We can’t begin to tell you how excited we are to finally be able to share Katie and Jason’s awesome wedding at the Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island. Firstly, we love coming into Long Island. It’s a nice escape from the all busy-ness of suburban life (and a predominantly urban work-environment!). Secondly, we just love this family to bits and pieces. I remember meeting Katie and her extended family on our FIRST meeting in a Williamsburg tea house not that long ago. We talked about Katie and Jason’s wedding plans as they perused my portfolio in great detail. As we mentioned in a previous post, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy to plan a wedding from so far away; we already understood how crucial it was for Katie and her family to ask all the right questions and to meet all the right people while she was in town sporadically over the following months. You could imagine our relief when we found the all-time-favorite-kind-of email in my inbox just a few short hours later, the one where the couples (and family!) had reached a consensus that we’d be a perfect match for their wedding day!
 A summer wedding at a Long Island Bed & Breakfast? Count us in!
One of the perks of Ram’s Head Inn are its calm beaches by the bay.
Family friendly? Check!
Soaking in some morning rays before the wedding ceremony? Check!
Sand in the photographer’s shoes? Check 100 x’s!
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We were given an honorable mention during speeches, with a query regarding all seemingly random things we were documenting that morning. My future son-in-law is lending me his cufflinks…what’s so significant about that? The answer was quite simple: we were there to document every detail of the entire day, which not only included portraits of the couple, but also the love of family and friends that surrounded them on this momentous occasion. Pictures of flowers, dresses and first dances were all nice and dandy, but when it came down to it, it was the whole act of two families coming together which made this day special.
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I probably could’ve gotten away with wearing a pair of pink flip-flops, but that would’ve made it double tough for me to chase everyone around :).
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Some of my favorite groom prep shots :).
 
Someone’s always cutting onions when I’m shooting a wedding ceremony. Not sure what the deal is :).
Hands down, one of the coolest table-seating systems I’ve ever documented.
That’s some serious Cost-Co quantity of sparklers we got there! Surprisingly, all were gone in a matter of 30 minutes!
This…brings a tear to my eye :).
I’m going to nominate this photo for “Best of Laughing-During-Speeches” for my 2012 Ben Lau Photography awards :).
The fact that we actually have enough for a contest means we’re totally booking the right kind of clients!
You can’t begin to imagine how hard it was to do this shot with 10 lbs of camera and no live-view :).
This celebration wouldn’t have been possible without the help of these wonderful people.
| Ceremony : | : Union Chapel on the Grove |
| Reception : | : Ram’s Head Inn |
| Gown : | :Â Cymbeline, Paris |
| Jewelry : | : Diamond Shop in Antwerp, Belgium |
| Hair : | : Vera Barron |
| Make Up : | : Vera Barron |
| Grooms Attire : | : Austin Reed, London |
| DJ/Entertainment : | : DJ Andy Entertainment |
| Photo Booth : | : DIY |
| Catering : | :Â Ram’s Head Inn |
| Cake : | :Â Ram’s Head Inn |
| Floral : | : Kimjon Designs |
| Favors : | : DIY – Mother of Bride |
| Stationery : | : Village Invites, NYC |
| Secondary Photography : | : MJ Park |
Congratulations to the both of you, Katie and Jason.
We were so incredibly honored to capture your beautiful day, and we wish you two many, many years of happiness!
As for us here at Ben Lau Photography, we don’t even know what day of the week it is, much less our own names.
Wedding season + two kids in the house = House full of zombies (though Karis lets me occasionally sleep in on Mondays!)
We’ve got a whole lot more in store for you. Stay tuned for more!
Much love,
Ben & Karis
