Now here’s a wedding I photographed that felt so familiar, like home to me. The ceremony was at Mt Zion AME Church in Lawnside, and the reception was also in South Jersey, at the Venice Plaza.
Here’s why it felt somewhat familiar:
- Brianna and Jake reminded me of people that I grew up with or knew in college
- Their ceremony was at Mt Zion AME Church in Lawnside (my Grandad was an elder at a Mt Zion AME church in Miami)
- Much of the area in this part of South Jersey looked like Central MD where I grew up
In addition to feeling like I was at home, it was such a beautiful wedding day! Brianna is a professional actor and feels super comfortable in front of the camera. She has wonderful taste too — her dress and shoes and overall styling were perfect. I loved her gown by Lazaro which she purchased at The Bridal Garden. And because she wanted to acknowledge Christ in her styling, she included a one-of-a-kind decorative cross in her bouquet.
Wedding Photographers in South Jersey
Even though I usually recommend doing a first look session, these two wanted to wait until the ceremony before seeing each other. So we planned for them to get dressed at the same hotel, just nowhere near each other. This way I could capture all of Brianna’s getting ready (makeup, hair, putting on her dress and shoes and veil) and Jake also. I love how the ladies getting ready scene just looks so different from where the guys were getting ready.
Christian Ceremony at Church
They had a very traditional, protestant, Christian ceremony at the same AME church that Brianna and her family attend. It was so moving! The singing…. everyone rising from their pews as Brianna entered…. the preacher actually preaching. I loved every bit of it. I’m not a fan of doing receiving lines after the ceremony. And as I usually do, I’d helped Brianna and Jake plan time to thank each guest later at the reception. So after the ceremony was over, we immediately made our way to the Venice Plaza.
We did all the portraits at the reception venue
Planning things this way reduced time spent traveling to another location. We had enough time to capture all the family photos, the bridal party photos, and of course some sweet portraits of Brianna and Jake as a married couple. They even had time to dip into the cocktail hour for a bit. And the reception was just pure fun. Dancing, great speeches, and time for them to interact with all of their wonderful guests. I’ve photographed a few other weddings in South Jersey and can definitely say this was one of the loveliest.
Are you planning a wedding in South Jersey? I’d love to photograph you! Contact me to get in touch.
Here are some other weddings that may interest you”