Stacy, Fil & Roo say “I do”

Before their adorable puppy Roo became the third wheel, Fil and Stacy’s history began circa late 90s when the only social media available required you to be anchored to a computer: AIM. So, naturally, this is how they exchanged information while at a middle school basketball game. This only set the foundation for a relationship that would take years to develop into something more.

When I met Stacy and Fil for their Tribeca engagement session last summer, they were trailed by Stacy’s self-proclaimed “first love,” Rooney. Roo for short, LOVES Stacy. Naturally, when I arrived at Natirar for their summer wedding, Roo was hot on Stacy’s heels all day long. He trailed her wherever she went, and when he lost track of her, he would frantically twirl in circles looking for her. I cannot wait to see how Roo accepts his new sibling.

Meanwhile, down the drive at Ninety Acres, Fil was opening a gift from Stacy: a new dog collar with the name “Lex” engraved in the new tag. Roo is going to be a big brother and Fil gets to be a Dad dog once again. My second shooter, Barb was photographing Fil and the guys, so when I saw these images of Fil opening the gift with pictures of the dog and the dog tag I actually laughed out loud.

True Love Sounds Like This

Stacy headed out to meet Fil with Roo trailing behind her, and we took full advantage of a bit of cloud coverage allowing us the use of Natirar’s solarium that extends off the west side of the mansion. Soon we were joined by their wedding party and 4 adorable children, who love Paw Patrol. I learned a lot about photography in art school. However, my greatest skill sets came from mothering. When our 3 year old toddler boys wanted nothing more than to escape the group photos, I started up my Paw Patrol theme song singing (which is terrible, by the way) but distracting nonetheless! At least it brought smiles to both boys’ faces!

Those boys carried their joy and enthusiasm all the way down the aisle, making an entrance for Stacy to meet her groom. I love to hear stories about the bride and groom as told through the officiant. It usually brings a lot of laughter, sometimes tears. When the officiant finished retelling the history that brought us all together, he said “true love is to be fully known and loved.” This has stayed with me all week. Everyone looks their absolute best on a wedding day, but it’s when we don’t look or feel our best and are still loved by someone that means the most. It’s real, it’s love and it’s permanent.

I’m so excited for what the future holds for you Stacy, Fil, Roo (and Lex!) Thank you for having us be part of your amazing day! Thank you Barb for your amazing assistance and for capturing some pretty awesome moments!

Stacy cried seeing her same-day slideshow and Fil said, “umm…not sure what to do here. I wasn’t expecting the tears to flow at the end of the night!”

Photographers: Lauren Kearns & Barbara Wentzel

Venue: Natirar Mansion, Peapack NJ

Wedding Planner: Anadina Gratereaux

Florist: Twisted Willow Flowers

Hair: Brushed With Honey

Makeup: Face by Sofia

Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville, Wedding Atelier

Engagement Ring/Wedding Bands: Ultimate Jewelry Design/Tiffany’s

Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo

Groomsmen Attire: David Reeves/The Black Tux

Invitations: Haint Blue Collective

Farm Tables: Rustic Drift

Videographer: 5801 Productions

Band: Almost Easy