Happy New Year’s Eve, friends! 2020 is finally going to be behind us and I’m so ready for 2021! But first, to end the year I wanted to share this recap of our 2020.
This was my 10th wedding season so it was a milestone one for me! I shot my first season in 2011 with just four weddings that year and my business has grown so much since then! We’ve gone through a lot of changes around here but no year has been as crazy as 2020 was!
In the end, my team and I captured 31 beautiful weddings this year! We shot three weddings before the pandemic hit, and then the spring and summer were filled with backyard weddings and micro weddings while the fall saw the return of larger celebrations. I’m so thankful that we were able to be a part of so many weddings. The wedding industry has been deeply affected by the pandemic so I don’t take this for granted one bit!
This year didn’t go as anyone planned but we worked with the most amazing couples! A few of you were lucky enough to have a wedding before the pandemic, some of you cut your guest lists down and got married anyway, a bunch of you had a small wedding this year and postponed your big celebration until next year, and another bunch postponed completely until 2021. Whatever challenges you faced, you handled it with grace and, for that, my team and I are so thankful! THANK YOU!
A big thank you also goes out to my team!! My associate and second photographers Jocelyn, Marianne, and Sarah – I couldn’t have done it without you! Ashley, Jacqui, Myra, and Catalina – thank you for stepping in when we needed you! Susan, I’m so thankful I can always count on you for anything! Amber – you were such a blessing this year!! Thank you for being my right hand woman on wedding days, for helping wedding days run so smoothly, and for making all those Instastories and Reels happen over on IG!! And my hubby, Jay, who does so much behind-the-scenes, I can’t even begin to list all the things. I am so thankful to each and every one of you!
Enjoy this recap of our year and congratulations to all of our couples who made their weddings happen in 2020!
The Pre-Pandemic Weddings of 2020
Brianna and Kevin
Brianna and Kevin were married at Park Chateau on the first weekend in January! These two had a beautiful winter wedding and I’m still in love with Brianna’s long-sleeved wedding gown. View more of this wedding shot by my associates Jocelyn and Marianne by clicking here.
Alicja and Jeff
Alicja and Jeff live out in California but came back to NJ for their wedding and it was perfectly classic and timeless! They were married at one of my favorite churches in New Brunswick and celebrated at the Palace at Somerset Park. Check out their wedding here.
Tracy and Andrew
In February, we were back at Park Chateau for Tracy and Andrew’s wedding! We had a cold winter day with temps in the 40’s but these two rocked their portraits outdoors! View more here.
Pandemic Weddings of 2020
Every single one of the following 28 couples has a story of how they made their 2020 wedding happen. They each had their own challenges but they all had to deal with cutting guest lists and I know it was hard for them. Some had to deal with switching to an outdoor wedding, changing dates, and even changing venues and I know for sure that was difficult. But in the end, love was not cancelled this year and these couples leaned on each other to make their big days happen. Read on for their stories!
Ally and Dan
Ally and Dan originally planned to get married on June 20th, 2020 and wanted to keep that date as their wedding date, so they made it happen! They put together a backyard wedding at Ally’s parents’ home, invited just their closest family members, and tied the knot! This was the first wedding I shot during the pandemic and it was so great getting back into it, shooting in a face mask and all! These two will be having their big wedding and larger celebration at the Molly Pitcher Inn in September 2021. I can’t wait!
Jenna and Marc
Jenna and Marc didn’t want to wait any longer to get married, so they cut their guest list down significantly and planned a backyard wedding in New Hope. They invited just their closest family members, kept everything outdoors to keep each other safe, and had the most relaxed wedding – which was just what they wanted!
Nikki and Mike
While I was shooting Jenna and Marc’s wedding, my associate photographer Marianne was down on LBI shooting Nikki and Mike’s micro wedding on the beach! These two were engaged during the pandemic and planned their wedding entirely during quarantine!! They made it happen all within just a few months and it was gorgeous! They got married on the beach in front of Nikki’s parents’ beach house and then celebrated with just their parents, siblings, nieces and nephews.
Grace and Jaris
Grace and Jaris planned for a July wedding and decided to keep their wedding date and postpone the larger celebration until 2021. They were married in Grace’s parents’ backyard where they had the most gorgeous florals and adorable details. I can’t wait to shoot their larger celebration at Indian Trail Club in May!
Amanda and Jonathan
Amanda and Jonathan planned to get married at Indian Trail Club in July but decided to postpone their large celebration until 2021. Instead, they opted for a traditional church micro wedding with just their closest family and friends. It turned out to be beautiful and now they are looking forward to their big party in August!
Alyssa and Diego
Alyssa and Diego were supposed to get married in May but postponed until August. They had a small micro wedding at Ninety Acres Natirar and it was a gorgeous outdoor affair with a tented reception. Check it out here.
Kayla and Karl
Kayla and Karl kept their original August wedding date, cut their guest list down to about 30 guests, and turned their big day into a micro wedding at The Stone House at Stirling Ridge. It was my first pandemic wedding with a large bridal party and it was so fun to be a part of such a joyful day! I have to say I was so impressed with how their venue transformed a space into a perfect outdoor reception area.
Maggie and Justin
Maggie and Justin kept their original wedding date in August, cut their guest list down to about 45 guests, and switched to a tented reception at The Manor. They had so many challenges but their wedding turned out perfectly! I love that they made their traditional church ceremony possible by having lots of hand sanitizer and face coverings on hand for their guests, keeping guests seated at a distance, and keeping the guest list small.
Faith and Adam
Faith and Adam always planned to have a small wedding, so they didn’t have to make a ton of changes to their wedding. They found me in July, did their engagement session a couple of weeks after, and then I saw them again in late August for their wedding. They had their wedding at the cutest inn and had an outdoor ceremony and tented reception. It was one of the most charming weddings of the year!
Tammy and Harry
Tammy and Harry live in Florida but came to NJ for their wedding. This was another couple who found me in the summer and got married just a few weeks later! They planned the prettiest backyard wedding at Harry’s sister’s home and it turned out to be so beautiful! I loved all the florals by my past bride over at Three Girls Garden!
Rebecca and Ryan
Rebecca and Ryan found me in early August and were married in early September! Talk about planning a wedding FAST! They’re both educators so they knew they wanted to get married before the school year started. They had a micro wedding at Indian Trail Club with an outdoor ceremony and tented reception. It was the most gorgeous day!
Ally and Brian
Ally and Brian planned to get married at Brant Beach Yacht Club but postponed until April 2021. Instead, they tied the knot in a small ceremony on Long Beach Island and celebrated with their closest family and friends while they await their larger celebration in just three months!
Jessica and Christian
While I was shooting Ally and Brian’s wedding, my associate photographers Jocelyn and Marianne were shooting Jessica and Christian’s wedding at Windows on the Water at Frogbridge. These two actually planned to get married in August but postponed until September to make their big wedding happen. This was actually our first big wedding since the start of the pandemic, complete with 25 people in their bridal party and over 150 guests.
Ariella and Lou
Ariella and Lou originally planned to get married earlier this year, but they had to change their wedding plans completely due to COVID-19. Not only did they change their date, but they changed their venue, too! After all those changes, I was so fortunate that I got to work with them! They got married at Windows on the Water at Frogbridge in an outdoor ceremony and tented reception with about 135 guests. Check out their gorgeous wedding here.
Dominique and Peter
Dominique and Peter live out in Chicago but came back to Dominique’s native NJ for their wedding. They were married on their original wedding date and everything went so smoothly! They were married at the stunning Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark and celebrated at Nanina’s in the Park after. View their wedding here.
Michelle and Giancarlo
Michelle and Giancarlo reached out to me back in December for their beach wedding in October. After the pandemic arrived, they realized their original wedding venue wasn’t going to work out, so they changed their venue and their wedding date, too!! They ended up getting married at il Tulipano in an outdoor ceremony and garden reception. It was so pretty! My associate photographer Marianne shot this one and I love how it turned out! Look at this gorgeous color palette:
Melissa and Larry
Melissa and Larry kept their original wedding date but changed their wedding location completely by having a backyard wedding. Their backyard actually faces Larry’s parents’ backyard so they connected the two backyards and had a two-backyard wedding!! This wedding was shot by my associate photographer Marianne and I love how it turned out! It had a unique emerald green color palette and the details Melissa planned were so perfect for this wedding. check it out here.
Ryann and Jack
On that same weekend, I shot Ryann and Jack’s Mantoloking Yacht Club wedding with my associate photographer Jocelyn. Ryann and Jack live in Texas but spend their summers in NJ so they came back here for their wedding. They got to work with our friends Jen and Kelly from Shore to Please Weddings and in the end, they were able to keep their original date and wedding location, but did have to cut down their guest list. Check it out here.
Alyssa and Fred
The second weekend in October brought us a triple header wedding weekend! 10-10-20 was definitely the most popular wedding date this year. Originally, I was supposed to shoot a wedding up in Sussex County that day, but my original couple that day postponed until 2021, and Alyssa and Fred reached out to me about that same date just a few days after that date became available. It was fate and I’m so glad it worked out because I loved being a part of this wedding. It was a micro wedding on Long Beach Island with just immediate family. This wedding reminded me of my own, which also only had about a dozen people. Check out Alyssa and Fred’s wedding here: Long Beach Island Intimate Wedding.
Jennifer and Clezio
Jennifer and Clezio planned to get married at Watermark in Asbury Park, but they decided to postpone until 2021. Instead, they had a small backyard wedding with just family and friends. Here is a peek at their day, shot by my associate photographer Marianne. Their Watermark wedding will be happening in October 2021.
Caroline and Kevin
Caroline and Kevin got married on their original October wedding date and it was gorgeous! It happened during peak foliage up in Sussex County and the colors were just stunning. It was my first time shooting at the Conservatory at Sussex County Fairgrounds and I loved it! As far as how they were affected by COVID-19, they modified their guest list and moved their reception to an outdoor tent. Check this wedding out here.
Kelcie and Vito
Kelcie and Vito’s wedding plans were deeply affected by Covid-19. They postponed their larger celebration until April 2021, but wanted to get married on their original wedding date, so they had a small wedding at their church. They still had their bridal party so it felt like a traditional wedding, but the partying will have to wait until May! Here’s a peak at their wedding, shot by my associate photographer Marianne:
Alex and Andrew
Alex and Andrew kept their original wedding date, but cut down their guest list, and made some changes at their venue to keep things as safe as possible for their guests, including an outdoor dance floor! I love that they were married at St. Catharine’s – one of my favorite churches – and celebrated at The Mill Lakeside Manor. We actually just became preferred vendors at this beautiful venue – I’m excited to shoot there more! Check out this wedding here.
Dalal and Michael
While I was shooting Alex and Andrew’s wedding, my associate photographers Jocelyn and Marianne were down in South Jersey shooting Dalal and Michael’s wedding. These two did a complete overhaul to their wedding plans by changing their wedding venue to accommodate an outdoor tented reception. It turned out beautifully! Check it out here.
Kristin and David
Kristin and David were engaged just this year and didn’t think they’d be able to get married in 2020, but then they found Eagle Manor, and it was perfect for the micro wedding they were planning. I loved their fall color palette! See more here.
Bridget and Matthew
Bridget and Matthew found us thanks to two of my past couples whose weddings I shot a few years ago already. They made some changes to their wedding plans but kept their original date, original church ceremony, and postponed their larger celebration until 2021. View their micro wedding here.
Christie and Josh
Christie and Josh also postponed their large celebration until 2021! They still wanted to get married on their original wedding date though, and my associate photographers Jocelyn got to capture it for them. Christie got ready at her parents’ home and then she and Josh shared a first look and got married at Christie’s family church after. It was beautiful!
Kelly and Kyle
Kelly and Kyle were my last wedding of 2020! They kept their original date, but did make modifications to their guest list. They got married in a private ceremony with just their immediate families and bridal party and then celebrated after with a smaller guest list than they originally planned. It was a beautiful wedding and I couldn’t have asked for a better couple to end my year with! See their wedding here.
Phew! Thank you for checking out this recap of our 2020 wedding season!! It was a doozy but it was filled with wonderful moments and we were so honored to capture them. I’m still amazed at how our pandemic couples handled their weddings and how many of them were able to make it happen in spite of the current situation. My heart goes out to the couples who are still trying to figure out their postponed weddings – especially those who are on their 2nd or 3rd postponements. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll be able to make this their year and finally tie the knot in 2021!!
Learn More
Are you looking for a wedding photographer for your wedding? We specialize in timeless and romantic weddings for elegant couples who are joyfully in love. If you love our work, I’d love to speak to you about your wedding. Although I’m fully booked for 2021, my associate photographers still have some availability left. And if you’re getting married in 2022, now is the best time to lock in your date! Click here to inquire – I can’t wait to hear from you!
