Martin’s 50th Birthday Clambake Surprise
We are thrilled to be sharing photos from a surprise birthday event on the 4th of July.
For Martin’s surprise 50th birthday party, his sister reached out to Jon about documenting this once-in-a-lifetime event. Planned with the utmost secrecy, this surprise party involved dozens of loved ones flying in from all across the country. Everything from the decor to the food were chosen in great taste.
Have you ever heard of a privately catered event serving the best sous-vide tenderloin in all of New Jersey? In addition to that, freshly cooked lobsters piled as high as the eye can see? For this birthday surprise, those were just two of the many items on this evening’s clambake dinner menu, courtesy of Bryan and his team at Shore Catering.
Soon after Martin showed up for what was suppose to be a “little dinner gathering”, the entire house lit up, flowing of good memories, champagne, laughter, and plenty of hugs. Everyone from grade school teachers to friends and siblings arrived that evening to celebrate alongside Martin. It was certainly one of the most joyous and relaxing events that we’ve ever been asked to photograph, and we wouldn’t have traded it for the world.
Photography: Jon of Dreamlite Photography (http://www.facebook.com/Dreamlite Photography) || Catering: Shore Catering (http://www.shorecatering.com/clambakes-catering-nj) || Location: Private residence
Miriam + David || Engagement Party at the Chart House
Miriam and David celebrated their engagement in style. The engagement party took place at the Chart House in Hoboken, filled with hours of dancing, great food, and a hall packed with loved ones. Below are a few of our favorite images from that night… congrats again to David and Miriam (and another victory to long-distance love)!
Maya + Pierre’s Engagement Party || Philadelphia Museum of Art
Both of us are so very grateful to have been a part of Maya + Pierre’s engagement celebration back in November. A few hours before the party began, we joined this lovely couple for a portrait session in & around the Philadelphia Museum of Art (we were even granted access into a recently installed exhibit within the Philadelphia Museum of Art– a Hindu Temple). Wherever we went, whatever we did, one thing was for certain: Maya + Pierre needed no prompting when it came to making each other laugh. In fact, their inter-relational goofiness added just the right touch to our session, making our jobs that much easier.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again… the rest of the night was one big party. The cocktail hour itself was fantastical- by and far, our favorite dish to eat that evening (in the rare moments we weren’t shooting, of course) was the kobe beef sliders. Coupled with a few heart-warming speeches, champagne toasts, and an even more amazing dinner selection, the night was finally topped off with lots and lots of dancing. Congratulations once again to Maya & Pierre, and we look forward to your wedding day in May!
Maya + Pierre’s Engagement Party Teasers || Philadelphia, PA
When Maya & Pierre contacted us to photograph their engagement party, we were ecstatic to learn it would take place at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Little did we know, not only did they reserve the whole museum (grand staircase and all), but they weren’t kidding when they told us it would be a “party”. Below are some of our favorite images from yesterday’s big celebration. Stay tuned for more images to come!
Benefit Concert for Leukemia Research
While our primary focus is photographing weddings and portraits, sometimes we get the opportunity to put our time & skills into other cool happenings. In this post, here are some of Jon’s favorite images from a recent Leukemia Benefit Concert held in Garwood, NJ. Casey (a friend of his from high school) organized this awesome event, showcasing a local slew of talented bands and raising support for a great cause. Can’t forget to say a shout out to a fellow photographer friend, Jenna Perfette, for allowing Jon to tag along.
the venue: The Crossroads at Garwood, Garwood, NJ, 78 North Ave (site link here, Yelp! link here)
the cause: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LINK)- money was raised for a local team participating in a triathlon
for Team in Training for Leukemia research
the bands (in order of appearance):
+ Ugly Club http://www.myspace.com/theuglyclubnj
+ The Tattle Tales http://www.myspace.com/thetattletales
+ Bah Bah Bahrain http://www.myspace.com/bahbahbahrain
+ Young American Artists http://www.myspace.com/youngamericanartists
+ Martian http://www.myspace.com/listentomartian
the amount raised: over $300 in donations at the door
event planner: Casey R. (Interested in having her plan your next show/event/concert? She can be reached at: caseyreznik@mac.com )
Lastly, here are some kind words directly from the fingertips of Casey:
*A huge thanks to Lee from Crossroads for making the show possible and being insanely easy to work with.
*Make sure you come out to the next event so more money can be raised for worthy causes… Besides, more people means more fun for those attending.“
The N Result Opening for Rutgersfest 2009
Our friends, The N Result, performed the opening set at Rutgersfest 2009, Rutgers University’s flagship event including a free concert, boardwalk games, and food vendors. Artists this year included The N Result, Ryan Leslie, N*E*R*D, and Motion City Soundtrack. (latter two unfortunately not pictured)
1. The N Result band’s setup
2. Eitan on the keyboard
3. Chimere on vocals + Ross on vocals/guitar
4. Dan on guitar + Bobby on bass
5. Nate on drums/percussion
6. The early afternoon crowd
7. Ryan Leslie
8. Flippenout showcasing their trampoline athleticism.
