Brooke + Alex • The Architects Golf Club Wedding • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

Brooke and Alex's love story began over 20 years ago when they met in first grade!
So the excitement was high when Alex finally proposed! You may remember their engagement session featured here.

Their day started with a pop of champagne and a few photos of Brooke and her bridesmaids in their matching PJs. After photographing Brooke's gorgeous details it was time for the bride to slip into her amazing wedding gown by Mikaella Bridal and stunning Christian Louboutin shoes! Not to mention the beautiful flower bouquets by Thistle Bee The Florist that she and her bridal party got to carry.

A few portraits with her ladies followed and we headed to their first look location where Alex and my second photographer Tori were already in place. It was one of Alex's favorite spots- the 13th hole.

It is such a special moment for the bride and groom to see each other for the first time on their wedding day. And it was a privilege to be there to capture such genuine love and admiration for one another, mixed with the excitement of what was to come.
We took a few photos on the bridge, hopped on a golf cart and headed out to a few other spots on the golf course for their portraits.

Brooke and Alex tied the knot in a beautiful outdoor ceremony overlooking the golf course of The Architects Golf Club in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
Their ceremony and pretty much the entire day was one of the most emotional ones I have ever witnessed.

Brooke's father passed away earlier this year and he was so dearly missed especially on a day like this. One of the ways Brooke honored her late father was by sewing a piece of his wardrobe into her dress. As she walked down the aisle with her mom, he was walking down the aisle with Brooke, as well.
There was so much love present as the bride and groom exchange their own written vows that moved  everyone to tears.

Brooke and Alex's ceremony was followed by an evening of memorable toasts, dancing and celebrating the new Mr. & Mrs.

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

Brooke + Alex's wedding was featured on Wedding Chicks!

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!

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. 

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!

Crate & Barrel Private Registry Event • Bridgewater Commons • New Jersey Wedding Photographer

It was such a treat to be part of Crate & Barrel Private Registry Event back in February.
When Stacey Sainato of Peony Events reached out to me I could not contain my excitement!

I remember when my husband and I were putting together our wedding registry over a decade ago, with Crate & Barrel, and I wish we had participated in an event such as this. It is an amazing opportunity to meet the wedding professionals, ask any wedding planning related questions, get to know the latest trends, and to get inspired!

Crate & Barrel at Bridgewater Commons was sure to be filled with inspiration! From the gorgeous floral installation and center pieces by Jardiniere Fine Flowers, hand lettered menus by Little Black Dress Paperie, to place settings hand picked and styled by Stacey of Peony Events, and the delicious desserts by Montclair Bread.
 Let us not forget the stunning makeup and hair by Amy and Jessica of Beauty On Location NJ, along with the latest wedding fashion from I do I do and Bella Bridesmaids.

Elegant Music Group provided entertainment and a photo booth for the event.

Head over to Crate & Barrel blog to read more about the event.

Other Vendors:
Catering ~ Mangia Organica
Sampling ~ Nespresso || KitchenAid || Cuisinart || Coravin

Photography ~ Monika de Myer