfully as they can capture the energy on The Liberty Warehouse’s massive dance floor.
Are you thinking about hiring a Park Slope Family Photographer this spring?
Karen Wise is a local wedding and family photographer whose studio is situated in Park Slope, just one block away from Prospect Park. Wise, the photographer behind Brooklyn Stoop Portraits, photographs families in the park as well as on their stoops.
How the Brooklyn Stoop Portraits project was started: Brooklyn Stoop Portraits began in April 2020, when Covid-19 forced us to stay home and shelter in place.
My 2020 wedding shoots were postponed. In a motion to connect with friends and neighbors, I decided to photograph families who lived near me (Park Slope), from a safe distance, on their stoops. These family sessions broadened to engagement, maternity, newborn and elopements and expanded into new neighborhoods too.
Home is where we all continue to feel safest this year, so let’s document and celebrate milestones as we stay close to our loved ones. To schedule your 30 min family session, please call or email me. I look forward to capturing this unique time in your family’s life and bringing some much needed joy.
The sun is out and it’s warming up, slightly. It’s time to book your Brooklyn Stoop Portraits this spring!
Are you interested in a family, maternity or newborn session amidst the cherry blossoms or magnolia trees? Don’t hesitate to contact me to book your 40 min family session now.
Please follow me on Instagram to see my newest family work!
Brooklyn Stoop Portraits this Spring
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Portraits
I’m getting ready for pictures on stoops and in gardens, like these fun shots of Emi and Akiko at the BBG a few springs ago. When my son Henry was two years old, we hung out with our friends from Park Slope Parents. Henry was a baby social butterfly. He met Emi when he was just 3 months old with a few other babies. I thank Park Slope Parents who helped introduce us to so many similarly aged kids and their parents. We used to meet at cafes, in the park and at Blue Marble ice cream parlor for puppet shows. We are still friends with many of these families from our original meet ups in 2016 + 2017. So grateful for this community of friends we have here in Park Slope.
Searching for a newborn photographer in Park Slope, Brooklyn? Well, look no further, Karen Wise is your woman! Aside from weddings, Karen is a family, wedding, maternity and newborn photographer. She is also based in Center Slope, a block from Prospect Park. Here are some examples of newborn photos shot in the past couple of years during the pandemic (from a safe distance with a mask). Many images were shot in spaces with windows open, or in the spring or summer with babies bundled tightly outdoors. With her years of experience, and from having worked in hospitals for a couple of years, she has impeccable swaddling techniques. Karen learned these styling skills from having photographed newborns in their first 2 days of life. Karen is a mom herself, and gave birth to her son in 2016. Henry is featured here in the red knit hat in his hospital bassinet and in the seated diptych below. :)
We love these organic cotton swaddling blankets from aden + anais. They are soft and warm and have a lot of length to twist into a pretty swaddle.
Brooklyn Stoop Portraits
Brooklyn Stoop Portraits
Brooklyn Stoop Portraits
Brooklyn Stoop Portraits
Sheila’s family was photographed on film in Prospect Park with the fall foliage behind them.
Here is Henry as a 5 month old, almost sitting for the first time! There were a few fall overs, but it was cute and he didn’t mind.
I recently photographed a gorgeous holiday season wedding proposal at Rockefeller Center. The couple came from North Carolina, for a first visit to New York City. It was a memorable week to say the least!
Christmas, New Years and Valentine’s Day are beautiful times for a romantic wedding proposal in New York City, as the city is bright and colorful. Popping the question is always memorable, but using a professional engagement and wedding photographer can take the day to the next level. As you start planning your proposal, keep these tips in mind to make the experience special.
Rockefeller Center Wedding Proposal
Holiday Season Wedding Proposal
St Patricks Cathedral Wedding Proposal
Holiday Season Wedding Proposal
Holiday Season Wedding Proposal in NYC
A Guide to New York Holiday Proposals
1. Choose a Meaningful Location
New York City is full of unique options for a beautiful and memorable proposal any time of year. Still, the decorations and glittering lights create an even more magical experience during the holidays. The most popular times of year to propose are the weeks of Christmas, New Years and Valentine’s Day. Some unique proposal locations include Central Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the Brooklyn Waterfront, and Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan.
However, don’t be afraid to get creative and propose in a place that’s meaningful to both of you. Perhaps you’d like to stay closer to home and avoid crowds? Hence, you may choose to propose in your local park, or on your Brooklyn stoop. After nearly two years of spending more time at home, for example, proposing on your roof, at your neighborhood outdoor cafe, or on your stoop might be the most meaningful location.
Cobble Hill Wedding Proposal
Brooklyn Proposal Shoot
2. Consider Timing
The time of day you propose is crucial to privacy and lighting for photos. Some places in NYC, like Central Park or Rockefeller Center, tend to be crowded. If you’re comfortable having strangers around to witness the proposal, the timing may not be an issue. However, for a quieter experience, you may need to do some research and be flexible. Your engagement photographer can help you plan, making suggestions that account for both crowds and the best lighting for the photos.
Manhattan Restaurant Wedding Proposal
NYC Wedding Proposal
3. Dress Appropriately
It can be a challenge to subtly encourage your partner to dress up for the engagement without spilling the beans, so it can be helpful to plan the proposal around another event. Proposing before a dinner or party, for example, can ensure your partner is wearing something they will be happy to see in the photos for years to come. Ask your engagement photographer for ideas.
Cobble Hill Wedding Proposal
Cobble Hill Wedding Proposal
Cobble Hill Wedding Proposal
Get help planning the perfect New York holiday proposal from Karen Wise Photography. This wedding, family, and engagement photographer has been named one of the top wedding photographers in the world by American PHOTO magazine. Her work has been featured in publications worldwide, and her experience will ensure you have gorgeous images of this milestone occasion.
Below are some photographs of Samantha and Spencer’s beautiful summer Brooklyn Botanic Garden wedding.
Despite summer heat and humidity, we captured many creative photographs, even in the rain and under an umbrella!
Samantha and Spencer’s July wedding at the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was a bit rainy but that didn’t stop them from having a blast. The ceremony had always been planned for indoors, and the cocktails were originally planned for outdoors by the fountain, but it moved inside as some thunder and romantic bolts of lighting were seen.
The bride’s Oscar de la Renta gown was a show-stopper. It was one of the most fashionable haute couture wedding gowns I had ever seen. The bridesmaids dressed in various elegant white dresses, which made the palette unique and bright.
Summer Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wedding
Brooklyn Botanic Garden weddings are stunning. The BBG is a lush garden oasis within the bustling borough of Brooklyn. There are endless naturally picturesque backdrops to use. Some of examples of flowers in bloom at the BBG are peonies, magnolia trees, cherry blossoms and rose garden. The Japanese maple trees are stunning all year round. This was truly one of my favorite Brooklyn Botanic Garden weddings.
Henry poses for the camera after a bath. 
Summer Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wedding
