We met on Tinder. Drew works off shore two weeks at a time and he just got on the boat when we “matched”. We spoke every day while he was gone and had our first date on April 9th 2015. It’s funny because we’re both so traditional and have old school values but tinder brought us together!
There was no specific moment or time when I knew that Drew was the one. He felt strangely familiar from the beginning and I knew I was in trouble when I started to care about his happiness whether it involved me or not. It’s unlike me, but I fell in love very quickly.
There is nothing better than getting in the “beater” (our small pick up truck) in the summer driving down the shore just going down the coast. We usually start in Sea Bright and end up in Asbury hitting different places. We have the best time driving with the windows down, singing songs, or being goof balls. We also love to go camping and hiking. Once the weather gets nice we plan our trips!
Drew and I didn’t have a proposal. Prior to being diagnosed with cancer we spoke about a courthouse wedding. We knew we wanted to be husband and wife, but didn’t want to spend a lot on a wedding. One night we were sitting on the porch together, this is when I was going through treatment, and we decided that due to everything we wanted to have a party with all the people we loved. That was it. He was leaving for work and told me to send him a few venues.
What made you choose your wedding venue?
It was the only venue we went to see. We didn’t want a typical venue. We wanted something a bit rustic and modern. Something different and our style. The Stone House was everything we wanted. When I saw Drew’s reaction I knew that we didn’t need to look anymore. We booked it the same day and then drove to my parents’ house to tell them we were getting married.
Enjoy it and don’t lose site on what the day is about. I planned our entire wedding while I was on chemo and didn’t feel any stress during the entire process. I can honestly say that I don’t care what happens that day as long as I get to marry Drew.
Our first dance is to Millionaire by Chris Stapleton. Drew and I had a tough time finding a song that said exactly what we wanted and one that wasn’t a played out wedding song. Listen to that song and it’s Drew and I. We could have nothing and still feel so rich because the love we have for each other. Plus, Chris Stapleton is amazing!
Below is their story, in her own words, so along with the images, tie it in with the text for a glimpse of what their wedding was like!
How
Santino and I met during our sophomore year of high school at Brick Memorial. A mutual friend introduced us and we quickly became close. We would talk on the phone every night for hours and hours, meet by our lockers to pass notes to each other between classes, shared an interest in the same music and went to concerts together. After our sophomore year, Santino and I grew apart and lost touch. Fast forward five years to 2010, I was on my lunch break and a co-worker and I walked next door to Jersey Mike’s to get a sandwich. While we were waiting in line, somebody called my name from behind me. I turned around to see this tall, dark and handsome man who I hadn’t seen in years! Santino and I spoke for a few minutes and decided we should hang out– we still had each other’s phone numbers. Two days later, Santino texted me and asked me to come to a party with him. I agreed to go and the rest is history!
Growing up, many people had told me that when you find “the one”, you just know. I never believed them. I thought there must be more to it– but there wasn’t! After a very short time of dating Santino, I just knew. It felt so right even though, at the time, neither of us were interested in a serious relationship. Santino was interesting, fun, challenging and smart– not to mention really ridiculously good-looking!
Santino and I love to be outdoors together and love bringing our two German Shepherds, Maggie and George, along for the fun. Some of our favorite outdoor activities are hiking, camping, kayaking, spearfishing and skeet shooting. We also enjoy traveling– together, we’ve visited 12 countries so far and plan to explore many more. We also love challenging each other and sharing our dreams and ideas. We both have creative minds and love to formulate and share business ideas, new inventions, house designs, new recipes, etc.
Santino proposed to me on Christmas Eve 2016. We had decided not to exchange Christmas gifts that year but as we were leaving my sister Lindsay’s house to go to his brother Frankie’s house, Santino insisted that we stop home to exchange gifts. I reminded him that I hadn’t bought him a gift and he told me he just got me something little. We got home and I started unwrapping the gift he handed me– it was a yellow watch box! As I opened the box to see my new watch, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said “wait, really?!” and immediately started crying and said “of course!”. He hid a ring in a watch box. I was so beyond excited and despite dating for over 6 years, I was so shocked and surprised! I’d like to note, however, that in typical Santino fashion, the decision to propose to me was made THAT MORNING. There was no prior planning but once his mind was made up, it had to happen. He borrowed a ring from his father to propose and told me that he was creating a custom ring for me. It was well worth the (short) wait to get my beautiful ring he designed with both our birthstones incorporated! Christmas Eve has always been one of my favorite days of the year and he found a way to make it even more special to me.
While looking at venues, the first thing we did was make sure that the cost aligned with our budget. We didn’t want to fall in love with a venue we couldn’t afford! Not only did the cost of The English Manor align with our budget, but the value was great. We were getting more for our money than we would have at the other venues we looked at. Beyond the financial aspect, we loved that The English Manor has character– the building itself is beautiful from the attention to detail in the decor to the beautiful archways throughout to the beautiful newly renovated ballroom. Outside the building, the grounds were absolutely stunning. We are outdoorsy people and we loved the beautiful trees, the meticulously maintained flower gardens, the stream that runs through and the awesome outdoor patio area. The biggest selling point for The English Manor was how helpful the staff was in bringing our vision to life. When we visited, they walked us through the grounds explaining how and where everything would happen on our wedding day and answered all of the never-ending questions we had. They made everything so easy and organized for us and gave us a sense of security that things would go exactly how we envisioned.
What is/was your first dance song?what made you choose that one?
Our first dance song is Fools Rush In, originally by Elvis Presley but we chose the version that is a duo with Andrea Boccelli and Katharine McPhee. We chose this song because we love the simple beauty of it– love cannot be conquered. It will find you even when you might not be looking for it, take you over and never let you go. We also love Andrea Boccelli. We saw him in concert together a few years ago and were amazed by his awesome talent.
ENJOY THE PROCESS. We only get one chance to plan our dream weddings! Yes, making sure every “t” is crossed and every “i” is dotted and everyone involved is on the same page can seem daunting and stressful but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. If you feel yourself getting stressed, step away. I promise this process can be enjoyable– give yourself time to gather your thoughts and envision your big day every step of the way. Go back to your task when you’re feeling less overwhelmed. Try not to worry too much about everything being PERFECT. At the end of the day, nobody is going to notice if the shade of nail polish you chose is a little too peachy or the flowers weren’t arranged the way you wanted. You will be happily married to your significant other in the company of the people who are most important to you and thats what matters most!
When I was living in California – I got to photograph Joyce and Kevin at one of the most unique locations I’ve ever done photos… IKEA. I remember that after we did part of their engagement session there, we followed it by heading to a park nearby. Kevin brought his guitar, which at the time, he told me that he liked to play. Little did I know the depth of his skill. At their wedding as a surprise to Joyce, he had written a song for her, and we were all blown away.
Their wedding was held at the Garre Winery and Vineyard in Livermore, Ca. I was impressed beyond belief with not only how beautiful the grounds and ceremony site were, but also the attentiveness to detail as well as vendors. There’s no wonder why they picked this venue as it was such a pleasurable experience from beginning to end.
I also want to give a huge shoutout to Kristine, who was one of the best wedding planners I’ve ever worked with, Evan, the second shooter extraordinaire who’s shots are in with mine, JKapture Studios and their entire team and the staff of Garre Winery.
Q.How did you first meet?
It was December 2015, Joyce just turned in her graduate school applications and suddenly had a lot of free time. One night, Joyce was chatting with Sandy, one of the bridesmaids, on Skype. Joyce expressed her boredom and Sandy suggested that Joyce meet new people online. Somehow Sandy was able to convince Joyce to download the app right then and there during their Skype chat. Joyce played with the app for a few minutes and saw Kevin’s profile. Joyce decided to swipe “right.” Kevin was Joyce’s first swipe after less than three minutes. Joyce texted hi and eventually Kevin asked Joyce to get Thai food…
Q.What was your most memorable date?
On Joyce’s birthday in 2017, Kevin planned a surprise trip to an outdoor spa place in Carmel called “The Refuge.” It was a Wednesday morning and the place was empty with just a handful of people. We felt like we were at a private resort, sheltered from the outside world. Thermal waterfall, zero gravity recliners, eucalyptus steam room, and each other. This was followed by the most amazing seafood meal at a hole-in-the wall restaurant.
Q.What’s your favorite activity together?
Watching Friends while multitasking (Kevin practicing his card trick and Joyce looking up makeup tutorials).
Q.Where are you going for your honeymoon?
Bali in Indonesia!!
Q.What’s the most memorable trip you have taken together?
We visited Taiwan in December 2016. It was an eventful winter break, starting with Kevin spotting a Joyce look-alike at SFO… In Taipei, we stroll along the streets that Joyce grew up on. We ate Din Tai Fung more than once on that trip and visited Tainan (southern Taiwan) with Joyce’s family. The highlight of the trip was Kevin asking for blessing from Joyce’s dad and getting a positive response.
Q.What nicknames do you have for each other?
Xiao buju, xiao bb.
Q.How did Kevin propose?
It was certainly an elaborate plan! Kevin told Joyce that he had free movie tickets and suggested that we go watch The Great Wall at 9am on President Day (somehow Joyce thought it was a good idea…) Even though the theatre was not yet open, Kevin had the staffs stage everything to make it seem like regular business hour. There was only one other person sitting in the front row when we walked into the room (it was Kevin’s friend there to take photos but Joyce thought it was a homeless person). Romantic trailers hand-picked by Kevin started to play and Kevin excused himself to the restroom. After the trailers, the video that Kevin spent countless hour editing came on. It was filled with messages and blessings from Joyce’s friends and family, and ended with Kevin walking into the room in a stunning black suit and a bling in his hand…
This was probably one of the best weddings I have done… There, I said it. But seriously though. The love and laughter Katie and Simon share is seen by all by both friends and family alike. On a hot summer day in August, I arrived at bride prep and photographed Katie at The Grape Leaf Inn . Aside from it having the absolute coolest bathroom and shower, the suite was like it was taken out of a page from Anthropologie. After I got some of the getting ready shots, I headed to Foley Sonoma. Having photographed numerous winery weddings over the years, never before had I been impressed by both the layout, service and architecture of such an establishment. It’s almost as if they had consulted a photographer when building it, because there were so many little nooks for photos.
For the first look, we opted to make use of the shade as it got to a high of 107 that day. While walking up with Katie to get her in the spot, she affectionately told Simon, and I quote ” you look good from behind “. I knew at that very moment, the tone was set for the day. Before Simon even turned around, he already started smiling. We took a few portraits then it was onto the ceremony. The ceremony overlooked a landscape of rolling hills and the vineyard, which is pretty cool if you ask me.
When it started to cool down, we took them out for some sunset photos at the exact right time. Soft dirt couldn’t stop Katie from walking into the vineyard with her Jimmy Choo’s for some portraits of the two of them. Side Note: I love when couples throw caution to the wind and go above and beyond for the photography. It always shows in the photos when it’s more about them then what may or may not get some dirt on it…
I loved this wedding so much and not just because they had a mini donut station that I went back to for seconds ( and thirds )
I want to give a shoutout to the staff of Foley Sonoma, Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating and her team for making sure everything ran smoothly, as well as my two shooters, Rhett and Arjay
I hadn’t seen Christina and Dave since I photographed their engagement session a few months ago, so when I arrived at prep today and saw a bunch of photos on their wall from the session, it gave me the warm fuzzies to see my work on actual walls instead of just Facebook walls. Nikki, of the infamous Nikki & Chip Photography helped me photograph the details as well as Chip, before he headed to groom prep. We got to shoot in my old stomping grounds of Ocean Township, which both the couple and I are from . We did their first look at Deal Test Site and couldn’t have picked a better location if we tried. Below are a few of my favorite moments and I can’t wait to go through the rest of their images!
I want to thank Nikki and Chip for all their help today as I couldn’t have done it without them!
So what happens when a photographer from Jersey, that lives in California, flies to Texas and then drives a rental from Colorado to the quaint little town of Goliad? Well, he gets to photograph an awesome wedding on the couple’s property, That’s what. I flew down a few days early to scope out the lay of the land, and when I say that, I really mean try pecan pie for the first time, and subsequently a few days later. All joking aside, it was just a few months ago that Krystin + Jeff flew out my way to see the redwoods and have me document their engagement session(s). So on this trip, they showed me around their town which is rich in history as well as beautiful. While I was down there, I was treated so well , and everybody was extremely nice. I hope I can make it back there soon as I felt like I just scratched the surface of what Texas was all about.
Also wanna give a shoutout to Marco Aleman of Fusion Photography for kickin ass as a second shooter
This wedding at a private residence in Princeton, well let’s just say, if ever one’s mouth were to drop when arriving at the location of a wedding, this was it. Joe and I walked around the property to scope out locations to shoot and we were like kids in a candy store. Around every corner were cool trees, flower beds, and a photographer’s favorite… shade! So many cool spots and not to mention decorations that not only included an arch which was adorned in flowers, but also a swing as well! When Sarah got dressed, I felt like I was doing a model shoot, and apparently , so did her bridesmaids when they got to see her for the first time in the dress. Ok, ok, ok… Evan looked pretty studly too with that whole tall and dapper looking thing he had going on. But in all seriousness, this was an amazing wedding and everybody was super cool and felt like I was amongst friends the entire day. Below is a culmination of both I and my shooters work, and I hope you enjoy!
I had been to Frogsbridge before, but hadn’t revisited this stunning wedding venue in quite some time. It’s not everyday you pull up to the ceremony and reception location that is set amidst 86-manicured acres of natural landscape ! Needless to say, when Melissa had told me that was where the nuptials would be held, I was overjoyed. I had worked with Melissa some years ago, and the story of their coming together is quite interesting. Casey was at the bar, to which Melissa thought he was cute. So, I did what any good friend would do in this situation and that was to embarrass the living crap out of her by slipping him her number. After the initial nervousness, shyness to leave the kitchen, and the beet red face calmed down, she eventually connected with him and he called her. It was truly a sight to see when you realize a close friend is getting married, and somebody must have been cutting onions during the ceremony, as my eyes were watering. The amount of love these 2 people have for each other is immeasurable. Both of them put the other’s needs before their own and it is such a beautiful thing to witness how much they care for one another. I have picked my favorite shots from the day from both Joe, Hasan, and I. I couldn’t have done this wedding without them as they were indelible in helping document the day.
I met Cynthia and Pat earlier last year when I was documenting a baby shower/ company picnic for a local vet hospital. A few months later I was asked if I was available for their intimate wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall. In all my years of photographing weddings, I’ve never documented one at city hall. As well as, in all my years of weddings, I have never seen a wedding dress as colorful of Cynthia’s. It was so unique, people were stopping to say how much they loved her dress. It brought a pop of color amidst the sea of white that was swirling about that day. I also loved Pat’s shoes. He wore sneakers that he said held meaning to him as it reminded him of a friend that is no longer with us. Being that I too have a memento from a dear friend that passed, it felt as if our friend’s were with us.
I have to say, after I left bride prep and got to the location, I think my eyes widened to their fullest. The history and architecture of the building was so amazing to take in. A whirlwind of brides and grooms coming to and fro were milling about, but as luck would have it, wherever we went for pictures, we found little nooks where nobody was. Marble floors, high ceilings and the most beautiful light made for such classical backgrounds in all the images. This wedding was particularly meaningful to me as when in the flurry of everything happening,I witnessed moments that really stood out. Right after the kiss, Pat held Cynthia for those extra few minutes. It was if at that very moment, it set in that these two lovebirds are actually married. Time has now changed, the person they are going to spend the rest of their life with is now official. It’s such a remarkable feeling when you see things like this and realize you get to witness such significant times in people’s lives.
Huge thank you goes out to Amanda for shooting with me – her images are mixed in with mine. I couldn’t have done it without you!
When Amanda, of AmandaCrean.com , was looking for help on Banu + Justin’s wedding – I threw my name into a pool of photographers hoping to get picked. As luck would have it, I was chosen and got the opportunity to second shoot for her at The Fairmont, in San Francisco. Needless to say,we clicked immediately! Bad photography puns aside, we got along famously and had a great time documenting this couple’s wedding day. She shot, I stopped traffic, we hopped a taxi to get the last vestiges of a sunset… all in a day’s work. Here are some of my favorite moments from the day
