VINTAGE BRIDE IN NEW JERSEY!

Happy Anniversary Kelly and Dean! We shot their wedding in 2013 in New Jersey! It was such an amazing wedding!

We actually did not meet the couple in person until their wedding. But that does not stop us from trying to create a bond with the couple before their wedding. We do this through skype, facetime, email, and phone conversations.

I love the getting ready part of the day. It's crazy, hectic, and tons of fun. I really enjoy capturing all the details and getting really creative with them. While doing that, Neal figures out the best place for the Bride to get in her dress and for portraits. Kelly got ready at a private brownstone in Hoboken, NJ. If have you ever been there, you know the parking is insane. Parts of the streets are color coded and we had no idea what they meant. We definitely thought we were getting a ticket or a boot! But the show must go on!

When we walked in, the greeting was amazing! Hair and makeup was being done everywhere. And of course the main spot Neal wanted Kelly's portrait was in that room! Surprise surprise! Once all the ladies were ready, everything was cleaned up and ready for Neal. Kelly had a beautiful flowing dress and we wanted to take advantage of the train. There were huge shuttered windows that were letting a ton of light in. We had her pose facing outside and gently opening the shutters to reveal the light. We asked her to look to the side and down a bit, so you could see the profile of her face. A beautiful pose. Neal shot this image with a little silhouette in mind. Not too dark. You can see the details in her dress and her face. When everything ties in together, a vintage and timeless pose was created!

-Danielle

NYC Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Hoboken Wedding Ceremony - Our Lady of Grace 

Photo Session in NYC - Pier a

NYC Wedding Reception - Waterside Restaurant

Sorry for the long blog post today, but this is also a very special day to us. We also celebrate our anniversary today! To my husband, Neal.... You are a wonderful man. You are the most creative and thoughtful person I know. You have taught me many things as I have to you. You have inspired so many people to follow their dreams as you did. You are very determined and never give up. I have watched you grow into the wonderful man you are today. You have made me a stronger person and I thank you so much for that. Never change who you are. I am so happy to be your wife and I love you more than words can say! Happy Anniversary Neal!

-Danielle

LOVE IN Avalon Country Club WINE CELLAR!

How much more romantic can you get? A Bride and Groom having a special moment in a wine cellar!

This wedding reception took place at Avalon Golf and Country Club in Warren, Pennsylvania. What a beautiful club. The grounds were amazing. The inside of the club was just as beautiful as the outside. Right upon entering, Neal and I took a quick walk around the main building, while the reception room was getting its final details. We came upon a small wine cellar. We definitely needed to do something here with the Bride and Groom! Before even attempting anything, we asked the staff if it would be ok. No problems there!

Toward the end of the reception, we took the Bride and Groom away for an end of the night photo shoot. We went right to the wine cellar. Instead of placing them in front of the wine rack, Neal wanted to get fancy. So, we placed them in a corner of the room. We asked the Groom to go in for a kiss or to whisper in his Bride's ear and see what happened. He must have told a joke because the Bride started laughing right away. We asked them to keep doing the same thing, but had the Bride close her eyes. Their interaction continued to be great.

Now all we needed was to brighten up the corner a bit. We needed more light on the couple and we wanted to brighten up the wine rack as well. We set up multiple flashes to help with that. Neal got his camera lens really close to the side wine rack and shot straight on at the couple. This helped to get the side wine rack in the shot. Even though it is out of focus (purposely), you can still see it in the foreground. 

This is a romantic and fun shot all in one! The Groom is trying to have a nice sensual moment with his new wife and she is laughing! It is all tied together in a romantic setting!

-Danielle

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Ceremony - High Street Community Church, Conneaut Lake PA

Photo Session and Pittsburgh Wedding Reception - Avalon Golf and Country Club

WEDDING REFLECTIONS AT HAWKESDENE HOUSE

We love working with reflections. They can add such beauty to a photo. So, why not see it in double!

We traveled to the Hawkesdene House in Andrews, North Carlolina for this wedding. What an amazing private mountain estate, located near the Nantahala National Forest. They can accommodate small weddings and guests can stay right on the grounds in either the main building, or small cottages. 

This image was taken in one of the suites. There were huge doors that lead to a balcony off the room. We originally weren't paying attention to the giant mirror on the wall when we started. We wanted to take advantage of the doorway and drapery with the light coming through. Our first thought, was it could be a great silhouette shot. As Neal was taking those shots, I was looking for another angle and noticed the Bride and Groom in the mirror. I told Neal to stand where I was and see if we could do something with the reflection. He loved it. It is so great to find different shots within the same areas or poses. We could keep the couple exactly in the same pose as we did for the silhouette. We just needed for them to take a few steps over.

Now, the tricky part. We wanted them to stay naturally backlit from the doorway. However, this made the front of them a bit dark. It looked really nice though. We did try to add in some light on their faces, but it was super hard for me to not be in the mirror. We took a quick look in the camera to see the difference between the two. Neal and I both agreed on liking the first image without extra light better. We also loved that in the reflection, you can see light rays coming in behind the Bride! That definitely brought a more magical feel to the image!

When Neal first took this image he knew right away that the final result was going to be in black and white but the purple hue from the curtains gave this image a very unique tint so he thought it was best to leave it in color!

Stay tuned in the next few days for another image from the grounds at the Hawkesdene House! 

-Danielle

Destination North Carolina Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Andrews, NC  Wedding Ceremony & Reception - Hawkesdene House, Andrews, NC

Videography - Heart Stone Films

ENGAGEMENT IN CENTRAL PARK

Did you know there is a castle in Central Park, in New York City? It's called Belvedere Castle. It is actually featured in a lot of movies. I never knew it was there until we did the shoot.

What an adventure. You never really know how big Central Park is, until you are looking for somewhere specific. We started out by trying to find a giant rock formation where the Groom proposed! We found it! Then of course we went to the fountain area featured in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. We couldn't skip that. (We really liked the staircase leading to the fountain better!) But then we needed to find Belveder Castle. On the map, it seemed pretty close.

The best part was, we still had another stop outside of the park before we had to catch our flight home. We were running around Central Park on a mission. Finally, the castle was in sight. Little did we know, to get onto the grounds, it was at the opposite end of where we were. The couple was amazing and didn't mind at all if it was just in the background. We had already been to the main places they wanted to stop at. This was a bonus stop. We already did a lot of standing poses, so it was time to change it up. And after the long journey to the castle, it was time for a break.

We had the couple sit down and just relax. Neal had them enjoy the scenery and every now and then look at eachother. We wanted the image to feel like they were enjoying a picnic (minus the basket, food, and wine haha). And it does. It's as though they are stealing a few hours to themselves, without the hustle and bustle of the city.  A beautful and simple image. 

-Danielle

Photography by Neal Urban Studio 

Hotel accomodations - Waldorf Astoria

CRUISIN' TO COZUMEL Mexico!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!  We hope you are out enjoying the weather and a yummy margarita!! Sorry there aren't any margaritas in this image, but it was taken on a post bridal shoot to Cozumel, Mexico! Close enough!

This shot was done for a photo shoot we did on a Carnival Cruise! What an amazing adventure. It was a post bridal shoot with a wonderful couple. The Bride packed up her wedding dress in a suitcase and we were on our way! 

This was done around sunset one of the nights on the ship. Since it was on a cruise ship, we didn't really have hair and make-up on board, so it was compliments of me! I must say, I didn't do too bad of a job! But I won't quit my day job. Of course it was windy, so hair didn't last too long. But we all know how much Neal loves to work with wind and long veils, so it didn't matter.

We wanted the signature Carnival Cruise smokestack for the shot. Because it was a bit windy, there really wasn't anyone else up there, so we had free range. All we needed was for the Bride to strut her stuff and interact with her veil. She was so much fun. She had such a wonderful personality that we really didn't need to direct much.

We used as much available light as we could, but the sun was sinking fast. We did need to add in some artificial light on her face to brighten it up a bit. But all in all, Neal captured an amazing image! One of our favorites from the trip!

-Danielle

Destination Mexico Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Cruise line - Carnival

Destination - Cozumel, Mexico

The MOMENTS BEFORE...

Taking us back to Miromar Lakes in Florida for today’s image. We photographed this wedding two years ago at Miromar Lakes Golf and Beach Club. 

For most weddings, if Neal and I are working together, I stay with the Bride right before the ceremony, while Neal is up front with the Groom. I love this time with the Bride, her Bridesmaids, her Father, or whomever is walking her down the aisle. There is always laughing, crying, and nervous jitters behind the scenes. If the Bride is super nervous, I try to throw out some jokes to help calm her down. I can’t say they are good, but it seems to do the job!

This shot was taken on my walk over to the ceremony with the Bride and her father. There were no nerves from this Bride. She and her father were cracking jokes and laughing the whole time. I couldn’t help but laugh too. It made for great photos.

We were standing in main entrance to the Club waiting for the wedding planner to ok us to continue walking over. The sun was starting to set and I was in luck that it was happening right behind them. The light was coming right through the top of the doors creating a beautiful glow around them. I always do simple basic portraits right before the Bride walks down the aisle. With this lighting and cool looking doors, I knew I could do something really beautiful. I asked the Bride and her father to have a final moment between each other before “Go time!” They were already standing where I needed them, so they didn’t really need to do much.

My favorite part of this image is the Bride is still laughing at something her father said to her. It was great they were still having a conversation and being themselves. This is surely a moment they will always remember!

 -Danielle

Desination Fort Myers, FL Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Ceremony, Photo Session & Reception - Miromar Lakes

Destination Wedding Planner - Jet Set Wed

EPCOT TEA HOUSE

Taking us back to 2012 for this beautiful shot. We had the pleasure of doing a post bridal shoot in Disney World for one of our couples. The Bride is a huge Disney fan and originally wanted her wedding there, but once she found out that outside photographers were not allowed, she had a change of plans. She wanted Neal and I to be there. We told her not to worry, we’ll get to Disney! And we did!

The Bride and Groom got us passes for all of the theme parks. We were only there for 3 days and needed to do photos in all 4 parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and MGM Studios. Photo shoots are not allowed in any of the parks, unless you hire the parks’ photographers. So Neal and I brought the bare minimum into each, looking like we were guests.  The Bride had special passes that let us into parks after closing time too. We were doing photos in the Magic Kingdom until about 2:00am! Amazing! She even had specific outfits for every park!

This image was taken in Epcot, one of my favorite places. It is most beautiful at night! There are eleven countries to visit in Epcot. We started at one end and worked our way through all of them. The Bride knew every inch of the park, which was great. We had our own personal tour guide!  We were coming up on the United Kingdom. The Bride said one of her favorite places was here. A tea house!  We had to stop! Once we saw it, we knew we could get something good. We didn’t want to take away from the scenery with a crazy pose either. We wanted to keep it very simple and tie the whole image together. Here comes the hard part! How do you get the Bride and Groom alone in the photo with thousands of people walking by. The key is...You don’t!  We had to shoot every time there was a lull in the crowd. It was pretty fun. We had a few delays, in that the Bride was dressed in a beautiful white dress (not a wedding dress). But she looked like one of the Disney princesses. So, a lot of kids stopped to talk to her and wanted pictures with her. It was hysterical!

We only had some extra lighting on their faces. There was enough back light from the tea house. After being pretty patient, Neal got the shot! We knew from looking at the image in the camera, it was going to be beautiful. And it is! The Bride and Groom absolutely loved it! We liked it so much, we have a print in our home. Well, minus the couple haha!

The Bride and Groom are celebrating their anniversary today as well! So Happy Anniversary! Time to go back!

-Danielle

Disney Wedding Photography by Neal Urban Studio

CABANA BY THE BEACH!

Shooting by the beach can always be tricky. Sure, you can get sand all over you, or get splashed by a wave if you get too close. But the end result can be beautiful if your Bride and Groom are willing to go for it!

We traveled to Miromar Lakes Golf and Beach Club in East Miromar Lake, Florida. It is near Fort Meyers. We arrived the day before the wedding to scout out the location. Little did we know, you can’t get into the resort unless you are on the “list.” A quick phone call to the Bride and we were in. We were greeted by the wedding coordinator, who gave us the ok to go anywhere we wanted on the grounds.

The ceremony took place at the golf club and the reception was to follow. That didn’t leave us much time for photos. We had about 25 minutes to get family portraits, wedding party, and the Bride and Groom portraits. Good thing we scouted the day before and knew exactly where to go and how far away it was. We had the limo take us to the locations. Time was ticking away! We got to the beach and saw the lonely cabana. I brought the couple to where Neal wanted them and set up some lighting behind them. We left the couple alone and let them have some time together. Right as the sun was peaking out from the clouds, they had a kiss. It couldn’t have been more beautiful. Neal turned the photo black and white to make it a bit more dramatic. 

Getting lost in the magic, we almost forgot the time. We had about 5 minutes to get back to the reception and one more stop on the way. We had everything ready to go for the last shot. All the lighting was ready and we told the Bride and Groom what we needed them to do. 3 minutes to go! We all jumped out, got the last shot and got back to the reception with about 10 seconds to spare. Close call, but we would do it all over to get another image like this!

This image is also featured in "How to Photograph Weddings" by Michelle Perkins from Amherst Media!

-Danielle

Desination Fort Myers, FL Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Ceremony, Photo Session & Reception - Miromar Lakes

Destination Wedding Planner - Jet Set Wed

SUN GODDESS

Let's face it, the weather in Buffalo needs to change.  It's time for the snow to melt and feel the sun on our skin!  

We were in the bridal suite at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore Maryland.  It was about 20 minutes before the ceremony and the Bride was ready to get married.  We were just documenting behind the scenes and there was a giant window with beautiful light coming through.  I asked the bride to stand in the window and hold open the curtains.  With a slight glance down to her right shoulder, and snap snap!  That was the shot!  The rays of light hit the Bride and she was glowing.  We turned it to black and white because it brings out more emotion on the Bride's face.  But you still get the feeling of the Bride getting kissed by the sun!

-Danielle

Neal Urban Studio

OMG, it's snowing!

Snow in spring!  That’s what happens living in Buffalo NY and why today’s image is a great choice.  We are all dreaming of being somewhere on a beach like this right now!

Rick and Leanne had their destination wedding at the Sandals WhiteHouse in Jamaica. I highly recommend going there!  What a beautiful location for a wedding!  Getting there was another story.  Flying out of Buffalo in March is always tricky.  There was a snow storm when everyone was to fly out, so all flights were cancelled.  All friends and family drove to either Baltimore or Pittsburg to catch a flight.  Neal and I rented a car and took the icy drive to Pittsburg to catch ours. It was all worth it in the end when everyone arrived safely in paradise to celebrate this wonderful couple’s wedding and new life together.

Rick and Leanne’s wedding took place around sunset right on the beach.  We couldn’t have asked for a better location. Right after the ceremony concluded, it started to rain.  Panic attack!  But a quick 5 minute downpour lead to this beautiful sunset.  It was impossible to take a bad shot.  This image was taken by Danielle Urban with all natural light.  The scenery was amazing!  All we needed was for Rick and Leanne to take their first walk down the beach as a married couple and capture the moment.

Rick and Leanne just celebrated their first anniversary a few weeks ago, so Happy Anniversary to them, and here’s hoping for some warmer sunny weather in the weeks to come!

-Danielle

Destination Sandals White House Jamaica photography by Neal Urban Studio

Ceremony, Photo Session, Reception, Videography & Hotel accomodations - Sandals White House, Jamaica