In the times of Covid, some of my couples were married twice. Some of my couples looked at each other and said, "Yeah, I like you enough to do this again, but this time with my friends and family." Kristen and Andrew's love story might have had a rough start, but boy did the wait pay off. Instead of getting married in the UK as they originally planned; they decided to have their second wedding on my home turf at the Lake Mohawk Country Club in Sparta, New Jersey.
Lake Mohawk has this really awesome bridal suite at the top of the tower, with a lot of natural light and plenty of great set ups for getting ready. Kristen's natural beauty accompanied by the ambient light made my job a piece of cake. We had oodles of time to grab these shots so all of us were calm, cool, and vibing. I can't stress enough how the getting ready portion of the day sets us up for success.
After everybody got into their Sunday best, I took some portraits of Kristen with her friends and family. The pier right outside had the perfect overcast of light, and plenty of depth to work with. Normally the pier is super busy, but luckily we mostly had it to ourselves. Give me a cloudy day, anyday people. I know everyone loves a sunset shot, but come on...how perfect are these photos? Obsessed.
It was time to meet up with Andrew for the first look. As soon as he turned around he immediately gave her a kiss...because how could he not? A stunning bride has that affect. Finally with the two parties combined, we grabbed a few sets with the whole crew and the couple before the guests started to arrive for the ceremony.
Since Andrew and Kristen were technically married a year ago, the ceremony served as a renewal of vows. Although Covid really threw everyone off, they were all really thankful to be with loved ones again, and I was thankful to be back behind the camera again. It was a stunning, super-quick ceremony on the beach behind the venue, and the floral arrangements really popped against the gray sky.
We kicked off the cocktail hour, and I photographed the remaining members of the family, while managing to also get a few of the rooms details. The venue
has a great cocktail hour out on the pier with little snacks and cheeses, and I always try to get my hands on some before the party starts.
Lake Mohawk has a beautiful reception room with this massive bay window that makes all of the photos look magazine-worthy (aside from my skills), and the formalities were timed perfectly so there was just enough light left in the sky to give it depth. After the speeches and the dances, I quickly took Kristen and Andrew out for our last portrait session and I absolutely love what we got. They headed back inside to eat, dance, and drink the night away with their loved ones. And I guess this is where I say 'they lived happily ever after.'
