A City New Year’s Eve Wedding

My day started with the wedding day details, as I met the bride in her hotel room at the Double Tree in Jersey City. Lauren and Cole have beautiful, classically elegant details (my husband noted the bottle of Pappy Van Winkle), but what I love about their wedding is that the day is clearly about people. Not only about the bride and groom, but their family and their friends. In the group photographs, the formal portraits of the bride and groom, and the dancing pictures at the end of the night, everyone is smiling.  Everyone is close.  As I edited the images, I thought to myself that these people really liked being with each other.  Then I remembered that Lauren and her Maid of Honor, Maureen, were best friends since they were kids, and they married brothers! They accomplished what every girl with matching “best” and “friend” necklaces ever wanted! By becoming sisters. When you know that, the joy that comes through in their photographs makes sense. The challenge is to make the photos as much, if not more, about Lauren and Cole, as Lauren and Maureen! This wedding was a personal investment in the lives of so many people who had come together to share the experience, and its meaning transcended the ceremony and formalities.

A modern and somewhat new venue, Hudson House, gave our team some opportunities to play with light and shift focus in ways that are more difficult in detail-rich, traditional venues on summer days.  Notice the richness of the colors, primarily black and gold – the way the chandeliers reflect in the blackened night windows into infinity, combined with the glowing candles are so romantic.  Nothing competes with our couple and their wedding party for attention, and they pop strongly in the photographs, immediately drawing the viewer’s eye.  I love the focus and intimacy this creates.

Most weddings end with dancing, but this one was special because it was New Year’s Eve!  We rang in the New Year with the party going strong, and I was truly sad when we said our goodbyes as we said hello to 2022.  I am so honored to end an action-packed year and beginning a new one by sharing the start of Lauren and Cole’s new life together.  Lauren and Cole, thank you both.  You are such beautiful people and so easy to capture! Your wedding day could not have been more meaningful!

Venue: Hudson House, Jersey City, NJ

Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton, Jersey City, NJ

Photography: Lauren Kearns Photography

Hair & Makeup: Jackie and Nikki – Up and Out, Hoboken, NJ

Florist: Janet Makrancy

Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville

Rings: Graff

Bridesmaids Dresses: BHLDN

Groom/Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux

Invitations: Minted

Videographer: Michael Dempsey

Entertainment: Mod Society