Kathy & Atticus at The Manor

It was a brilliant day in October for Kathy & Atticus' wedding at The Manor in West Orange, not far from our home in Glen Ridge. Their celebration was a careful balance of tradition and individuality. They helped create their own ceremony script, with expert help from Celebrant Extraordinaire Celia Milton. We always love to see the joy, spontaneity, and personal story-telling that Celia brings to the occasion, and this wedding was another example. But first, here's a nice profile of our beautiful bride, applying finishing touches to her makeup while getting ready:

They had a "first look" meeting in advance of the ceremony, and Atticus' gesture says it all: Kathy looked delicious!

Shooting their ceremony in the blazing midday sun is tricky, but we've been there and done that... The Manor offers a gorgeous stage for memorable moments:

And at the ceremony's conclusion, Shelley got this great moment of pure joy:

Then it was inside for the party, and here again, there were some traditional, and some unusual choices. One was the band, The Cangelosi Cards (they're so cool they don't even have a website), with a repertoire of classic standards from the 30's and 40's, presented in a unique blend of jazz, folk and pop influences:

Another element of distinctive entertainment was some amazing tap dancing from a friend. We got some fun images that froze the action:

And here's another unplanned moment, when the tinkling of glasses found our couple amongst their guests:

Love the traditional red dress in that shot! It also gave their cake ceremony a new twist:

It was a beautiful day, and after the party, they gave us a little extra time to make some portraits... This one makes the perfect closer for this love story. Thanks to Kathy and Atticus for a fresh and creative wedding, keeping it real and unique:

Kristin & Dave's Princeton Wedding

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!