Maddie fell in love with the boy down the street! They didn’t see each other much growing up, but Dominick’s sister, Victoria, was one of Maddie’s favorite teachers at school. It was beautiful to see Victoria officiate Maddie and Dominick’s wedding last Saturday! I love stories like this – they’re what add the narrative to my photographs.

Maddie and Dominick told me the theme of their wedding day was family and friends, and you can see this in their pictures. Small and large groups of family and friends, with children (there were 5 ring bearers and 3 flower girls!), filling the halls of Shadowbrook throughout the day, keeping us busy. Smiles and laughter were everywhere. And if the children were running out of energy toward the end of the night, there was a dessert bar, complete with cotton candy to keep them running and their parents exhausted.

Shadowbrook has a stunning verandah, the perfect setting for couples photos of Maddie and Dominick. I love the striped awnings and glow from the lanterns. I’ve never been to Paris, but when I saw this particular location, I thought “Paris.” Shadowbrook is enormous. With large public spaces filled with architectural details that breaks them into smaller segments, we worked the area around the verandah as we followed the light, or more often shade, as it was one of those hot summer days!

I love Maddie’s color palette – she went with a soft sage for the bride’s maid dresses and gentle, varying shades of pink in her florals, the perfect complement to Dominick and his groomsmen in grey tuxedos and their floral bow ties. And Maddie’s dress was absolutely stunning. The perfect fairytale dress for a grand venue!

Three years ago, I photographed Maddie’s sister’s wedding, so it was such a joy to be reunited with the family! While Maddie and her sister, Kristin, are very close, their wedding styles were very different! It was so fun to see some repeat vendors that brought this wedding together, and do it so well with a different style. One of my favorite details of Maddie and Dominick’s was their personalized crest designed for the invitations and ceremony programs – it has little hidden things in it that tell a lot about these two as a couple. A plane – their love for travel, a fishing rod – Dominick loves to fish, a camera – as Maddie loves to take pictures, a mountain – hiking, a sunrise – they both love sunrises/sunsets, a Hoboken street sign – where they live and went on their first date, anchor – love for the beach.

And now these two newlyweds tour the world for their honeymoon, and continue on in their lifelong adventure! Maddie and Dominick, we are so honored to have been part of your beautiful wedding day! Congratulations!

Venue: Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury, NJ

Photographer: Lauren Kearns Photography

Florist: Flowers by Katydid

Makeup: Beauty on Location NJ

Hair: Boho Bridal

Wedding dress : L’Fay, Allure

Engagement ring/Wedding bands: Hartgers Jewelers

Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie

Groom/groomsmen : Tuxedo World of Wyckoff

Invitations: The Write Occasion

Crest Design: Simply Jessica Marie

Transportation: Shore Luxury Limos

Signage: Shaded Maple

Videographer: ToneMedia

Entertainment: Silver Pro Entertainment – The Party Shop