Krista and Mark - Aldie Mansion Wedding

Having shot their engagement session only a few weeks ago, it was really nice to see Krista and Mark again so soon!  As I mentioned in the previous post, I have known Krista's family for a long time now, and it was truly an honor to be part of their wedding day at Aldie Mansion in Doylestown.  A big shout out goes to my good friend (and bowling league teammate), David Mielcarek - for his help as my second shooter.   This day, in particular was a very emotional day, and I was very happy to be able to be part of it.  Krista, Mark, their families and friends all came to have a good time.  And it was clear from the beginning it was going to happen!  

Krista and Mark

It's already starting to seem that the theme of 2012 will be to shoot engagement sessions and weddings of friends - and there's nothing wrong with that... I'm honored that they want me to capture their important memories. I've been friends with Krista's sister for a long time, and Krista, nearly as long - I regularly get called part of their family :)  With Krista and Mark's Aldie Mansion wedding coming up soon, we were getting crunched for time for their engagement session.  We ended up picking a day that once we started thought it was gonna be major bust - super windy and nothing but overcast clouds (I may have been hear shouting at the sun to peak out).  Well, the shouting must have worked.  After we found an area just out of reach of the wind, coming off of Lake Galena at Peace Valley Park, the sun made an appearance for the rest of our shoot.

It may have been cold, but these two kept each other warm.  The entire shoot was so easy and relaxed.  The exact reason I love to do engagement sessions.  While I have met Mark a few times in the past, it's always a little tough meeting someone for the first time on the day of their wedding and getting them to feel 100% comfortable in front of the camera.

Here are a few from their engagement session.

Kari and Joel - Wedding

Well, my last engagement session of 2011 turned out to be the first wedding of 2012.  The January wedding brought about some chilly temperatures, but some GORGEOUS light outside.  Assisted by my friend Ashley Bartoletti, we all met up at the always beautiful Normandy Farms, in Blue Bell. As we started out with the getting ready, Kari definitely had a case of nervousness to her - But Ashley told me that while she was working with the guys, Joel seemed a bit nervous too.  Well, if it was true, the second these two saw each other during their first look, all of those nerves MELTED away.  From that point on, they we so relaxed and ready for all of the fun to begin!

After a very well done ceremony - preformed by a friend of theirs, everyone moved to the ceremony in the main ballroom.  Kurt of Synergetic Sounds kept the music going all night, made sure that the new bride and groom got their share of dancing in.

If this wedding was any remote indication of how the rest of my 2012 weddings will be, let me just say how excited I am!

Kari and Joel - Engagement Session

Just because my scheduled weddings are done for the year, that doesn't mean I still don't get to see more of my awesome couples. Kari and Joel are actually friends of my brother-in-law. I've met these two in the past, and when we met to talk about their wedding, we all knew that we'd have a really fun time working together. They are getting married in January at Normandy Farms in Blue Bell. Kari and Joel are the type of couple I really like. They are extremely nice, fun to work with, and they trust me while I'm working. We walked around Frenchtown, NJ for a little while over the weekend. We were waiting to see if the ski slopes, since they are both big snow boarders, would be open in time before their wedding in just a few weeks. Unfortunately, the weather has been just a little too warm and they didn't open till just last minute. Not a big deal though. We walked up and down the main street and all braved the chilly weather together (finished off by a really good mexican meal).

Enjoy the preview!

Crista and Tom - Florentine Gardens Wedding

My last wedding of the season took me up to North Jersey again.  Crista and Tom were married at Florentine Gardens.  Crista and Tom are mutual friends of my good friend, and fellow photographer, Mandy and a fun crew from Hoboken. During Crista and Tom's engagement session, the 3 of us had a ton of fun walking around the pier that the spent a lot of time together working with the Relay for Life.  Fast forward to the day of the wedding, and all of that fun was added to by the level of excitement for the day!

As we got ready for the "First Look", Tom heard Crista coming around the corner and just couldn't help but to start smiling and laughing.  She heard the laughing and started laughing herself. It was a great time and I'm sure they will both remember that for a long time!

The ceremony was filled with happy tears and a little humor too.  Once the wedding reception kicked off, even more fun was had.  Everyone took to the dance floor and really showed that they knew how to have a good time.

Enjoy!!

Tom's "Tebow" impression.