Engagement: Lisa & Tyriq - St. George's & Ft. St. Catherine's, Bermuda
Fort St. Catherine's Beach, St. George's, Bermuda
Engagement: Lizzie & Slayton - St. George's, Bermuda
Historic Town of St. George's & Unfinished Church, Bermuda
Proposal: Emily & Josh - South Shore Beaches, Bermuda
If you’d like to get a glimpse of a “dream proposal”, look no further! Two Broadway actors, young and in love, get engaged on a beach in Bermuda! I’ve dubbed it “Broadway on Bermuda”; cute, right? Josh Paul Young - who played the role of “Judas” in Jesus Christ Superstar; a role which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - first got in touch with me last October and inquired about a Proposal Photo Package. We picked the date for the shoot and the location: Jobson's Cove!
Josh came up with a detailed plan for him to pop the question to his girlfriend, the ever so talented actress and singer, Emily Padgett. As an actress, Emily is often asked to model for photographers. Josh's plan consisted of me pretending to be the cousin of a mutual friend of Emily's. This friend told Emily that her "cousin" (myself) wanted to take photos of her while she and Josh were as on vacation in Bermuda at Jobson's Cove. Before we linked up, I told Josh my secret "hand signals" to let him know I was ready to capture him popping the question! I took a few photos of Emily solo and when she was least expecting it, gave the signal to Josh to join her by the water's edge for his big moment!
Emily’s reaction was priceless! As he got down on one knee to present the ring, Emily gasped and jumped up and down with excitement. Emily shed a few tears as Josh put the ring on her finger. From there, we started with the next “chapter” of the photo shoot: Engagement Photos! It's always an amazing feeling to photograph a proposal and then also have time for an Engagement Session afterwords. While we explored the different paths, beaches and inlets, Emily said the two of them had met through their their manager! How romantic!
As the sun began to set , a gorgeous glow of light appeared and the water appeared more teal than usual. We made our way to the next beach. Before their trip to Bermuda, Josh had told me he was acting in a play at the Shakespeare Theatre in my hometown of Washington D.C. We compared notes on the “ins-and-outs of living in the City and it was interesting to hear about their time in D.C. The two have since moved back up to New York City and Emily will soon be “gearing up” for her next Broadway Role as Mrs. Buckett in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opens March 28th at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre!
Josh and Emily were brave souls on this cold winter day in January! Contrary to popular belief, the water does get cold in Bermuda although this did not stop Josh and Emily from getting in the water! As we walked back towards the parking lot, we passed Jobson's Cove again. I said, "Do you guys want to re-enact the proposal? Eh? Eh?" Josh and Emily immediately took their spots, got into "character", and nailed their own rendition of their proposal; an amazing performance; two thumbs up!
At the end of the shoot, I gave the two a ride back to Newstead, where they were staying. After their stay at the hotel, they were going to board a cruise ship where Josh would be performing his one-man show for the next few nights. I was thankful to help Josh capture this special moment in their lives and had a blast working with the two of them! Please join me in congratulating the two of them as they start their new lives together!
For press inquiries, please email Melanie Fiander of Fiander Foto at "info@fianderfoto.com".
Live Birth: Baby Marco - Private Home, Bermuda
A special thank you to the Bellanca family for inviting me to capture the birth of their son, Marco. It was truly an amazing and unforgettable experience.
A special thank you to the Bellanca family for inviting me to capture the birth of their son, Marco. It was truly an amazing and unforgettable experience.
Maternity: Tina - Admiralty House & Tucker's Point, Bermuda
This will be Tina’s third child that she will welcome into the world with her husband and two daughters. The first baby boy in the family will be super exciting! Many congrats to them!
Maternity Photographer in Bermuda
Engagement: Iva & Dan - Cooper's Island, Bermuda
I had a wonderful time working with Iva & Dan! Cooper’s Island was the perfect location for their engagement photos. In a few short months - I’ll be photographing their wedding!
Cooper's Island Nature Reserve, Bermuda
Maternity: Amanda - Private Home, Washington DC
Many congratulations to Amanda on the upcoming arrival of her little one!
Maternity Photographer in Washington D.C.
Engagement: Aiofe & Nick - Ft. St. Catherine's, Bermuda
Fort St. Catherine's in St. George's, Bermuda
Engagement: Paola & Kyle - Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Bermuda
Paola and Kyle are engaged - and - won a free engagement session at this year’s Wedding Show at the Fairmont Southampton!
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Southampton, Bermuda
Wedding: Lina & James - Manhattan, New York City
These two lovebirds were hitched in a civil ceremony and the day after, they had their reception at their favorite spot in China Town - NYC!
These two lovebirds were hitched in a civil ceremony and the day after, they had their reception at their favorite spot in China Town - NYC! Although before the festivities, the couple and their families got ready together at the bride’s apartment in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Lina's mom, Nui, and sister, Mei, had their hair and make-up done and took turns applying the finishing touches to the table settings for the reception. Lina's father, Gary, made tea for everyone in the kitchen just before Nui propped up her ironing board between the sink and stove. The gifts for the wedding guests were packed up. After Mei had borrowed a few pieces of jewelry from her mom, we were ready to hop in the car and head to Chinatown. We arrived at the Golden Unicorn; a special venue for Lina because her parents brought her and Mei there often when they were children. As soon as we arrived, Lina's cousin, Kara started to help set everything up. Guests slowly trickled in and said hello to the happy couple.
Before the Dim Sum dinner was served, the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute presented a Dragon Dance. The gong rang and the dragons entered the room! They danced for Lina and James, who in turn "fed the dragons" cabbage as glitter was tossed onto the floor in celebration. A red circle was presented and placed around the couple thus, tying Lina and James' hearts together. From there, the couple took their first dance and enjoyed the meal!
Speeches by the Best Man and Maid of Honor were made and afterward, the DJ started up the dance party! Lina and Mei slipped away for a moment, and the bride returned in her red Chinese Wedding Dress. Towards the end of the night, Lina had one final "outfit change" and put on her mother's Chinese Wedding Dress, a gorgeous shade of orange that boasted a hand beaded Phoenix Bird.
Engagement: Lina & James - Manhattan, New York City
Three years ago this month, I had the pleasure of shooting an Engagement Session for a young lady, Lina, and her fiancé, James, in the Lower Manhattan. What made this a special photo shoot was that I've known Lina most of my life. Naturally, there's a long story to our connection. Her cousin, Alex and I, grew up together; side by side. From time to time, Alex's cousins would drive down to Arlington, VA from Chinatown in NYC for a visit; Miss Lina being one of his cousins.
It was always exciting when Alex's cousins would come down from New York City; their trips always resulted in a backyard BBQ by Alex's mom, Aunt Sylven, in South Arlington. Alex and I were a little bit older than Lina and I can remember hearing about the different stages of Lina's life from Aunt Syl. One of the most memorable was Lina's acceptance to George Washington University in D.C. Aunt Syl was particularly proud because that's where she taught.
When I learned Lina was engaged to James, I was very happy for her. When I heard they wanted me to take their engagement and wedding photos, I was very flattered - to say the least. I travelled up to NYC from D.C., and we shot the engagement photos on the same day as their amazing wedding reception, which was held at the Golden Unicorn in Chinatown. Their third anniversary is just around the corner... stay tuned for a few of their wedding photos!
Engagement: Peggy & Mark - Abbott's Cliff & Aboard "Two-Seventy"
Abbott's Cliff & Harrington Sound, Bermuda
Maternity: Katie & Matt - Private Home, Bermuda
Many congrats to Katie & Matt who are awaiting the birth of their first child!
Maternity Photographer in Bermuda
