It’s crazy to think that this weekend was 80 degrees and sunny and last weekend Liz and Martin were graced with a typical April wedding. That means showers and clouds for their wedding at The Manor of West Orange. You wouldn’t know it based on the glowing smiles of the bride and groom though, would ya? Everything was so springy from the blooming tulips to their stunning choice of color palette, if I do say so myself.
This was my first opportunity to shoot at this beautiful wedding venue and boy was I blown away! Everything about the location was stunning, so much color and texture to play with! It was difficult to find a spot that wasn’t breathtakingly photogenic, everywhere I looked was another great spot to serve as a backdrop.
With that said, you probably won’t take your eyes off Liz and Martin in every picture. Such lovely people, such a lovely group of friends and family – it was such a blast for a Saturday afternoon wedding in New Jersey.
A special shout out goes to the other main men of Liz’s life – her brother and father. Such caring guys, it’s no wonder she found such a great man like Martin to marry.
With the rain quickly approaching, I am so thankful that it didn’t start to downpour during the first look, though I doubt either Martin or Liz would’ve noticed once they saw each other.
Liz and Martin prepared letters for one another, but rather than giving them to each other to read in private in their suites, they decided to exchange next to one another during the first look.
I’m loving the yellow and lilac-ey purple of Liz’s flowers. Complimentary colors are always a solid choice.
And now for a shout out to the wedding venue. Initially the ceremony was to be outside in their gardens, but unfortunately the rain just wouldn’t wait! Alas I was still able to grab some photos of what could’ve been but the impromptu change of ceremony location went on without a hitch!
I’m loving this moment when Liz’s dad reaches out as the newlyweds walk up the aisle. Sort of an “atta girl” moment. It’s no mystery that Liz’s family adores Martin.
Meanwhile, this group of folks knows how to celebrate in style and I’m pretty jealous. It’s customary to have a nice toast before the reception with just the members of the bridal party. Typically it’s time to pop open the bubbly but the newly minted Mr. and Mrs. Rogers decided to go for something a bit more refined. When Liz’s grandfather passed, they came across this bottle of Scotch that was aged 12 years… 90 years ago. Needless to say they decided this would have to be enjoyed on a very special occasion. Also, it was a wonderful way to pay homage to her grandfather. Now that’s how you make a memorable toast!
The reception hall at the Manor in West Orange is beautiful. It didn’t even need any dolling up, but these little touches definitely helped make it feel unique to Liz and Martin.
Leave it to the guys to have a sword fight with ribbons meant for twirling. Can’t blame them though, looks like a lot of fun.
A little shout out to the jewelers, who Liz’s sister works for: Aires Jewelers. Their rings are so beautiful and sparkly but still very unique with some adorable personal touches.
In case you were wondering – this is what happens when the rhythm finally gets ya!
So this is New Jersey, so we don’t typically get to experience wedding traditions of the South, which is why I’m SO excited to share this one with you. Oftentimes brides aren’t too fond of the bouquet toss – it can be a bit awkward for the single ladies and gents, especially if it’s not their thing.
So there’s this thing called a ribbon pull which is amazing! A bunch of ribbons are placed under the cake, and each one has a charm, and each charm has a specific meaning (think a little tiny ring which means you’re the next to get hitched, or an airplane meaning you’re going to have a life of travel and adventure).
I’m kind of in love with this tradition because it doesn’t exclude any single ladies and it’s a great alternative if you know that most of your friends and family wouldn’t want to partake in normal garter toss antics.
And that’s it, folks. Plenty more photos to still go through but I hope you enjoyed this extensive teaser from Liz and Martin’s wedding at the Manor in West Orange New Jersey. It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of it and work with my fellow NJ wedding vendors.
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