For this first-ever wedding shot on Governors Island in New York, Jake Murphy (of LOVE + WOLVES CO) made sure to convey, visually, what a huge deal it was to the couple and to the state park. “The brides, Dasha and Taylor, put everything together on their own from the very beginning, and their friends and family showed up in force to help them,” says Murphy. “For this reason, a lot of thought and consideration went into how we edited and processed the photos. We wanted to maintain the gritty, moody and desaturated, muted tones of Governors Island to show off its personality and charm. We also had to make it beautiful so people would see the photos and want to get married there as well.”

Murphy says the weather that day posed a bit of a challenge. “It was raining and we all arrived on the island on the same boat,” he recalls. “The brides were extremely generous with their time and gave me a quick tour and had a general plan. It was also really overcast, so the light inside the abandoned buildings was dim and only came in through opened doors and windows. One particularly difficult scene was inside the old movie theater. It was a huge space and very dark. We opened all of the exit doors to the outside light and positioned them where it could reach them. We even resorted to using cell phone lights to boost their exposure a little bit. We were fortunate enough to have access to a golf cart, which made it much easier to get from location to location.”

Some of Murphy’s top favorite moments of the day were “the thrilling boat ride on the way to the island, exploring and walking into the beautiful old buildings and seeing the potential for great photos, the speeches, the sparkler exit and the ferry ride home,” he says. “It was a day full of love and beauty. You could tell that everyone knew how special it was to be a part of Dasha and Taylor’s day on Governors Island.”

GEAR OF THE DAY

Cameras: Nikon D750 and D700

Lenses: Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/1.4, Nikon Nikkor 85mm f/1.8, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art

Lighting: On-camera Nikon SB-910 Speedlite

VENDOR CREDITS

Florals: Karyn Brooke of Sidelines Floral

Caterer: Kevin’s

Venue coordinator: Elizabeth Velez of Governors Island

Invitations: Lehr + Black

Cake: Stonefruit Espresso + Kitchen

Music: DJ Twig

Venue: Governors Island

Officiant: Alexander O’Kane

Hair: Cara D’Annibale

Makeup: Lisa Ly (MAC Pro)

Submit your wedding to Rf editor-in-chief Jacqueline Tobin for a chance to get featured here.