RJ + Christina || Farmstead Golf and Country Club Wedding
Christina and RJ’s story began a little after college, when they met through online dating. Through that season in their life, they discovered so many more shared interests– good food, tasty beers, superheroes, and animals. Funny enough, all those interests were highlighted on their wedding day.
From the get-go, we had a very memorable time with this couple. Weather wise, we couldn’t have asked for a more pleasant autumn day. The fall colors were vibrant throughout the day, especially with all of the sunshine we had. We spent most of the day at the Farmstead Golf & Country Club, a beautiful gem nestled amongst the mountains and forests in northern New Jersey. Their ceremony took place outdoors, followed by a reception inside FGCC’s historic and very charming two-story barn.
Perhaps our favorite aspect of RJ + Christina’s wedding was all of the many details that were thoughtfully incorporated all throughout their special day.
First off, beers. It’s no secret that Christina + RJ love beers… Even their engagement session took place at a local North Jersey brewery. What better way to highlight that love than to include beers details in both their reception decorations, as well as the floral bouquets?
They also gave a big shoutout to DC/Marvel superheroes by giving the groomsmen masks as they paraded into the reception hall. When it was Christina + RJ’s turn to enter their reception, they wore animals masks and danced in to the tune of “What Does the Fox Say?” Not too long after, the bride and her father pulled a surprise dance routine out of their sleeves, followed by an evening of partying in every corner of the barn.
All the best to our newlyweds, Christina + RJ! #hopfuzzwedding
Teny + Enrique || Pink Sisters Convent, Tagaytay, The Philippines
The funny thing about friendship is that you never know when you’ll encounter it. We’re not talking about how Teny + Enrique met, but rather, how Dreamlite met Teny + Enrique… on a double date!
Jon and his then-girlfriend (now fiancée), Ria, went on a double date with this lovely couple back in July of 2015. Ria wanted to introduce a dear friend of hers to Jon, seeing as they both shared a strong connection with Latin America. Their Pinkberry hangout turned into a late afternoon of chatting, laughing and fond story swapping. Enrique is a teacher by trade while Teny is a former Latin-America missionary turned corporate trainer for Army Navy Burger + Burritos in the Philippines. Beyond their work, they conjoinedly emit a heart warming presence. Their easy going personalities are matched only with their shared faith for God, as well as their love for each other.
Months later, the wonderful news broke the social media world: Teny and Enrique were getting married! Jon reached out to Teny + Enrique, and the four of them decided to celebrate their engagement in Tagaytay, a smooth two hours’ drive from Metro Manila. They chose to have their engagement session (known as ‘prenup photos’ in the Philippines) at the Pink Sisters Convent, an incredible campus containing a chapel, walking garden, and towering pine trees.
Officially, the Pink Sisters Convent is maintained by a catholic order known as the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, but due to their rose-colored religious attire, they are affectionately referred to by the former. The grounds at the convent were beautifully maintained, full of various flowers and trees, that they got from the flower delivery in Deer Park TX. Although a bit crowded, which is expected for anything opened to the public in the Philippines, we managed to dodge much of the crowds during their portrait session. We wrapped up our session over lunch, alongside a caravan of family + friends, in the city of Tagaytay… the perfect way to cap off their photo session.
Thank you Enrique + Teny for your support of of Dreamlite Photography, and looking forward to many more life celebrations with you both!
Eileen + Chris || Loew’s Hotel Philadelphia Weddings
Chris and Eileen had their wedding in late October, which also happens to be our favorite month to photograph weddings. The autumn season is a mix of soft daylight and very comfortable weather, both factors which contributed to an exceptionally memorable wedding event.
We can happily write that we spent the day in what is quickly becoming one of our top cities to photograph in. Philadelphia is overflowing with Revoutionary history, modern architecture, richly ethnic neighborhoods and urban revitalization. Chris and Eileen chose to have their wedding at the Loew’s Hotel Philadelphia , perfectly situated in the heart of center city. Being in such a prime location allowed us to stop by Love Park and City Hall during the day for some portraits.
With a well planned schedule, Chris and Eileen had their first look on one of the higher levels of the hotel. It’s safe to say you could feel the excitement and joy in the grooms’ eyes when they first saw eachother (even through his blurry eyes). At night, we had the opportunity to escape the reception and access the rooftop of the Loew’s Hotel, for an absolutely unbelievable view of the Philadelphia skyline. Certainly a breathtaking view of the Philadelphia, and one that we hope to get again in the near future.
Thanks again to our newlyweds for inviting down to Philadelphia, and congratulations on your marriage!
Cindy + Derek || Winter Weddings at The Addison Park
Almost one year ago today, we were delighted to have wrapped up our wedding season with Cindy + Derek’s gorgeous engagement session in Savannah, Georgia. Once again, we find ourselves finishing off the 2014 wedding season with the same amazing couple… and we couldn’t be more honored to do so with anybody else.
Truth be told, we at Dreamlite Photography have been looking forward to this day for quite some time. Having already “tied the knot” on paper, Cindy + Derek emphasized this particular marriage celebration be exactly that– a celebration. Shedding away many of the traditional wedding day formalities allowed this couple to have a really beautiful, easy-flowing schedule. By doing so, this couple made room for a whole lot of dancing, laughter, love, and a few tears along the way (the good kind).
Although the winter weather was in full swing by this weekend (with temperatures dipping to the 20’s), you probably couldn’t tell by the portraits we took around the Princeton University campus. That’s how brave our bride + groom were. We consider ourselves blessed by having such courageous couples to work with. Even when things got really cold, Derek + Cindy pushed through, knowing that these portraits would be worth it.
Typically, our blogposts are filled with real moments… authentic emotions, crazy dance moves, and candid images that reflect our couples’ wedding day stories. And in doing so, we hardly ever shine the spotlight on the details. Not that we have anything against details, but we simply prefer to highlight the living over the inanimate 🙂 However, there was no way we could share this wedding without applauding Nada and her team from DB Events for being the creative force behind all the wedding details. The amount of creative energy poured into making this all possible was truly unspeakable. Every single detail– from the suspended wedding cake to the elegantly designed centerpieces to the dream-like ambiance of the reception room– can be credited to the folks at DB Events. We even had the opportunity to watch two separate dance performances that evening: an Irish dance troupe, followed by Pali Dabke Arabic dancers, to honor our couples’ Irish and Palestinian backgrounds. Thank you DB Events for making the magic real.
Above all else, congratulations to Derek + Cindy on celebrating their new marriage!
(To see more of our work, and even more photos from their celebration, visit us on our facebook page)
Karen + Steven || The Inn at Lambertville Station Weddings
We feel incredibly privileged to be sharing images from this past weekend.
Karen and Steve’s love story began during their university days, followed by a few years of dating, a surprise Time Square proposal (including a very Steve-style prank), and finally culminating to a beautiful wedding celebration last Saturday. Joined by loved ones from all across the country, the days’ wedding events took place in historic Lambertville, NJ. Perhaps most impressive to us were all of the handmade DIY details seen throughout the wedding day. In fact, while photographing their wedding, we made sure to keep a very comprehensive list on our iPhones for reference.
Thankfully, the weather held out for the majority of the wedding day. We were grateful to see a little bit of sunshine + cloudiness in the mix, and wrapped up all of our outdoor photos right before the rain came. The Inn itself has a superb variety of locations to photograph, and we were glad to be photographing their wedding after very recent renovations. By far, one of our favorite aspects of the day was seeing so many familiar faces at Karen and Steve’s wedding. We counted at least 5 other couples present who’ve graced our blog over the last few years, and that made our evening all the more special.
Special mentions go to:
–Esther Lee for all the details & decorations & designs
–DJ Robbie for the great music & evening entertainment
-the folks at the Lambertville Station for making the evening possible
Below are some of our favorite frames from the day. We’re also posting more, never-before-seen images on our facebook page too, so please visit us there!
Last but not least, a big congratulations to our newlyweds, Karen and Steve!
Seah + Robert || World of Wings Wedding Receptions
Seah and Robert’s incredible wedding celebration is finally on the blog! A few short days ago, these wonderful couple tied the knot and officially became husband and wife.
Vibrant colors and cultural traditions flowed throughout this day, and we sincerely wished the day hadn’t ended. The bride and groom crafted such a nice wedding day schedule (read: well-planned with lots of time devoted to photography) in order to accommodate plenty of time for portraits. We had a brief morning photo session all throughout the grounds of the World of Wings… perhaps most spectacularly, we visited the Atrium that contained a live butterfly exhibit. Afterwards, we continued on to a late afternoon ceremony at The Church of the Atonement in Tenafly, NJ. The rest of the evening including a beautiful Korean tea ceremony and topped off the evening with a grand reception at the World of Wings.
A very special thanks to fellow photographer Paul Kim of Bōm Photography for second shooting / assisting in translations for this one!
To see more of our images, be sure to stop by our facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/DreamlitePhotography
Ben + Sam || Houston Engagement Photography
For Dreamlite Photography‘s first visit to Texas, we could not have asked for a more fantastic couple to work with. Ben and Sam spent the afternoon with Jon as they ventured throughout Central Houston for engagement photos. The sunny Texan weather was a nice break from the gloom hovering over New Jersey that week. In between photos, we stopped by Cloud 10 Creamery for incredibly delicious and handmade ice cream (they happen to also be friends with the owner), and grabbed a quick bite to eat at Torchy’s Tacos. We finished off our session in the Bayou City neighborhood of Houston, at the famous “We Love Houston” sign. Minutes before taking the last photo below, we ended up bumping into David Adickes, the well-known Houston sculpture behind this artwork.
Thank you Sam + Ben for the opportunity to take your engagement photos!
If you like what you see, follow us on facebook to see more work… and if you’re in need of wedding/engagement photographers in Houston, don’t hesitate to contact us!!
Ellen + Chris || Philadelphia Engagement Portraits
Last week, Ellen + Chris kindly met up with Jon for some adventurous nighttime portraits. Although the cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom, we managed to find some incredible spots to work with. Below is one of Jon’s favorite frames from that evening.
Thank you both for the opportunity!
Be sure to follow us on facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/DreamlitePhotography ) to see our latest work.
Eileen + Frank || Weddings at The Grand Marquis
When we first met Eileen + Frank a few months ago for their engagement session, we quickly warmed up to their easy-going personalities. There was nothing cheesy or mushy about them– their naturalness with each other was ticket to win us over right away. Fast forward four months to this past weekend– their wedding weekend– and we were fortunate enough to get a greater glimpse of the love story that this lovely couple is writing together.
Everything about their big day went off without a hiccup. All those months of planning by our newlyweds had paid off. The wedding day itinerary had plenty of cushion time, and we were so elated to see the gorgeous (yet slightly chilly) spring weather finally come upon us.
Eileen + Frank were married at the beautiful St. Cecelia Church, followed by a wedding reception at the Grand Marquis of Old Bridge. We cannot write about their wedding day without giving due credit to the bride + groom on spearheading a jampacked + exciting wedding day that was very much on-time from start to finish. Beyond their impressive punctuality, we really enjoyed watching the laughter, the tears and all the moments in between as they happened throughout the day.
Here’s a cool wedding tip we learned today: if your shoes fit a little too tight, fill up a ziploc baggy with water, place them in your shoes, and toss them in the freezer for a few hours. The frozen water should lend a little bit of stretch to your shoes. Trust us… our bride did this, and it worked.
Congratulations once again to Eileen + Frank, and thank you for letting us be there to document your marriage celebration. Don’t forget to visit our facebook page! You’ll see more images from their wedding day in the coming weeks.
Katrina + Ben || Ballroom at the Ben Weddings
Photographs alone cannot sum up what an amazing time we had this weekend at Ben + Katrina’s wedding celebration. Every little aspect from their wedding day had us not only impressed, but very much humbled. Beyond their ability to juggle work + law school + wedding planning over this past year, and besides the fact that loved ones had come from all over the world to attend, they made it a point to honor their families in such a beautiful way. During the reception, the newly-wedded couple stood up to offer words of love + thanksgiving to their own families; an unforgettably heartfelt gesture we hope to see more of in our future weddings.
Looking back, there are so many favorite moments that we had as their photographers. We could talk all day about how awesome it was that they had an “unplugged” wedding ceremony, or perhaps go on about how this was the first time we’ve ever encountered a “Man of Honor” (the bride’s brother). But we’ve come to realize that with this couple, we enjoyed simply being around them. Whether it be during their adventurous engagement session around Philly to documenting all the behind-the-scenes stuff on their wedding day, we both agreed that their love for each other, for God, and for others is an incredibly visible testament in itself.
Thank you to Katrina + Ben for having us along at your wedding day celebration. Congratulations!
(and make sure to visit us on facebook to see even more images later this week!)
Cindy + Derek || Wormsloe Historic Site Engagements
We feel so privileged to be sharing these photos with everyone tonight. Just last week, we flew down south to meet up with this awesome couple.
Although the weather forecasts warned us of a rain-filled afternoon, the beautiful city of Savannah welcomed us with warm, sunny skies. We began our session at the historic Wormsloe Plantation, an estate-turned-state park that traces its southern roots back 300 years. The ‘driveway’ of this historic site alone is worth the visit; an incredible tunnel of oak trees that seem to never end. We ventured around the property, making good use of the crisp golden light, the dangling spanish moss, and through the diverse forest paths within the park. Afterwards, we drove to downtown Savannah and explored River Drive. with Cindy + Derek.
We’re very proud to wrap up our 2013 photography season with this wonderful couple, and we hope you enjoy the photos below!
CRU Staff Portraits in Boston
Moses + Tiff || UPenn Campus, Philadelphia
Jon’s first official tour of the University of Pennsylvania’s campus also happened to be for Moses + Tiff’s engagement session. We zig-zagged our way through campus, passing libraries, dorms, CHOP, beautiful architecture, and even took a visit to the “Dueling Tampons” . While Dreamlite won’t be there officially for their wedding celebration in the spring, Jon is extremely honored to be there as a groomsman.
Thanks again Moses + Tiff for getting engaged! 🙂
To see more of our work, visit our facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/DreamlitePhotography
Ingy + Peter || The Estate at Florentine Gardens
Peter and Ingy’s wedding celebration was the perfect event to cap off our 2013 wedding season. Even though we’ve documented Coptic Orthodox ceremonies in the past, each and every wedding that we photograph brings forth an abundance of fresh new experiences + stunning visuals.
We’re constantly in awe of the complexity of Coptic Orthodox ceremonies. The fusing of faith, tradition, commitment and culture is certainly one of the most unique experiences we have ever been witnesses to. The bride and groom were married at the Coptic Orthodox Church St. Mark in Jersey City, followed by portraits at Pascack Brook County Park. Their reception took place on the Estate at Florentine Gardens, a gorgeous venue that redefines what classy wedding receptions should be. If you’re in search of a wedding reception location that is a notch above, consider the Florentine Gardens.
Congratulations to our newlyweds Ingy + Peter, and thank you for allowing us to be a part of your big day!
Isabel + Mike || West Point Cadet Chapel
We had an incredible time photographing Isabel + Mike’s afternoon wedding celebration this past weekend.
With the autumn weather upon us, we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Crisp morning air, soft sunlight, and beautiful blue skies provided us with the perfect weekend to document their wedding. Coupled with the fact that our newlyweds were as low-maintenance and low-stress as could be, we couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Weddings like these make us wish we recorded audio on the wedding day. Hearing about this couple’s story throughout Saturday– how they met at church in Hawaii, how they reconnected later on, how they spurred each other on in their faith, how they dated long-distance– was both inspirational + encouraging to witness. Not often do we admit that “our photos don’t do any justice to their love story,” but this would be one of those moments.
We started off in the early morning hours as they prepped for their big day. Their “first look” was setup at Trophy Point, a tourist attraction on campus with a stunning view of the Hudson Valley. Their ceremony took place at the West Point Cadet Chapel, followed by a relaxing afternoon reception at the Herbert Hall Alumni Center. The rest of the day was full of much celebration– from guests in attendance from all over the globe to delicious asian-style catering– we’re thrilled to share with you the images below. Two of our favorite moments? When the best man was wrapping up his (very bromantic) speech, the guests began clinking their drinking glasses. Also, the pyebaek korean tea ceremony was a wonderful mix of tradition and humor… especially when Mike’s mom threw the figs just a little short of her goal. (Thankfully, she was given a 2nd chance).
Some vendors we’d like to give a special mention to:
Catering by Fresh Company (Chelsea – chelseacarlton@freshcompany.
Reception AOG Herbert Hall at West Point (Leslie – Leslie.Rose@wpaog.org)
Flowers by Harrington Park Florist (Douglas – ptgarden0904@gmail.com)
Ceremony at the Cadet Chapel (Marie – marie.chanowitz@usma.edu)
Korean Tea Ceremony by Jangmi su-ae (201-585-0303)
We hope you enjoy our latest set of images, and we want to give a special congratulations to our newlyweds, Mike + Isabel!
see more images on our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DreamlitePhotography
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!
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.
