Home Sweet Harding, NJ

When I first met with Anne-Marie and her Mom at her childhood home in Harding, she had so many great ideas for her wedding day pictures.  Most of these locations were described to me as “the field down the street” and “the Sycamore lined drive.”  I never did nail down an actual address and those details stayed listed that way on the final schedule, so it was really important to keep a close eye on the limo as we stopped from one location to the next!

Leave it to a girl who grew up in Harding!  Anne-Marie had some gorgeous locations picked out for her 1st look with Mike and the pictures we would take of them before they met with the bridal party and family for portraits.

We started the morning pretty quietly while the bride and bridesmaids got their hair and makeup done, but as soon as Anne-Marie saw Mike and sneaked up behind him for his 1st look, it was all giggles!  Everytime the two of them even looked at each other, there was laughing and giggling, and it was contagious!

Anne-Marie and Mike chose Anne-Marie’s family church, First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon for their ceremony, and I don’t think I’ve ever scene a church “so happily situated.” (These are the words that come to mind when I spend all day listening to the “Pride & Prejudice” soundtrack.) You could see the church from Bayne Park where we took all the bridal party portraits and family portraits before the ceremony, and it sits on top of it’s own little hill.  Anne-Marie’s father sadly passed last year, so she waited at the front of the church with her oldest brother to give her away, and all three brothers took a turn walking her down the aisle, which was the sweetest thing!  After the ceremony, the couple exited the church with ribbons and bells surrounding them.  Then we were off to the Orange Lawn Tennis Club.

Did you see those gorgeous magnolias at the alter from the church?  Well take a look at the enormous palms at the reception!  I had never worked with David from Still Life Event Design before, but his creations were amazing and on epic scale!  The best part was that Anne-Marie and Mike didn’t see the room until they were introduced, so it was quite a wonderful surprise for them as well!

The rain held out for our daytime portraits, and there’s nothing I love better than raindrops (or snow!) for an end of night portrait.  Before we said goodbye, we took a quick night shot and headed out! A special thanks to Anne Molnar and Kelly Joyce for their excellent teamwork!

Congratulations, Anne-Marie & Mike!

2nd Photographer:  Anne Molnar

3rd Assistant/Photographer: Kelly Joyce

Dress:  Sareh Nouri, purchased at Elizabeth Johns, Morristown, New Jersey

Church: First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon, New Vernon, New Jersey

Reception:  Orange Lawn Tennis Club, South Orange, New Jersey

Catering:  Krug Catering

Florist:  Still Life Designs

Band:  Almost Easy