Princess Place Preserve Elopement by Laura Yang Photography

Oh my.. I've always wanted to feature an elopement and when Laura Yang sent me this pretty and intimate elopement, I kind of squealed. Small and intimate. Just the two of them. So sweet. Thank you Laura for sharing this with me!

From Laura: Nikole + Arun wanted a really simple, really sincere wedding, so they scrapped their plans for a big shindig in Asheville, NC, and eloped practically in their own backyard, with only the trees and us as their witnesses. They'd never seen Princess Place before they decided to elope, and as they were researching eloping in Florida, they stumbled across a styled elopement shoot I had done last fall at Princess Place -- and decided on the spot that Princess Place was where they had to get married, and I was the photographer they wanted to capture it. (Which, off the record, was one very exciting first for me!)

To make sure their elopement felt like "them," Nikole + Arun had planned for a completely casual day, with personal gifts, like the wedding vase Arun handcrafted for Nikole, and a sundress-bedecked bride and a groom in Sperry's. The Sperry's ended up happening, but Nikole got cold feet about wearing just a sundress and decided to find the princess gown of her dreams -- and once she did, she absolutely looked the part. But she kept things funky with a fun pair of raspberry pink wedges, and she kept things real with a few tissues ticked into her dress for their vow exchange under the oak trees. That was smart: She needed them. Nikole + Arun both cried, they laughed, and they looked utterly and hopelessly in love as we spent the rest of the afternoon photographing those first, deliriously happy hours of their marriage.

Vendors:

Photography: Laura Yang

Venue: Princess Place Preserve

Hairstyling: Elizabeth Guillen - The Studio Salon and Massage

Makeup: Morgan Ashley

Wedding gown and veil: David's Bridal (David's Bridal Port Orange)

Shoes: Aldo

Officiant: Captain Valerie Waine - Wedding Officiants Florida

Flowers: Marguerite's Florist

Cake: Paradise Cheesecakes

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9 great tips for choosing your wedding photographer

The person you hire to be your wedding photographer is probably one of the very few people who is going to be with you the entire day. They're there when you're having your hair and make-up done until the end of the wedding day when you and your husband are ready to say "au revoir!" Together with some very talented wedding photographers, we put together a few tips for choosing your wedding photographer. Hope you find these tips helpful!

Photo Credit: Damaris Mia

1. Choose the photographer you not only get along with, but communicates well and will keep in touch with you. It's important that you spend not only physical time together, but internet and "chatting" time also. When your day comes you want to feel like you KNOW each other and are friends, not like a complete stranger you haven't talked to in a year is following you around with a big camera in your face all day. [Brittany Lauren Photography]


2. I'd say it's really important to consider the venue that you are getting married in, and look for photographers who show experience working under those conditions. For example, I was married in a very large building with ornate marble detail. I made sure I hired someone who showed more than just outdoor weddings in their portfolio. Don't allow yourself to get caught up looking at "pretty pictures" on their website. Make sure that you are really evaluating their portfolio to see that your styles match up perfectly, and that they show a good variety of lighting styles, poses, angles, etc. Don't be afraid to ask to see a complete wedding gallery if their portfolio doesn't reflect a good variety. This person will be shooting your one and only wedding! There are no "re-dos" so you want to make sure that you see everything that you can. [Brittany of 5th & 59th Photography]


3. The photographer is the only vendor who will be in your presence THE ENTIRE DAY; from shoes on to shoes off. You (the bride) might even see the photographer more than you will see your husband on the wedding day. Make sure your personalities are a match for each other. [Jeremy Chou Photography]


4. Your wedding is the most important, beautiful, thought-out day of your life- so make sure that your wedding photographer cares about it as much as you do! Some photographers don't truly enjoy weddings, so they won't have an emotional connection to your special day or a passion for making it absolutely perfect. Find someone who genuinely cares about you and your love story, and will work hard to turn your vision into something breathtaking. You never know- it might be the start of a fabulous friendship that will last years to come! [Clarissa of Vantage Media]


5. I think it's important to find the photog whose portfolio makes you say, "wow, that's the photographer who is going to "get me". They're going to create the feel I want for my wedding day with their images." I wish I could say that I'm the perfect photographer for everyone, but the truth is that some photographers have sleek photos, others have mastered whimsy, and some are true romantics. You need to find the photographer who fits your wedding vision. [Jenna of White Rabbit Photo Boutique]


6. You need to have a Wedding Photographer that you trust and can be yourself around, someone that is willing to get to know you and be apart of planning your wedding, a new Wedding Friend.. It is so important so you can have the confidence in them to capture you day and feel completely comfortable in front of their camera.. If you are not comfortable joking around with your photographer, you might have a hard time get natural looking images. [Kate of Cadwallader Photography]


7. Don't make it about the budget or the distance! Find out what you are looking for and stay with it. Find someone that takes the pictures you are looking for in a way you like and that you connect with on a personal basis (he/she is the one you will see when saying "I do"). And if you found the one that fits what you are looking for, get it settled. Don't compare with too many other photographers or try and find someone less expensive. The photos are the thing that will make your wedding immortal, so please invest wisely and choose the photographer you love, no matter where he lives or if he's a little more expensive (of course you should stay within your limits but make sure to cut the cake in the right places. [Kate of katecouples]


8. The most important part of picking your photographer is the connection with them emotionally. Study and embrace their photography, and then envision your day. If you connect to their work, and try to establish the emotions within those photos. When you can feel the emotions in their work, and relate to other people's weddings, you are in good hands for your day.  [Holly of Cakes & Kisses Photography] 


9. PB&J, water and kool-aid, burgers and buns. Such are things that are meant for one another. Perhaps when considering who will photograph your wedding, you should consider how destiny brought the previous ingredients together to make one awesome product! Unless, of course, you have PB&J, kool-aid, and hamburgers. But then again you must have a soul to be alive, and in turn, reading this. Unless you were a zombie. Make sure that you research each photographer's work, understanding the way that one works/shoots from getting ready shots, all the way through the end of the reception. Every piece, you should love. It is imperative to have the same expectations as your photographer, when it comes to your special day. [Daniel Cruz Photography]

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Meadow Wood Manor Wedding by Sarah Tew Photography

I can't get over how beautiful this New Jersey wedding is. Photographed only in the most stunning and photojournalistic way by the talented Sarah Tew. The imagery, the wedding, the bride, groom, and wedding party... all make up this very beautiful wedding.

From the photographer: "Beautiful bride, handsome tuxed' groom, amazing dress, great dancers at a ballroom reception. Church ceremony, elegant subdued green/white florals, bridesmaids wore black... mothers of bride and groom wore purple. Sarah & Kris couldn’t be a more picture perfect couple. I booked their wedding from afar– Sarah & Kris live in Seattle but they planned their wedding to happen in her parents’ church, Notre Dame in North Caldwell, New Jersey. Normally I meet with clients in person before a wedding, both for a consultation and for the engagement session, so I was delighted to meet these two and find them to be absolutely sweet together– and I was blown away by the gorgeous dress Sarah picked out from Lea-Ann Belter! I arrived early with Zack and we split up to shoot bridal details and Sarah’s makeup and hair– the artist, Magda Nyitray, was finished early, which was lucky, as Sarah ended up needing a bridesmaid to do a little sewing-fix for a broken hook-and-eye. After their lovely church ceremony the wedding party and family units and us all drove over for a round of group pictures at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum… having completed the family groups and wedding party we let them all head to the reception at Meadow Wood Manor while Zack and I finished up with a quick set of couple portraits (which I’m so pleased with!) Cocktail hour was just getting under way when we arrived and the rest of the night was extremely well-orchestrated. I was also impressed with their extensive desert bar spreads, which complemented the wedding cake by Gourmet Touch Bakery. Nothing can make or break a wedding quite like the reception music, and we had some amazing dance floor action thanks to the fabulous Hank Lane Band. I have never seen a groom so successfully dip a bride– and so FAR down low to the ground! You could tell these two both love to go dancing, and so do a lot of their friends and family. What a pleasure to capture this wedding!"

Vendors

Photography: Sarah Tew Photography 

Venue: Meadow Wood Manor

Floral Design: A Touch of Elegance Floral & Event Design

Dress Store: Lee-Ann Belter Bridal

Cake Designer: Gourmet Touch Bakery

Band: Hank Lane Music

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