Jessica + Andrew • The Madison Hotel • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

The Madison Hotel in Morristown provided such a beautiful setting for Jessica + Andrew's wedding last year. Both, the ceremony and reception, took place at The Conservatory and I was absolutely in awe of this breathtaking room filled with greenery and so much natural light. 

I had the pleasure of photographing this gorgeous celebration for Photography by Leandra Brown. 

Laura + Michael • Liberty State Park Engagement Session • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

It is probably one of THE BEST views in the world and my definite favorite! 

New York City skyline never disappoints. 

You can imagine my excitement when Laura and Michael chose Liberty State Park for their engagement session. It has the best views of Manhattan!

As they strolled along the waterfront they watched the setting sun reflect on the buildings across The Hudson River. It was just the most perfect backdrop for their engagement photos!

How They Met

Laura and Michael met through friends. One night, Laura decided last minute to meet up for drinks with a few of her coworkers and Michael happened to be there. One of her coworkers grew up with him and even though they had mutual friends, they never crossed paths before that night. It was almost as if they were not meant to meet until the time was right for both of them.
They hardly spoke to each other that night, as Laura recalls, but they both left knowing they wanted to get to know each other more. Their first date was almost a month later and they have been inseparable ever since.

How He Proposed

Laura had always mentioned to Michael that she wanted something low key. She is not a huge fan of attention and would prefer the moment to be just the two of them. But, this is not how it happened.

From Laura: "We went to San Diego to visit my brother during Thanksgiving break. I also have family in LA so I thought it would be a nice trip for us to take. The week leading up to us leaving, Mike started to act a little weird so I had a feeling something was up. My suspicions only grew when my sister surprised me by saying she too was going to be coming on the trip. Of course at this point I assumed this meant Mike was going to propose. On the trip, every time he and I were alone my heart would stop and I would think oh god this is it. However, it never happened.

    The last night my sister was there, we decided to all go out to this beautiful restaurant in Coronado, San Diego. The restaurant was right on the water and had views of the city, it was absolutely gorgeous. Since I had always said I wanted the proposal to be simple, I did not expect it to happen there and since it was my sister’s last night, I figured I was wrong about him proposing on the trip. At this point I really didn’t think it was going to happen so I even made a comment while we were walking to the table that because the place was so beautiful, IF Mike proposed that night I might actually say yes. Little did I know, that was actually his plan.

    After we finished eating dinner, someone mentioned the beautiful view which caused me to turn to look at it. When I turned back around, there was Mike on one knee asking me to marry him. I was completely caught off guard! Looking back I am so happy he did it this way, I love that it was at a moment when I least expected it, it makes the story even more memorable."

Laura and Michael are going to tie the knot this Sunday, October 14th!

Rachel + David • The Stone House At Stirling Ridge Wedding • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

Oh, what a beautiful day it was!

Rachel and David tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony at The Stone House At Stirling Ridge in Warren, New Jersey.

The day started off with some bubbly and matching floral rompers Rachel and her bridesmaids wore to toast the soon-to-be Mrs. Kelly.
Once all the bridal details were done, Rachel's mom and sister helped her put on her beautiful lace gown. There were so many buttons to fasten! Rachel's bridesmaids could not hold back their tears as they took a first look at the bride. It was such a sweet and touching moment.

After everyone was ready, we headed to The Stone House for Rachel and David's first look followed by Rachel and David's portraits. I couldn't miss their happiness, huge smiles that never left their faces, and the excitement to become Mr. & Mrs.

Their ceremony took place outdoor in front of a beautiful floral arch by Kim at Pink Dahlia Floral & Event Design. As they exchanged their own written vows, the amount of love they have for one another was so apparent and undeniable.

Their reception was beautifully decorated with pink and burgundy florals, tall candles and lush greenery. So elegant and timeless. A cascade of fresh flowers added a little drama to their wedding cake.

Rachel and David celebrated their love story surrounded by their close friends and family.
They ended their night with s'mores by the outdoor fire pit!

Congratulations to the Newlyweds!

Betsy + Matt • Orange Lawn Tennis Club Wedding • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

Back in May I had the pleasure of photographing Betsy and Matt's wedding 

for Jennifer Larsen Photography.
Despite the rain we were able to capture so many beautiful outdoor portraits as well as Betsy + Matt's  first look.

Both the ceremony and reception were held at Orange Lawn Tennis Club. 

Caitlin + Ryan • The Princeton Tower Club Wedding • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

Caitlin and Ryan planned their nuptials at The Princeton Tower Club,
one of Princeton University's renowned eating clubs.

Their choice of venue was not random, however. Caitlin's uncle has been the manager of this club since she was a child and countless family events and holiday celebrations took place at the Tower. 

Needless to say, being able to hold their wedding there, made their day that much more special!

Caitlin and Ryan's event was a unique twist on the traditional wedding reception. They planned a daytime wedding with a brunch-themed menu!

After hair and makeup were done we photographed Caitlin and her bridesmaids wearing cute satin robes and making a toast for the soon-to-be Mrs. Gilbert! With the help of her friends and her mom Caitlin got into her gown and we all headed out to the park just a few steps away from the venue.

There the bride did the first look with her dad and then walk over to see her groom for the first time. They both could hardly hide their excitement!  

Caitlin and Ryan exchanged their own written vows in an outdoor ceremony in the front yard of The Princeton Tower Club.
After the cocktail hour, brunch was served on the back lawn. 

It was followed by an afternoon of dancing, games, and celebrating the new Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert!

Congratulations to The Newlyweds!

{Read Caitlin + Ryan's engagement story here and featured in New Jersey Bride ~ here}

Christina + Alex • Parents-To-Be Session • New Jersey Photographer

This past March, Christina and Alex gathered together with their family and friends to reveal the gender of their baby.
One of Christina's friends was given a sealed envelope a few days before and she filled the poppers with the correct color confetti. As their guests made their picks- team boy or team girl, the confetti was shot up to reveal that they were having a boy!!! Team blue won!

It was so much fun to capture the excitement of this special moment for the soon-to-be parents. 

A couple of weeks ago we met for their session, and the timing could not have been more perfect! 

It rained all day the day of Christina and Alex's shoot! But the sky cleared for us as soon as we arrived at Frelinghuysen Arboretum and allowed us to take these photos for the parents-to-be. 

Talk about luck!

We also captured their baby's nursery with all the adorable details, toy and books, and took a few pictures of Christina and Alex there. 

Their baby boy is due this August! 

Happy Father's Day!

"Dads are most ordinary men

turned by love into

heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, 

and singers of songs".

~ Pam Brown ~

Let's celebrate all the wonderful dads out there!

Happy Father's Day to my amazing husband - we are so lucky to have you!
And to my Dad - Tato, Kocham Cię!!

Katie + Clint • The Stone House At Stirling Ridge • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

I am so excited to finally share Katie + Clint's wedding that I had the honor to photograph in March.

Katie + Clint's day was filled with so many beautiful details and many special touches, like writing their own vows or wedding gifts with very personal and sentimental meaning that tied to the history of their love.

HOW THEY MET

Katie has known Clint since she was 12 years old. He was in the grade above her and used to swim competitively across the street from her house. She remembers being a young girl and completely mesmerized by his shaggy hair and cute smile. She has been crushing on him ever since. 

THE PROPOSAL

~ From Katie ~ 
"Clint and I took turns every year surprising one another with anniversary plans. This is why it came as no surprise to me when Clint told me he wanted to take me into New York City for our 8th. I wasn't allowed to know where we were going or what we were doing and that's how we liked it.
 It just so happened that the weekend he had planned was expecting terrible weather. 
On the morning of our engagement I was begging him not to go! 
Who wants to walk around NYC in the rain?! With very little convincing (because I can't say no to his sweet face) I decided to go. Not without some complaining though ;). 
Clint took me to Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. One of our favorite songs by Mumford and Sons is titled 'Tompkins Square Park' and he's always told me that he'd take me there some day (I know.. he's adorable). After some walking around and a break in the rain, he stopped me, grabbed my hand and told me how amazing the last 8 years have been and how much he loves me. Next thing I knew he was on one knee and I completely blacked out everything else he said because all I could think of was YES! Two officer's in the park having lunch sounded their sirens and lit up their lights for us and bystanders quickly caught on and began clapping. It was more perfect than if it had been written for a movie. Clint had his sister and her fiancé take pictures from afar and also planned a surprise engagement celebration that night with some of our closest friends and family. 
The entire day was in true Clint fashion. So romantic and thoughtful. The best thing I ever did was vow to spend the rest of my life with him!"

Ahh, there were so many emotions involved when reading about their proposal!
Don't you all love a good love story?!

WEDDING DAY

Katie + Clint's wedding ceremony and reception took place at The Stone House at Stirling Ridge.

Katie was getting ready at her aunt's house nearby. I was so excited to photograph all of her gorgeous details! Her dress was absolute perfection! And let's talk about those shoes for a moment! Simply exquisite!
Once Katie was in her dress we all headed to The Stone House along with her five sisters and two sisters-in-law who were part of her bridal party.
After the bride-to-be did a first look with her dad, we headed outside for a very emotional bride and groom's first look.
This must be one of the sweetest moments of the day and one that makes me weak at the knees.
I love watching the couple's emotions and facial expressions as they see each other for the first time.
From tears of joy to ear-to-ear grins, Katie and Clint couldn't contain their excitement to soon be marrying each other!

Their first look and portraits were followed by family and wedding party photographs.

We then headed inside for their ceremony and reception.
It was such a beautiful celebration of their love and commitment to one another.

Congratulations to the Newlyweds!
Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Rachel + Dave • Cherry Blossom Engagement Session • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

I am so happy that Rachel and Dave chose to have their engagement session during the cherry blossom season! 

Nothing says romance quite like these gorgeous pink blooms! They are simply magical!
Rachel and Dave's pup, Stanley, joined them for a few photos!

How They Met

Rachel and Dave met on match.com in 2013. They were both about to cancel their subscription but found each other just in time. They chatted back and then one date turned to two and many more. 

The Proposal

'Dave proposed in October 2017 on Friday the 13th. He was home and prepping for the big moment. I worked later than expected and it had been a long week. I called Dave to discuss plans for dinner and he told me he wasn't in the mood to do anything. I was pretty frustrated when I got home because I was looking forward to going out and relaxing. 

As soon as I got home he greeted me at the door and told me he had put some mums he had purchased from a work fundraiser in the back on the house. I looked at him confused and rolled my eyes, thinking why in the world would you put them in the back where no one would see them?!

We headed to our sunroom and out to our deck that overlooks a beautiful golf course. 

Dave then got down on one knee and proposed.' 

Rachel and Dave are getting married this June and I am super excited to capture their wedding day! 

Happy Mother's Day!

"Motherhood:

All love begins and ends there".

~Robert Browning~

Happy Mother's Day to all the Supermoms! 

To My Dearest Mom:

"Spośród wszystkich mam na świecie, tak się cieszę, że jesteś moją."

Kocham Cię, Mamo!