Bringing European beach club style to the Hamptons
Some couples want a traditional wedding weekend. Twig and Kyle wanted a party that started before the party started.
Their welcome event was a daytime beach club situation that had nothing to do with the typical rehearsal dinner format. Think sun-drenched dancing, resortwear, cocktails flowing from the start, and a Carvel ice cream truck pulling up at the right moment. The energy was high, the vibe was somewhere between Mykonos and Montauk, and nobody was standing around making small talk while waiting for dinner to be served.
Lisa Ziesing of Abby Jiu Photography photographed the weekend. Planning by Sara Landon. Florals by Ivie Joy.
The welcome party
The Carvel truck detail is worth dwelling on for a second. It is exactly the kind of thing that separates a great wedding weekend from a forgettable one. Not expensive. Not complicated. Just genuinely fun and completely unexpected, the kind of moment that gets talked about for years. Twig and Kyle understood that the best details are the ones that feel personal rather than aspirational.
The fashion matched the energy. Twig's look was elevated and editorial without ever tipping into overdressed. She moved through the day fully present, dancing, laughing, being with her people. That balance is harder to photograph than it sounds because it requires a subject who is not performing for the camera. Twig was not performing. She was just having fun and looking great doing it.
The wedding day
Gurney's in Montauk. An oceanfront ceremony under a chuppah as the sun moved toward the horizon. The light at that venue at that hour does things that are almost unfair to photograph because everything looks incredible regardless of what is happening. But the setting is never the whole story.
The heart of this wedding was on the dance floor. Surrounded by their people, Twig and Kyle celebrated with the kind of contagious joy that radiates through every frame and makes you wish you had been there. Ivie Joy's florals brought warmth and movement to the space without competing with the view.
On the photography
No marathon posing sessions. No pulling the couple away from their guests for extended portrait hours. Lisa's approach on this weekend was the same as it always is: do the homework beforehand, know what matters, move fast when the moment calls for it, and disappear when it does not.
The result is a gallery that feels like you were living it right alongside them. Effortless, vibrant, and honest from the welcome party ice cream truck all the way to the last song.
Planning and Design: Sara Landon Events | Venue: Gurneys Resorts | Floral: Ivie Joy Floral Arts | Rentals: Luxe Event Rentals | Lighting: Matt Murphy Event Lighting | Stationery: Seedling | Beauty: Elite Bridal Beauty | DJ Alex and Amir