Reena and Dylan | St. Aidan’s Williston Park & Sands Point Preserve | Long Island Wedding Photographer
What an amazing couple! Working with Reena and Dylan has been such a great experience. It is amazing to see a couple that share such a heartfelt love, and while working with them through planning and the day of the wedding, it was obvious how much they care for each other.
Reena and Dylan had a beautiful wedding at St. Aiden’s in Williston Park. I was there about 90 minutes before the ceremony started, and I got to meet family members as they came to the church, and once Reena arrived, it was a very warm ceremony from start to end.
There were two moments that I thought were exceptionally memorable. The first was Reena’s walk down the aisle. While this is a moment with heightened emotion at every wedding, seeing Dylan so excited and focused on her was very heartwarming.
The second moment was during the homily. Fr. Adrian asked the congregation to lift up their phones to take a picture of the couple, and he spoke about the importance of this day in their lives. I found it especially meaningful because I write a lot about how images become part of our story. The images I took that day will become part of Reena and Dylan’s legacy that they will share with their family, and the images will become a tangible memory that future generations can admire. But, the reason I liked the request so much is because it highlighted how the wedding is also part of the story of everyone there. Their family member or friend got married, and their community became larger.
After the wedding, we had some family formals on the altar. The plan was to take a few images of Reena and Dylan outside, and then they were going to be off to their honeymoon. But, Reena’s parents surprised them and all the people there with a small party at Nanking Restaurant a few blocks away.
Before Reena and Dylan arrived at the party, we stopped by a nearby gazebo. It was raining substantially, and we were able to get some nice images while keeping the bride and groom dry!
At the restaurant, Reena and Dylan celebrated with their family and friends for a few hours before they finally started driving to their honeymoon destination.
Sands Point Preserve Wedding Photos
Since time was short on the day of the wedding, we had an additional session a couple weeks later at Hempstead House at Sands Point Preserve. This location is absolutely stunning.
We were able to walk throughout Hempstead House for a couple hours. Between the beautiful leaded glass windows, the staircase, and the general elegance of the location, we were able to capture some great imagery.
Finally, we spent some time wondering the grounds. It was late in the day, and most visitors had already left. We seemly had the place to ourselves.
Sand Point Preserve has two large buildings. The older building is Castle Gould - which was modeled after Kilkenny Castle in Ireland. We finished our session at that location. I’ve lived on Long Island my whole life, and it is amazing to me that buildings like this are only a short drive from my modest home!
Hempstead House is a Tudor style mansion that was built soon after Castle Gould. With their wedding attire, Reena and Dylan look right at home.
Reena and Dylan are a great people and a lot of fun to be around. I was happy to be part of their day. Their wedding and their photo session at Sands Point Preserve was truly memorable.
