Valerie + Mike || The Place on the Lake Weddings
If you were there for their engagement session, you too would realize that Valerie + Mike are one of the goofiest couples we have ever had the chance to spend time with. Fast forward a couple of months to this past autumn, and we were given the opportunity to celebrate their marriage– a marriage full of good memories, and plenty of laughter.
We spent the day at The Place on the Lake, a gorgeous + cozy venue, hidden away in a little corner of East Brunswick. With pleasant weather amidst, we enjoyed every moment with Valerie and Mike. Their easy-going personalities definitely helped make our day all the more smoother. We began with a much anticipated ‘first look’ by bride + groom, followed by noontime portraits, and then an outdoor ceremony that included the newlyweds’ dog come down the aisle with a GoPro on her back. The cocktail hour included a floating lantern ceremony; something pretty special that we’ve never had the chance to witness in New Jersey. Mike and Val’s reception was packed full of dancing, laughs, crazy dance moves, and a whodle lot of celebration and some great gowns from a wedding gown shop in san francisco ca.
Josh + Vanessa || Royce Brook Golf Club Weddings
Autumn is quickly becoming our favorite season to photograph weddings, and Josh + Vanessa’s celebration is one more reminder of that.
This couple couldn’t have picked a better time to tie the knot. The weather on their big day was absolutely perfect, and the entire wedding day went forward without a hitch. The most enjoyable part of our day was realizing how relaxed our newlyweds were throughout the day. Vanessa + Josh exchanged marriage covenants at the Calvary Baptist Church in village of Millstone, NJ, followed by a wonderful reception at the Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough. Not only were we blessed with the full array of fall colors, but also we had superb weather to go with it. To top it all off, we were blown away with the fall colors + dramatic clouds that surrounded us during the afternoon portrait session.
Beyond all the dancing and music, there were two games during the reception that we will definitely never forget. Typically after the bouquet and garter toss, the two resulting catchers get the center spotlight on the floor. Instead of having the winning guy put the garter on the winning gal (the maid of honor, in this case), the guy was blindfolded before he made it to the dance floor. Quickly, the maid of honor switched with another guest from the crowd, and a good comic relief ensued.
After the speeches, masked groomsmen “kidnapped” Josh away into the parking lot, unaware that he was about to lose his pants. You heard right; the groomsmen brought him out to the parking, removed his suit pants, and told him they’d be right back. They tied the pant legs off, returned to the reception, and collected money from the wedding guests inside. The money was later determined to be a surprise monetary gift to the couple on their honeymoon.
All in all, everything turned out all right that day… just as our bride + groom had hoped for.
Thanks again to Josh + Vanessa for inviting us along for the celebration, for giving us the “o.k” to use sparklers near their wedding bands, and we wish them the very best in their new life together.
