Jen & Clay | River Cafe, Brooklyn | New York Wedding Photography
This wedding was such a special experience for me, because when I look at Jen, I can still see her as Jenni with a heart over the “i” from our elementary school days. We lost touch when I moved away in middle school but were reconnected some fifteen years later thanks to the magic of Facebook. It’s been so fun getting to know Jen all over again, getting to meet Clay, and being privy to all their wedding planning, from start to finish. In fact, I can so vividly remember walking around Brooklyn last year after Jen helped with my ballerina shoot and listening to her talk about her wedding dreams. She wasn’t even engaged at the time, but there we were, just blocks away from what would end up being her gorgeous wedding venue, and we just didn’t know it yet.
Of course, all of this is to say, I love Jen (and Clay too). They are two fantastic people who simply delight in each other’s company. Their wedding was a beautiful celebration at The River Café, right under the Brooklyn Bridge. The day was filled with quirky and beautiful details befitting of the pair, as well as ear-to-ear grins and lots of hugs and laughter.
The girls began the day in Manhattan, getting ready at a friend’s place in Chelsea. I love Jen’s calligraphy tattoo, “all was well” (a Harry Potter reference). It makes such appropriate cameos in some of her portraits.
Check out these stunning gold strappy Oscar de la Rentas!
Seeing Jen with her dress on for the first time.
Jen and Clay had an awesome dinosaur theme with the place cards and the favors since they had a dinosaur-related reading in their ceremony.
The wedding wasn’t especially nautical, but with the River Café setting, a little dash of the nautical made its way in, especially with that adorable little anchor nail art! The gorgeous florals were done by Opalia in Brooklyn.
This pair. They told me this crazy thing, that they’re terribly unphotogenic. What?
Jen rocks that Carol Hannah gown like nobody’s business, and clay is so dapper with his clean shave and that tailored suit.
Clay’s father served as officiant, with contributions from Jen’s father and some readings from friends.
The amazing weather held up with a gorgeous sunset too.
And that Manhattan skyline…
There’s that dinosaur reading!
All that cobblestone is just perfect.
We even had nature helping out with the wind machine.
Loved all the portraits. And we grabbed them all in about 20 minutes so that Jen and Clay could go join their cocktail hour.
Here’s a look at the beautiful tables and those cute dinosaur-succulent favors!
Cute little foxes!
The image below is a huge panorama to show off the full splendor of that cityscape. Click on it if you’d like to see a larger version.
Thank you again, Jen & Clay, for inviting me to be a part of your beautiful wedding day. It was a wonderful celebration, and I look forward to seeing awesome happily-wed instagrams from you guys for years to come.
Wedding Vendors:
Venue & Catering: The River Café, DUMBO, Brooklyn, New York
Hair: Reagan Baker, Hairdresser on Fire
Makeup: Landy Dean, Marie Robinson Salon
Nails: Naked Nails and Nails by Mimi
Florist: Opalia Brooklyn
Wedding Dress: Carol Hannah
DJ: Jasper Stapleton
Cake: Tu-Lu’s Gluten-Free Bakery
Printing: Pixie Chicago
Photography: Anna Wu Photography
Anna Wu is a wedding and portrait photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area but more than happy to travel. Follow her adventures on Facebook or contact her to submit an inquiry.
