Lauren and Juan were married on an amazing wedding day in early spring that had us travelling throughout Central and North Jersey to capture every moment. At their modern (and spotless) apartment in Harrison, NJ we met with Juan and his amazing dog early that morning as he was getting dressed . While the puppy had a bit too much energy to be part of the wedding itself, Juan gave him a dashing bowtie matching his own and still took him for his morning walk. Meanwhile, at Lauren’s parents home in Edison, we found the entire bridal party and Lauren’s childhood dog, in the midst of hair, makeup, and hanging out which was perfect for allowing us to grab many candid photographs. We found her beautiful dress ready to photograph on a unique mannequin in the perfect corner of her room along with the rings, shoes and more laid out neatly. With hair and makeup complete, Lauren put on her dress with the help of her mom along with all of the other finishing touches. After exchanging hugs with a very proud father and grandparents, the limo arrived right on time to take them to the ceremony.
Everyone then made their way to the breathtaking St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral in the historic downtown Metuchen NJ. First built in the 1800s, the church was full of interesting architectural details that amazed the guests and set the scene for an emotional ceremony. A balcony overlooking the pews gave us a unique vantage point to capture the entirety of ceremony and guests in a single photograph. While being lighthearted and joking with guests just before the ceremony began, the moment Lauren stepped down the aisle, you could see the look of love fill his eyes. After the readings of different passages by the priest and speakers while family looked on holding back tears, the couple held each others hands and exchanged rings as their marriage was made official.
We then traveled with the bridal party and newly wed couple North to Verona Park near Montclair in Essex County. With beautiful flower trees lining the many paths, we photographed the loving couple interacting with each other as we walked a loop around the park and stopping wherever caught our eye. The reception was set to take place just down the street at Wilshire Caterers where we walked into a room with a modern and chic vibe with the couples logo adorning the many details. After entrances, the night began with a set of touching first dances between the couple and their parents and toasts with heartfelt stories and well wishes. The dance party began even before dinner was served after with almost every single guest from parents, to nieces and nephews, to uncles and grandparents taking part on the dance floor festivities to a mix of modern and latin music. We loved capturing the energy and emotion in the room in the photos and it is very clear that everyone, and especially the beautiful and handsome couple, had an absolute blast.