Rich details | Sudha & Andrew's Southern Indian wedding ceremony

* Posted By Natalie and Matt*

It's hard to believe that two years ago (to the day) we photographed our very first Thanksgiving Day wedding when we spent the day with our good friends Sudha and Andrew as they tied the knot in a traditional Indian wedding ceremony in New Jersey. We never got around to blogging about it, though, so we figured 'why not do it now?'

We knew from the beginning that Sudha & Andrew's wedding would be our most unusual event of the year. Partly because it was going to be our first traditional Indian wedding, partly because Sudha had no real interest in wedding planning or being a traditional bride and also because Natalie was going to be one of Sudha's bridesmaids. The very talented Douglas Bovitt, whose work you've seen before, joined us for the day to help document all the amazing details and provide back-up when Natalie had to put her camera down (it was hard to stop taking photos!)

This was an incredibly visual wedding so we won't bore you with too many words. In case you were wondering, the ceremony took place at the Sri Venkateshwara Hindu Temple in Bridgewater, NJ, while the reception was at Westin Governor Morris in Morristown, NJ. Both places were beautiful and really lent themselves to great photos.

And in case these two look familiar, it's because they probably do. This will be their third time on the blog, first time was here (when we had to take Sudha out to learn how to smile in front of the camera!) and second time was their engagement photos.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and happy two year anniversary Sudha and Andrew!

Philadelphia Wedding Photography: TJ & Jenna's Mendenhall Inn Wedding

 • Posted by Matt •

TJ and Jenna tied the knot a few weeks ago in a September wedding at the Mendenhall Inn in Chadds Ford, PA, just outside Philadelphia. Natalie has been friends with these two since college and she was actually invited as a guest, so our good friend Douglas Bovitt stepped in to work with me for this one. We took their engagement photos last fall, so I had the chance to get to know them a bit better, but I was looking forward to seeing how all of Jenna's DIY projects would come together for their big day.

The girls got ready at Currie Hair, Skin & Nails in Kennett Square, PA before heading back to the Mendenhall to get dressed, while TJ and the guys got ready at his house.

Then came the first cool addition to their day —a unique First Look that almost didn't happen. TJ was resistant to the idea of First Look photos, but, with some gentle urging from his bride-to-be, he relented just a few days before the wedding. We were thrilled because that meant the whole bridal party would be there for portraits at Nemours Mansion & Gardens, which grants very limited access for photos. Since Jenna works at Nemours Hospital she was able to get permission for portraits of the bride and her bridesmaids, but the addition of the whole bridal party made things so much better. The mansion overlooks a massive garden area with a fountain, a stone entrance-way and a large stone staircase down to a second level garden area.

We set TJ up in front of the giant fountain and his bride-to-be descended the stone staircase for a picture-perfect first look to start things off! I swear we could have spent the whole day there taking pictures, but since we had to return the bride & groom for their ceremony, an hour later we were headed back to the Mendenhall Inn.

They had a warm and sunny outdoor ceremony in the Inn's courtyard. Jenna's handiwork started things off as TJ's trio of nephews carried flags announcing the arrival of the bride.  They were followed by Jenna's nieces in dresses with fall-colored tu-tus that Jenna also made. The guests were all handed little bride & groom bottles of bubbles, so after they exchanged vows, TJ & Jenna exited the courtyard through cheers and bubbles. After family portraits, we found a set of old train tracks right next to the courtyard. Jenna was excited to use them as a backdrop for more portraits, and we were more than happy to oblige her. I really enjoyed having Douglas's fresh perspective throughout the day, and he really created some beautiful portraits for Jenna & TJ.

Back inside the Mendenhall, a few more of Jenna's DIY projects greeted guests. She created a frame filled with wine corks to hold all the place cards, which went along with their wedding favor of homemade wine. This newlyweds set the tone for the evening by entering the reception to the song Apache by the Sugar Hill Gang, and the whole bridal party joined in once they reached the dance floor.

TJ and Jenna, thank you so much for making us a part of your day! The Mendenhall Inn was a great venue, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to take your portraits at the Nemours Mansion. We are so happy for you guys and proud to say we were a part it all!

MaryBeth & Eric's Allentown Brew Works Wedding

• Posted by Natalie •

MaryBeth & Eric discovered us two Aprils ago at Liz & Brian's wedding in Ocean City, NJ—and we're so glad they did!  They had their fingers crossed that even though they met us at the Jersey Shore, we'd be willing to travel to the Lehigh Valley for their wedding this past June.  They were thrilled to find out that we actually had an office in Bethlehem, and as we got to know each other, we found numerous other connections along the way.  We have had so much fun with these two from their epic engagement session where we criss-crossed Philadelphia to get portraits at over 20 Philadelphia landmarks through to their summer wedding at the Allentown Brew Works. MaryBeth told me recently in an e-mail that it looks like we are stuck being their photographers for life, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Their wedding was our first time photographing the Allentown Brew Works, which is located in the historic downtown area of Allentown. Jeff, the event coordinator extraordinaire at the Brew Works, was juggling multiple celebrations that day, but still managed to accomodate everything MaryBeth and Eric wanted.  We were able to do a First Look on the High Gravity level, including some dramatic portraits with the giant beer casks on that floor, then we went up to FIVE, which is the top floor, for more bridal party portraits. We used the outdoor patio off the first floor for a few more portraits before heading down the the Silk Lounge to regroup (and play some pool and arcade games) before the ceremony.

MaryBeth & Eric had hopes of getting wedding portraits in front of the iconic PPL building where Eric works, and capturing some of the beautiful architecture in this historic part of the city, but just a week before their wedding they found out there would be a jazz festival the day of their wedding covering the two blocks between PPL and the Brew Works. But as one door closes, another one opens. Through a series of happy coincidences and the generosity of the man who owns the building next to the Brew Works, we were able to bring MaryBeth & Eric up to a helicopter pad on that building for some truly unique bridal portraits with panoramic views of Allentown and the Lehigh Valley.

And that was all before the ceremony! We were back in the High Gravity room for the wedding ceremony, which featured personalized vows from MaryBeth & Eric that brought tears to both the bride's and groom's eyes.  After that it was time to party! The reception was in the FIVE room, where their design theme of red & black circles showed up all over the place.  I love how they were able to incorporate this theme in subtle ways throughout the reception.

MB & E, we had so much fun with you and all your friends & family!  We're so glad to be "stuck with you for life", and we look forward to making all your fun and crazy photos ideas come to life in the future!

Red wedding shoes?  Yes, please!  And how awesome is MaryBeth's crystal necklace, which was her grandmother's?  The necklace really completed MaryBeth's look of classic elegance.

You may recognize some of these lovely ladies from Liz & Brian's wedding photos (including Liz herself!)  I love how these girls are up for anything, including picking up hot dogs from street vendors on the way to the wedding.

From up here, Allentown is pretty beautiful...

We probably could make a whole blog post featuring our former groom Brian's dance moves (bottom left corner of this group.)  We love catching up with previous clients at their friends' weddings :)

Philadelphia Wedding Photography: Kelly & Shamus's Monmouth Beach Wedding

• 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!

Philadelphia Wedding Photography: Steve & Lara's Fairmount Park Wedding

• Posted by Matt •

Just a few weekends ago we had the honor of photographing Lara and Steve's Fairmount Park wedding at Valley Green Inn. While not our first Valley Green Inn wedding — we were there a few times in the past — this was our first time doing a First Look there so that was pretty cool.

The setting was easy to choose. There is a beautiful stone bridge just a few paces from the Inn that seems like it was made for portraits. We got Steve into place atop the bridge and brought Lara up to see her soon-to-be-husband! Now, Lara and Steve are both fun people. They couldn't stop laughing around each other in their engagement session a few months back so we knew we could get some fun bridal party portraits. After the first look we set them up across the bridge for a serious bridal party portrait but they all started laughing!

Steve and his groomsmen — who were also his three brothers — wore sharp gray suits with purple ties that matched the purple bridesmaids dresses. Lara donned a beautiful white dress with a very simple white flower in her hair to cap it all off. The result? Beautiful bridal party pictures in the park.

They definitely made the day their own, though, with all the littler personal touches they wanted. They had wine flown in from Italy, a chalkboard seating chart and much more. All of that added up to a unique wedding set in Fairmount Park.

That's enough of me talking, enjoy the photos!