If you ever wondered what it looks like when a wedding is equal parts chic, joyful, and just straight-up fun, Meri and Max’s day at Liberty House had the answer. It was the kind of celebration where one second you’re tearing up during vows, and the next you’re dodging a flying chair during the Hora. All of it — the laughter, the rainbow (yes, a real one), lots of sushi, the custom napkins — unfolded with the Manhattan skyline quietly watching from across the water. Liberty House was more than just a backdrop for Meri and Max’s day. Meri and Max chose Liberty House as their wedding venue because they wanted to be close to the city that means so much to them, yet still feel like they’d escaped to a lush, little spring garden. That’s exactly what Liberty House delivers. Even the weather got dramatic for them: one moment it was cloudy, then a full-on downpour, and by sunset? Total golden hour magic and the biggest rainbow I’ve ever seen. The timing was so wild it felt like the universe was clapping for them.

These two have the kind of love story you’d expect from a rom-com. They met in New Orleans on Max’s 21st birthday. Meri casually wished him a happy birthday, thinking nothing of it — meanwhile, Max texted a mutual friend the next morning saying, “I think I fell in love with Meri last night.” A few weeks (and a lot of friend matchmaking energy) later, they met again — this time, for real — and the rest is history. He proposed years later by the water in Central Park, totally catching Meri off guard on the way to what she thought was a pre-Broadway dinner. She was mid-rant about directions when he dropped to one knee. She thought he was joking. Spoiler: he wasn’t.

They took their time planning the wedding, and it totally paid off. Every part of the day felt like them. From the ketubah signing in the Liberty House ballroom to Max breaking the glass at the end of the ceremony, they honored tradition while making it all feel warm and personal. Their vows had the entire room bouncing between laughter and tears. Cocktail hour? Unreal. There was asian food, lots of sushi, and seafood everywhere. If anyone left hungry, that’s on them.

Meri designed a custom print that showed off their favorite things: New York, oysters, the Chicago Bean, lobsters… it made its way onto napkins, matchboxes, and honestly should be framed somewhere. She also wore the dreamiest satin gown with a wide skirt and structured bodice — simple, elegant, and totally her. Her bridesmaids wore different shades of blush, with her sisters (hers and Max’s!) in light pink floral dresses. It all looked so soft and springy, especially alongside the blooming trees and garden vibes of the Liberty House wedding venue.

One moment that really stayed with me was Meri’s first look with her dad. When Gary turned around and saw her, the emotion in the air was undeniable. You could see how much he adored her — proud, in awe, and fully present in that quiet second. It was one of those moments that doesn’t need any words or direction.

The dance floor was on fire from the second the couple came out for their grand entrance. Their first dance was swoony, the Hora was absolute chaos in the best way, and later that night, Meri changed into a second dress.

Weddings at Liberty House have a magic all their own — the way the light hits during golden hour, how the skyline seems to sparkle at night, and how the whole space turns into this perfect little haven where stories unfold. And this story? It was joyful and heartfelt and loud in all the right ways.

And how did they find me? Instagram, of course — where many great modern love stories (and vendor connections) begin. From our very first Zoom call, I could tell Meri and Max were something special. Kind, funny, totally down-to-earth — the kind of couple you feel like you’ve known forever. Over the next year, we stayed in touch, swapped ideas, planned every little detail together with Meri, and by the time the big day rolled around, it honestly felt like I was showing up to photograph friends.

Meri and Max’s wedding at Liberty House wouldn’t have been the magic it was without the dream team behind the scenes. Huge thanks to the incredible vendors who brought every detail to life:

Photographer: Alina Delfino Photography
Videographer: A-Roll Films
Venue: Liberty House
Wedding Planner: Eleve Events
Dress Designer: Leah Da Gloria
Dress Boutique: Bridal Reflections
Stationery: Minted
Florist: Jardiniere Fine Flowers
Cake Maker: Palermo Bakery
Live Music: Nick Campbell Band
Rental/Decor: Nuage Designs
Wedding Rings: Diamond Club International

If you’re inspired by Max and Meri’s joyful wedding at Liberty House, let’s make your dream day just as unforgettable. As a New Jersey wedding photographer, I’m here to capture every special moment. Reach out today to start planning your perfect wedding!

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Alina Delfino

Testimonials

Alina was so easy going and great to work with, I reached out only two weeks before our last minute wedding in New York, and she was able to travel and be there for us on our day. Although we weren’t able to meet in person before, she made me feel so comfortable while taking pictures. Her energy and directing made it so easy to feel like friends were taking our pictures. She was willing to walk through a wooded/wet area and all over the grounds of the venue to get a wide range of shots which was everything we had hoped for. She made the whole process such a breeze since day one. We are so grateful we get to cherish these photos for years to come and cannot thank her enough. If you’re looking for an amazing wedding photographer in New York who will make you feel comfortable and laugh the whole time during your pictures, she’s the one!

Phoebe Skulczyck

Wedding

Alina was amazing! She coordinated with us ahead of the shoot and she also recommended me great MUAS! She was able to recommend places that exactly suited our vide of our photoshoot and was in constant communication leading up to the shoot, even given us tips for NYC. Upon meeting her she was lovely! She made us feel comfortable, gave us ideas for poses and was so easy going and talkative. She picked out great locations for us and gave us our photos hours after the photoshoot. Would recommend her as a NYC engagement photographer 100 times over!

Alyshia Badial

Engagement

We hired Alina and her videography team for our wedding, and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience from start to finish. Their communication was always clear, prompt, and thoughtful, both leading up to the event and throughout the day itself. They made sure we felt prepared, comfortable, and taken care of every step of the way. On top of being total professionals, they are just genuinely kind, warm, and easy-going people. It felt like having 4 extra friends (including their assistants) with us rather than vendors. They blended in seamlessly, helped calm nerves, and still managed to capture every special moment without ever feeling intrusive. We also got SO many compliments from our guests immediately after the wedding saying how amazing they were! When we received the final photos and video, I was completely blown away. I cried watching the video: it brought back every emotion in the best way, and I still can’t stop scrolling through the photos. They captured our day with so much heart, detail, and intention. These are memories we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives, and we’re so grateful to them for that. I truly can’t recommend them enough. If you’re looking for a team who is talented, caring, and genuinely invested in telling your story beautifully, they are the ones!

Meaghan Kasbarian

Wedding

Where do we even start?! Alina was hands-down one of the best parts of our wedding. she brought such good vibes, calm, sweet, and totally in control. Alina and her team somehow managed to capture everything...the big moments, the tiny details, and all the little in-between stuff that we didn’t even notice happening.The photos are absolutely STUNNING. Every time we look through them, we get emotional all over again. The way she played with lighting and caught real emotions just blew us away. Nothing feels staged. it’s all so natural and full of life.On top of that, Alina and her team were so easy to work with professional, organized, and honestly just a joy to be around. Our friends and family couldn’t stop saying how great they were the entire night.If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who’s insanely talented, makes you feel comfortable, and delivers magic in every shot book Alina Delfino. You’ll be obsessed.

Katherine Karakeosian

Wedding

Alina, I’m writing this review with tears in my eyes. Thank you for capturing the most special day of our lives in the most beautiful way we could have ever imagined! You went above & beyond to photograph our love and reach our vision for the day, and exceeded all expectations! We are forever grateful for your ability to capture not just the moments of our day, but the true feelings and story behind them. We can now cherish and look back on these photos whenever we want to re-experience our special day. You’ve given us a gift that will continue to give for the rest of our lives. We are beyond grateful for your dedication, talents, and natural eye for love. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Allie Zamudio

City Hall Wedding

We used Alina for our engagement shoot and wedding photography and I am so happy with our choice. Leading up to both events she gave us helpful advice and kept in communication so we were never left in the dark. On our wedding day she was timely, organized, and efficient. She did a great job organizing a large group and had a beautiful eye to be able to capture outdoor pictures in the winter! Alina was able to give us direction on how to pose and make us feel really comfortable in the moment, which is something we were worried about. She gave us our wedding photos back super quickly and the editing is amazing. She kept such a realistic but beautiful color to them and she truly made the whole day magical! We would 100% recommend Alina and her team.

Beth Hrehovcik

Wedding

Alina was a standout photographer. In the weeks leading up to our wedding, she sent us helpful tips and suggestions so that we were prompted to think about what we wanted from our photos (and communicate those wishes with her). Day-of, she directed us for a series of beautiful pictures in Central Park. I was nervous since I’ve never done a professional shoot before but had so much fun with Alina and Inga. At our reception, they blended into the guests so well that we did not notice being photographed throughout the night at all. I’ve been suggesting Alina to all of my friends getting married in the city and hope to use her again in the future for other events.

Eva-Maria Wills

Wedding

I can’t recommend Alina enough for engagement photography! She absolutely crushed our Central Park shoot and made our proposal day perfect. From the start, Alina was incredible to work with. I had a vision but wasn’t totally sure about the exact spot, and she helped pinpoint the exact location and capture some amazing photos around Central Park. Her knowledge of the area and eye for beautiful settings made all the difference.If you’re looking for an engagement photographer who goes above and beyond, knows her craft, and genuinely cares about making your day special, book Alina. She made what could have been a stressful planning process smooth and fun, and delivered photos that exceeded our expectations.

Andrew Rice

Engagement

We booked Alina for our wedding this past June, and the entire experience with her was absolutely phenomenal. She was professional, kind, organized and patient from our very first chat to the wedding day itself. Alina captured the most beautiful shots for us and we couldn’t be happier with the photos and service we received. The photos are STUNNING! Our guest even said they are magazine worthy. She took the time to capture photos of all our guests, families, and all the big and small moments. Absolute 10/10, zero complaints.

Cassandra Celestin

Wedding

Me and my boyfriend did a couple’s shoot with Alina in the west village and it was amazing! She’s professional, quick, communicative, friendly and flexible (we postponed our shoot 1 day because it was supposed to rain)Neither of us had ever done a photoshoot before so didn’t know what to expect but she made us very comfortable. Had good suggestions for settings/poses but also encourages you to just interact with each other creating natural looking scenes in the photographs. Which is exactly what we wanted :) She came well prepared with locations and improvised if she saw another opportunity.Not only will you get good pictures you will also just have a great time!

Maaike Pull

Engagement

Alina was AMAZING! She did the photography for our wedding and we couldn’t have been happier. She’s very professional, her work is flawless, she’s attentive, creative, and very easy to work with. We also got to work with her videography team and we’re so impressed how well they work together to produce our wedding video. I would highly recommend them both. Thank you for everything Alina!

Kristen Lettenberger

Wedding

I cannot recommend Alina enough! She is a visionary and such expert couple photographer in NYC, I would recommend her to anyone who needs pictures taken in NYC. She was so much fun to work with, and not to mention affordable. She has all of the best spots mapped out, and really made our first photoshoot quite the experience.

Cristina Fernandez

Engagement

We had the pleasure of working with Alina for our engagement photoshoot in New Jersey, and her professionalism, skills, and the incredible pictures she provided were truly remarkable. Without any hesitation, we immediately booked Alina for both our wedding photography and videography. Alina had a keen understanding of our vision and perfectly captured the essence of our special day. The highlight was the exceptional video created by Alek and Alina, which beautifully encapsulated every moment of our wedding. We are immensely grateful for capturing our cherished day.