offbeat wedding

Natty & Morgan | Central Park Micro Wedding | New York, NY

Natty and Morgan first found my work on Offbeat Bride. It was easy to tell right away they were my kind of couple. I was immediately hooked at the mention of a fun, intimate ceremony, and a sequin dress! One of my favorite things about photographing such important moments is getting to know my couples and their love stories. As we emailed more and more, I saw how special and silly the love they share is.

On a bright and warm Monday morning, I met these two, their pastor, and six of their closest friends at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. We walked around the fountain enjoying the sunshine, and they shared a classic NYC soft pretzel for breakfast. Once the ceremony began, everyone (including Olivia and me) started crying! No other couple has made me as emotional while reading their vows. It was the most heartfelt and loving union I’ve ever witnessed.

After the promises were made and rings exchanged, they shared their first dance as a married couple, followed by a champagne toast and group dance party. We strolled through Central Park, took the subway to Mom’s Kitchen & Bar for some “Bigmouth shakes”!

Congrats to Natty & Morgan on their new home, their marriage, and start of the rest of their lives together. Wishing you all the glittery, tattooed happiness in the world!

Their elopement was later featured on Offbeat Bride! Full circle!

Thomasin & Alex | Knitting Factory Wedding | Brooklyn, NY

One of the first details I knew about Thomasin & Alex’s wedding was the reception was to be held at The Knitting Factory, a Brooklyn concert venue, and I just knew I had to be part of something so cool. Both the bride and groom are musically gifted; choosing a venue that reflects them so well is just the kind of thing that makes my couples so unique. 

It was an unseasonably warm day in October, filled with so much sunshine and even more love. We started out with portraits in Brooklyn Bridge Park before trolleying over to the gorgeous Plymouth Church. The lovely ceremony included both the bride’s minister parents giving special readings, and a very memorable performance by Cantori New York, a choir the bride is a member of, accompanied by the majestic Aeolian-Skinner organ.  

Once arriving to The Knitting Factory, there were almost as many musical acts as there were wedding guests! It was so important to the bride and groom to showcase their talented friends and to have every room filled with music and laughter. My personal favorite performance of the night was when the bride and groom snuck away for a quick costume change for a duet of “Happy Together” by The Turtles. It was the perfect way to kick off the party! 

Congratulations Thomasin & Alex!

See below for all the amazing vendors.

 

Coordinator: Leah McVeigh

Photographer: Kate Alison Photography

Venues: Getting Ready - Hotel 1 / Ceremony - Plymouth Church / Reception - Knitting Factory

Dress: Carol Hannah

Shoes: Rachel Simpson

Hair: Nora Croft & Lauren Byrne 

Makeup: Kerry Kaleja

Florist: Daphne Floral

Musicians: Choir - Cantori New York / Trumpet Player - John Bailey / Main Band - Diego Voglino 

Catering: Fig and Pig

Cakes: Luckybird Bakery

Linens: Big Dawg Party Rentals

Transportation: New York Trolly Company

Officiant: Micah Bucey

Laura & Doug | Loreley Beer Garden Wedding | New York, NY

Laura and Doug are easily one of the most down-to-earth and fun couples I've ever photographed. On the Fourth of July they came in to have a drink at the dive bar I work at part time. We clicked almost instantly, and as our casual conversation turned to wedding planning, I learned they were searching for a photographer! 

Kate-Alison-Photography-NYC-Beer-Garden-Wedding_0012.jpg

On the day of their wedding, the groom dropped off the sweetest present for the bride made up of items from a dollar store. He included a card which read, "Morning Beautiful" (the first text he sent her the day after their first date) and explained how much he was looking forward to showering her with cheap gifts on this day for the rest of their lives. It was perfectly thoughtful and had us all in tears. From that point, I knew this day was going to be filled with so much love, laughter, and personality. 

All the men in their families grew out beards, at the groom's request, and took a trip over to the local barbershop for trims, just across the street. This place had serious pizazz and all the guys came out looking so fresh. The bride and her ladies sipped champagne while having their hair and makeup done. Once everyone was ready, we all took a stroll around the Lower East Side for portraits before their ceremony. 

Loreley Beer Garden was the perfect place for Laura & Doug to host their intimate wedding. There were many highlights of the day, including a best man speech inspired by The Fast and the Furious series that had everyone laughing, three delicious food bars (Bavarian, Tacos, Sliders), all the beer inspired details, and the deep love and affection shared by this awesome couple.

Congrats to Laura & Doug! Wishing you many years of happiness, softball, and pints of beer!

Vendors:

Getting Ready Venues: Off Soho Suites / Freeman's Sporting Club

Wedding Venue & Catering: Loreley Beer Garden 

Styling & Coordination : Jack and Grace Events

Hair Styling: Appease Inc.

Dress: Adrianna Papell

Suit: Men's Warehouse

Officiant: Judges for Love

 

Galaxy Styled Wedding Inspiration | Brooklyn, NY

"It's bigger than love, brighter than all the stars combined." - Ben Gibbard

This past summer, I was looking through Instagram and felt inspired to put together a styled shoot after seeing photo after photo featuring the most beautiful shades of purple and blue. Celestial colors and imagery has always been appealing to me, I even got a telescope as a birthday gift many years ago! 

A few weeks later, I began reaching out to other vendors both in NYC and across the country. My good friend and previous collaborator, Ashley, of Le Petit Prints, and I were bouncing ideas and inspiration back and forth when it all started to come together. 

The overall vision for the shoot was a modern galaxy themed wedding, but I wanted each vendor to be able to use their own creativity and artistic ideas. We wanted to keep it simple, with trendy, but offbeat twists. Our tattooed "bride" skipped the traditional white gown for a sleek navy number. Our baker opted for cupcakes instead of classic wedding cake. Our jeweler created customized pieces just for us. Our florist went for a very unique interpretation with her wild arrangement.

I am infinitely grateful to the amazing team behind this shoot! It couldn't have come together better than it did. Thank you all for your contributions, collaboration, patience and for bringing my idea to life.  See how it all turned out below!

Photography/Planning: Kate Alison Photography

Venue: Dobbin St

Day-of Coordination: One Six 9 Occasions

Paper Goods/Calligraphy: Le Petit Prints

Watercolor Art: Jaadin Adele Studio

Cupcakes: Cupcakes by Amélie 

Jewelry: Desert Daisy Jewelry

Hair/Makeup: Natasha Lynnanne

Flowers: Karma Flowers

Linens: Nüage Designs Inc

Settings: Anthony Joseph Events

Models: Mary Godwin & Timothy William