As soon as I heard Jess — a friend of mine — got engaged, I knew I wanted to photograph her wedding. Luckily, she knew right away she wanted me to me her photographer. It was so exciting when the day of her and Diego’s MyMoon wedding was finally here. This Brooklyn wedding at MyMoon took place on the most beautifully mild summer day. Plus, working with a couple as sweet as them always makes my job an absolute pleasure.
The day began across from McCarren Park in Brooklyn, New York at the McCarren Hotel & Pool. Diego spent the morning with his siblings, and even received some wedding day gifts from them, which is always a cute moment to photograph. Jess was getting glam a few floors away, doing her best to keep her mom from crying all the happy tears.
This particular pre-wedding morning was very calm, with Diego enjoying some time with his brother on the balcony, and Jess surrounded by her girls in her room. I’ve honestly never seen such tranquility before a wedding.
After you’re done getting ready, we love to make time for individual portraits. Something important to keep in mind for this portion: as long as we have ONE area that’s relatively clean, we can take beautiful portraits. We may have to move some things around, but after that it becomes a perfect, portrait-ready space. In addition to bridal portraits, I highly recommend taking some photos with any friends and family who are with you in your getting ready space.
When choosing a location for your first look, consider taking your photos right outside the venue. It’s a great way to tell the story of your wedding day, and you’ll gets lots of “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” from tourists. MyMoon in particular has a beautiful, gated entrance with a lush wall of greenery. Unsure if you should do a first look? Check out this blog post to help you decide.
It’s no secret that the streets of Brooklyn are incredibly eclectic, but the interior of MyMoon is so unique, we felt we didn’t even need to wander. From the ultra dark and moody interior, to the beautiful sunny courtyard, the options are endless.
After the first look, we spent about 30 minutes taking portraits with just the two of them until it was time for family photos. With the variety of backgrounds courtesy of the venue, Jess and Diego now have a plethora of beautiful wedding day couple portraits.
Something extremely important for Jess and Diego on their wedding day was having a team of strong women-led businesses. Honestly, whoever started the stereotype of women being competitive and catty is so wrong; the entire day was so lovely and easy. Surround me with girlbosses all day every day.
The incredible vendor team consisted of:
BEAUTY: Beautiful Brides by Vesta
FLORALS: Olivia Howard Designs
ENTERTAINMENT: DJ June
OFFICIANT: Rev D
CAKE: Wild Flour NYC
INVITES: Gilded Swan Paperie
This restaurant in the heart of Brooklyn maintains its charm as it transforms to a gorgeous wedding ceremony and reception space. When you enter the gate to the property, there is the perfect ceremony space slightly elevated on a deck. It’s even complete with a retractable roof. This is also a great place to hold cocktail hour and your dessert bar. Inside the restaurant, you and your guests can enjoy long family-style tables, a huge bar, and plenty of space to dance.
In addition to the above, you’ll have no worries about down-sizing your guest list when hosting your wedding here. MyMoon can easily accommodate up to 166 guests. After your ceremony, consider transforming that space into your cocktail hour location. It’ll free up the courtyard where there is tons of additional seating. Also, the food is incredible.
The evening kicked off with DJ June as everyone’s hype woman, absolutely killing it on the 1’s and 2’s. The wedding party entered, followed by Jess and Diego. Their first dance song was “It’s Been A Long, Long Time,” but the version Captain America and Peggy dance to in The Avengers.
With the conclusion of the entrances and first dance came the speeches. I think everyone cried through every single speech, honestly.
Once the party started, it basically didn’t stop. In addition to getting to capture all the sweet and slow parts of the wedding day, we love any opportunity to photograph the incredible high-energy moments. You’ll find us on the dance floor, friends and family of the couple around us, constantly shooting. We never want to miss a thing.
To sum up: it’s no secret that getting married in NYC is an incredible experience, and this venue makes that experience even better. From the perfect-all-year-round space, to the proximity to hotels, to the iconic Brooklyn photo spots — it’s everything you need. If you’re planning a wedding at MyMoon, let us know! We’ll help you scout photo spots and use our past experience here to make your wedding day flow seamlessly. In other words: we would love to capture your Brooklyn wedding here, any time.
We're Sava, a small studio of photographers who bonded over our similar educational background, love of art, & general affinity for timeless wedding photos. Based in NYC, will travel, will pick up your coffee order on the way.