I bet Nicole and Craig had no idea that their Fall wedding would feel more like summer than this summer did!  I’m not complaining here!  The summer was filled with rain storms and less than ideal beach days.  Enter in September, and summer has arrived!  Or at least, it felt like it on Saturday at the Farmhouse at the Grand Colonial.

Nicole was on time and ready to go, with her dress hanging in the wardrobe, and all her bridesmaids were dressed!  All I had to do was set up my light and start snapping, while the girls popped a bottle of champagne and toasted each other…for boomerang of course 😉  We wasted no time in getting her dressed, and sneaking her outside for some bridal portraits in the back garden.  Nicole’s bouquet had no roses, because she really dislikes them.  She showed me these green pom poms scattered throughout her bouquet and they made her so happy!

Meanwhile, the groomsmen were having their own kind of party.  Typically I don’t see the groomsmen while they’re getting ready, which makes me a little sad, because they are in this to have fun!  And I’m pretty sure Craig and his groomsmen were making the most of this time from the little I saw of them, and the lot that I saw in their images.  Getting the guys to toast goes without saying.  Getting them all to smile and look like they’re all having a blast, bonus.  Getting a picture of one groomsmen blow drying the other groomsmen’s armpit stains?  Priceless.  There are some things you can’t do in photoshop, and this candid moment was one of them.

Craig was a sport and waited patiently for Nicole under the porch of the old portion of the Grand Colonial, which I didn’t realize until I joined them, gets pretty toasty!  Nicole and her 4″ Jimmy Choos marched up the stairs without any effort at all to meet her groom, and it was all smiles from there!

How appropriate (and unbelievable) that the Grand Colonial’s landscaping complimented Nicole’s wedding color scheme of navy, green and purple!  Remember the heat I was talking about?  Craig, being an unbelievable gentleman, presented his lovely bride with an ice cold beer to cool off before the bridal party arrived for their pictures.

Soon enough we were walking down the aisle!  Nicole’s niece took her job of flower girl very seriously and meticulously placed her handfuls of petals on either side of the aisle.  She didn’t even get half way down when she looked up and shouted “I’m all out!”  One of the cutest moments!  They all told her it was okay, and she shrugged and skipped the rest of the way down, empty basket swinging by her side.  I was so happy to see the picture (taken by Barb, of course), of Nicole laughing as she watched the whole thing take place, because sometimes the bride doesn’t get to see these things take place!

As Nicole walked down the aisle, escorted by her father, they looked at their friends and family and both began to laugh.  Such a sweet and joyous moment!

And what next?  Mr. and Mrs. Wells joined their family and friends for cocktails, dancing and dinner.  Craig’s mother surprised him with a slideshow during their Mother/Son dance, and we all laughed along with Nicole’s sister, Michelle and Craig’s brother Kevin during their toasts…or roasts…but I don’t think I can repeat some things that were said on my blog here!  

Congratulations, Nicole and Craig! It was an honor to be part of your wedding day, and seeing two beautiful people start the first day of the rest of their lives together!  A special thanks to Barbara Wentzel for her amazing angles and good company!

Photographers:  Lauren Kearns & Barbara Wentzel

Venue:  The Farmhouse at the Grand Colonial, Hampton NJ

 Florist:  Halls Florist

Photo Booth:  MileStone Photo Booth