We met up with Emily and Henry at Frankie's 457, a cozy Italian restaurant in Cobble Hill, about six weeks after their wedding. We were going for a laid-back, Rolling Stone-esque vibe for this interview, so we decided the non-descript dive bar across the street might be more the right speed. We walked over and settled into a corner table with some beers. We started rolling our voice recorder and asked Emily and Henry to tell us what they thought about their experience with us. It's transcribed below. We're really thankful for their feedback!
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LS: What was your first impression of us, and did your perception change at all throughout the course of working together?
ET: My first impression was that we could be friends. You seemed like people we would know somewhere else in our life, which made me personally feel comfortable. Because I was sort of worried about the whole thing in general — being the center of attention, having our photo taken over and over again, so it was nice to meet you and feel like... you had a very calm demeanor, which I was like, "Ahhh I like this." So that was really nice to sort of feel like we have this under control. You know what you're doing, you're very sweet. So I think we both left and were like, yep! This is happening.
HJ: Yeah, I agree. And then at the wedding when you were directing everyone, you guys were able to get people moving around and in their places without like, barking orders. It was very pleasant. I think it just complimented the setting and everything.
ET: It complimented the attitude. Because we were trying to be stress-free, and it helped us be stress free because you were so calm and friendly about it.
BB: Would you recommend that other couples do the first look if they were kind of undecided?
ET: Yes.
HJ: Yeah. Definitely.
BB: Why?
HJ: I mean, for me it was really fun. I enjoyed it, that's sort of the only reason I have. It was fun. And it sort of made sense logistically, we got some awesome photos out of it, it wasn't rushed at all.
ET: It was a way also to spend more time together that day. Our day [together] started at 4 rather than 6:15 [the start of the ceremony]. So we got to be together during the day for more time. And it makes a difference, because it went by SO FAST. If it felt like there were two fewer hours of our wedding day, then we probably would've felt the difference. And then we probably would've missed the cocktail hour, which went by in 30 seconds.
ET: I appreciated how respectful of each other you were. Sort of like the way you spoke to each other was very peaceful.. like, "I want to do this, what do you think of this?" and I was sort of like, oh that's really nice. As it was all happening, I noticed that and thought it was lovely.
LS: All of the work that you put into [the day] was very obvious, but then when the day came you were so cool.
ET: Beforehand, I was like, "I have to do this and this and this!" and my dad was like, "Just promise me when the day comes you're just gonna let it go and have fun," and I was like, "ok!". I just really tried to let go and have fun and enjoy it rather than dictate what was happening.
LS: Do you feel like that influenced the way you think in your day to day life?
ET: Huh! Well it probably should, but no.
HJ: Someone has to worry about something in this family, cuz I don't worry about anything!
ET: Yeah, the way I was on my wedding day was not how I am in my day to day life. I'm very much a worrier and I like to plan and control things, but I just, I felt like, people always say no matter what you plan it's going to be different, so I just wanted for one day to just let it be what it was gonna be and it was gonna be fun no matter what!
And all along we didn't want to have a long engagement, we didn't want to spend a year of our lives wondering about one day, we just wanted to let it be what it was gonna be. Try to have as much fun as possible.
And all along we didn't want to have a long engagement, we didn't want to spend a year of our lives wondering about one day, we just wanted to let it be what it was gonna be. Try to have as much fun as possible.
BB: Can I get you guys another drink?
HJ: Sure! Yeah! You're offering!
BB: Yeah! What?
HJ: I'm gonna change it up actually, I'm gonna have.. a bottle… I will have the um, oh I'll have the Full Sail Session Lager.
BB: Full Sail Session? All right cool.
ET: This is fun.
HJ: Yeah!
LS: Oh good! I think so too.
Um… this is a weird.. I don't know if this is a weird question, but I was thinking about how you see these pictures from our perspective and then you have your own personal memories from the day. How do [the photos] influence or affect your memory of the day?
ET: I think for the most part they match up to my memory, except the dancing, cuz by the end I'd had like five glasses of champagne so it was nice to be like, "Oh yeah!"
HJ: There's a lot of dancing moments where I'm like, I do NOT remember that... But that's ok!
ET: [...] like the ones where we were sort of up in the room and looking through the window. I didn't remember taking those. So I was like, look at that! These are so nice! They're beautiful!
HJ: It's definitely a positive reinforcement, there's nothing where I thought, THAT happened? or I looked like THAT? or oh, what are we doing?
There's this beautiful black and white photo of you and me... having a moment to ourselves amidst the party —
ET: I think we were dancing.
HJ: Were we?
ET: Yeah, we're looking at each other, I'm looking up at you —
ET: I think we were dancing.
HJ: Were we?
ET: Yeah, we're looking at each other, I'm looking up at you —
HJ: Yeah, there's a light behind us, so you see our hair and some dust. And I'm like, that's a fucking awesome picture and I have no recollection of that happening.
ET: Right. It's our first dance, so it's fun to see photos where I had no clue you were there. Like that one — I didn't know where you were! No clue. But to see it and be like, oh, that's so nice! Even in Hawaii [on their honeymoon], I was like, oh no, the memories are fading so fast! I was trying to replay it over and over and over in my head so that I could relive it and not forget it. So it was nice to see that, to relive it again and have things that I forgot and things where I was like, "oh yeah that WAS beautiful!" and "oh I don't even remember that happening!". It was the perfect mix of things that I remembered and things that I didn't.
HJ: Yeah. And actually, I love all of the black and white photos. I thought they were great.
ET: They're fabulous.
LS: I really love that one of you guys, I think right when you walked in, and you kissed —
ET: Yeah!
LS: — and you could see movement in the kiss and you can see everyone watching.
HJ: Really really nice. Definitely some of my favorites. Has anyone ever asked you guys to shoot their wedding only in black and white?
BB: Hmm, no! But people do ask us, "Do you shoot in black and white or color?"
ET: Seems like a really nice mix. All the ones that were black and white, it's hard to imagine them any other way, which I feel like is a good sign.
BB: And then there are some where you just know it's color, like your pink dress, the ones outside with the sky and all the different colors, the bed bugs sign...
HJ: Yeah! I'm pretty sure it still says bed bugs, too. That's ok!
BB: We were like, let's just leave two photos with bed bugs signs.
HJ: Yeah, why not?
BB: It is kind of like a cool pop of yellow.
HJ: Yeah, there's no hiding that we were in Williamsburg.
ET: Exactly. Like, this is Williamsburg, there's janky planks on the street and bed bugs signs. We knew what we were getting.
BB: We were like, let's just leave two photos with bed bugs signs.
HJ: Yeah, why not?
BB: It is kind of like a cool pop of yellow.
HJ: Yeah, there's no hiding that we were in Williamsburg.
ET: Exactly. Like, this is Williamsburg, there's janky planks on the street and bed bugs signs. We knew what we were getting.