Simon + Josh // Hudson River Valley Wedding

Simon + Josh first contacted me back in January about their Hudson Valley wedding. Right away, I was hoping that they’d want to work together. Their venue was GORGEOUS, and to top it off a fantastic photographer had referred me to them. If you’re not already following Neal Santos on Instagram, do yourself a favor and fix that right now. So once Simon + Josh said they wanted to book, I was ecstatic.

I made my way up to the Southwood Estate on an overcast June day. I wasn’t there long before the rain started to lightly fall, but Simon + Josh took everything in stride. Upon meeting them for the first time in person (we had only Skype called up ’til then), I immediately saw how perfect they were for each other. Simon is so easy going, you won’t find him without a smile on his face. And Josh, a bit more of a worrier (like myself) would immediately calm in Simon’s presence. They brought out the light in each other.

It was a fantastic day to get married; just one day after the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. Today, on this day, they would be recognized as married in all 50 states (and Ireland!). Everyone was celebrating, and it was impossible not to get goosebumps as these two were wed.

Seriously, prepare to smile. Big time.

 

Here’s Josh! So handsome, right?

 

And here’s Simon! Simon is Irish. As in, he’s from Ireland. He has a beautiful accent, but since I’m terrible with accents I waited for him to tell me where he was from before guessing. (I probably would’ve guessed Australia. No joke – I’m that bad.)

 

Josh + Simon got ready together which I thought was incredibly sweet. They helped fix each other’s bow ties (they were kind of masters at them!), and straightened each others shirts. Take note, future couples! I wanna photograph you getting ready WITH your love.

 

By the time they finished getting ready, a light rain had moved into the area. So we decided to forgo the outdoor photographs for the time being and we took advantage of the beautiful Southwood Estate. I’m so glad we did because these are some of my favorite portraits. Ever.

 

All day was like this. Smiling, kissing, and just loving each other. All without much direction from me. This is what love looks like people!

 

Clearly, I’m hilarious.

 

What a fantastic looking grooms party!

 

Moments before walking down the aisle. I’m sure there were nerves, but Simon + Josh were all smiles!

 

Moments like this are what I live for. This is Simon’s mom congratulating Josh. Marriages are all about two families becoming one.

 

Once we realized that the rain wasn’t going to stop for outdoor portraits, I did what any photographer would do and I convinced them to embrace the rain and take some outdoor photos. They weren’t that hard to convince; look at those smiles! These guys are MARRIED!

 

And then we partied!

 

This is the image I chose to end this post on. A bit of a strange choice if you ask me – usually I pick a shot of the married couple, or a night shot to give a sense of being part of the party. But in this case, this image summed up the night for me: this is Josh’s dad and Simon’s mom toasting to their son’s union.

Everyone who was a part of Simon + Josh’s day, but especially their parents, were celebrating all day. There was so much love for these two that you could feel it in the air, and it was impossible not to be moved by all the love surrounding them.

 

Josh + Simon (or #simonandjosh), it was my honor to capture your beautiful wedding day. Thank you so much for entrusting me with one of the most important days of your lives. I wish you much love + luck and all of the happiness in the world. You deserve it. xo