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:

It's a great time to be a photographer! We have a wide selection of tools at our disposal-- today's amazing digital SLR cameras and lenses, flexible lighting equipment, and of course, the giant "toy box" in modern computer technology. As careful as we are with our proof images, there are possibilities that go beyond the proof level, a more refined and creative presentation that requires more time and attention than we can bring to the hundreds of proof images presented at each wedding. I thought it might be fun to show the evolution of an image, from proof to retouching and beyond.

Of course, it all starts with the original image! At a recent wedding, were given about one minute to make some shots with Victoria just before the start of her Hindu wedding ceremony. I came up with a posing idea that seemed to tie in with the spiritual and exotic nature of her beautiful wedding costume. With minimal direction, we created this proof image:

It's nice, but I decided, even at the proof level, to make a duotoned and vignetted version to bring a little more drama and mystery:

The next step is to spend some time in Photoshop to retouch, and make Victoria's beauty and exoticism stand out from the background. This would be a finished image for making custom prints, or for use in an album:

With an image like this one, it's possible to go even a little further, to take it to a place a little less literal, and a lot more evocative and expressive. This involves some additional computer work, and is custom printed on fine art matte paper, a museum-quality presentation that complements the artistic nature of the image itself. We call this a Digital Art Print:

Now there's an image that tells a story! It's great to have all these creative options, and for those special, unique images, we hope our clients will take advantage of all that is possible...

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!

Carissa and Jason's big day was entirely at Westmount Country Club in West Paterson. We had a great time capturing the events, and it was a beautiful day for both families and guests. Let's begin with a gorgeous bride, Carissa with that wedding day glow, and looking fabulous from any angle:

And the perfect complement, Jason is looking sharp:

The weather was changeable, threatening to thunderstorm, but it held off for them, which allowed an outdoor ceremony:

Here are some key moments from their celebration, with our photographic teamwork bringing multiple viewpoints:

Carissa and Jason did a great job, lots of poise and joy-- and you could feel the love and support from all the guests....

Then it was back inside for cocktails:

The Westmount interior spaces are very impressive, and we made some shots in the ballroom also:

What a beautiful scene! So let's get this party started, with C&J's exuberant entrance:

So often, the first dance is where all the emotionality of the day comes together, and this first dance was no exception, with a combination of wide angle and close up images that tell the story:

Delicious moments, and then onto the Hora, big fun for all:

Dining and dancing ensued, with Carissa setting the tone for friends and family:

In the middle of it all, we still are collecting some images of beautiful (and caloric) details:

The late afternoon light presented some dramatic possibilities for images, capturing the ambient lighting design on the dance floor:

And as the sun set, we took Carissa and Jason out to the balcony for some classic portraits:

The party vibe continued, with help from an exciting and versatile band, White Light:

A great day for one and all! Thanks to Carissa and Jason for the planning, poise and emotion!