Some weddings simply feel magical from beginning to end, and Deirdre and Chandler’s rooftop wedding celebration at Antique Loft at Riverview was one of them.

Deirdre and Chandler live in Hoboken. As we walked through the waterfront park, they told me that this place felt like their backyard. We joked that they were essentially having a backyard wedding.

A week before the wedding, we had a detailed conversation about the photography schedule. Deirdre wanted portraits at the historic Hoboken train station, followed by another session at the waterfront park after the ceremony. At first, it sounded ideal—the sun would be lower, the light softer, and the New York City skyline glowing in the warmth of sunset. However, I suggested splitting the photo sessions in half: moving the train station portraits to before the ceremony while saving the waterfront session for after ceremony. Part of the reason was to avoid possible crowds at the station, even though it was a Saturday and commuter traffic would likely be lighter. But more importantly, I knew the train station would photograph better earlier in the day.

Photographers often love the low angle of sunlight during sunrise and sunset—the “golden hour”—because it creates soft, flattering light in open spaces. But light behaves differently inside buildings, especially in a historic structure like Hoboken Terminal, with its high ceilings, tunnels, windows, and aged architectural details. During the day, sunlight filtering into the station bounces softly across its worn surfaces, filling the space with warm, nostalgic tones. On the other hand, if it were under evening light, the lower angle and weaker intensity of sunlight can lead to unsaturated results. When mixed with the orange-brown tones of tungsten lighting of the station fixture lighting, the overall color can become less pleasant and more difficult to balance.

Fortunately, our decision made everything possible. As cocktail hour quickly blended into the reception, there would not have been enough time to comfortably photograph both locations afterward. By planning ahead, we were able to fulfill the couple’s vision without rushing the experience.

For this wedding, I decided to shoot a roll of Kodak Ultramax film, hoping its signature warm Kodak tones (Kodak yellow; Kodak is famous for its yellow) would complement the historic atmosphere of Hoboken Terminal: the Tiffany stained-glass ceiling, the wooden benches, and the bronze details. The film’s golden color palette felt like the perfect way to celebrate the station’s timeless character.

Here are some of the images captured on film.