Christmas Bride at Natirar

When I pulled up to Natirar for my very last wedding of 2018, I was greeted by the twinkling lights settled on the brick wall, leading up to the mansion. The front door was adorned with festive wreaths, and upon entering the marble foyer, a warm glow from the candles and sprawling greens along the mantles welcomed each guest from the crisp outdoors into a cozy escape.

Sara’s floral arrangements mixed classic bridal with subtle hints of the holiday with red berries, amaryllises and poinsettias. Naturally I incorporated these elements into all of her details, along with my pin lights to add some extra glow to the wedding dress and rings!

Once we got Sara dressed in the green room (another beautifully adorned mantle behind her) we gathered all of her bridesmaids to add her finishing touches of veil and shoes, with lots of fluffing.

And while I love some dramatic bridal portraits inside the oak room, I felt like we just had to get some portraits outside. Fortunately, Sara is very much like me, not afraid of the cold, and was happy to head out into the wintry air (just as some of the snow cleared!) before jumping in the limo to get to the church.

Happily Ever Married

As wedding photographers, we often have to remind ourselves that we can’t do all the “things” all the time. The same is true for what “things” will go perfectly on a wedding day. For instance, a 2 year old flower girl could perform all sorts of ways when given the opportunity. This flower girl, however, evenly distributed her petals all the way down the aisle, all while smiling as she went. I was amazed! She was like a little woman inside a 2 year old’s body!

Once the bridesmaids followed, the doors opened for Sara and her Dad to start their way to the alter. Nick’s emotional reaction to seeing his bride for the first time was so sweet and moving! And I thought to myself “We got all the ‘things!'” A perfect toddler flower girl AND an emotional groom!

I don’t think either Nick or Sara knew there was anyone else in the church from the moment they saw each other, until they were pronounced “husband and wife.”

Chasing the Glow

Immediately after Sara and Nick exited the church, we ran to the car to follow them to Natirar to catch the very last glimpse of the glowing sun. We arrived at Natirar 15 minutes later, and while the sun had already dipped behind some clouds, we decided to get a little creative by adding a pop of sun-like glow with our strobe. This added some warm light that complimented those lights along the gated wall and the twinkling lights along the mansion. It worked beautifully, and while the images look warm and glowy, our fingers were completely numb! Looking at their smiling, joy filled faces, you wouldn’t know it, but it was cold!

We celebrated the rest of the evening in the warmth of the mansion, and took one more stab at the brisk air with sparklers for an epic ending to a wonderfully festive day!

Thank you Sara and Nick for making us such an important part of your day! We loved ending a wonderful year with such wonderful people! Thank you Kelly Joyce for being my side-kick and excellent second shooter!

Photographers: Lauren Kearns & Kelly Joyce

Venue: The Mansion at Natirar, Peapack NJ

Wedding Planner: Peony Events, Morristown, NJ

Hair/Makeup: Beauty on Location

Wedding Dress: Amsale from Saks Bridal

Bridesmaid dresses: Amsale

Florist: Jardiniere Fine Flowers, Bedminster, NJ

Invitations: Little Black Dress

Videographer: Tone Media

Band: Silver Arrow Band