Let the sun shine | Liz & Brian's Beach Wedding in Ocean City, NJ

 

• Posted by Natalie •

When we woke up the morning of Liz & Brian's beach wedding in Ocean City, NJ we were greeted with a wet, gray day.  By the time we made it into Ocean City to scope out the sites where Liz wanted to take portraits on the beach it was raining so hard we could barely make it up the sandy path to the beach.  There did not seem to be much hope for an outdoor ceremony that was due to start in a few hours. But Liz put her faith in weather.com's hourly forecast and stuck to her guns; She was getting married on the beach.

The rain ceased by the time they had their first look on the Ocean City Boardwalk.  It was still pretty windy and chilly, so the whole bridal party headed into the 7th Street Arcade to get some portraits before the ceremony.  Melissa Kelly was our trusty assistant for the day and she bravely followed this large bunch into the arcade.  I love this idea for large bridal parties.  Melissa was able to get portraits of smaller groups playing a variety of games, plus it was a lot of fun!  Meanwhile, Matt and I got plenty of portrait time in with Liz and Brian before the ceremony.

As the guests gathered at First Street Beach the threat of rain had passed, and as Liz and her father walked onto the beach where Brian was waited the sun actually broke through the clouds.  It was one of those breathtaking moments where you feel everything come together.  I said a little thank you prayer for this brave bride who ended up with a truly gorgeous beach wedding with a backdrop of moody clouds that only come on days with turbulent weather.

After the ceremony, the sun ducked away again, but that was OK, because all the guest headed to the bay side of the island for a reception at the Ocean City Yacht club.  Inside the Yacht Club, all of Liz's carnival-themed decorations with bright blues and oranges brightened up the room. We were so happy to see everything come together for this wonderful couple!

Melissa is Miss Details and she joined me for the getting ready photos. I love watching and collaborating with other photographers when we have time to play around the details.

I love the orange and royal blue theme—it suited all the bright personalities in this big bridal party!

I loved this first look!  Added bonus: the bridal party was full of wedding pros—they arranged themselves so nicely for these photos.

This was probably one of the funniest Best Man speeches we've ever heard.  I'm pretty sure it's posted on YouTube somewhere.  Brian's older brother had everybody howling with laughter.

Liz and Brian, Thanks so much for sharing your day with us— It was truly perfect from start to finish!

Sneak Peek | Ka Huen & Jon's Bridal Portraits in Yardley

• Posted by Natalie •

We'll have another full post coming up soon!  Matt and I are trying to wrap up all the album designs before the holiday deadlines hit—but I couldn't wait to share a few of my favorite photos from Ka Huen & Jon's November wedding.  We took portraits all over Yardley from along the Delaware River to the Yardley Fire Station to this gorgeous open field.  There is so much more to share, but here are a few of our favorites.

Jon & Ka Huen—I think the long walk up this hill was totally worth it! Thanks for finding this field!

Helen & Larry's South Philadelphia Wedding at the Hyatt Regency

• Posted by Natalie •

We've got a lot of catching up to do!  Helen and Larry got married during some April showers earlier this year, but they didn't let that dampen their spirits.  Helen even prepared for the weather by decorating a black umbrella with bright pink flowers!  Their ceremony was at St. Casimir's church in South Philadelphia and they rented a Philadelphia Trolley to transport the bridal party.  It was the perfect mode of transportation for such a wet day instead of cramming everyone with their umbrellas into a limo.  After the ceremony we headed to a park in South Philly for some bridal portraits, and then over to Pat's and Geno's (yes the cheesesteak joints!) for some photos with the whole bridal party. The little flower girls were starting to wane by this point, so it was the perfect time to grab a snack. You've gotta love a bride and groom who make time for some cheese fries on their wedding day!

Helen & Larry's reception was at the Penn's Landing Hyatt Regency on Columbus Blvd., which provided a great backdrop for their white, black and red wedding colors.  The bride & groom are both nurses and their caring nature was evident throughout the wedding day and all the details.  They are both very kind and warm people and we were so glad to see their happiness brighten up what would have otherwise been a gloomy day.  Their attitude was contagious and by the time everyone hit the dance floor the rain was long forgotten!

Jen & Jay's Chase Center Wedding in Wilmington, DE

• Posted by Natalie •

Jen and Jay's mid-September wedding reminded us how much we love fall weddings! After spending the bulk of the spring battling raid and the summer dodging oppressive heat waves, surprise thunderstorms and even a hurricane, Matt and I were thrilled to see blue skies with a pleasant temperature the day of Jen and Jay's wedding at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, DE.  This was our first Delaware wedding, and we love the location they chose. They held both the ceremony and reception at the Chase Center, and the on-site coordinators were wonderful.  They were on top of every little detail to make sure the whole day flowed smoothly. We love a well-managed venue!

Plus, there were so many great spots for photos both inside and outside. Since we only had about half an hour for bridal party portraits, we chose to head outside to the nearby Delaware Riverfront where we found a mix of natural and industrial portrait spots. Jen's bridesmaids really went the extra mile to help us make great photos—when I asked if any of the ladies would be willing to climb onto a crane for a shot I had in mind, three of them hopped up without hesitation! Jen and Jay showed their own moxie when they scaled an old train car shortly after that.  Normally by the time we get to the wedding day, we've met with couples a few times and we get to know them fairly well, but busy schedules meant we kept having to postpone their engagement portraits, and Hurricane Irene changed our pre-wedding meeting into a phone conversation, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. Thankfully, they were totally at ease in front of the camera. We could have kept them for portraits all evening, but the sun was setting and it was time to party!

Jen & Jay, we wish you all the best and we can't wait to get you back in front of our cameras for your (post-wedding!) engagement photos :)

Traditions | Meghan & Eric's Bear Creek Mountain Resort Wedding

Meghan & Eric may have met through modern means—through a web dating site— but this fun-loving couple's mid-November wedding was filled with family traditions. The ceremony was held at St. Thomas More Church in Allentown. The parish pastor has known Meghan and her family since she was a little girl attending the church's school, and gave a beautiful blessing to the couple. After the full Catholic ceremony, everyone headed up to one of our favorite wedding venues—Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, PA. We had a bit of change of scenery since their wedding was held upstairs in the Mountain Ballroom.  They added some personal touches with handmade wooden centerpieces and an escort card holder made of logs, which accented the natural beauty of the location and reflected their love of the outdoors.

The reception was a whirlwind of excitement.  Beyond the usual dances, toasts and cake cutting there was a special traditional Russian dance, complete with shots of a homemade liquor called Boilo. The Nittany Lion, the mascot from Meghan & Eric's alma mater, Penn State, also crashed the reception, lead everyone in a school cheer and join in the dancing for a while before posing for photos with the myriad Penn State alumni at the wedding.

It was such a joyful and warm evening, and we were thrilled to be a part of it.