shelleyandkeith's blog XML feedhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/The latest from shelleyandkeith's blogen-US2012-02-12T19:21:46ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Katie & Matthew, Wilson Hall, PNC Arts Center Weddinghttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/28/katie-matthew-wilson-hall-pnc-arts-center-wedding.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-28T16:24:11ZNew Jersey wedding photographers PNC Arts Center wedding WPJA photographers in NJ Wilson Hall Wedding Photo weddingsWell, this was a challenging entry to put together, since you can't really post 800 pictures.... Katie and Matt's day was amazing in a number of ways: First off, there's Katie and Matt, a super couple who did a great job in planning, and who came to their wedding day determined to enjoy! And the locations-- a gorgeous classic church in Fairfield, great portraits and family photos at Monmouth University's Wilson Hall, and then onto a great party at the PNC Bank Arts Center. Oh, almost forgot, it also was NEW YEAR'S EVE! We had a large ballroom filled with friends and family having a great time, all climaxing at the stroke of Midnight. MerriMakers did a great job with decorating and catering, and DJ Neville Chamberlain was spinning actual vinyl LP's, with a heavy dose of vintage Blue Note jazz giving way to some room-movin' groovin'. That's why we wound up with hundreds and hundreds of beautiful images, and what follows here is a small sampling of highlights. Happy New Year and best wishes to Katie and Matt, it was a blast!

]]>Jillian & Adam's Wedding at Basking Ridge Country Clubhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/26/jillian-adams-wedding-at-basking-ridge-country-club.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-26T16:24:39ZBasking Ridge Country Club Wedding December wedding photos NJ wedding photographers WPJA photographer in NJ weddingsJillian and Adam got married at the Basking Ridge Country Club on a pretty nice day in December, stil chily, but no snow on the ground... Adam is a recent grad of West Point, just back from Afghanistan, and by now the newlyweds are relocated to Texas. With this great couple, it wasn't hard to find expressive moments to capture, and we had a great time doing it. They even braved the cold for some outdoor portraits on the links, which allowed us to include some dramatic backgrounds. Jillian and Adam have a great future ahead of them, and we wish them all the best!

Adam working on his vows before the ceremony:

]]>Victoria & John's Wedding at The Newark Museumhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/25/victoria-johns-wedding-at-the-newark-museum.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-25T15:16:28ZFun Wedding Portraits NJ wedding photographers Newark Museum Wedding WPJA photographer in NJ weddingsWe already posted about shooting a wedding when Hurricane Irene barreled through the tristate area, and now we are presenting Victoria & John's celebration, which happened to fall on the other major weather day of 2011: October 29. On what would typically be an ideal fall day, with glowing colors, warm light and gentle breezes, we instead had ice, snow, wind, falling trees, traffic snarls... If you were in NJ, then you remember it well...

But, we had Victoria and John! A fantastic couple who turned the day into fun, joy and love. We became big Victoria fans about 5 minutes after she came to our house for a meeting. John didn't show up for the meeting, but he had a great excuse: he was working in India for the US State Department. The connection between them was fun to capture, and they had a great time with their friends and families. 

We begin with portraits, Victoria at her parents' house, and John at the church, and then on through the ceremony moments:

And next, after a rather treacherous drive, the scene changes to The Newark Museum, where we captured some details of the beautiful party design:

Before the party started, we had a little time for some fun portraits with this great couple, they really enjoy each other:

How beautiful is that?  OK, time for the party, with Victoria and John making their big entrance, followed by moments from their first dance:

And once the dance floor opened up, check out the fun and joy of these moves:

Cake for all:

And by this time, the party was rocking:

Our thanks to Victoria and John for a spectacular day!

 

]]>Jamie & Shawn's NJ Engagement Photoshttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/24/jamie-shawns-nj-engagement-photos.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-24T15:02:01ZEngagement Shoot NJ wedding photographers WPJA photojournalist engagement engagement photoWe offer an engagement shoot as an option for our wedding couples. We enjoy this, since it lets us make some interesting images of our bride and groom in a more relaxed and informal setting. It's a great way to get to know each other a little better, and to develop our interaction, so that on the wedding day, we're already in the groove. Jamie and Shawn's wedding will be in August 2012, and so we welcomed the opportunity to photograph them and their best friend Olive at a location local to us here in Glen Ridge. They did a great job, and we're looking forward to the wedding!

]]>Jessica & Rob, Packanack Lake, New Jerseyhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/23/jessica-rob-packanack-lake-new-jersey.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-23T14:42:54ZNJ wedding photographers Packanack Lake Wedding WPJA photojournalist Wedding Portraits weddingsJessica and Rob's wedding took place at Packanack Lake, in northern New Jersey, with the church on one side, and the Packanack Lake Club on the other. And, there's a beautiful little park with views of the lake and a bridge that's perfect for pictures. Combine all of this with gorgeous fall colors, a great couple, and the opportunity to make photos when the available light is ideal (a rare treat), and the result is.... well, we like it a lot, hope you will too!

]]>Krista & Brian, Mountain Lakes Clubhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/22/krista-brian-mountain-lakes-club.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-22T12:41:20ZMountain Lakes Club Mountain Lakes wedding NJ wedding photographers WPJA photographers in NJ weddingsKrista & Brian got married on August 27, 2011, when Hurricane Irene plowed through New Jersey and on to NYC and northward. Many weddings were postponed, especially those along the Jersey shore, where conditions were dangerous and many roads were closed.... But, Krista & Brian had the good fortune to be in Mountain Lakes, far enough inland that their wedding could proceed. The turnout was surprisingly good, considering the situation, with most of their close friends and family present. Those who couldn't safely travel were able to be in touch via Skype and Brian's MacBook. The Mountain Lakes Club made for a beautiful celebration, and was conveniently close to the church where their ceremony took place. So, it was an adventure, and it also was a lot of fun for all their guests. Why let a little hurricane interfere with your plans? 

 

 

]]>Andrea & Paul, The Castle at Skylands Manorhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/21/andrea-paul-the-castle-at-skylands-manor.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-21T15:46:07ZCastle at Skylands Manor NJ wedding photographers WPJA photojournalist award-winning photographers outdoor wedding weddingsOn a very hot and humid July day, we returned once again to The Castle at Skylands Manor, certainly among our favorite locations to shoot. The excellent staff there consistently produce a wonderful experience, and Andrea and Paul's beautiful wedding day continued the tradition. We always like to feature some images of the gorgeous grounds, tasteful details, and romantic portrait settings that are available there, like a movie set for a great story. Andrea and Paul showed great presence and poise, even through the sweltering conditions, and we are very pleased with the photographic results!

 

Want to see more of our work at Skylands? It's easy, just click here

]]>Meghan & Michael at the Ridgewood Women's Clubhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2012/1/20/meghan-michael-at-the-ridgewood-womens-club.htmlshelleyandkeith2012-01-20T17:08:07ZNJ wedding photographers Ridgewood Women's Club WPJA photojournalist outdoor wedding weddingsMeghan and Michael's wedding took place at the Women's Club of Ridgewood on a hot and humid July afternoon. The club is a well-preserved example of turn-of-the century architecture, and the ballroom works well for a simple and classic celebration. They got married outside, braving the heat and humidity, and they were serenaded by a friend with an inspirational voice. After some portraits, it was party time back in the air conditioning... A beautiful couple enjoying a special day with family and friends.

]]>Karen & Anatoly, The Castle at Skylands Manorhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2011/7/8/karen-anatoly-the-castle-at-skylands-manor.htmlshelleyandkeith2011-07-08T17:17:32ZCastle NJ wedding photographers Skylands Skylands Manor WPJA photojournalist weddingsWe were excited to return to The Castle at Skylands Manor in Ringwood, NJ, a spectacular mansion in a beautiful state park with carefully maintained and aesthetically impressive grounds. The weather was perfect, with plenty of sun and a comfortable summer temperature, and we enjoyed working with all the varied settings that presented themselves through the day.

Our bride and groom were Karen and Anatoly, residents of West Hollywood, who returned to New Jersey for their wedding adventure. We had emailed for a while, and talked on the phone a bit, but we actually met them on their wedding day, and wow, these are a couple of nice people! Oh, and good looking too... So, we have all the ingredients: great couple, nice families and friends, perfect weather, and great location. We even had a couple of amazing flower girls, bringing their point of view...

The staff at Skylands always does a great job with planning, logistics and service, with Linda providing unobtrusive but effective management. Floral magic was provided by A Touch of Elegance, harp music for the ceremony was performed by Karen Stern, and DJ services were provided by LJ Productions.

We're presenting a lot of images here, but we thought it might be fun to show a complete story of this special day. Our photographic teamwork brings extra depth to the storytelling, since we are always capturing different angles and compositions. Shelley starts with the girls while Keith is with the guys getting ready, and then we come together for the "first meet" and onward.... We have a good time with this expanded coverage, and feel it makes a difference in the content of the pictures.

Enjoy the images, and please feel free to leave a comment, we'd love to hear from you, and so will Karen and Anatoly!

 

]]>Meghan & Greg at The Hyatt Morristownhttp://www.shelleyandkeith.info/journal/2011/5/16/meghan-greg-at-the-hyatt-morristown.htmlshelleyandkeith2011-05-16T21:02:09ZElite Sound Entertainment Hyatt Morristown Photojournalistic wedding WPJA photographer in NJ Wedding portrait shelleyandkeith weddingsWe posted about the excellent engagement session we did with Meghan and Greg last November, and now it is our pleasure to present the story of their wedding day! A somewhat rainy day in May was no obstacle to this great couple, who had already made up their minds to have a great time... and that they did. We have a plethora of cool images here, and forgive us if we go a little long in our presentation-- believe it or not, this is a highly edited selection. So, after starting so many blog posts with the bride's preparation, this time we begin at their apartment, with the guys. Handsome groom Greg is a marathoner, and Keith made a spontaneous portrait with some framed memorabilia as a background:

The all-important rings were on hand, and the sparkle speaks for itself:

Leaving for the church, we took a minute to make a group shot, in the only existing patch of shade anywhere near this spot... sunglasses are cool, there's no debate:

Then we all bundled into the limo for a 40-minute ride to the church:

A great bunch of guys! Meanwhile, all the beautiful ladies were getting ready at Meghan's parents' house, where Shelley was on hand to collect some gorgeous details:

And our beautiful bride was adding finishing touches before leaving for the church:

Now the scene shifts to Zion Lutheran Church in Long Valley:

Shelley arrived with the girls, and had a few minutes to make some beautiful portraits of Meghan:

That's one gorgeous bride....and by the way, this bride is the artistic calligrapher behind Calligraphesque, a couture custom calligraphy service that is a 2011 pick for The Knot's Best of Weddings! Time for the ceremony, and here our photographic teamwork allowed multiple views of the events. For instance, here are 3 images of Meghan's processional:

We were asked to shoot the remainder of the ceremony from the balcony, which created some wide angle drama:

And here's a fun image of their exit after the ceremony:

Now we transport you to the Hyatt in Morristown, where, after a series of family photos, we took the bridal party out for a walk to a nearby park, with the weather cooperating:

And we had a few minutes with our newlyweds, enjoying each other:

How fun was that???? We're always happy to return to the Hyatt Morristown, always a smooth ride, and this time the ballroom lighting was enhanced by Elite Sound Entertainment, allowing us to collect some gorgeous room details before the party started, including tasteful flowers from The Floral Gallery:

Soon it was time for Meghan and Greg's triumphant entrance, and romantic first dance:

Delicious! The party included unlimited access to a very dangerous-looking cocktail (dangerous in a good way) called the Blue Hawaiian. Elvis was not sighted so far as we know, but on the other hand, we didn't have any Blue Hawaiians....

And then it was party time! Mikey B of Elite Sound got the room moving and kept it happening:

We had a great time working as a team to capture the action! Thanks so much to Meghan and Greg for a beautiful day and a fun party... We close with Shelley's gorgeous portait, where the body language says it all:

 

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