We are proud to be voted by brides as a Winner in The Knot's Best of Weddings 2010. This puts us in some elite company, selected not by a panel of judges, but voted by brides as a favorite photography studio. We were excited by this news, all the more since we are not advertising on The Knot, which means our brides are talking us up on the forums.... Our sincere thanks to all our former, current and future brides for sharing their positive experiences with others in The Knot community.

We were excited to return to Pleasantdale Chateau for Emily and Alex's wedding celebration in October. The location is just beautiful, with lots of opportunities for great images. Our day started with Shelley shooting Emily's getting ready, and she found some light that sets off Emily's classic facial structure:

Meanwhile, Keith was at the church with the guys, where Alex was ready for the ceremony:

Emily and her girls arrived by trolley... this girl knows how to make an entrance!

We love churches with a balcony, it lets us take in the whole scene during the ceremony:

And here's a great shot as Emily and Alex leave the church after the ceremony, excited and joyful:

And here they are leaving the church, and back in the trolley for the ride to Pleasantdale Chateau:

The grounds at Pleasantdale were gorgeous, as usual, what an outstanding venue:

Along with lots of group photos, we had some time at the Chateau for a few shots with just the two of them:

Just before the start of the reception, Keith found this image while Emily was being bustled:

Party time! In the gorgeous ballroom, with an enthusiastic welcome from friends and family:

We got a series of closeups during their First Dance... These images can say so much about a couple and their relationship:

Music was supplied by the Smokin' Section:

The setup in the ballroom offered lots of beautiful details, with flowers by Crest Florist:

And, just like the balcony shot at the church, we took advantage of a similar opportunity for the party:

Congrats to Emily and Alex for a beautiful day, thanks for letting us share in it!

Another great visit to Princeton, this time for Kristin and Dave's wedding celebration! We have the best clients, and this couple is no exception-- fun, real, spontaneous, smart, and a whole bunch of other complimentary adjectives apply... And they did a great job of communicating their joy and love, not only to each other, but also to their friends and families. 

Shelley was at the Hyatt at Carnegie Center to see a beautiful girl turn into a beautiful bride. Sure, the dress, the shoes, the jewelry, the hair and makeup, all these things contribute-- but it's even better when the inner and outer beauty are there to begin with:

Meanwhile, Keith arrived at the Princeton Chapel, an architectural masterpiece that presents endless ideas for images. It was seriously dark inside, but that creates a dramatic setting:

And even if it was dark, Dave was supplying his own source of light:

Of course, with a great couple and a great setting, the ceremony was a beautiful thing, distinguished by some unusual music choices-- the classic standard "When I Fall In Love" performed by Lily Arbisser, and "I Will Be Here", in a sophisticated A Capella arrangement performed by The Princeton Nassoons. Music can be a big emotional factor in a ceremony, and these songs and performances took it to the next level:

One happy couple leaving the ceremony:

We made some group portraits outside the Chapel after the ceremony, just managed to stay ahead of approaching rain and thunder... we even had a little goofing time with the bridal party:

And then we drove through the rain to the reception location, Greenacres Country Club, in Lawrenceville. It was pouring rain when we arrived, but we took advantage of a picture window in the ballroom to create some portraits that look like we're out in a garden. As is our method, we just set them up in a nice location, the posing and emotion are all from them, love is the real deal:

It's time for the party! 

We got this nice scene-setter just before the guests entered. 

The Greenacres staff did a great job with details, and were consistently attentive to the needs of the guests.

DJ Matt Blank from Synergetic Sound supplied the MC and music flow, keeping the crowd moving.

Florist Adrienne Presti of Dahlia Floral Concepts contributed to the understated and tasteful setting.

Here are a couple key images from Kristin and Dave's first dance, beautiful and stylish:

And a fun party followed, with K&D setting the tone for everyone:

The party concluded with the guests in a giant circle, with Kristin & Dave feeling the love:

It was a distinctive and memorable day! Best Wishes to Kristin & Dave!

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!