Marla and Eric were married at the outrageously beautiful
Mountain Lakes House in Princeton, NJ last weekend. Their wedding was serene and charming and very, very sweet. Brunch weddings have a calmness to them that is missing sometimes in more bustling, late-night weddings. And the light was really beautiful. See?
Mountain Lakes House is set in this incredible natural area just a long driveway down from a residential area. It looks like we're way back in the woods - but downtown Princeton is just five minutes away. I really dug the place. Marla had a few of her girls along to help her into the dress.
Then we had time for a few portraits before things got underway.
Their rabbi was so great. She even told everybody to put the cameras away during the ceremony and be present. I love that, not just for the photography - but so that Marla and Eric's friends and family could really participate and enjoy the ceremony.
Ketubah signed, it was time to rock.
If you tell me you've seen a prettier setting for a ceremony, you're probably lying.
Did I mention they were sweet? There's very little that can make me go "awwww" at a wedding at this point, but this did.
Ceremony done, yechud had, it was time to party.
And do the hora. I love the hora.
I was chatting with the mother of these two when they started throwing the leaves on their heads. "Why?" I asked her. She just shook her head.
Okay this is amazing. I know it's hard to tell in a photo this size, but that spot to the right of this guy's neck is a bee. That bee is in FOCUS. My amazing second shooter
Jeremy caught the run-from-the-bees action and this image is so neat.
This one is Jeremy's too. I'm basically tripping over it, but I don't know why.
Finally, the light was getting much lower, casting an incredible orange glow over the lake. So of course we had to do a few last portraits at the end of the party.
Tee hee.
And finally, dancing like no one's watching.
Congratulations you guys!
Marla & Eric's vendor team:
Ceremony and reception venue:
Mountain Lakes House
Catering:
Chez Alice Catering
String quartet:
Liebesfreud String Quartet
Officiant: Rabbi Vicki Tuckman
Florist:
Viburnum Designs
Hair & Makeup:
Radiant Spa & Salon
Marla's gorgeous dress:
Nicole Miller
And once again, can I just say that the light at the Hotel Monaco in Baltimore is gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, unending. I love love love shooting getting ready there. I need to rent it out for some boudoirs.
We scooted to the Baltimore Museum of Art to do first look and portraits and things.
Here's Sam.
And I am in no way trying to take credit for this, I just think it's so cool. There was this metal sculpture with a small opening - a slit, really - in it. Sam saw that and shot Katherine and Jonathan through the little hole - but it made such an awesome effect in the lens. I had to try it out myself and this is what happened. So neat, right!?
They held the ceremony outdoors in the ridiculous afternoon sunshine.
I fell in love with this venue. There's a little fountain that separates the ceremony from the guests and you have to walk over those three stepping stones in the middle to get to the altar. They had a sound system so you could hear everything - but it made for an incredible visual and it also had this really nice stage effect, even though they weren't elevated. I dug it so much.
L'chaim!
Is there anything cuter than the two moms hugging?
Such a great wedding. Congratulations to the bride and groom and thanks again to Sam for having me out!