As the year comes to an end, I’m allowing myself some time to reflect. It’s easy for us to say things like “2020 was a write-off,” or “2021 is going to be my year.” But, for me, it wasn’t. 2020 was uncertain, complicated, and often I felt hopeless and disappointed. That being said, as I look back over the past twelve months, I can’t help but notice how much I’ve grown. As a wedding photographer, my business is fast and furious. Wedding season is a whirlwind, and then it’s time to edit. There are still weddings to shoot and edit in the slower seasons, and then you have to mix in time for a personal life. Between traveling, blogging, and walking Jefe, there often isn’t much time for business development.
I’ve evolved as a female entrepreneur.
I’m going to drop a lovely little silver lining here; having time on my hands allowed me to take a look at past weddings. I was able to take a deep dive into past weddings throughout my career and dissect my portfolio. With a little less weight on my shoulders, I’ve been able to come up with new ideas. Not to mention having the ability to figure out the artistry and style that I’ve wanted to nail down. My website was over two years old, and I found the time to give it a fresh new look. Even in a regular wedding season’s slow times, I couldn’t have completed an overhaul like this one. I even found some time to photograph a few family mini-sessions!
The mandatory slow-down of 2020 allowed me time.
Did you notice I shot mini-sessions last month? Before COVID-19, I never had time to shoot this style of imagery. Now that I don’t feel so overwhelmed shooting weddings all year round, I’ve made time for family and mini-sessions. With all of this extra quality time, my fiance, Roman, and I decided we would finally tie the knot! Yep, if you haven’t already seen our preview images, we got married! I finally know how it feels to be on the other side! While I always felt that I was an understanding wedding photographer, I can genuinely say I now know the horror of waking up on your wedding day to torrential rain. I get it, I see you, I’m here for you!
New York City is new to me again.
There are more than 25,000 eating and drinking establishments across the five boroughs where anyone could have a wedding. As a New Yorker, try as I might, I can’t reach them all! But, in 2020, I was able to go to some inspiring venues! In the wedding business, there are staples. I’ve shot weddings at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Skylark, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and of course, New York City Hall multiple times. With wedding parties having to be much smaller, as well as people’s budgets, I was invited into smaller venues I hadn’t even heard of before! One of my favorites from this year is Dobbin St. celebrating Jamie and Asaad’s wedding!
Blue Hill at Stone Barns 
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
The icing on the cake with the cherry on top.
It is truly an incredible honor to be named a Top Wedding Photographer in America by Brides! I admire so many wonderful and talented wedding photographers on this list, and I am thrilled to be included as one of them. Thank you so much, Brides! What a bright spot on a very uncertain year.
When asked what I learned about weddings in 2020, I wrote, “In 2020, I’ve discovered couples are still madly in love, and love is not canceled. I’ve seen how my couples have adjusted and changed weddings by cutting down their guest list or gifting masks and sanitizer as favors. Most importantly, I’ve learned that nothing can stop the human spirit from continuing to celebrate love!”
