A bride and groom leaning into each other on a couch in the lobby of the Embassy Suites in Berkeley Heights NJ. The groom is wearing a blue suit, with an off white shirt, and blue tie. The bride is wearing a champagne colored dress.

How did you meet? We met on OK Cupid almost 7 years ago!

Was there a clear moment you knew you wanted to get married? We took a trip to Washington DC and that was when we both knew this was our forever.

How did you get engaged? On a cruise ship! He surprised me after a nice dinner.

What is your favorite date to go on? We love going to the movies together! We also love Disney!

Getting to work with Evan and Alora was a delight! They are very into Disney, music, and definitely the arts overall - even though the wedding was more traditional, you could see elements of them sprinkled in everywhere. We started off at the hotel where I met with Alora , her mother, grandmother, and wedding party. From the start, I knew there would be details that needed to be captured that were in memory of Alora’s father, who passed during covid. This included photos of him on her bouquet, a reserved seat for him at the ceremony, artwork, a portraits to be carried at the ceremony, and Evan’s wedding band was actually Peter’s as well.

The bride looking at her dress hanging in the window before she gets ready for her wedding day

While Alora and her loved ones finished getting ready, I went downstairs to make sure we could get into the solarium in the hotel; because Alora and Evan were having an early ceremony, we were able to use many of the areas of the hotel for photos before heading to the reception area. I let my second know where were good to go, to bring Evan down, then I went to get Alora! They wanted a private first look, but Alora’s mom still wanted to be able to see their reactions, so the idea was the couple would be inside the solarium, and others could watch in through the glass doors so it was still private to them. When couples have a first look, it usually helps them get their nerves out before the rest of the day gets going AND gets more portrait time. This usually allows for the couple to then have time during cocktail hour to relax by themselves or to mingle at cocktail hour as well.

First Look at Embassy Suites Berkeley Heights

We took advantage of the early start time, and were able to use the lobby and restaurant in the hotel to take family formal photos and wedding party photos, and had great natural light coming in from the front door, even! After getting all the combinations of photos covered, we set out for the ceremony and reception at the Primavera Regency. The forecast was showing rain for the whole day even the week leading up to their wedding. But to our surprise, during photos at the hotel, the venue called and said rain was not forecast for hours, and asked if they wanted the ceremony outside. Many guests mentioned that it was Peter’s doing (Alora’s dad) that he did not allow it to rain for their wedding ceremony.

Before the public ceremony, Alora, Evan, and their immediate family had a ketubah signing. In the Jewish faith, the ketubah is a marriage contract that outlines the values and promises in the couples marriage. For the processional of their public ceremony, Alora’s mother carried a portrait of Peter with them as they walked down the aisle, as she happily and tearfully handed her to Evan. Tammi is so happy with the person Evan is for himself, for Alora, and their family. Their vows were heartfelt, tearful, and funny; they included how well the two of them are together, reflected on how much Peter and Evan grew to care for each other, and you could feel the love that they had for each other, and their loved ones. As they recessed back down the aisle, their guests showered them with flower petals.

Their reception was filled with loved ones sharing their pride and love of the couple, LOTS of dancing, and even a surprise performance. Evan let the outgoing part of him shine when he leapt across the dance floor during his first dance, and when he and his mom made a dramatic exit and re-entrance during their mother son dance. Alora, who was a musical theater major, invited her mother and grandmother out to the dance floor so she could sing “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now” to them, which was AMAZING.

Before leaving for the night, I created one of my multiple exposures with their ballroom portrait and the light up foam sticks that people were dancing with, so this is 3 photos taken over each other in camera. I love being able to incorporate multiple parts of the day into one photo. As I always recommend to my clients - do what makes YOU happy on your wedding day, not what others say will make them happy. It creates such a wonderful day for you, your new spouse, and all your loved ones.