Allaire State Park Engagement: Kyle and Meghan

Yesterday was one of those unicorn kind of days- 50 degrees in February with plenty of sunshine- perfect for Kyle and Meghan’s engagement session at Allaire State Park in Wall Township, New Jersey. I learned some interesting insights into their lives- like how Meghan likes to have “just a bite” of Kyle’s french onion soup, but has a little too much and was told she needs to get her own from now on. Or when I asked, jokingly, which kind of dog they would each be, Kyle immediately answered German Shepard and Meghan answered Golden Retriever. I loved that they took my advice and went out for dinner after their engagement session. I think making the engagement session a part of the wedding experience is so much fun- much like having the cake tasting- it should all be enjoyed! Meghan and Kyle are getting married this fall at Johnson’s Locust Hall Farm and I’m so excited to capture it!

Ramblewood Country Club Wedding, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Brian and Christine

This wedding was so special to me because I met the bride’s mother two years before her daughter’s wedding. The bride’s mother was a teacher in my daughter’s preschool classroom- what a full circle moment- Mrs. Fox (as we call her in the classroom) had taken care of my daughter and now it was time for me to take care of her daughter- a new first!

After meeting Brian (groom) and Christine (bride) at their engagement session - I was SO excited for their wedding day- they had such an adorable chemistry together. The beginning of their love story was out of a movie- Christine and Brian (both teachers) had met in the classroom and fell in love. I’m sure their students caught on to ALL of it!

Their wedding day was a brisk, November day. Christine and her bridesmaids got ready at her mother’s home before heading over to Our Lady of Good Counsel in Moorestown, New Jersey for a full catholic ceremony. Christine and Brian opted to see each other at the aisle and you could feel the excitement as their eyes finally met as Christine walked down the aisle escorted by her father. After a beautiful ceremony, we headed over to Ramblewood Country Club for a gorgeous golden hour portrait session. We couldn’t have planned for better- the soft winter light as we drove the golf carts to the best spots for photo ops! We headed back into the warmth of the country club to begin their reception. Brian surprised Christine with a dance featuring himself and the bridesmaids (surprise dances are the best). Brian and Christine snuck outside to cuddle by the fire pit and a few nighttime portraits while their dance floor was hopping. Congrats!

THE DETAILS

Venue: Ramblewood Country Club, Mount Laurel, New Jersey

Florals: Flowers By Gina

Hair: Dawn Manzer of Holiday Hair

Makeup: Camryn Corris

DJ: DJs Available

Cake: Stella Baking Co.

Video: Alliance Video Productions

Flanders Hotel Wedding: Krysta + Rich

Krysta and Rich’s December wedding was the last wedding of 2019 for me and boy was it a great one to end with! This couple is clearly fun to be around with over 300 guests, it was a big party from start to finish. Krysta and her ten bridesmaids got ready on site at The Flanders Hotel, with Your Day Your Way, on hair and makeup. After a jitney ride to St. Augustine’s Church for their ceremony, everyone headed back to The Flanders Hotel, for a beer garden (the first I’ve seen at a wedding) and live music by Goody Blue Shoes. The bridal party quickly snuck out for some photos on the Ocean City boardwalk with some gorgeous winter sunlight. Their wedding details included florals by Spinning Wheel Florist and a gorgeous cake by Blue Dolfin Sweets. The extra Christmas lights and oversized flocked trees (decorated by the hotel) made the perfect setting for their wedding. Krysta and Rich cut the wedding cake, and then cute the pizza (a new tradition at the Flanders Hotel), before heading outside for a night shot by the ferris wheel overlooking Castaway Cove. Dessert included Christmas cookies and coffee. From shawls, to twinkling lights, to Christmas cookies- I declare winter weddings to be amazing!

THE DETAILS

Venue: The Flanders Hotel, Ocean City, New Jersey

Florals: Spinning Wheel Florist

Hair & Makeup: Your Day Your Way

Cake: Blue Dolfin Sweets

Band: Goody Blue Shoes

Gown: Martina Liana

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.*

Ridley Creek State Park Engagement, Media, Pennsylvania Engagement: Rob and Heather

Heather and Rob’s engagement session was my last session of the year- December 30, 2018. Typically, my season quiets down in November, but this year, I was lucky enough to have several winter weddings and ended the year on a beautiful December afternoon with these two who were home visiting family in PA for the holidays. I had actually run into Heather and Rob the day before their engagement session, while I was photographing a wedding at their venue. We had the warmest winter sunlight, and they also brought along their adorable pup, Lucy, so we could grab a family photo. I cannot wait to see Heather and Rob again this summer at The Flanders Hotel for their wedding!

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