I am working on Emily and Marc’s wedding and am loving this one!
And… one quick sneak peek from Joan & Mike’s wedding last weekend! (5.12.12)
Allison & Dayton | Bank Street Annex
May 15th, 2012
Category: Weddings
I met with Allison and Dayton in November for their Feburary wedding. They had noted before we met that they were going to bring their (super cute!) two year old daughter to our meeting. They joked (admittedly) about how they sort of did things in reverse- had Quinn, bought a house, and then to secure the longevity of their family are getting married!
Their intimate wedding was the perfect blend of a dash of family, and a handful of friends. They even had a friend who had recently received his licesnse to officate weddings marry the two of them! It was really quite lovely.
When the music finally stopped and everyone was getting ready to head to the after party at a bar down the street, Alison and Dayton stayed behind a little so I could get a few more portraits of them. The last image in this post is coincidentally the very last frame I took their night. I think it pretty much sums up their day. Just the two of them, happy as can be, heading to have a ball with their friends, not quite ready to end the night.
Alison and Dayton, I wish you both and Quinn the best! Looking forward to seeing you both sometime soon!
I love this- Alison’s first glimpse of Dayton.
Thanks for looking!
-Dan
High energy, lively friends, loving families, and one big party are the words that come to mind when I think about Amy & Mike’s wedding.
Amy has a sense of humor matched by none which shone all over her wedding day, from fake sticky mustaches while she was getting her hair and make up done, to singing on stage and pouring drinks at the bar for her guests during their reception! Mike seems to be the opposite, down-to-Earth, reserved, until he gets on the dance floor and the dancing machine takes over!
When you put the two of them together, you have the perfect match. There is a loving connection that is evident, and so lovely to be around. Even when the rain threatened to break our spirits during the time we schedule for portraits, they just smiled and shrugged it off. It simply did not matter. Their day turned out perfect, and I am so thrilled to have been a part of it!
Amy & Mike, thank you for inviting me to preserve your wedding day for you. I had a blast!
Amy sang Adele’s, Rolling in the Deep beautifully! It was actually quite awesome!
Thank you for looking!
-Dan
Who says you cannot take photographs in the rain?
The biggest, brightest smily you will ever see- that is what was plastered all over Jewel’s face for the entire day! Just look at each photo- pure joy, anxiousness and excitement from every part of her just shown on her face for all to see. Brian is her down-to-Earth, sensible, steady counterpart- the ying to her yang, the lid to her pot the snap to her crackle pop. They are the absolute perfect match for each other!
Comfort is always number one on the wedding day, and the strength of the connection when you meet is the first step to that. Warmness exuded from Brian and Jewel as they welcomed me into their home on an icy January afternoon. I immediately felt a connection with Brian and Jewel as we began to chat that day. Fast forward a couple of months to August when we got together for their engagement session at Brian’s grandfather’s farm. And by the time we had arrived at their wedding in December, I felt like I was showing up to see old friends (if you are a follower of my blog, then you will know how often this ends up happening with my couples and I.) When you spend a year plus getting to know someone, being in constant contact, getting together, and helping plan the most anticipated day of their lives, it more often becomes a friendship. The best photographs are created when I stop being just a vendor, when my couple realizes that I am just as excited as they are that this day is finally here, that my excitement is sincere- that’s when the best photographs are created.
Their Christmasy wedding was perfect! It even flurried a little when Jewel was walking out to the limo to head to her ceremony- which she had hoped for! The reception that followed at Willow Tree Grove was a wild, super fun party, that no one wanted to end, including myself.
Jewel and Brian- I know this is a little late, but thank you for inviting me so warmly into your lives and allowing me to be there and preserve your wedding for you.
The photographs below at the farm are easily my favorite from their day!
It seemed like it took forever for Laurie and Brian’s wedding to get here. We got together way back in May of 2010 for their November 2011 wedding, which may not seem long, but after being a bridesmaid in two of her best friends’ weddings I photographed, she was definitely ready for her big day!
Laurie was the first to book me but the last to get married out of a group of three lovely friends I had the joy of photographing- you may remember Sonya & Kevin in August 2011 then Allison & Sheldon in October, and finally Laurie & Brian in November. By the time their wedding had rolled around I had seen so much of Laurie and Brian between their engagement session and their friends’ weddings, it was like seeing someone I had known for years, and so exciting to finally be at their wedding!
As for Laurie, she is such a joy, an absolute gem to be around! Just look at her through all the photographs- biggest smile you will ever see. Beaming from beginning to end! (Sometimes the smile takes the shape of a scrunchy face, though. Admittedly, she does this a lot!) Laurie is a pediatrician which absolutely fits her perfectly. Her laugh, upbeat demeanor and caring nature find their way into her personal relationships, and with her counterpart, Brian. The man of her dreams. Her perfect companion. And she’s the same to him. Where she can be bubbly and high energy all the time, Brian can be the rock she leans on, as well as quite a character himself. Just make sure to check out the viking helmet photos during the reception with his frat brothers. Get a bunch of fraternity brothers together who haven’t seen each other in awhile, and you are guaranteed a party!
Laurie started getting ready in The Spa at Bear Creek with her mom, Brian’s Mom, and all her Bridesmaids packed in to have their hair and make-up done. While hair and make-up were underway, I snuck up to the room to snap a few shots of her gown, which was a little nerve racking this time, hanging it from the balcony. When I returned the girls were not far behind me to get into their dresses and put the finishing touches on before heading over to the dark stone, ever gorgeous Gideon F. Egner Memorial Chapel on Muhlenberg College’s campus where Laurie and Brian first met! After spending a little time on campus, we headed back to Bear Creek where the surrounding trees made the perfect backdrop for Laurie and Brian’s party! I had such a great time spending the day with them!
Sonya & Kevin, Allison & Sheldon, and Laurie & Brian- I am absolutely thrilled to have been a part of each of your wedding days. Thank you for inviting me so warmly into your lives and allowing me to be there with you through all of it!
A little wedding day limbo!
This is Laurie.
Thanks for looking!
-Dan
Hi everyone! Dan was kind enough to let recap my wedding day, so here I am to tell you all about it.
After about three months of researching photographers, Joe and I finally got a chance to meet with Dan. Even if the guys hadn’t worn almost identical outfits, Joe and I knew straight away that Dan was the right photographer for the job. We emailed often in the run up to the big day, and a few weeks before we met one last time to go over the little details.
Ten days before our wedding, I checked the forecast and saw that there was a pretty strong possibility of rain. In an attempt to be proactive, Joe and I hunted around for some golf umbrellas that would be cute in the photos. I went back to wrapping up all of the tiny details and didn’t think much of the forecast since these things tend to change at the last minute.
And change it did. Joe and I were married on October 29th. And for those of you who remember, the day of a freak Fall snowstorm.
When I woke up, it was grey and rainy. I knew I could handle that because we already had our golf umbrellas and I had my trusty green rain boots. Sometime later, the rain had changed to snow. After all of effort I put into the day – making the escort cards, menus, card box, etc. – you’d think that I would be freaking out (brides are always portrayed that way in movies). But for some reason, I didn’t. I actually started to laugh because, let’s face it, what are the odds of snow in October?
When the girls and I were finished getting ready, we hopped into the limos (all of which backed into my parents’ garage so our dresses wouldn’t be ruined) and drove to the church. This was the only time I was nervous since the roads were so obviously terrible. Thankfully, we arrived at the church safely. As I got out of the car and walked toward the main entrance with my dad and the limo driver, I started laughing. With everything going on, I had completely forgotten we hired a trumpeter (in his traditional garb) for the ceremony.
It was a beautiful ceremony and when everyone was receiving Communion, Joe leaned over to me and told me that the venue had lost power. My response was a simple “Eh, we’ll figure it out”. After the mass, Joe’s dad called our reception site, Twin Brooks Country Club, and found out that they had regained power. We let all of our guests know that the party was still on (to cheers in the church) and after some portraits hopped in the limos to go celebrate.
On the way, we found out that the venue lost power again. Since we were only about five minutes away, Joe and I decided to scope out the scene and cross our fingers for the power returning.
It didn’t. Chris, our amazing events manager at Twin Brooks Country Club, offered us two options – to celebrate that night (to piano music and candlelight) or have our reception the following afternoon. Neither of us wanted to risk our guests braving the terrible road conditions from the hotel, and Dan, our deejay, and limos were all available the following day. It was a pretty easy decision to move the party to Sunday.
(I, Dan, am just going to quick interject that the drive from Twin Brooks to the hotel was the scariest driving I have encountered. Ever. And I photographed the whole thing.)
While Joe and I drove back to the hotel to check in, we let our guests know that the party was being postponed until the next day. Thankfully, our wonderful friends and family members all got together and organized an impromptu dinner for just about everyone staying at the hotel. Maggiano’s (located across the street from our hotel in the only part of town with electricity) was ready and able to accommodate more about 70 of us. After quickly changing in the hotel room (me in my regular clothes and headband, Joe sans jacket), we all braved the ice and snow to enjoy one of the most memorable meals of our lives. It was a truly wonderful experience being able to sit down and talk with our guests on such a strangely exhilarating night. After dinner, a decent-sized crowd hung out at the hotel’s bar where we enjoyed a much needed drink. Finally, we crashed for the night.
At 7:00AM the following morning, Chris called to let us know that the venue had regained power. The sun was shining off the new snow that had fallen the previous day (it was weird to see snow on trees that had red and yellow leaves), and the highways looked clear from our hotel room. We passed the message along that the party was on, and I started to get ready…again. My friend Katie let me borrow her curling iron so my sister could redo my hair and my mom helped me once again with my make-up. Joe was tasked with re-buttoning my dress (I still find this hysterical).
We arrived at the venue to find out that they had lost power once again, except for a single outlet outside. We had seen a lot of the damage on the drive over – trees fallen, downed lines, live wires, so this wasn’t exactly a surprise. Thankfully, the sun reflecting off the snow made the room beautifully bright and the one outlet was plenty for our deejay (all we needed to do was run an extension cord).
I might be a bit biased what with me being the bride and all, but it was definitely the best wedding I have ever been to. And to hear our guests, it was by far their most memorable. Not only did we get a chance to spend two wild days with all of our closest friends and family, but the mood at the reception hall was joyous. Dan captured some great pictures of Joe and I in the snow (pictures we wouldn’t have gotten if we had the reception the night before) to go along with all of the other amazing pictures from the previous day. It may sound a bit strange after such an improbable string of events, but in the end we were incredibly lucky.
Wedding Dress: Always Elegant Bridal (Flemington, NJ)
Designer: Enzoani Blue
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Always A Bridesmaid (Staten Island, NY)
Designer: Bill Levkoff
Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse
Groom’s Tie: Macy’s
Shoes: Nine West
Jewelry: Earrings from Cheline (via Amazon)
Venue: Twin Brooks Country Club (Watchung, NJ)
Hair Stylist: Kim at Expert Makeup Artistry
Florist: Camille at Floral Sentiment
DJ: Platinum Entertainment (Staten Island, NY)
Limos: A1 Limousine (Princeton, NJ)
My something old was the lace of her mother’s veil wrapped around my bouquet, my something blue was one of my grandmother’s earrings clipped onto the bouquet, and my aunt had gotten a sixpence from a friend on a trip to England.
Haha I love this set-up- mirror on a Toasteds box!
Seeing Kristen in her dress for the first time!
Kristen’s dad absolutely knew he was giving his little girl away. He fought back tears the whole way up the aisle.
It took us 40 minutes to get from the church to Twin Brooks while trying to navigate around closed road after closed road leading up to it. The entire place was black with a few lights and candles.
These next three images are just a small part of the terror of driving down the side of a mountain on closed roads following the limos. There were 2 limos, then my car, then a few more cars behind me. As we drove and came across closed road signs, we eventually hit a dead end with a closed road sign in front of us. There was no way possible for the limos to turn around with the cars behind them on a mountain road. Out of nowhere a car came from the other direction through the closed road sign. You can see in the second image going through the blocked roadway barriers. There were so many broken trees on the road. The branches scratched our car roofs- hanging low from the intense weight of the snow.
Sunday afternoon…
Thanks for looking!
-Dan
Just found out I was awarded the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Award for 2012!
Special thank you to all my awesome couples!!!
This means I am in the top 5% of Wedding Pros nationwide! The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined solely by the reviews from over 1.2 million newlyweds.
You can view the full list of Philadelphia/Lehigh Valley winners here!
Thank you!!
Allison and Sheldon are the second couple of a group of three friends that I had the opportunity to photograph. Which is where the image above comes in! You may remember Sonya & Kevin from August 2011 who were the first of the trio’s weddings (check out their wedding here). Laurie and Brian, who will be coming up on the blog later this month were the first to book me, but the last to have me photograph them!
I met Allison and Sheldon in mid-2010. We got together at a Starbucks near their apartment and chatted for awhile about what was going to be their late 2012 wedding. The more we chatted, I quickly realized what incredibly kind and beautiful people they are. I have no words to describe it, you have have to be around the two of them. It is really something! They are both so easy going and a joy to be around. We hit it off right away!
Shortly after their engagement session, I received an email from Allison saying that the Basilica was going to close for 2012 and they were not going to be able to get married there unless they moved their wedding date! After a few emails and phone calls, we narrowed it down to October 22nd, 2011, almost a year earlier than they had imagined! It actually worked out perfectly, and I know how happy they are that they do not have to wait another year for their wedding!
Despite it being a little cold, their day went off without a hitch! The Basilica looked absolutely amazing, the Philadelphia Art Museum provided an absolutely perfect setting for our portrait time together, the highest floor of the Sheraton Downtown gave a perfect view during their reception, and Logan Circle made for the perfect late night, post wedding portraits. Make sure to check out one of Allison and Sheldon’s favorite engagement session images that we recreated the night of their wedding!
Enjoy!
The image above is from their November 2010 engagement session, and the one below is the recreation from their wedding day. I love it!
Thanks for looking!
Dan
Details:
shoes: www.Nina.com
jewelry: Earrings were from Macys and then Mr. Gomes had a jeweler in India hand make the necklace to match the earring!
florist: Chartruse (South Philly Florist)
dress: Irma’s Bridal in NJ
bridesmaid’s dresses: www.Nordstroms.com
Allison’s something old and borrowed was the veil my great-grandmother made for my grandmother’s wedding which was sewn inside her dress.
Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse
DJ: Synergetic Lighting & Sound
Allison’s something old and borrowed was the veil my great-grandmother made for my grandmother’s wedding which was sewn inside her dress.
Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse
DJ: Synergetic Lighting & Sound