Crystal Plaza Wedding : Kristen & Cory : Livingston, NJ
A Wedding at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston, NJ
Kristen & Cory were married on a gorgeous summer afternoon at the Crystal Plaza, a distinctive venue in suburban NJ which just underwent major renovations. This was my first time in the building since it was updated and I was shocked to see the new ceremony space which is literally like standing inside a crystal. Running the length of the room along the ceiling is essentially an inverted runway which bathes the room in light. What used to be the ceremony space is now the largest bridal getting ready suite I've perhaps ever witnessed. There's no better place for a large bridal party to get ready.
One of the quintessential ingredients of a NJ or Long Island venue is the manicured outdoor garden space for photos and I'd say Crystal Plaza pulls this off in the least "marble columns" type of way. It's elegant and has many nooks and crannies that give photographers the ability to shoot it creatively in different ways. Sometimes you show up at these places and they're just the one option and angle - but that's absolutely not the case here.
Alongside my longtime videography colleagues "15 Minutes of Frame", we photographed Kristen in the glorious bridal suite as she put on her Justin Alexander gown and then met Cory for a first look. Before long, Chevy Chevis Entertainment was warming up the room with music and guests started to stream in.
Photos: Brian Hatton Photography
Venue: Crystal Plaza
Florist: Dalsimer Spitz & Peck
Hair: Marissa Molnar
Makeup: Jenielle Jensen
Video: 15 Minutes of Frame
Wedding Gown: Justin Alexander
Band: Chevy Chevis Entertainment
Rockleigh Country Club : Ronni & Adam : Rockleigh, NJ
Ronni and Adam were married on May 14th, with a ceremony and reception at the Rockleigh Country Club in New Jersey.
As a New York wedding photographer, I do love shooting in and around NYC over the course of the day. But every once in a while, it’s nice to be able to cross the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey, park at a venue, and stay there. Not only is the Rockleigh Country Club a pleasant ride from my home up Palisades Parkway, but the venue itself is beautiful. With its large areas to get ready, two ballroom options, a reflecting pool, and manicured grounds… you truly don’t have to go anywhere else to find what you’re looking for.
As is customary with most Jewish weddings, Ronni and Adam opted for a first look before the ceremony, and it was probably my favorite part of the day. They were filled to the brim with anticipation and clearly so happy to see each other. That positive energy carried right through into their portrait session which makes it a lot of fun for me. These two are the perfect reminders that great wedding portraits don’t require anything of a bride and groom except that they act like themselves.
While Ronni and Adam were getting their portraits done, the guests arrived at the Rockleigh with a welcome coupe of champagne before being escorted into the flower-draped room for the ceremony. Because the day of the wedding was also Mother’s Day, both Ronni and Adam’s mothers enjoyed special attention, especially during the ketubah signing. They both signed the marriage license—and Ronni and Adam were sure to shower their mothers with beautiful moments together ahead of the ceremony itself.
After the ceremony, the sky cleared a bit, allowing us to have the cocktail hour outside before we partied the rest of the night away to the Michael Hart band by Hank Lane.
Ronni and Adam has asked artist Katherine Gressel to create a live painting of the event—and it was the most amazing thing to watch. She arrived a few hours before the reception to choose a vantage point in the room and begin sketching out the location so that, by the end of a 4-hour reception, she had largely finished the painting with including the bride and groom. She’ll touch up the painting in her Brooklyn studio before sending it to Ronni & Adam, but it was amazing to watch the progression throughout the reception. This is a truly unique experience; in over 400 weddings, I think this was only the 2nd time I've seen this!
Adam & Ronnie, thank you for the opportunity to photograph your fairytale day. I’m especially appreciative of the trust you had in me as you planned your day from afar, and now that the wedding is through, I wish you all the best!
Vendors:
Band: Michael Hart Band by Hank Lane Music Florist: Dalsimer Spitz and Peck Bride's Shoes: Julia Haart Officiant: Rabbi Craig Scheff Hair & Makeup: Pin it Up and Pout
Rutgers Gardens Wedding : Anna and Neal : New Brunswick, NJ
Anna and Neal were married on June 11th, with a ceremony at the Reformed Church of Highland Park and a reception in Rutgers Gardens in New Brunswick, NJ. These two met while studying at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Neal is from the West Coast, and Anna is from New Jersey and is the child of two opera singers. We had actually crossed paths in school, but it wasn’t until later that I started to get to know them, as they live near me and I always see them walking their dog through Fort Tryon Park. On the day of the wedding, I started out with Anna as she finished getting ready at the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick before we took a short ride to the church. They wanted an intimate, elegant, relaxed wedding, which is why they picked Rutgers Gardens, surrounded by tons of greenery and lush sunlight. Once we were at the church, we took some pictures of the guests arriving as well as a few group pictures with the bridal party and family. At the wedding, the amazing harpist Kristi Shade—a mutual friend of mine and Anna’s—added an ethereal touch to the whole day. She is one of the most popular wedding vendors in the New York City area in addition to being a recording artist and musician, and it was amazing to have her there! The weather was perfect, which meant the reception was completely open and in the outside air. I don’t often get to create pictures in NYC that include the twilight sky and guests partying below, so I enjoy shooting outside of the city when I get the chance so I can capture a more rustic feel. I loved that the guests were able to step outside to chat or look at the stars before going back in to dance. I was able to take Anna and Neal aside at just the perfect moment, where the sun was just kissing the treetops. That 5–10-minute span, followed by the soft wash of evening light, often produces the best images of the day. My favorite image was the black and white portrait of them standing in front of the venue during the party, and they must have agreed, because they chose it for their 8x12 studio print enlargement on a cotton rich, heavyweight art paper. It looks stunning! I look for shots like that all day to get that one special print that hangs on the wall forever. Sometimes you just know as it happens, and sometimes you discover it like an artifact when going through the images. Anna & Neal, thank you so much for letting me be part of your wedding! It’s not often that I get to shoot weddings for people I know, and I’m so lucky that you contacted me early and asked me to be there!
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