• Posted by Matt •

Shamus and Kelly gave us one last opportunity to celebrate the summer last month with their beach wedding at Merri-Makers in Sea Bright, New Jersey. While the weather wasn't completely cooperative, these two and their guests were not going to let that stop them from having a good time. We met Kelly through her brother and sister-in-law, Brian and Shannon, whose unorthodox wedding we photographed back in 2010.

Both Kelly and Shamus were extremely relaxed throughout the day, and it showed in everything they did, especially when a downpour began just as they tried to leave the house for the ceremony and it became clear they wouldn't be getting married on the beach as they originally planned. In order to make things easier on everyone, they rented a villa just a short distance from their wedding venue and everyone — bridal party, family, etc. — all got ready there. The place was so big that they didn't even run the risk of seeing each other. Plus it provided us with a great backdrop for their first look and bridal portraits.

Kelly accented her A-line ivory gown with a pair of deep blue high-heels and nice, simple pearls around her neck. She really was breathtaking.Kelly and Shamus were disappointed not to be able to have a beach wedding, but Merri-Makers has a great big window that allowed the ceremony to have an ocean backdrop without having to worry about the wind and rain.

They incorporated a wine mixing ceremony, which was new to us. They each poured separate wines into a single cup and then drank from the cup. It was really a unique wedding addition that we hadn't seen before.

Their reception was filled with unique personal touches. Kelly surprised Shamus with a scrabble-themed groom's cake. We love how she even personalized with their names and wedding date filled into the squares. Kelly's youngest brother, Troy, and her niece, Alyssa, serenaded the newlyweds right after the first dance. Later, during the bridal party dance, Troy took his time in the limelight a step farther, stealing a kiss from Alyssa when the cameras were on him.

To cap it all off, when Kelly's brother Kevin caught the garter, his fiancee reminded him that he wasn't exactly a single man. So he gallantly lead her to the chair and put on a show for the crowd. (You'll be seeing photos from their wedding soon!)

To add to the unexpected surprises of the day, Brian (from the Running Of The Santas wedding) challenged his older brother Kevin to an impromptu dance-off in front of everyone.

Shamus and Kelly, we could not be happier that you included us as a part of your festivities. You did a wonderful job of really making it unique and not letting anything get in the way of your celebration. You guys are really a great fit for each other. Thanks for choosing us to be your wedding photographer!