Author Archives: Joan Marie Photography

Meghan & Mike | Wedding | Kenilworth, NJ

February 2, 2024

Meghan & Mike

Venue: Church of St. Theresa, Kenilworth, NJ

NJ Church Wedding

Here I am now almost 2 years after this intimate church wedding, playing catch up on the blog posts that I never posted because I still don’t understand SEO! LOL

Step into the sacred realm of love and the divine sacrament as we unfold the tale of a beautiful NJ church wedding. Our latest blog post captures the essence of a divine celebration, which showcases the spiritual significance and timeless elegance that characterize weddings held within the hallowed walls of a church. Join us on this heartfelt journey as we delve into the artistry of church wedding photography, highlighting the reverence, grace, and pure joy that emanated from every corner of this sacred space.

As a New Jersey wedding photographer, while every wedding is special, some hold a unique place in the heart. In 2022, I had the incredible honor of photographing the wedding of one of my high school classmates. The journey from classmates to capturing one of the most significant days of their lives with this divine sacrament was an honor to say the least.

It all began when Meghan reached out to me about photographing their wedding. The excitement of reconnecting with a high school friend was indeed as equally as exciting as being entrusted with such a significant role in their big day. It was particularly heartwarming.

On the wedding day, certainly emotions ran high as I documented the laughter, tears, and all the moments in between. Being both a witness and a participant in this celebration was an experience I will cherish forever. All the little details all came together to tell a story of love and connection.

As a photographer, there’s a unique perspective that comes with knowing the couple personally. Capturing their personalities, the stolen glances, and the candid moments is one of the best parts of my job.

To Meghan and Mike, thank you for letting me be a part of your special day. May your journey together be filled with love and laughter.

First Birthday Family Shoot | Scotch Plains, NJ

January 26, 2024

I love you Paisley…oh yes I dooooo…

What a very special shoot this was for me! It was 3 generations of strong, beautiful, smart and awesome ladies who wanted to do a First Birthday Family shoot! We talked about so many things. Paisley’s grandma raised her daughter on her own. She made sacrifices that single mothers do to make sure that her daughter would have all the opportunities that she could. And well, she did a great job! Her daughter is so smart and has an amazing career and now she is blessed with this beautiful daughter. And now they all get to dote on her and continue the tradition of raising brave, smart and strong women!

I am so grateful I was able to capture these images of the 3 of them for Paisley’s first birthday. And I am forever thankful to have had this experience with and met all of you!

There are so many options when it comes to the type of shoot you can book for your little one’s first birthday! I always include family posing and child posing when I do cake smashes too! You can learn more about those sessions here!

Paisley, you are one ADORABLE little girl! Those CHEEKS!!!

Virginie | Headshots | Berkeley Heights, NJ

January 19, 2024

Don’t worry, I’m weird!

Virginie contacted me about headshots at the end of 2023. She was looking for some updated professional headshots and came across my website where she saw some of my headshot work. We had a phone call about what she was looking for and she mentioned that she feels a little awkward and shy about having her photos taken. I promised her that it would be fun and she wouldn’t feel weird because I am a total weirdo! HAHA! I told her that we would have a ton of fun and fun we had!

Are you like Virginie? Are you afraid to invest money in headshots because you don’t know if you’ll like your photos? I promise you will! Let’s do this! Check out Virginie’s headshots below. I absolutely LOVE how they came out and she even got some extras! You can see more of my headshots here!

Intimate Wedding NJ

January 17, 2024

LINDA & MIKE | Intimate Wedding | Watchung, NJ

LINDA & MIKE

Venue: Maskers Barn

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Sometimes things happen in life that you don’t expect. But they lead to other things and opportunities and friendships. That’s what happened here. I was invited to photograph at this intimate NJ wedding location for a couple I have never met. And I swear…the moment I met them I felt like we knew each other.

ANNIE & PETE | Wedding | Maskers Barn, Watchung, NJ

January 17, 2024

ANNIE & PETER

Venue: Maskers Barn | Watchung, NJ

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I’ve known “Petey” for well over 30 years. I know, seems impossible. But yes, it most certainly is true. And his Bride, Annie, was the absolute sweetest and trusted me to be their photographer on their wedding day.

Taking place at the very intimate Maskers Barn in the heart of the Watchung Reservation, the venue was the perfect setting for this wedding. It was rustic and intimate and truly captured the love these two share.

What else did she trust me with? Taking a very special photo for her and Pete announcing that they were expecting 😍🫶🏻✨

I’m from New Providence and so is Pete. It’s a small town. One of the best parts of this wedding was being around people I’ve known almost my whole life. It was really special.

I recently realized that I have spent years with this website and have been REALLY awful about blogging. I didn’t realize how important it was to do. OOPS! So here I am posting weddings from literally YEARS ago.

They said goodbye to their dog not long ago. When I was going through these pics it made me a little emotional to see the way they looked at their pup. How they incorporated him into their special day. How much they loved him <3. I’m happy they have these photos to remember him by.