[Wedding] NOW Larimar Day After Session | Esther & Erik

Day after session in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Captured by destination wedding photographer Ben Lau.

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Northern NJ, NYC documentary Wedding Photographer, Educator & All-Around Nice Guy

#benlauphoto #momentsovermountains #loveislove

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Vijay & Dan are the perfect blend of love, Broadway, and great vibes. From Central Park to Lincoln Center (where one of them once performed - how cool is that?!), we had the best time capturing this wonderful time in their lives.⁠
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These two are all about good food, good company, and sharing moments that matter. Their energy is contagious, and their love?

Absolutely inspiring.⁠
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I can’t wait to do it all over again for their wedding day (which is right around the corner!). It’s going to be so much fun!

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Antonia & Marcus brought all the summer energy to Asbury Park- from spontaneous bar stops to chasing ice cream down the boardwalk. (Marcus had one request: must have ice cream photos. Mission accomplished. However those will remain in their private collection)⁠
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The boardwalk was surprisingly quiet for mid-summer, which gave us the perfect chance to soak in all the colors and textures that make this place so fun and unique- just like them.⁠
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#asburypark #asburyparkengagement #njweddingphotographer

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Christina & Peter both spend their days managing people and personalities, so wrangling a quirky wedding photographer for this engagement session was a walk in the park. Literally.⁠
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We explored Fort Tryon, one of NYC’s best-kept secrets, with its epic river views, dreamy gardens, and architecture that looks straight out of Europe.⁠
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These two were down for anything, even some light bushwhacking through overgrowth (thankfully, no snakes or ticks).⁠
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Congrats again to the both of you and I can’t wait to see y’all again in your big day!

#nycengagement #nycengagementphotographer #nycweddingphotographer

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Paige & Brian’s wedding wasn’t about the fancy stuff - it was about the right stuff: family, friends, great food, and being fully present with the people they love most.⁠
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Rain was in the forecast, but the skies held out just long enough for the outdoor ceremony they had dreamed of - and it couldn’t have been more perfect.⁠
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From start to finish, their day felt like joy, intention, and real connection. The kind of wedding that reminds you what it’s all really about.

#westhillscountryclub #hudsonvalleyweddings #hudsonvalleyweddingphotographer #hudsonvalleyweddingplanner #hudsonvalleyweddingvenues

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From freezing winter proposal to a breezy summer session by the ocean @haleyraspanti and @haleyraspanti and Mike’s story has officially come full circle.⁠
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We first met for their proposal earlier this year (10 minutes tops because it was that cold 🥶), so getting to hang out in Asbury Park on a warm, breezy afternoon felt like a whole new chapter.⁠
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We explored the boardwalk, climbed out onto the jetty for those epic Atlantic Ocean views, and laughed pretty much the entire time - especially Haley, who couldn’t stop smiling.⁠
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Fun, colorful, and full of good energy - just like these two.

#asburypark #asburyparkengagement #njweddingphotographer

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Maggie & Greg showed up to their Sandy Hook engagement session with the kind of mindset that makes everything better: rain or shine, we’re doing this- together.⁠
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The skies stayed gray, the sunset never quite showed up, and we may or may not have stumbled through a patch of Jersey-native cacti (who knew?), but none of that mattered.⁠
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What did matter: the way they laughed through every moment, trusted every prompt, and leaned into the kind of love that doesn’t need perfect weather to shine.⁠

Sometimes the best light isn’t from the sky—it’s just two people who love being together, no matter what the forecast says.

#sandyhookengagement #njweddingphotographer

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YouTube taught me how to tie over a dozen different knots - not for boating, not for camping - but so I could safely tie myself to a tree for the sole purpose of photographing Estella and Alan during their sunset engagement session at Lake Minnewaska.

I imagine they were probably confused (perhaps slightly alarmed?) when I said, “Just give me a few moments,” and proceeded to take WAY too much time strapping myself into a series of clips, harnesses and doodads. #safetyfirst

About halfway through, a park ranger’s voice echoed from 500ft below:

“NO CLIMBING ON THE CLIFF FACE!”

Technically I wasn’t climbing, as much as I was trying NOT TO DIE.

And let me tell you:
✅ Nobody got hurt
✅ I got the shot (I better have)
✅ Their dog @remiboy619 had the time of his life
✅ We wrapped up the session at the base of Awosting Falls
✅ Yes, we did that “Notebook” pose. Because who doesn’t want to be Ryan Gosling, if only for a few minutes?

DISCLAIMER: Do not try this at home. Or at Lake Minnewaska. Or anywhere, really.

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We recently celebrated Kate & Nate’s wedding at @thelakehouseitc, right in the middle of our rainy season.

The TLDR version? Everyone stayed dry, ate some yummy food, and danced their butts off :). Congrats again to the both of you and wishing you both a lifetime of love and laughter :).

#indiantrailclub #njweddingphotographer #njweddingvenue #njweddingplanner #njweddingflowers

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Lost internet and power this weekend, but nothing could’ve prevented me from celebrating with these two marvelous humans on their wedding day at @maritimeparc . Many congrats to the both of you @colleenbianchi_ & @dbbbb2 and wishing you both a lifetime of love and happiness!

#maritimeparc #njweddingphotographer #njweddingvenue #njweddingplanner

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A few weeks ago, I had the incredible honor of hosting a two-day workshop focused on sales, marketing, and the creative side of what we do as photographers.

Life has been a bit of a whirlwind since then:

- I’ve had shoots and meetings almost every single day right after the workshop.
- Our sewer line broke, flooding our basement and home office.
- A freak hailstorm knocked out power to our home for several days.

Soooooo....it’s taken me a minute to finally process everything. But through all the chaos, one thing has been sitting heavy on my heart: gratitude.

To everyone who trusted me to share the lessons I’ve collected over the past 16 years - thank you.

To those who are just starting out, I hope the tools and ideas we explored together help pave the way for a long, meaningful, and successful career.

To the seasoned veterans whose work and reputation I admire - thank you for showing up, for sharing your wisdom, and for pushing me to keep striving to be the best version of myself.

And to everyone in between - thank you for allowing me to be part of your story. I know those two days were blazing hot, but I hope the friendships you made and the knowledge you gained made it all worthwhile.

Huge thanks to the incredible folks who helped make this workshop possible:

@maritimeparc
@geekoto
@cheetahstand
@pictime_us
@imagen.ai
@about_designs
@jamesliufilms

Thank you for your unwavering support - not just for me, but for the entire photography community.

And lastly, to my amazing wife @heykaris - thank you for being my rock, my partner, and my greatest cheerleader. I couldn’t do any of this without you.

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