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
