Daniel + NaDea || Longwood Gardens Engagement Photography
Enjoy a collection of our favorite images from Daniel and NaDea’s engagement session in the gorgeous + picturesque Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.
Although the weather was a tiny bit overcast, we managed to have an amazing time getting to know this couple a little more. We’re very excited to document their wedding day next fall!
See more of our work here on our facebook page.
Jocelyn + Doug || New York City Engagements
It’s not every day that we meet couples via strangers.
In Jocelyn + Doug’s particular case, we were fortunate enough to connect with them via one of their friends. This friend had “won” a photography session that we’d donated at a silent auction hosted by Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and had thoughtfully gifted the session to Jocelyn + Doug. Proceeds from this silent auction support a children’s home in South Africa called Makaphutu. Fund raising information can be found here. We’re really proud to be a (small) part of this specialized homes’ support, albeit indirectly, and we want to extend a special thanks to everyone whose made this multifaceted connection possible. Enjoy the photos below!
Jenn + Mike || Central Park Engagements
Mike and Jenn braved the summer heat for this July engagement session. With all of us juggling extremely busy summer schedules, it was a miracle that we could meet up for this! Fortunately, this lovely couple worked through the heat, sweat & humidity without a single complaint. We ventured around Central Park– under bridges, behind fountains, on top of boulders, and even to one of my favorite (secret) spots– and we have the images to prove it.
Congratulations once again to Mike and Jenn on their engagement, and we wish you two the very best in your new future together.
Creativity After Dark || Titusville, PA
We met up with LJ and Phil for part two of their engagement session. Waited till it got dark, set up some strobes, and had some fun. Photo #1 had sparklers, and Photo #2 had an iPhone 4s Flashlight.
We can’t wait to photograph their wedding in Hawaii this summer!
Surprise Proposal in New Orleans || Audubon Zoo, New Orleans Louisiana
Here’s another super-secret-surprise-proposal that you don’t want to miss. I (Jon) have been fortunate enough to know this couple for quite a few years. When Vince contacted me about my early June availability, I knew something special was going down… and this time, it was taking place in New Orleans, LA.
Jen + a girlfriend had been on a 5-day cruise prior to our Wednesday arrival. In collaboration with her friend, we flew in Wednesday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and spent the day exploring this charming city. The last time us guys were in NOLA, we were doing Hurricane Katrina relief work, and it was a completely different city.
Come Thursday morning, we took the public trolley to the Audubon Zoo and camped out a few hours early. The ladies’ cruise ship docked earlier that morning, so we wanted to be there first to gather our bearings. We waited, and waited.. and waited some more. Through my telephoto lens, I eventually spotted them walking our way… with Jen unknowingly walking into a big surprise. When she set her eyes on Vince, she exclaimed, “What the…. what are you doing here?” They hugged, chatted, and eventually, she said, “Yes!” (special mention needs to go to Vince for using a Star Wars themed moleskine calendar book, with hand-punched spacing in the book for the engagement ring)
After taking a break from all the excitement, we grabbed lunch at a great little luncheonette called The Camellia Grill. Hearty food, entertaining staff, and a no-frills, “did-we-just-travel-back-in-time?” lunch experience were had by all. If you haven’t been there before, go. It’s what a diner should be, and we can say that because we’re all from New Jersey.
We returned to the Audubon Zoo, where Vince + Jen joined me for an impromptu engagement session. We climbed up trees, passed a swamp monster, spent a few minutes in the Hurricane Simulator (thank you Jen for obliging), all before the zoo closed its doors. We split up for our dinner plans, and reunited over a famous order of beignets at Cafe duMonde. We polished off our night at the phenomenal Pat O’Brien’s— my first ever experience with duelling pianos. The only downside to our day was when it ended.
Congratulations once again to our friends Vince + Jen! Thank you for allowing Dreamlite Photography to be a part of your surprise engagement.
Priscilla + Dayton || Branchbrook Park Engagements
On a very last minute scheduling frenzy, these two love birds met up with Jon in northern New Jersey for their engagement photos. The cherry blossoms were nearly peaking when this session took place, and we happily soaked in the magnificent colors as we worked our way around Branchbrook Park. Some say this park Newark’s best kept secret– so much so that we almost decided not to write about the location specifics (half-kidding).
Priscilla and Dayton: congratulations to the both of you on your engagement, and thanks for letting Dreamlite Photography be a part of this celebration.
Nancy + Rob || Bryn Mawr Engagements
Here are a few favorites from Rob + Nancy’s engagement session on Bryn Mawr’s stunning campus. With spring colors, an easy-going couple, and beautiful light, we lacked nothing that day except for time with this awesome couple.
To Nancy and Rob: thanks for choosing Dreamlite, and we wish you two the best on your wedding celebrations next year!
Jennifer + Kevin || New York City Engagements
Jen and Kevin are the sweetest of couples. At first impression, Jen’s outgoing persona aptly complimented Kevin’s very calm presence. After spending some time warming up with this couple, we realized quickly how at ease they were with each other. Their jokes morphed into giggles, and their giggles gave way to an abundance of laughter. We would be lying if we said they weren’t a lot of fun to pass time with.
We started our session in NYU’s Kimmel Center… but not just in any room. They made arrangements to occupy one of the music rooms, (a love they both share), and even played a couple of songs on the piano for us. We later learned this is how they first met– via a piano! Here’s an excerpt from their wedding website:
We met at OCM in September of 2000. Ironically, we met when I heard this random tall guy playing Canon in D. It was smooth but lacked some pizazz. So I decided to go over there and improvise on top of the original melody, something I love doing. “This is FUN! I have someone to JAM with! :)” – I thought to myself… and soon enough, we started playing together each Sunday after service for a while… I finally found out by chance that his name was Kevin… and he finally figured out my name was Jen…
We ventured the hallways, staircases, a study room, and eventually worked our way through the beautiful Washington Square Park. We ended our time at the nearby eateries (hint: peanuts and falafels), paying special homage to Mamoun’s Falafels on MacDougal– one of their go-to date spots while Jen was attending NYU.
Although we won’t be there for Jen and Kevin’s wedding day celebration this fall, we’re so honored that they asked us to photograph their engagement session. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your celebration.
Peter + Grace’s Engagement || Jersey Shore
We were really excited when our friends Peter and Grace contacted us and asked us to do their engagement photos in Long Branch, NJ. It’s not often that we get to venture down to the shore for photos, so when we got their email, we were pretty pumped.
Together, we wandered along the boardwalk, visited a few key spots that they often frequented, and then led them off the beaten path for some really neat photos. Even with the fog blanketing most of the sky that day, we certainly used it to our advantage.
Curious to see more photos? Go ahead and visit our facebook page and see a whole lot more photos from their session. And yes, no engagement photos with Peter would be complete without Michael Jackson-related attire…
Peter and Grace: thank you once again for inviting us to the beach, and we can’t wait to photograph your wedding in the fall!
Jessie y Jonathan || Old San Juan Portraits
Evening portrait session with a really sweet couple (she’s a photographer, he’s a chef).
Totem Plaza, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Retrato con una pareja muy genial. (ella es una fotografa, y él es un cocinero).
Plaza del Totem, Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico
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!
Ben + Fanny’s Engagement
Fanny and Ben met us at the beautiful Princeton University campus for their engagement session. With just enough sunshine and a little bit of breeze, we ventured across campus to get some fun photos with this couple. Inspired by another flickr photographer’s iphone antics, we convinced Ben and Fanny to do some creative photos with an iphone. Can’t recall the last time we laughed so much with a couple at an engagement session 🙂
Enjoy our latest photos, and to Ben + Fanny: We’re looking forward to your wedding next weekend!
Dan + Perla’s Engagement || Brooklyn, NYC
Dan and Perla’s engagement session this past weekend was amazing. Although the previous few days have been cloudy + gloomy, we were blessed with beautiful, sunny weather & clear blue skies. We started our session at D.U.M.B.O, and later ventured on a bit more south towards Prospect Park. Along the way, we had multiple encounters with the city garbage collection truck, of whom we were certain had been following us around.. On a lighter note, we also ran into a group of Boston Terrier-loving folks (Dan + Perla’s favorite dog breed) who were glad to join us for some photos. It was a ton of fun to photograph Perla and Dan- the best combination of relax, goofy, patient and romantic a photographer could ask for (and of course, a special thanks to Yanshu Liu for the lighting assistance).
Looking forward to your big day in October!
Rowais + Marti Engagement
This past November, we met up with Rowais and Marti for their engagement photos. After days of research, we finally found a place in New Jersey that contained the two elements that they had requested be in their engagement photos: “greenery” and “the beach”… and what place more suitable than at a national park? We were equally surprised to find out that New Jersey had a national park, and best of all it was right along the jersey shore.
Andrew + Angelica’s Engagement
If you’ve spent any time with either of these two, you know that they’re both adventurous, passionate and unique individuals. Angelica’s travels have taken her all around the world, along the way having collected her fair share of interesting experiences and stories (did I mention she brought home a pet cat from her Peace Corps stint in Senegal?). Meanwhile, Andrew would rather be hunting & gathering than watching the newest Brangelina Cruise flick, proudly drives his own “batmobile,” and is pretty famous around here for making tasty lobster feasts. Andrew and Angelica aren’t your typical.. anything. Seriously, I think that’s really what makes them who they are.
Soon after they had gotten engaged, I remember discussing (read: battling) with Andrew about having an engagement session. Angelica was all for having one, but Andrew thought it was unnecessary and just plain silly. When Andrew finally sent me an email, it read: “we thought of something that we’d both be willing to do for an engagement shoot…skeet shooting.” I was sold.
Below is the only proof you need to our shotgun wielding adventures.. and the fact that we were also celebrating their recent engagement. We spent our Sunday evening at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays (http://www.lvsclays.com/), a shotgun range situated somewhere in Pennsylvania between a bunch of farmland and some highways. Perhaps most enjoyable about this range, besides having numerous stations to shoot clays from, was the fact that much of the range had incorporated an already defunct, dilapidated mill factory. Best of all– when the staff was nowhere in sight– we snuck in to grab a few awesome shots.
Last but not least, pay close attention to the images below. It’s the first time we’ve ever imbedded a “.gif” file into our blog.
Congratulations again to Andrew & Angelica, and we’re looking forward to celebrating (and photographing) your wedding with next you summer.
Mark + Vivian Engagement
A few weeks back, we journeyed over to Princeton to meet up with Mark and Vivian. Since we’re no strangers to photographing couples there, we’re always in the hunt for new and exciting spots in and around Princeton campus. What makes it a whole a lot easier is having fun and relaxed clients to work with, and both Mark & Vivian were no exception.
Along with their goofy and fun personalities came some really sweet props. They brought along some Super Mario Brothers mushrooms, as well as a bunch of pink balloons. We travelled around the graduate school campus, saw some gorgeous architecture, the adjacent golf course, and ended our session at one of their favorite date spots– The Bent Spoon. This self-proclaimed “Artisan ice cream & bakery” shop is a must-have if you ever come by the Princeton area.
Enjoy the photos everyone, and to Mark & Vivian– we’re looking forward to your wedding THIS WEEKEND!
Juni + Lela Engagement
Juni and Lela found us through a mutual friend, and were really excited to get some engagement photos taken. We’re so glad to have worked with them, especially since they picked the perfect time for their photos (Spring) and an awesome location (Branch Brook Park).
Not a lot of New Jerseyans know this, but Branch Brook Park in Essex County is home to a beautiful and vast collection of cherry blossoms. Since we went during the height of the blossom season, the cherry blossoms were still on their branches and were full of great color. With a neat mix of pedestrian bridges, romantic walkways and a myriad of spring colors, we’ll definitely be returning to this location soon enough.
Juni and Lela– thanks again for choosing us, and congratulations on your engagement!
