When Illia reached out for me to photograph his and Alla’s small City Hall wedding in Utica, NY, I was thrilled. Illia had told me that he was an amateur photographer who had moved to the area from New York City, and originally from Russia. Illia and Alla’s ceremony was short and sweet and surrounded by friends and family.

After Illia and Alla’s ceremony we went across the street to the beautiful Hotel Utica to shoot some portraits of the two of them. This was my first time at the hotel and was instantly blown away by the architecture inside.

Before wrapping up, we made a quick stop at Union Station. This is definitely one of my favorite spots in Utica for wedding photos.