PUERTO RICO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Sarah & Blake's Family Farm Wedding
Painting by Koby Feldmos. A gift given to the bride and groom by the groom's brother.
"Michael is an absolute gem. Beyond his exceptional talent for capturing the subtle, candid, and genuine moments, he’s perhaps the most professional person we worked with throughout the entire wedding process; if all things wedding planning were as comfortable, effortless, and well-executed as working with Michael, we would call it a vacation! He’s completely unobtrusive and blended in as a guest throughout our wedding weekend."
Sarah and Blake needed to adapt their wedding plans when Hurricane María struck Puerto Rico last September. Instead of being diminished by sadness or devastation, I think their wedding day was made even more special when set against a backdrop of the incredible strength, pride and love of this island and its people. The spirit of Puerto Rico shone through, and I hope these pictures show it.
Living in New York, they were married at Hacienda Don Carmelo, a stunning farm a few miles out of San Juan where Sarah grew up. Sarah's late grandfather had originally purchased it in the 70s to raise Paso Fino horses (one of which was gifted to King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain), and it has remained in the family ever since. When she turned seven, her mother built her a tree-house on the property, which is where Blake would propose on Thanksgiving weekend 2016.
The hurricane hit this part of the island hard - but Sarah and Blake were determined to honour Puerto Rico and support the community they love. In February, they gathered with their closest friends and family for a weekend of festivities that brought together Blake's Jewish traditions with Sarah's Latin culture. They celebrated the rehearsal dinner at Sarah's aunt's 500-year-old townhouse in Old San Juan on Friday and signed the Ketubah after a beach-side cocktail party on Saturday. On Sunday they married at the farm, where a rabbi performed a secular ceremony.
I'm so happy Sarah & Blake chose me to photograph their beautiful wedding.
Here is a selection of my favourite photos of the weekend. Enjoy!
This wedding was featured in Town & Country Magazine's Summer issue.
You can see it here.
Decoration - AKUA
Coordination - Milly Centeno Events
Cake - Lucía Patisserie
Venue - Hacienda Don Carmelo
Dress - Vera Wang
