Jeff Kolodny Photography - Blog

• Ashley and Tom’s Fort Lauderdale Engagement Shoot

  The moment I mentioned Fort Lauderdale's River Walk area to Ashley as a location possibility for her engagement shoot, the place instantly appealed to her. She wanted a spot with water in the background, but not necessarily the beach. She wanted some structures around, but not tall office buildings. River Walk turned out to be the perfect spot. As a South Florida photographer I have done engagement shoots in many different locations – most notably beach areas, Vizcaya, the Morikami – places like that. Every once in a while, a client really wants to do their engagement shoot somewhere a little different – like the River Walk. What is so wonderful about this location is not only the waterway that runs behind it, but the quaint feeling the buildings all around provide. Right in the center of Fort Lauderdale, the River Walk is a park like setting with trees, benches and a pretty gazebo. There's also a large pavilion in the Esplanade which is often used for wedding ceremonies. The varied elements here allow for some terrific shots as you will see here. Ashley and Tom were thrilled with the location and enthusiastic about trying all kinds of fun shots as we walked through the area.We had a great time with this engagement shoot and I am thoroughly looking forward to photographing Ashley and Tom's upcoming South Florida wedding this April at Mizner Country Club. - 4 weeks ago

• Sarah & Richard’s Palm Beach Wedding at the Four Seasons Resort

  Albert recently photographed Sarah and Richard's wedding at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach. It was a traditional Jewish wedding, with a beautifully adorned chuppah at the center of the ceremony. Both bride and groom were great fun to work with and Albert had time to photograph them all around the Four Seasons' lavish interior and grounds. As Albert observed, The Four Seasons Resort is a grand place to have a wedding – it simply reeks of class all around and lends itself to amazing pictures. He had a terrific time working with Sarah and Richard to create awesome images of their truly special Palm Beach wedding. Many thanks to Sarah and Richard and their families for an excellent event! - 5 weeks ago

• Down the Aisle to South Florida

  Your wedding: a South Florida wedding. Makes a pretty picture doesn't it? It's more than just a pretty picture. It's a very unique idea for all who wish to make their big day extra-special. With a wide array of venues ranging from low to high-end hotels, gardens as well as more unusual museums, country clubs and resorts, South Florida is a place that is host to thousands of destination weddings each year! As a destination wedding photographer in South Florida, I can easily say that at least half if not more of our clients are from out of state. They choose to get married in South Florida for a variety of reasons – for some it is because this is where their parents or grandparents now live, for others they grew up here and have since moved away but want to get married where all of their friends and family are. For many, many others they choose South Florida simply because they want to have a destination wedding in the United States and they want nice, warm weather and beaches. These elements alone make South Florida the perfect place for weddings in general. We pride ourselves in assisting all of our out of state clients with their plans, as we know how difficult it can be to plan from afar – we did it too! We help direct them to appropriate wedding planners and venues that we think are close to what they are looking for. We have a South Florida wedding venue section on our proofing site which contains photos from many venues around town and this has proven to be an invaluable tool for our many out of state clients. Destination weddings in Miami's South Beach and Palm Beach are made much easier by the efficient wedding planners in South Florida, who can help you find venues such as The Breakers, The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, the Delray Beach Marriott, cozy Villa Woodbine in Miami and much more. With amazing weather year round, always warm and sunny, beach weddings are quite popular here. Most venues will offer great wedding packages for South Florida destination weddings. For your guests who visit South Florida for your wedding, the destination offers a multitude of activities and tourist attractions to provide them with an ideal vacation and keep them happy and relaxed for your wedding. Underwater attractions include scuba diving, swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling, windsurfing etc. while spas, helicopter tours, museums, sightseeing, a Bahamas day cruise, picnics on the beach, touring the Versace house and many more sites to see can keep them busy on land. In addition, let's not forget the main reason South Florida is so popular – the beautiful beaches and our year round sunny weather. Your guests can also enjoy the amazing night life and lively club scene by partying away the nights, be it your bachelor/bachelorette night or just a night out on the town with friends. If you have time, you and your guests could also experience Delray or Miami Beach by Vespa and see the city in a whole new way with a lot of independence and fun thrown in. Other attractions nearby include The Florida Keys, Sarasota, the Everglades and Disney World, which are all just a short distance away. Affordability is never an issue with weddings in South Florida. Whether your budget is more along the lines of a simple beach receptions or a grand wedding at a 5-star hotel, you will be sure to find the perfect venue to accommodate your needs. You could have your wedding ceremony on the beach, or go for a slighter higher priced venue, such as a country club or mid-range hotel – of which there are many. For those who don't mind splurging on a highly luxurious wedding, the location is filled with 5-star hotels land resorts such as The Breakers, the Four Seasons Miami or Palm Beach, The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, The Ritz-Carlton South Beach, The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, The Biltmore and incredible mansions/museums such as Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Casa Casuarina (Versace Mansion), Flagler Museum and the Norton Museum of Art. All are fabulous in their own ways and, of course, different places appeal to different people for different reasons. It's great to have so much to choose from here! A destination wedding in South Florida is sure to be the experience of a lifetime and will be an unforgettable event for you and your guests. - 5 weeks ago

• FINDING THE PERFECT WEDDING VENUE IN SOUTH FLORIDA

  Written by Guerdy Abraira - Ocean Flowers Miami Pictures by Jeff Kolodny - www.jeffkolodnyphotography.com/ I always knew where I wanted to get married. I used to live in North Miami and on my way to Aventura mall (which was practically every other week), my now husband and I used to pass by the Spanish Monastery and we would always say "one day, we will get married here". We fell in love with this Spanish-Mediterranean architectural style venue which had such a quaint and discrete charm. Choosing this venue, which had such a specific era feel made it easy for me to choose my wedding décor theme which ended up being a Spanish theme. From the tapas, sangria and paella served at the reception to the black magic dark red roses, I was able to actualize this theme with much ease. The wedding turned out so well that it got a feature in the Knot Magazine!For all of you who are looking for that "perfect venue" in South Florida, it is important that you let the venue "speak" to you. You should be able to walk into a venue and feel a sense of belonging there. For the modern bride, venues like the "W" Hotel chains or the Gansevoort may fit your style. For the traditional bride, the Ritz Carlton chains, Fisher Island Club or The Breakers may be a perfect fit. The bride looking for that tropical chic vibe should look at the Palms Hotel or Fairchild Tropical Garden. For an Asian feel, the Mandarin Oriental or Setai Hotel will work perfectly. For the eclectic/artsy bride, the only place to look at is the Viceroy Hotel!Doing a lot of research before stepping out to look at venues will be your best bet. You should first start a "must have" list on your ideal venue and then you will be able to do a process of elimination as you find search listings of venues. You will eventually end up with a final list of venues and that will help you with your venue site visits. Lastly, pricing I am sure will play a key role in selecting the venue. Good luck with your search!!!As a the owner of Ocean Flowers Miami a South Florida wedding planner and florist, I always try to direct clients to venues that are appropriate for them. I try to determine their needs and desires and then go from there. Some people just step into a particular venue and know that it's right for them. There are so many different types of South Florida wedding venues to explore, that it could take some time to find the perfect spot. Speak to people in the South Florida wedding business, such as florists, photographers, etc. - 5 weeks ago

• Ali and Andy’s “Spark”tacular Destination Wedding at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club

  This was truly an unbelievable event! From the lavish cocktail hour, to the fireworks display – YES – fireworks during the ceremony to the hopping after party, this was a wedding event like no other. As a South Florida wedding photographer, I can safely say that this wedding was not only beautiful, but full of wonderful surprises for the bride and groom! Right up until the very day of the event, both Ali and Andy did not know about either the fireworks display or the after party – boy were they surprised! As you will see from the photos below, they were overwhelmed by their wedding dayThis was all due to Ali's Dad, Neil, who is the founder of Cirque Productions which, according to its website is the "first American company to combine European cirque-style of performance artistry with American circus arts and Broadway theatrics." Now, with this as his career, you can only imagine what a spectacular event his daughter, Ali's wedding was to be! This was truly a labor of love for Neil and it showed in his intense involvement in every aspect of the planning. Working with Designs by Sean among other vendors, Neil created an atmosphere of sheer fantasy and fun for the bride and groom to celebrate their most special day with friends and family.This was definitely a destination wedding for Ali and Andy. Although Ali is originally from South Florida, she has been living in Andy's home state of Ohio. What better place to invite 200 of your best friends and family members than the magnificent resort of Turnberry Isle? Every inch of the place is opulent and the grounds are truly magnificent. We began in Ali's room, as she prepared to put on her silky Pnina Tornai gown (from Kleinfeld's, as she told me) and her high heeled Stuart Weitzman bridal shoes. From there we met up with the groom and his groomsmen and then prepared everyone for the "first look". After this memorable moment, we photographed as many pictures as we could, incorporating the beauty of Turnberry Isle as much as possible into each shot.The ceremony site glistened near the water, as buildings lit up the sky in the background and a waterfall graced the skyline as well. A sparkling chuppah awaited the bride and groom as we prepared to photograph the ceremony. As the ceremony progressed, anticipation was rising among those of us who knew what surprises lay ahead! As the bride and groom exchanged their first kiss as husband and wife a burst of fireworks lit up the sky behind them! Ali and Andy looked on in amazement, as did their guests. It was truly a one of a kind wedding experience.Annette Winkler of the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club did a terrific job at coordinating everything for the hotel and the evening progressed beautifully every step of the way. The cocktail hour, ceremony and reception were enjoyed by all – and if that wasn't enough, Neil planned yet another surprise for the bride, groom and their guests.At about midnight, the doors of the ballroom opened to reveal a lavishly decorated after party set-up complete with all kinds of food! There were hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, tomato soup, churros, a cappuccino bar and last but not least a chocolate fountain with all the trimmings! Guests partied way into the night as a DJ played on. A South Florida wedding at Turnberry Isle is truly magical. The resort is situated conveniently just north of Miami and just south of Fort Lauderdale. The grounds are impeccable as is the food and service the hotel offers. There are so many amazing spots to photograph a bride and groom that it is nearly impossible to get to most of them in a given day. Ali and Andy were great sports as we shot some beautiful images in the time we had. When Ali hired me to photograph her wedding, I knew she was looking for a unique wedding photographer who would capture her day like no other. Many thanks to Ali (and Andy) for the opportunity to share this most memorable occasion with you and your families! - 6 weeks ago