The Grove Wedding : Dora & Paul : Cedar Grove, NJ
Paul and Dora were married on November 11th, with a ceremony at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Clifton and a reception at the Grove in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
It was a perfect fall day—my favorite time for shooting weddings—when I got to Dora’s parents’ home. It’s a big tradition in Greek weddings to zip up the dress and place the veil in her childhood bedroom, so I made sure to capture that moment. Greek weddings are always so colorful and include rituals that are beautiful both to witness and to photograph, so I always love being asked to do them.
When we got to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Clifton, the white church transported us to somewhere that felt far away. The gorgeous venue was illuminated by the afternoon sun, which only contributed to the feeling of majesty.
Just before the sun hit the horizon, I was able to whisk Paul and Dora away to Verona Park. This is the best possible time for outdoor photos, when the light is soft, flattering, warm and especially romantic. And in the autumn, the trees pick up the golden sunset. Even though we didn’t have a ton of time, these images were some of my favorites.
We arrived at the Grove, a venue I’d never had the pleasure of photographing before, and I immediately loved the spacious lobby and ballroom. There is nothing like a New Jersey cocktail hour, and the Grove was no exception. I would have been excited to have their cocktail hour as my own wedding reception!
Since there were many Greek family members in attendance at the reception, at the very first beat of a Greek song from the DJ, a circle of people spontaneously erupted upon the dance floor with great spirit. And toward the end of the night, I was highly entertained as people really started to let loose the closer we got to the final song. I had so many options for angles to cover this vibrant celebration thanks to the huge ballroom and staircase, and I enjoyed myself finding new ways to cover this party.
This wedding was also the inaugural event for our new photo booth offering. With a booth technician to keep things moving smoothly, Dora and Paul’s friends had a ton of fun with all the amazing props! It’s a great way to get silly pictures of your guests in addition to normal coverage—and for people to leave with their own prints in hand.
Dora & Paul, thank you for asking me to be part of your vivacious wedding. It’s so nice to work with such a warm couple, and I’m grateful that you were able to show me such beautiful locations.
My 2018 wedding season is already well underway, with weddings at the St. Regis and University Club coming up. I can’t wait to work with all the couples in this coming year. But first, I wanted to finish remembering last year’s—and Paul and Dora aren’t the last wedding. There’s still more to come!
Vendors
Florist - River Dell Flowers