A Cozy Winter Wedding in Green & Gold

Mary and Nick had an incredible wedding day at Nanina’s in the Park and their home church at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, last Saturday.  Like so many weddings this year, their wedding was a postponement from 2020, and this celebration was well worth the wait.

Winter weddings can be a bit of a risk. We all have great hopes that the weather will cooperate, and not become burdensome for traveling guests. The photographer prays for enough light.  At its essence, photography is the process of painting with light – too little light and you have mud, and the short days and weak rays of winter light give the best photographers a bit of a challenge. But, when everything comes together, a winter wedding can deliver outstanding richness, warmth and a cozy vibe that Mary and Nick were looking for. As I edited my favorite moments from their day, I was reminded of the richness of the decor, the glow from the fireplaces and candles at Nanina’s, and the warm greens in the florals and the blue twilight filtering through the stained glass in the church.

Everything about Nick and Mary’s wedding was wintry elegant, beginning with the details.  I love the crisp and decisive black, white and gold of Mary’s and Nick’s invitation set – we paired it up with a backdrop of black velvet, the perfect complement to white florals, winter greens and classic pearls.  The “getting ready” photos were taken at Mary and Nick’s home – which she had perfectly prepped for getting dressed in the brightest room, and even had her florist create an additional bouquet to enhance her portraits! Mary’s dress is stunning, perfectly elegant with the most delicate details of intricate buttons lining the back of her dress and her sleeves. For Nick, he chose a white tuxedo jacket, which is technically the appropriate men’s formalwear for the evening, so Nick was the epitome of fashion and class!

The photographs at the church are personal and emotional.  I love the black-and-white of Mary’s mother wiping aside tears as Mary walked down the aisle, escorted by her father. The little moments of Mary and Nick sneaking smiling glances at each other as they sit throughout all the moments of their ceremony. As the light outside fades and creates a blue cast through the stained glass, Mary and Nick clasp hands, kiss and walk down the aisle, beginning a new life together – as husband and wife.

Following the church ceremony, the warm greens and glowing lights in the garden-setting of Nanina’s in the Park welcomed us as the day turned to evening. In reality, the light is almost completely gone by the time we take these pictures at Nanina’s, but the camera captures every bit of the remaining light and all the warm glow of the beautiful overhead chandeliers and pathway lanterns. I love the way the warm light from the lanterns pierce the cool light of the evening! This is wintery wedding photography at its best – full of warmth and the rich evergreens of a winter landscape.

Nanina’s is a great winter venue.  There are a number of fireplaces, and I knew that Mary was excited about the Christmasy warmth of her venue. We loved the paneled library as the backdrop for the formal wedding party portraits, and arranged everyone around the glowing fireplace. Can we take a moment to just appreciate the glow in these portraits – a special shoutout to my colleague, Barb, for the care taken in setting the color temperature for our lighting for these and all of the indoor portraits! It takes years to master the off-camera lighting that made these pictures possible, and Barb is master of this art.

Mary and Nick gave us a lot to be excited about as photographers, but I can’t close without bringing this back to them, their day, their warmth as people and their wonderful guests. The evening concluded with dancing, and everyone having the best time! I truly believe Mary’s and Nick’s love was felt by all their guests. As one of Nick’s best men so perfectly put it:  “Friends come and go but family lasts forever, and everyone here in this room is your family. Cheers!” Congratulations, Mary and Nick on your very special day – we loved working with you both and are so happy for you!

Venue: Nanina’s in the Park

Church: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Ridgewood, NJ

Wedding Coordinator: Samantha Luck, The Wedding Plan and Company

Photographer: Lauren Kearns Photography

Videographer: Tone Media

Hair/Makeup: Ashley Branda of Two 01 Salon

Wedding Dress: Pronovias

Invitation: Cam Turner Design, LLC

Wedding Bands/Rings: Trezar Fine Jewelry, Chester, NJ

Bridesmaids Dresses: Hayley Paige, Studio Suite 201

Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Mur-Lee’s, Lynbrook, NY and Biltmore Tuxedos

Florist: Perla and Company

Transportation: Santos VIP Limousine

Entertainment: Sound of Life Entertainment