Laura Ivanova Photography | DESTINATION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER BASED IN MINNEAPOLIS & NEW YORK CITY

Congratulations to Megan and Jay! They were married on a unseasonably warm, rainy day in December. I captured this wedding for my amazing, beautiful (and quite-pregnant-at-the-time!!!) friend, Yazy. Yazy and John are the husband and wife team that make up YazyJo Photography, wedding photographers based in Chicago. I met Yazy at a photography workshop in Italy in 2009 and we have been dear friends ever since. In fact, I’ve formed an amazing bond with a lovely group of women (and a few men) from this group and I love having these friends all around the country. Over the years we’ve had reunions, shot weddings together and partied in Vegas at WPPI (no links for that- what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!). Love these girls so much!

When Yazy called me, I was happy to step in and shoot this wedding with John. Yazy was a total trooper and even at 38 weeks pregnant she tagged along for an 11+ hour day with John and I. Now Yazy and John have a precious new baby girl, who I can’t wait to meet!

I wanted to share a few images from this magical wedding day. I’m looking forward to more 2012 weddings in Chicago with my own clients, and maybe Yazy will let me shoot with her again! :)

After Alaina & Mike’s gorgeous wedding at the Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, we had the chance to also capture a Just Married session with the couple the day after their wedding! I love these sessions because it’s a great chance to utilize a beautiful location, or just capture additional, laid back images of the newlyweds without the time and location restraints often confining us on the wedding day. Some photographers call these Day After sessions or Trash the Dress, but I like to call them “Just Married” sessions because a) you can do this anytime after you wedding, not just the day after; and b) you don’t have to trash your gorgeous gown unless you want to!

During this session Alaina, Mike, Whitney and I had such a fun time exploring the beautiful beaches of Watch Hill. I just love the casual, laid back vibe of this sleepy town. I am dreaming of returning as soon as possible!

I have to give a huge, special thanks to my amazing friend/colleague/associate/photographer extraordinaire, Whitney, who flew all the way from Minneapolis to NYC to meet me and endure a 4+ hour road trip up the I-95 across Connecticut to shoot this wedding with me! I’m sure Whitney will agree that all the travel was well worth it for this amazing couple and fabulous location. We really enjoyed our time with Alaina & Mike and exploring Watch Hill and Mystic, Connecticut. The food in Mystic… mmmmm, delightful!  (The ice cream was especially amazing!)

Of course, another big thank you to Alaina and Mike for being amazing hosts and entrusting us to be a part of your wedding weekend!! :-)

I love this last shot. This shot was Mike’s idea and sole request. It felt like a nice way to end the session!

Meet Alaina & Mike! I had such an amazing time at their lovely wedding at the Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The weekend began with Whitney’s first trip to New York City! I picked her up and we road tripped through the entire state of Connecticut and enjoyed the weekend in Mystic, Connecticut, just a short jaunt across the border from Rhode Island! Alaina, Mike and their families threw such an amazing party and we had a blast with them on their wedding day and a fabulous weekend enjoying this quaint little area. Enjoy the preview and check back soon for Alaina & Mike’s gorgeous Just Married session!