The Details
Last Sunday we had the honor of capturing our first wedding of the 2017 season. We met Ilyssa and Mike through Mike’s aunt, a teacher at the school where I used to work. Last year, we captured Mike’s cousin’s wedding and we got to meet many members of Mike’s family (including another cousin and his fiance, whose wedding we will be capturing in less than two months!) so it was really neat to see so many familiar faces at this Nanina’s in the Park wedding. When I look at these images, I am incredibly grateful for the connections we have made with Ilyssa, Mike, their friends, and family. While we love capturing the amazing moments during a couple’s wedding day, what we love the most is getting to know our couples and the people who matter most to them. It was so hard to pick my favorite images from this wedding day because I wanted to showcase so much of Ilyssa and Mike’s wedding day! Not just the special people in their lives, but also all the pretty details (including a gorgeous invite made by Ilyssa’s own mother!) that made the wedding unique as well as the most important moments of the day.
The Couple
Ilyssa and Mike have known each other since middle school! They hung out in the same group of friends for a few years, but they first became really close friends during their Senior year of high school when they took a Pre-Calc class together. They remained close throughout college, even though Mike went to Penn State and Ilyssa stayed in New Jersey at TCNJ. They always hung out on breaks and even went on movie ‘dates’, but remained just friends. Then one night during their Junior year of college, Mike came to visit Ilyssa at school while he was on break, and he randomly kissed her in the middle of a beer pong game! It was the start of everything and eventually led to Mike proposing on the Hoboken waterfront after a fondue dinner for two.
The Wedding Day
Ilyssa and Mike both got ready at Nanina’s in the Park with their family and bridal party. It was a chilly wintry day but they wanted to take advantage of the venue grounds for their images so we did just that! Their first look was on a beautiful stone bridge, providing an elegant setting for what was to be a beautifully classic wedding with soft colors and black ties. These two were troopers and allowed us plenty of time to get a variety of portraits while their bridal party finished getting ready before meeting us in the gardens. We absolutely loved the romantic setting at Nanina’s in the Park and it fit Ilyssa and Mike’s timeless wedding style perfectly. Once it was time to officially tie the knot, we headed into the venue for a traditional Jewish ceremony under a beautiful chuppah. I could go on and on about how beautiful their wedding day was but I may as well just let you start scrolling and seeing for yourself how this wedding day unfolded!
Wedding Vendors
Venue | Nanina’s in the Park
Band | Silver Arrow Band
Cake | Palermo’s Bakery
Florals | AW Flowers
Hair & Makeup | Dawn Rose Makeup Artistry
Groom’s Attire | Robbie and Co.
Invitation | Invitation Gallery | Debbie Harbatkin
Photography + Photo Booth | Idalia Photography
Videographer | Tim Hillmann
Wedding Dress | Bridal and Formal
Nanina’s in the Park Wedding Belleville NJ Photographer Photos
I hope you enjoyed this recap of this gorgeous NJ wedding! Were you at Ilyssa and Mike’s wedding? Check out their photo booth photos here!
Idalia Photography is a team of husband and wife wedding photographers serving NJ, NY, PA, and beyond. We specialize in romantic, timeless, and classic weddings. Are you planning a wedding? Click here to view our wedding portfolio or contact us for availability and pricing. Happy wedding planning!
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