My current obsession is photography. I just recently fell in love with my Nikon D70 (dinosaur, I know.) I’ve had it for more than four years, but never really understood the technical aspects of my camera. I finally decided it’s time to learn and my photos are improving immensely!

I’m so inspired by the work of other photographers. And one of them is Zena Holloway. Her work is so dreamy! Interestingly, Zena started out as a scuba diver before she made a career out of underwater photography. I am so captivated by these ethereal underwater scenes . Wouldn’t it be incredible to do a wedding shoot like this?

Read all about Zena here.

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Thanks to Martha I stumbled on a goldmine of ideas for DIY wedding programs.

Martha has photos of 25 DIY wedding programs, many with complete tutorials and templates. Here are a couple of my faves

If you are looking for more DIY wedding program ideas, check out Amanda’s wedding program fan tutorial. Also, don’t forget to check out this free program template; ideas for scroll wedding programs; and sewn DIY wedding programs by Merriment.

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Want a contemporary NY wedding with lots of flair? Want an intimate NY wedding in a ‘wow’ setting? New York has plenty of ‘raw spaces’ that can be magically transformed for your wedding day.

Check out these unique NY wedding venues:

The Foundry

In the 19^th Century it was a foundry, now it’s on the list as one of the most interesting NY wedding venues. One look at the photos and you’ll see that it has been meticulously restored to retain its industrial character. Stunning proportions, adaptable to many uses, and available to rent for weddings up to 125 people for a seated meal.

The Foundry also has an adjacent courtyard, as well as a terrace, which features views of the Queensboro Bridge and Manhattan skyline.

Scandinavia House

When it comes to unique NY wedding venues,  Scandinavia House has of the most ideal settings for an intimate event.

Designed by the celebrated American architect James Stewart Polshek, Scandinavia House is a stunning modern building that puts Scandinavian culture on display with design materials and furnishings representing the five Nordic countries. Detailed with exquisite care, the cultural center reflects Scandinavia’s reputation for excellent craftsmanship and sophisticated design.

The building is located in mid-town Manhattan and is close to major New York landmarks.

Scandinavia House has a list of preferred caterers including Smörgås Chef, which manages a full service restaurant on our main floor.

Brooklyn Artists Gym

Brooklyn Artists Gym is an artist studio and gallery facility in the Park Slope/Gowanus area of Brooklyn, New York. The Brooklyn Artists Gym Gallery is available to rent for small weddings. The Gallery is approximately 900 square feet, with over 125 running feet of wall space.  There are over 60 adjustable lights, and the ceiling is 11 feet high.   There is also an adjacent 500 sq. ft room that can be used along with the gallery space for weddings.

Galapagos Art Space

This art space, located in Brooklyn has 1,600 square foot lake complete with island seating on the lake, a wrap around mezzanine with operatic ‘box-style’ seating is as romantic as they come.

Winner of a 2009 Building Brooklyn Award, and current nominee for the Municipal Art Society’s MASterwork Award, Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO is on target to become New York City’s first LEED certified ‘green’ cultural venue.

Spoke the Hub Re:Creation Center

Spoke the Hub Re:Creation Center, located in the heart of residential Park Slope, Brooklyn, serves as the company’s headquarters and main teaching center and its available for weddings.

Occupying two full floors of a typical Brooklyn brownstone, the main studio is approximately 16′ x 38′ and sports a sprung maple hardwood floor, mirrors, ballet barres, and a sound system that accommodates CD’s or iPod.

Ramscale

Ramscale is a 3,500 square ft. penthouse loft with a terrace that overlooks the Hudson River. It has 12 9 ft. x 4 ft. windows that offer breathtaking views of the harbor and lower Manhattan.

Divine Studio

If you’ve been looking for NY wedding venues that will wow your guests, check out Divine Studio. Divine Studio is a 300 square foot studio in the heart of Noho. The white expoxy floors, floor to ceiling arched windows and south and west daylight exposure make it a magical setting for a wedding. The space is like a blank canvas and can be transformed for intimate events.

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Leah, 34 & Scott, 33

Alberta, Canada

Wedding Date: January 12, 2008

Number of Guests: 35

Wedding Cost:  $5,000 including 7 day honeymoon backpacking in Cuba

Wedding Ceremony Location: Scandia Lutheran Church, Armena, Alberta

Wedding Reception Location: Ramada Inn, Camrose, Alberta

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

First of all, neither of us had ever wanted a large wedding.  We knew that before we got engaged. Practically, we were completely against the idea that our wedding would put us into debt. We wanted to start our lives together in good financial shape, not with a new debt to bring into the marriage.  But, as it happened, there was a critically important emotional reason: this was also an intense and sad time for my immediate family.  My father was terminally ill with cancer.  He was weak and in pain.  We wanted him to be able to participate in the whole day, if he could, and knew that a large crush of people would make that hard for him.  It was already an intimate time for our loved ones; it was a time of closeness and a profound time for our family. We felt that the circle of people we shared this day with needed to be the people we were absolutely closest to.  It was so important to us that our immediate families and closest friends be able to share in the joy of the day and we didn’t want any kind of wedding where we wouldn’t get a chance to talk to people, or acknowledge the realities of my dad’s physical needs.

What would you do for amazing wedding photos? Would you climb down a ladder into a dark hole, wade through quickmud and dark water in your wedding gown,while bats are darting back and forth above your head? (Oh, and look out for the bat poo; it’s everywhere!)

This bride did. (The groom did too, but he didn’t have to navigate a cave wearing a gown.)

Check out the video on how this trash the dress (TTD) session was filmed.

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