BJ + Dara || Hillsborough NJ Engagement Sessions
We at Dreamlite love a good challenge.
When we first started discussing location ideas with BJ + Dara, we agreed to stay local. But in our own little town of Hillsborough, NJ, where could we go? Surrounded by farmlands and a seemingly endless wave of suburban strip malls…. the challenge was accepted. After a few hours of scouting locally in our car, we discovered a place void of crowds, traffic, and canadian geese. With a clear view of the Sourland Mountains to the west, we were amazed a spot like this could exist in Central Jersey.
We’re so thankful that we had the chance to photograph Dara + BJ. After a few rain date reschedules, we finally met up one Saturday evening and came away with these photos. Congratulations once again to Dara + BJ on a new adventure together!
John + Meredith || Duportail House Wedding
Days before their wedding weekend, we had some slight concerns regarding the weather. The forecast was pretty dreary; thunderstorms and heavy rain were suppose to soak the Valley Forge area for the entirety of the wedding day. When we find ourselves in this kind of situation, the best we can do is develop a rain plan, and pray, pray, pray.
Come the wedding day, we were greeted with the hot and humid weather that was typical of May in our part of the country. We started with our couple at the nearby Embassy Suites, followed by their first look at the historic Duportail House. Built in 1740, the house + surrounding property are an amazing representation of colonial American history. Meredith + John had expressed to us how much they loved the architecture around Duportail House property, so we made sure to plan our portrait session around various parts of the estate.
By early afternoon, the sun was still out and the storm clouds were nowhere in sight… prayers answered! Our bride and groom ended up having an amazing outdoor ceremony, presided by their dear friend + pastor. At some point during the wedding ceremony, while singing along to the hymn “How Great Thou Art,” the storm clouds could be heard in the near distance. We kid you not; seconds after the crowd sang the verse, “…I see the stars… I hear the rolling thunder…Thy power throughout the universe displayed,” the sound of roaring thunder cracked through the sky. As soon as the ceremony concluded, the booming sound of canon went off from the nearby Valley Forge National Park— all in perfect timing. This series of unplanned event were definitely the most memorable for us that day.
The reception started just around the time the rain began (and the rain came down on us hard). We loved the intimate space that they planned for when planning their reception— an outdoor tented reception, a cozy first dance on the patio, followed by an evening of crazy dance movies + bellyaching laughter on the main dance floor. At one point on the dance floor, we spotted John lifted up his baby nephew into the air in very Lion King-like fashion. Meredith later reflected on this very moment, saying in an email to us that she was both laughing and terrified.
We reached out to Meredith + John the week after their wedding, while the wedding memories were still fresh on their minds. We asked them to send us a few of their favorite moments, and funny enough, their list pretty much aligned with the same set of teaser photos we posted the week after the wedding.
A very special thanks to Meredith + John for hosting an amazing marriage celebration, and we hope you all enjoy the photos that follow!
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
