Debbie and Rich at the James Ward Mansion
Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 09:41AM Debbie and Rich's wedding took place in Westfield, NJ, at the James Ward Mansion, a unique and interesting setting that complemented their own sense of style and fun:
In advance of the ceremony, we made some portraits in one of the upstairs rooms, a great-looking couple in a classic setting:
Their ceremony was in the Grand Salon, a double-height room with a wrap-around balcony, allowing us to take in the whole scene:
We're all about capturing moments, and the Minister, Mitch Maged, brought a wonderful sense of joy to the celebration, not only inspiring but entertaining:
Debbie and Rich included a beautiful exchange of roses in their ceremony, followed by a violin and piano performance of "La Vie en Rose" by Sweet Harmony:
All leading to the kiss, with one of the mansion's beautiful portraits as a backdrop:
Continuing with the roses theme, Debbie and Rich had lots of tasteful displays all around, designed by House of Flowers:
One great feauture of the Mansion is the access to multiple rooms, allowing different activities to happen simultaneously:
And to get the reception started, Debbie and Rich made their entrance from the balcony in the Grand Salon and did a great job with their first dance:
They really enjoyed themselves throughout the evening, and their guests had the option of dancing in one room, cocktails in another, and dinner in a third. (This made it possible to have conversation during the party without yelling over the music-- what a concept!) Here are a few moments we recorded:
A bit of their gorgeous cake wound up on Rich's face:
DJ services were provided by All Star Entertainment. We got some different looks during the party, taking advantage of our equipment options-- it's fun to have the tools when needed:
Custom cupcakes were provided for departing guests, a nice gesture:
And, at the end of a long and busy day, Debbie and Rich gave us some time to make portraits, letting us work with some creative lighting and dramatic scenes. The emotions are right there, and we just set up situations that allowed them to be expressive, without instructions from us. We love to work this way, since the images feel real and unique:
It was an exceptional day, and we finish this abbreviated story with a romantic image looking out from the balcony-- they even ordered up a beautiful moon, now that's planning! Thanks so much to Debbie and Rich for a memorable experience!
