Photographers: Massimo and Taras
Venue: The Piermont

A Beautiful Waterfront Wedding at The Piermont

There is something undeniably romantic about a waterfront wedding on Long Island. The sparkling Great South Bay, beautiful sunsets, and relaxed coastal atmosphere create the perfect setting for a celebration that feels both elegant and intimate. Julie and Kenny chose The Piermont in Babylon for their wedding day, and it was the perfect venue for bringing together family traditions, meaningful moments, and a lively evening of celebration.

One of the things we love most about photographing weddings at The Piermont is its versatility. Couples can enjoy beautiful waterfront portraits, elegant indoor reception spaces, and stunning sunset photographs without ever needing to travel far from their guests. The venue’s location also makes it ideal for couples who want to maximize their photography time while still enjoying every moment of their wedding day.

A Morning Filled with Family Traditions

The day began at the Courtyard Republic Airport Long Island/Farmingdale, where both Julie and Kenny prepared for the biggest day of their lives.

Before traditional getting ready photographs began, Julie’s family held a beautiful tea ceremony. Tea ceremonies are always a meaningful part of weddings because they provide an opportunity to honor parents and family members while celebrating generations of love, gratitude, and respect. These intimate moments often become some of the most emotional photographs in the final gallery because they focus entirely on family connections and cultural traditions.

After the tea ceremony, our team documented all of the wedding details, including the invitation suite, rings, bouquet, shoes, and accessories before photographing Julie’s final hair and makeup touches. We always recommend having hair and makeup nearly finished before photography begins, allowing us to focus on elegant portraits and genuine interactions rather than documenting people waiting throughout the morning.

One especially touching moment came when Julie shared a first look with her mother. Parent first looks are often some of the most emotional moments of the wedding day and create photographs that become treasured family keepsakes for years to come.

Meanwhile, our second photographer spent the morning with Kenny as he prepared with his family and groomsmen. Groom preparations tend to have a relaxed atmosphere filled with laughter, conversations, and special moments between fathers, brothers, and lifelong friends. Photographing both sides simultaneously allows us to tell the complete story of the wedding day from beginning to end.

A Meaningful Tea Ceremony

Before sharing their first look, Julie and Kenny honored their families with a traditional tea ceremony held in the hotel suite. This intimate celebration provided a beautiful opportunity to pause before the excitement of the day and recognize the love, guidance, and support of their parents and elders.

For the ceremony, Julie changed into a stunning traditional red dress, a color that symbolizes happiness, prosperity, and good fortune in many Chinese wedding traditions. Surrounded by their closest family members, the couple served tea as a gesture of gratitude and respect while receiving blessings and well wishes as they began their marriage together. These quiet, emotional moments often become some of the most meaningful photographs of the day because they celebrate not only the couple’s love story but also the families who helped shape it.

After the tea ceremony, Julie changed back into her white wedding gown before the couple shared their first look. We love seeing couples incorporate meaningful cultural traditions into their wedding day, and including the tea ceremony before the first look allowed both celebrations to flow naturally while preserving the significance of each. It was a beautiful reminder that weddings are about more than just two people, they are about bringing families, cultures, and generations together.

A Private First Look

Julie and Kenny chose to share a private first look before the ceremony at the hotel gazebo. We always love when couples decide to include a first look because it gives them a few quiet moments together before the excitement of the ceremony begins.

Beyond the emotional aspect, a first look also creates a much more relaxed wedding day timeline. By completing many portraits before guests arrive, couples are able to spend more time enjoying cocktail hour and celebrating with family and friends rather than feeling rushed between events.

Following their first look, we captured portraits around the hotel before traveling to The Piermont.

Portraits at The Piermont

One of the greatest advantages of The Piermont is its beautiful waterfront location. Shortly after arriving, we took advantage of the nearby dock to create romantic portraits overlooking the water before the venue officially opened for photography.

Waterfront locations provide a timeless backdrop that never goes out of style. The soft reflections across the bay, open skies, and natural surroundings create elegant portraits that feel both sophisticated and relaxed.

Afterward, we photographed the bridal party before moving directly into immediate family portraits. Because Julie and Kenny prepared a detailed family shot list ahead of time, everything moved efficiently, allowing everyone to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon without unnecessary delays.

We always encourage couples to assign a family member who knows everyone to help gather relatives during portrait time. This simple planning tip keeps family photographs organized while allowing everyone to return to celebrating more quickly.

A Beautiful Ceremony at The Piermont

As guests arrived, Julie and Kenny tucked away while our photographers documented the ceremony space before everyone was seated.

One of our favorite parts of every wedding is photographing the ceremony before guests enter. It gives us the opportunity to preserve every carefully planned detail exactly as the couple envisioned it, from the floral arrangements and ceremony décor to the seating and waterfront backdrop.

Their ceremony was heartfelt and filled with genuine emotion as family and friends witnessed the beginning of their new life together. We always aim to balance wide photographs that showcase the beauty of the venue with intimate close-up moments that capture the expressions, reactions, and emotions shared throughout the ceremony.

A Lively Reception Filled with Celebration

As guests entered the ballroom, the celebration officially began.

The reception was filled with wonderful food, heartfelt conversations, and an energetic dance floor that kept everyone celebrating throughout the evening.

Rather than scheduling traditional table photographs, Julie and Kenny planned to visit each table for personal toasts. We often recommend combining these visits with a quick posed photograph whenever possible. It not only creates a wonderful keepsake for every table of guests but also ensures everyone is facing the camera rather than being photographed from behind while conversations are taking place.

Throughout dinner and dancing, our photographers continued moving throughout the ballroom capturing natural interactions, laughter, hugs, and spontaneous moments between guests. While posed portraits certainly have their place, some of the most meaningful wedding photographs are the candid moments that unfold naturally throughout the evening.

The celebration concluded with a beautiful cake cutting before the dance floor continued well into the night, creating the perfect ending to an unforgettable wedding day.

Why We Love Photographing Weddings at The Piermont

The Piermont continues to be one of our favorite Long Island waterfront wedding venues because it offers couples everything they could hope for in one location. Beautiful waterfront scenery, elegant reception spaces, spectacular sunsets, and exceptional service all come together to create an unforgettable wedding experience.

From intimate first looks and family portraits to golden hour by the water and energetic receptions, every part of Julie and Kenny’s wedding showcased exactly why this venue remains such a popular choice for Long Island couples.

If you’re planning a wedding at The Piermont or another Long Island waterfront venue, our experienced photography team would love the opportunity to help tell your story through timeless, natural, and joyful photographs that you’ll treasure for generations.