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Erica + Greg

We just loved Greg’s proposal to Erica, even though it didn’t go exactly as planned.  While celebrating their anniversary in Bermuda, Greg planned to propose during dessert at a wonderful restaurant.  Since Greg was certain Erica would order the chocolate soufflé, he asked the waiter to state they were out, but would bring something else equally fantastic from the kitchen.  Well, Erica decided to order ice cream instead!  Greg ordered the soufflé to keep to most of the plan, the waiter let him know they were out of that and brought out the ring with two glasses of champagne.  Erica screamed and cried before saying, ‘yes’!  They celebrated for the next few days in the beautiful island setting.

Erica and Greg’s gorgeous wedding took place at the beginning of summer.  They prepared for their day at the Hilton Short Hills, where later they would be returning to celebrate their reception.  Erica’s beautiful strapless wedding gown had a trumpet silhouette, a sparkling belt and a gorgeous lace overlay.  She was such a stunning bride!   We love her bridesmaids’ matching bright teal knee length dresses and wonder if this color and style choice was done to evoke the Bermuda island feel?  They were absolutely beautiful.  And Greg was certainly a sharp dressed man in his black suit and tie.

Erica and her bridesmaids had the most exquisite flower bouquets from Warren Country Events.  Erica’s bouquet was mainly white, with subtle hints of color, while her bridesmaids carried bright blooms in purples, blues and white.  They were absolutely sumptuous!

Their ceremony took place at St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Summit, NJ.  It was a traditional Catholic ceremony with beautiful sentiments.  The two were encouraged to realize that mistakes, challenges and those bumps along the road are natural, for these are what allow for growth and make love more authentic, real and true.

After their ceremony, formal photos were taken by our good friend and photographer extraordinaire, Drew Noel.  Unfortunately, it was raining so the photo shoot was strictly indoors, but the photos weren’t any less amazing!  And it was fun to watch the wedding party having so much fun, even before the reception kicked off!

Speaking of the reception, it was a total blast!  The grand ballroom at the Hilton Short Hills was so beautifully decorated in platinum with accents of teal and darker blue.  And Ariel, from Ariel Music and Events, certainly rocked the house that evening!  The wedding guests had an awesome time dancing late into the evening!

It was such a joy to share in the celebration of the love shared by Erica and Greg.  Congratulations to a wonderful couple!

 

Photographer:  Drew Noel Photography - Princeton, NJ

Floral Design:  Warren Country Events -  Warren, NJ

Hair Stylist:  Xchanges Hair Artistry - Veronica Johnson - Kenilworth, NJ

Makeup Artist:  Xchanges Hair Artistry - Laurin Bastos - Kenilworth, NJ

Entertainment:  Ariel Music and Events - Ariel - Cresskill, NJ

Cake:  Hilton Short Hills - Short Hills, NJ

Church:  St. Teresa of Avila Parish - Summit, NJ

Venue:  Hilton Short Hills - Short Hills, NJ

 

Jessica + Zack

Jessica and Zack clicked right from the start.  The two have so much in common - so many of the same interests and passions.  One of their loves is the beach.  In fact, every vacation that they take together, they try to squeeze in some beach time!

The proposal just had to have a connection to the beach as well.  Zack proposed during a fabulous trip to the Caribbean.  The two made a last minute decision to vacation with her sister and her husband on St. John.  Before the other couple arrived to the island, they decided to drive to one of their favorite beaches.  But Zack passed the entrance, telling Jessica he wanted to take some photos first at a famed lookout spot, Peace Hill.  When they reached the lookout location, Jessica turned around to find Zack on one bended knee, asking for her hand in marriage.  Her sister and her husband were so happy to arrive later to celebrate, along with a surprise, her parents as well!  What a beautiful place to be celebrating an exciting new beginning!

Jessica and Zack prepared for their special day at the Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia.  Aleksandra and Jennifer from Aleksandra Ambrozy Makeup & Hair did a fabulous job getting everyone dolled up for the big day!  Jessica and Zack were sure to take some time out afterwards to exchange beautifully written cards.  Before heading to the ceremony location, they shared a touching first look at the 18th Century Garden at Independence National Historical Park.  It was clear to see just how excited they were to finally see each other!

Jessica’s wedding gown was a gorgeous strapless satin gown with a trumpet silhouette and beautiful beading on the bodice.  She was such a stunning bride!  Her bridesmaids wore matching gowns with a sheer, flowing design, perfect for an early summer day.  Each held a delicate white bouquet of roses from Petals Lane.  Zack and his groomsmen looked so sharp in their matching black tuxedos with coordinating white rose boutonnieres.

Their beautiful ceremony took place at the historic house museum, Powel House, in Philadelphia.  The two were wed in the lovely period garden under a magnificent, white floral covered arch created by Petals Lane.  Although rain was in the area, we were so happy that it held off for this wonderful outdoor ceremony!

Then it was time to celebrate at Cescaphe’s Tendenza! We love the chic, glamorous atmosphere at Tendenza, with its amazing crystal chandeliers, exposed brick walls, stainless steel columns and violet uplighting.  Check out that amazing cake from Cescaphe.  It was half covered in glitter, which coordinated wonderfully with their modern, glitz and glamour theme.

Christina Hill from Chill Weddings did an awesome job organizing and helping to create the perfect wedding event for Jessica and Zack.  For the evening’s entertainment, the Janis Nowlan Band wowed the guests and kept the energy soaring high all evening! Jessica and Zack and all their family and friends definitely had the time of their lives!

Congratulations to Jessica and Zack!

 

Photographer:  Bartlett Pair Photography - Morgantown, PA

Floral Design:  Petals Lane - Philadelphia, PA

Hair Stylist:  Aleksandra Ambrozy Makeup & Hair - Philadelphia, PA

Makeup Artist:  Aleksandra Ambrozy Makeup & Hair - Philadelphia, PA

Entertainment:  Janis Nowlan Band - King of Prussia, PA

Cake:  Cescaphe Event Group - Philadelphia, PA

Wedding Coordinator: Chill Weddings - Christina Hill - Philadelphia, PA

Officiant:  Rev. Dr. Harry A. Freebairn - Easton, PA

Ceremony:  Powel House - Philadelphia, PA

Venue:  Tendenza - Philadelphia, PA

Accommodations:  Hotel Monaco - Philadelphia, PA

Krista + Michael

We were so excited for Krista and Mike’s wedding to arrive!  We love having the opportunity to film friends and family on their wedding day, one of the most important days of their lives.  And this wedding was extra special because our own Lisa Skala was the Maid of Honor celebrating the wedding of one of her dearest friends!

Krista and Mike had been together for eight years already by the time they got engaged, although they definitely were very busy during that time.  During those years, their relationship grew despite college, department of corrections academy training and nursing school competing for their time.  Love always finds a way.

Their beautiful ceremony and reception took place at Krista’s father’s gorgeous log home on a very hot day in June.  Almost everything about this wedding was DIY, including those unbelievable floral arrangements and mismatched bridal party bouquets in white and pinks!  There were many other very personal touches too to make this wedding their own.  Krista was sure to bring her beloved horse, Callie, there for the wedding event.  And their dog, Milo, had a very important role as ring bearer!  He certainly stole the show... several times that day!

Krista’s wedding dress was simply enchanting!  It was a strapless mermaid silhouetted gown with sparkling beading and a beautiful lace-up back detail.  She carried a stunning brooch bouquet that she made with help from Lisa.  It contained several of her grandmother's brooches, as well as some gorgeous flea market finds!

The bridesmaids were so lovely in their mismatched biscotti dresses, with Lisa as the Maid of Honor set apart in pastel pink.  Mike's groomsmen wore tan suits, sans jackets, which was perfect for this sweltering, almost-summer day.  Mike was a very handsome groom and stood apart from his groomsmen with a jacket and a white tie.

Formal photos were taken by Kristen Roberts of Petal & Glass Photography.  It was a true pleasure to work alongside her.  Be sure to see some of the photos from the day on her website's "recent work"!

Everything had its place at this marvelous wedding event!  Krista and Mike's touching ceremony took place off the back deck at the residence.  Cocktails were served in a perfect presentation in the front yard, then the reception began under a grand tent in the back. The dance floor was established under strings of wonderful white lights on the side of the house.

Everyone had a blast dancing the evening away to music provided by Dancivity.  Even Milo got into the action of course!  What a fun evening and a delightful wedding event all around!

We were so thrilled to celebrate with such an awesome couple!  And it was a lot of fun to shoot with Lisa in front of the cameras for a change as well!  Our sincerest congratulations to Krista and Mike!

 

Photographer:  Petal & Glass Photography - Southern New Jersey; Philadelphia, PA area

Hair Stylist:  Stephanie Zagame - Blackwood, NJ

Makeup Artist:  Gabrielle Sees

Entertainment:  Dancivity - Downingtown, PA

Cake:  Casey Schmidt (Bride's cousin)

Officiant:  David Strope

Venue:  Private Residence - Pittsgrove, NJ

 

Melissa + Matthew

It was almost officially summer as we celebrated with Melissa and Matt on their beautiful wedding day.  These two sweethearts knew right from the beginning of their relationship that they would be spending the rest of their lives together.  They couldn’t have picked a more favorable, more perfect day for their delightful wedding event!

We began our day filming Melissa in her personalized white robe and her bridesmaids in their initialed, matching waffle knit robes getting ready for the big day.  We love it when the bride and bridesmaids wear customized or matching robes!  It just makes this part of the day even more special.  We were so happy to be there to capture the moment Melissa was presented with the gift of a beautifully designed photo album.

It was time then to dress for the event!  Melissa wore such a gorgeous wedding gown!  It featured delicate embroidery and a flower detail on the sash, which was tied into a lovely bow in the back.  She completed her outfit with sparkling silver shoes, pearl jewelry and a beautiful flower accessory in her hair.  In keeping with this year's fantastic trend, she wore a graceful veil on the back of her hair.  Fresh, bright blooms in pinks, peaches, white and lavender filled their beautiful bouquets, courtesy of Debbie Bitler.   And once her bridal party dressed in their matching long coral dresses, it was time to meet the groom at the altar!

At Annunciation Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Bellmawr, Matt and his groomsmen waited wearing matching gray suits, with Matt in a distinctive white tie.  The groomsmen wore bright coral vests to match the bridesmaids (and although you couldn't see here, they each wore vividly colored and patterned socks to liven up their wardrobe!).  Melissa and Matt's ceremony was traditional and touching.  We were so honored to have been witnesses to their exchange of vows.

After a special bubble salute send off from the church, we were so happy the weather was so ideal for photos and video at Lakeview Memorial Park.  With the rocks and the lake as the backdrop, the wedding party posed for awesome shots for Amy Wolfe Photography.  They all had so much fun doing it too!  Check out some of her photos of Melissa and Matt's wedding on her Facebook page!

Melissa and Matt chose to hold their reception at The Merion in Cinnaminson.  Their first dance together as husband and wife was touching to watch, as well as the dances shared by Melissa and her father and Matt with his mother.   And it was so hard to keep a dry eye listening to the toasts from the maid of honor and best man.  You just knew a lot of thought and emotion poured over writing those heartfelt words.  Center Stage Entertainment did a spectacular job as always in providing this evening's music and entertainment, as special touches included a tribute to Melissa's parents on their anniversary.  The remainder of the evening was spent laughing, celebrating and dancing the night away!

Congratulations to Melissa and Matt!  May the love you share today continue to grow forever.

 

Photographer:  Amy Wolfe Photography -  Pennsylvania

Floral Design:  Debbie Bitler

Hair Stylist:  Happily Ever After Hair - Cherry Hill, NJ

Makeup Artist:  I Do Hair and Makeup - Cherry Hill, NJ

Entertainment:  Center Stage Entertainment - Lindenwold, NJ

Cake:  The Merion - Cinnaminson, NJ

Church:  Annunciation Blessed Virgin Mary Church (St. Joachim Parish) - Bellmawr, NJ

Venue:  The Merion - Cinnaminson, NJ