As the weather here in New Jersey gets cooler, we’re welcomed with softer sunsets. This weekend was Halloween and Daylight Savings, and so that means the sun is setting before 5pm and we’re inching closer to the holidays!!! I’ve always found beauty in the changing of the seasons — it’s actually one of the reasons I love living in the northeast. Each season is just the perfect amount of time and there’s honestly something beautiful about each one of them. Winter is my favorite (I know, unpopular opinion). Anyways, this fall, I was able to photograph so many couples with the beautiful fall foliage as their backdrop. Batso village was the perfect backdrop for Jerilyn and Johnny — leaves, woods, and a bit of spooky vibes. They LOVE halloween, and so it was only fitting that we included some halloween-themed props in their engagement session. Fun fact, the smoke bombs in some of these photos were originally red, but two weeks later, they announced that they were EXPECTING A BOYYY… so I just had to turn the color to blue. I was photographing their engagement, maternity, and family photos all in one day. Their connection and love made my job just that much easier.
Fall Couple Session at Batso Village | Jerilyn + Johnny
Melissa + Ben's Micro-wedding in Bay Head, New Jersey
I try to take back a little “lesson learned” piece of information after every wedding or every session. And this was no different day. Throughout the day, I noticed that the nerves were definitely getting to Melissa, and I couldn’t help but to notice it. I could see it in her eyes and I could see it in the photos. She started twirling her hair more frequently, softly biting the top her her lip, and kept looking at me with eyes asking me “what should we do next?!” She was so gentle and sweet throughout it all, but I could just feel anxiousness. I just kept telling her to “breatheeee,” but I know it can still be overwhelming. We had discussed a plan for their quick two-hour micro-wedding at Grenville Inn Hotel & Restaurant, but there was just a moment where I looked at her, pulled her aside, and asked if she just wanted to nix most of our plan. I asked if she wanted to prioritize the family portraits and the husband + wife photos, and just mingle with their family and friends for the rest of the time. It really did help. An average 8 hour wedding day would fly by in the blink of an eye, so I can’t imagine how 2 hours would feel like. I do know I try my very best, as your photographer, to listen to the body language of YOU. This is ultimately your day, and I’m just here to help capture it… And be a friend. ;)
enjoy xx
Sandy Hook Couple Session | Anna + Christian
I’m not really sure if the title of this post should be “engagement” or “post-wedding” or… idk? But Anna and Christian were originally set to get married in June 2020. They decided to postpone their wedding blessing in their church until next year, but they chose to officially get married in the courthouse this past summer. The pandemic kept pushing back their engagement photos, so we just turned this session into a “WE’RE MARRIED! YAY!” type one. We even added some night lights in there because it was something Anna really wanted to incorporate. I always love a good beach session.
Location: Sandy Hook Beach
