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One Atlantic Wedding, Atlantic City, NJ: Brian + Kelly
Brian and Kelly are such a fun couple to be around. Their wedding day was filled with smiles, laughter, tears (happy, of course), and more smiles! One Atlantic provided a stunning backdrop for the Brian and Kelly’s first day as Mr. and Mrs. Capps. Enjoy!
THE DETAILS
Venue: One Atlantic, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Florals: A Votre Service Events
Hair & Makeup: Art is Salon
DJ: DJ Lady FX
Gown: Hayley Paige
The Pier provided a secluded spot for bride and groom portraits at One Atlantic.
Kelly’s mother and mother-in-law help her get into her Hayley Paige wedding gown. SO STUNNING, Kelly!
Kelly’s first look with her father will forever stay with me. Her dad’s reaction is simply priceless.
Brian and Kelly chose to do their first look on the deck at One Atlantic- such a perfect backdrop to see each other for the first time on their wedding day.
We started portraits on the boardwalk of Atlantic City before heading to the beach.
Such an impressive First Dance by the newlyweds.
Back to the balcony for the sunset and a quiet moment together.
Dancing the night away and instead of cutting the cake… feeding each other doughnuts! Love it!
What if it rains on my wedding day?
You’ve been making plans big and small, and countless decision, but there’s one decision (unfortunetly) that we have no control over- the weather. One of the most common questions I get from brides is, “What happens if it rains on my wedding day?” Here are five stages of rain preparation on a wedding day that I want to let you in on- when rain might be on the way.
1- Don’t check the weather too soon- or too often.
This was a bad habit of mine. If I had a wedding coming up on Saturday, I would be checking the weather starting on Monday, several times a day, and every day after that. Stop! This is completely draining, and the forecast will most likely change SO much. This is a fast lane to panic. Check a few days prior, and not more than once a day after. Which brings us to my next point.
2- If you see rain is definitely in your forecast- make an umbrella purchase.
I love the Totes clear bubble umbrella- paired with Amazon Prime and you are prepared! If it rains, you’ll be all set, and if it doesn’t, you can easily return them. I keep a handful with me, but like all umbrellas, they can break fairly easily, so I suggest brides have some on hand.
3- If it’s raining on your wedding day for sure- let’s take to overhangs.
Now it’s your wedding day and it’s for sure raining. First, don’t panic! This is YOUR WEDDING DAY. The day you marry your best friend- not even rain can stop the beauty that is about to unfold. There is always SOMEWHERE to shoot. It’s my job to make any situation work, so that’s what we are going to do. If it’s spitting or simply not down pouring, we can go for the umbrellas. But say it’s raining harder, and it’s just too much to risk- let’s look for overhangs. Can we put you under the overhang and I can shoot from an umbrella in the rain? Perfect.
4-It’s down pouring and just down right inclement. Let’s find beauty inside your venue.
You chose your wedding venue because you found beauty in it. We’ll look in for all the charming nooks to make sure your wedding photographs are truly unforgettable. This can be challenging but it pushes the creativity of your photographer (aka me)- it’s a great experience to learn and really push the creativity to the next level.
5- You can count on a gorgeous sky surrounding rain.
Whether it’s just about to rain, or it has finally ended- you can count on the most gorgeous sky, creating another photo op for us! So whether there is rain in the forecast or not- no worries, what seems like such a giant piece of the day, will soon become a sweet memory of just how your wedding day unfolded and you’ll have the beautiful photos to relive it.
*A lot of these tips can apply to other forms of inclement weather including extreme heat, winds, or raining cats and dogs.*
Windrift Hotel Wedding in Avalon, New Jersey: Joe and Amy
I love beach weddings, and a beach wedding in the winter is no exception. Joe and Amy were married at the Windrift Hotel in Avalon, New Jersey in November. I was so excited to be back at the beautiful Windrift and their gorgeous ballroom (see below), and to capture Amy and Joe’s wedding. After getting to know them at their engagement session at Ridley Creek State Park, earlier in the year, I knew we were all in for a good time.
Amy and Joe both got ready at the hotel before their ceremony on a covered deck overlooking the ocean. Amy’s aunt officiated the wedding, giving it such a personal and beautiful touch. While guests headed downstairs to cocktail hour, we snuck out for some gorgeous sunset photos on the beach- aligning just right with golden hour. I knew this would be an extremely memorable wedding when Joe and his friends displayed their AMAZING dance moves on the dance floor. In addition to amazing dance moves, Joe serenaded Amy in front of their guests- does it get any better? Congratulations to Joe and Amy- what an absolute honor to capture your day!
We lucked out with a seasonably warm day in November in Avalon, NJ at the Windrift.
Golden hour on the beaches of Avalon at the Windrift Hotel. So so dreamy!
Amy and her bridesmaids got ready on-site at the Windrift Hotel with the perfect window light for Amy’s bridal portraits.
A First Look with Dad- so beautiful.
This dancefloor- forever memorable!
THE DETAILS
Venue: Windrift Hotel, Avalon, New Jersey
Hair & Makeup: Melanie of Melanie Rae Artistry
Cake : The Cake Boutique
Band: The Juliano Brothers
Collingswood Grand Ballroom Wedding: Meg + Eric
Meg and Eric have been wedding planning from Chicago, so when their wedding day arrived and I finally got to meet them in person- I was beyond excited. Meg is the kind of girl you've always wanted to be friends with- she's so funny, sweet, and shares all of her emotion- she lights up a room! When Meg and Eric get together their chemistry is undeniable! They are so sweet and kind to each other and I'm beyond happy for them- I can't imagine how happy their family is for them, witnessing a perfect match.
Both bride and groom started at The Westin hotel in Mount Laurel, NJ for their getting ready. Meg and her bridesmaids prepped and shared so many special moments while Eric got.... a haircut in his hotel room! I was so excited for my second photographer, Danielle, that she was going to be able to capture it (maybe a little jealous too)! It's a wedding day first, and soooo much fun. Meg put on her gorgeous gown at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom before meeting her groom outside for their First Look, with their family and friends watching from afar. We were able to capture their bridal party, bride and groom portraits, and family portraits before rain clouds started moving in.
Their indoor ceremony, complete with a beautifully decorated chuppah by Leigh Florist, and the romantic candles and twinkle lights at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom, made for the perfect setting for their "I do"s. Their reception started with the most fun hora, followed by a lively dance floor and soooo much celebrating for our happy couple. Thank you so much to Mr. and Mrs. Gold for letting us capture your best day ever!
THE DETAILS
Venue: Collingswood Grand Ballroom, Collingswood, New Jersey
Florals: Leigh Florist
Hair: Jill Kozar of Up Your Do
Makeup: Blushed Makeup Studio
Cake: Sweet T's Bakeshop
I love using the bride's veil to shoot details- makes a dreamy backdrop.
How about a fresh haircut on your wedding day?! I love that my second photographer, Danielle, got to capture this!
Such a GRAND setting at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom. So timeless and elegant.
I love that Meg and Eric invited their bridal party and family to witness their first look- their reactions were sooo worth capturing!
LOVE allll the twinkle lights at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom.
Ocean City, New Jersey Wedding Album: Don and Tracy
If you've been following me for a while, you might know that I have a special place in my heart for beach weddings and more specifically, at The Flanders Hotel, in Ocean City, New Jersey. The hotel has a very classic feeling with antique furniture, and gold trim, just steps away from the boardwalk and beach. The Ocean City boardwalk is so vibrant with shops, rides, and murals on the walls overlooking the beach. All of the liveliness of this beach town draws brides and grooms here each year for their wedding- including myself and my husband eight years ago. When it was time to make some new sample wedding albums this year, I chose Tracy and Don's wedding at The Flanders Hotel- it was SUCH a great day.
I love my heirloom wedding albums. The cover options range from the most vibrant linens, to rich, luxe leathers and I'm a sucker for debossing. You'll see "Don & Tracy" debossed on the cover, stamped right onto the cover in such a timeless font. The photographs are printed onto the pages and the pages are as thick as a nickel. Here are a few of my favorite spreads from Tracy and Don's album. I'll also say, in the digital age we live in, couples don't always purchase wedding albums at the time of their wedding and then they feel stuck a year or two (or more!) later and not quite sure how to go about it. It's NEVER too late to get an album! It's a family heirloom that tells the story of the beginning of your family. If you're a Styled Pink couple and are wanting your very own album- let me know!
