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fine art photographyJoan Marie

Category Archives: Weddings & Engagements

bride and groom kiss while family celebrates by holding their arms in the air

Sabine & Greg

Venue: Westfield Town Hall, Westfield, NJ + Ferraro’s, Westfield, NJ

Love Blossoms: Capturing the Westfield, NJ Town Hall Wedding of Family Friends

In the heart of Westfield, New Jersey, I had the privilege of photographing a truly special wedding ceremony at Town Hall. Join me as I recount the heartwarming moments from the wedding of my parents’ friends, who, after life’s twists and turns, found each other decided to embark on a new journey together.

We started at Sabine’s home, a place where her children grew up, that exudes a sense of love and warmth. Additionally, by knowing they would soon be listing the property, it held even more meaning to take some photos here in the family home.

Long Time Friends

Having known the couple for years, witnessing their wedding was a unique and emotional experience for me. Their love story is filled with life’s ups and downs. It’s a powerful reminder that love can bloom again, sometimes even more beautifully, after the storms have passed. The air was filled with joy as family and friends gathered to celebrate the couple’s commitment to each other.

Consequently, the simplicity of the Town Hall ceremony added a special touch to the day. It was a ceremony full of authenticity, where every glance and smile spoke volumes about the depth of their connection.

Hence, as a photographer, my goal was to capture the genuine moments of love and happiness that unfolded throughout the day. There were candid shots of laughter and tears of joy. The tender moments shared between the couple and their loved ones became timeless snapshots of a day.

Cheers to the Couple

The reception that followed was an intimate gathering, filled with heartfelt toasts and wishes for the couple’s future. The atmosphere was one of love, support, and the shared understanding that life’s journey is unpredictable.

In the town of Westfield I had the privilege of documenting a love story that defied time and circumstances. The wedding of my parent’s friends was not just an event; it was a celebration. A celebration of resilience, second chances, and the enduring power of love. As I reflect on the joyous moments captured through my lens, I am reminded that love, when given a second chance, can create a beautiful tapestry of shared memories and new beginnings.

BACK TO GALLERIES ⟶
nj wedding photographer

An Intimate Wedding Ceremony in Kenilworth, NJ

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.

LINDA & MIKE | Intimate Wedding | Watchung, NJ

Intimate Wedding 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.

drone shot of bride and groom laying in the grass

I DO…

I LOVE LOVE

As a NJ Wedding Photographer, I believe in the power of love. I am a lover of love. Seeing people in love gives me inspiration, it gives me hope and it moves me to create some of my best work. And while I have done all types of weddings from big to small, I really love the small and intimate declarations of love. Think rustic, barns, wilderness, forest, private island in the middle of the Caribbean (yes I believe in manifesting my dreams) and I am THERE!

Do you know what else I love? Courthouse weddings, Travel, Destination Weddings. Have wedding, will travel. That’s a new saying I just made up. I’ve done NJ Weddings, but have also traveled for weddings out of state and I’m ready to do some more of that!

But there are a few requirements I have for my couples. In order for me to give you my absolute best work, there needs to be love. When there is love in the air my creative energy flows naturally. I prefer to capture the “feeling” of the day. The ambiance, the emotions, the connections. I want to be more of a guest at your wedding than the hired photographer. Your friends and family should feel like I’m one of your friends who just has a passion for capturing your special day. Because actually, if you book me, chances are that is exactly what happens. We become friends. As soon as you choose me to capture one of the most important days of your life, you tell me that you trust me and you love the thing that I am most passionate about; my photography work.

So what do you say? Do you think we would be a good fit? Because THAT is VERY important!

FEATURED WEDDINGS

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

ANNIE & PETER

Venue: Maskers Barn | Watchung, NJ

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Annie and Pete chose to have an intimate wedding in Watchung NJ. 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.

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.

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 to be a part of their wedding in watchung nj.

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.

military couple

Military Portrait | Carlos and Luz

I had the absolute honor of doing Luz and her husband Carlos’s couple’s military portraits this December, right before Christmas. It is such a heart warming story on so many levels that I just have to share!

A woman in town contacted me via Instagram looking for a photographer to do couples portraits for her sister and her husband, an army veteran. He served in the military for 25 years and they never had a formal military portrait taken of the 2 of them with him in his uniform. She got my name from a really AWESOME man that also lives in town and is an amazing photographer himself! Honestly, as I am writing this, I am realizing that I really don’t know if his name is Herb or Scott. LOL!!! If you read this you’re going to have to clear that up for me HERB-SCOTT! But he felt that portraiture is more my thing and recommended ME! How nice is that??

It’s for the birds!!!

He loves bird photography and is REALLY great at it. Check out some of his bird photography on his instagram here! I really love looking at other people’s work and really appreciate what Herb-Scott does because I also love to take pictures of birds! You can see some of my bird photography here. I’m also realizing that it has been a long time since I have taken any bird photos or even uploaded any! I will have to get on that right away! The sudden urge to photograph the beautiful and curious little creatures that are right there in our own yard. That reminds me, I also have some bird seed to put out! Tell me, is this a creative thing, an ADHD thing or a Gemini thing? Oh, lucky me that I have all of those things going on! LOL

Follow your heart…

I chatted with Rosa, her sister, on “the gram” for a bit about pricing and package options and what would work best for them to get their military portraits. They were coming to visit from Maryland and needed to book a weekend date. I don’t normally shoot on weekends because I try to reserve them for time with my sons. But I was really so touched by this on so many levels that I was able to make an exception. That’s one of the really GREAT THINGS about owning your own business and making your own schedule. When your heart moves you, you can follow it <3

When they arrived at my studio, they were a sight to see! Carlos looked so regal and handsome and Luz looked absolutely STUNNING! They told me a bit about their lives and how they had lived in Germany for awhile and how they never got portraits of the two of them before. Do you know how honored I feel to be able to do this for them?!

ROSA!!

And ROSA! Luz’s sister is an absolute SWEETHEART! I swear, I love this job so much. It gives me so many opportunities to meet amazing people who have so much love and kindness and gratitude and it just absolutely fills up my heart! I feel like Rosa is my friend now. And she was so thoughtful and happy for her sister to be doing this and getting military portraits done. She helped her with her hair and makeup and really was just all too much for my little heart to handle.

Carlos I appreciate and thank you for your service and I wish you and Luz a wonderful retirement and future together. I hope you love and cherish these military portraits forever and that they can be passed on to your family for generations to come. I can’t wait to get you your prints!

Love is all you need ❤️

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joan marie

1589 E 2nd Street

Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

908.312.1788 | info@joanmariephotography.com

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