Liz Cuadrado

Jul 6, 20193 min read

Ashley & Andrew: A Meatpacking District Elopement (kind of...)

Confession: so this wasn't exactly an elopement. It was more of a hybrid elopement / anniversary session.

...Ok fine.

It was an anniversary portrait session, but definitely with the spirit of an elopement!

I'll explain.

Ashley and Andrew wanted to celebrate their 3-year anniversary with portraits, so we decided on the fascinating Meatpacking District NYC location for their photo adventure. So... how does this embody the elopement spirit, you ask? I specifically requested that they share their [updated] vows that day- something meaningful that they wanted to share and promise to one another, which would be read that day for the first time. They are both busy young professionals, and I wanted to give them the opportunity to have a moment that was just for them, and of course, capture those genuine special moments for them to look on and remember through the years of their marriage.

Another element that made this session really unique is that for the past 3 years now, the Koncicks have been keeping a really fun tradition of dressing up in the same wedding gown and suit they wore the day they said 'I do' (with a few little thoughtful updates here and there, of course). I'll be sharing the fun details from that day, such as how they incorporated the traditional 3-year wedding gift of leather in an interesting way.

Ashley and I first met in college, and have bonded over the years through our passions for photography (check out her work here), so it was especially a treat and honor to capture this memories for them, and explore through the interesting neighborhood a bit!

Thinking about eloping, or a personalized anniversary session? Let's connect!

One of the awesome things about shooting in this area is that you'll always find a cool wall or building that will serve as an interesting backdrop. We stumbled across this blue storefront and fell in love with it!

The traditional gift for 3-year wedding anniversary is leather, so they found this beautiful leather rose pin for Andrew's suit! (Also, check out Ashley's 'something blue' inspired nails!!)

Next, we stopped to the restaurant next door, I Tre Merli, for a quick and refreshing drink, and the staff was kind enough to let us grab a few shots inside! We loved the intimate atmosphere and beautiful blooming trees all around.

Andrew's bracelet, above, was another play on the traditional & modern anniversary gifts. The dirt you see inside the crystal is actually from a combination of locations that are very important to them: dirt from Bedell Vineyards on LI where they got engaged, dirt from The Lady of the Lake Church in Sparta, NJ where they had their ceremony, and dirt from the Perona Farms barn where they had their reception.

Seriously! How amazing and thoughtful is that?! (Take notes, my friends...)

The Meatpacking District is perfect for finding fun backdrops to play with! We were loving the washed brick and plants all around, and stopped for some fun portraits.

One of Ashley's requests was to capture some shots with an iconic NYC taxi! Mission accomplished!

Next up: the vows!

It was really important to me that this be a part of their session, and even better that they were so excited to put their creative spin on it! I wanted this to be an intimate moment where they could share these promises and thoughts with each other, much like on their wedding day, except this time it would be a mini-ceremony just for them two.

Since they are already married, this made this moment one-of-a-kind: it was an opportunity to look on the last 3 years, and encourage one another other onward for the future years to come. We found a nice little brownstone on a quiet street where they read their beautiful engraved leather notes. And yes - that's their actual handwriting engraved into the leather!

Confetti, anyone?

The day wouldn't be complete without capturing some moments on the Highline! Shooting midday on a summer afternoon with all the tourists around was quite the challenge! A huge shout-out goes to the helpful people who would hold traffic on the stairs long enough for us to get some quick shots! Worth it!

This day was perfect, and I'm so happy Andrew & Ashley were up for the adventure! Cheers to many more years of laughter, joy, and love to the moon and back!