Jody & Anthony: 5/15/09 @ Beckwith Pointe

Beckwith Pointe: The best wedding spot in New York.  Okay, okay, I'm biased... that's where my wife and I got married 12 years ago.  Back in the days when Sal ran the place and there was no rooftop ceremony area.  Sadly, Sal has since passed on, but he still has family running the place.  Performing a wedding at Beckwith is like going home for me.  I know all the staff, I know the whole place, Angel is always there making sure everything goes smoothly.  They know me there also, and they always recommend me.  I end up doing a lot of ceremonies there and I'll be back again in two weeks for another ceremony.  Their gazebo will be waiting.

Tonight I was performing a special ceremony for Jody and Anthony, two great people that really know how to have a good time.  Their personalities shone with exuberance throughout the day.  It was a bit windy for the unity candle, but we made do.  By the end of the ceremony the mother's of the couple were shedding tears, as were more than a few people in the audience.  After the ceremony, as I waited to obtain the signatures for the marriage license, I got a chance to take a few pictures with my Olympus E-3 camera.  Jody and Anthony were having such fun I was privileged to be able to capture some their intimate photo-shoot (pictured above).  Beckwith has such nice areas for photography and Jody and Anthony were ready to pose.  I had a great time with them in the planning of the ceremony and on their day; their love and happiness was infectious.  When I left them, they were definitely ready to party... I'm sure the rest of their night went fabulous.

So always keep in mind, if you want a wedding on the beach but you want to stay in New York, there's a strip of great wedding venues in New Rochelle (Surf Club, VIP Club, Glen Island, etc.).  They all have different appeals, but to me, Beckwith is the place to be.  

Be well!

-Ryan Kaplan.