Yellow and gray and a beautiful wedding day {A New Jersey Wedding for a Texas Couple}

After getting to know my couples for sometimes two years before their big day, I always experience a moment or two that’s most like a Proud Big Sister when it’s time to capture their wedding day.

For Mallorie and Eric, that was even more so the case. Mallorie’s older sister and Matron of Honor Allison is one of my dearest friends from childhood. I didn’t know Mallorie as well as I wish I had but I’ve been lucky enough to watch her journey from afar over the years.

And with a backdrop of weeping willows and lakefront rows of white chairs on a sunny September afternoon, I watched Mallorie’s parents walk her down the aisle as her REAL big sister proudly watched.

I’ll come back to Eric in a minute, but let’s talk first about the INCREDIBLE Mallorie. She chose a lace-sleeved, tea-length dress with insane Betsey Johnson heels. Mallorie rocked some gorgeous long, sideswept curls and some Old-Hollywood red lips and she looked so fun and elegant, twirling, hands in her dress pockets (um, yep!).

And Eric was handsome and happy, smiling every minute of their day. The way he looks at Mallorie is so, so beautiful. He just worships her and respects her and it’s obvious with every glance.

Mallorie and Eric chose to do a First Look (peeking at each other prior to the ceremony) and we set Eric up at the bottom and Mallorie at the top of a tall wooden staircase at the historic inn where their reception was held. After some quiet moments alone, they and their bridal party did some photos there and at the ceremony site, a beautiful former convent on a huge plot of land with the aforementioned trees and water.

I promised Mallorie that some gorgeous images could be captured if we trudged down a hill of tall grass to the water’s edge and there, with gorgeous light shimmering through the leaves and the love and comfort of those two, we froze in time some of my favorite wedding photography moments so far.

A sweet ceremony (complete with their pup!) led to a delicious cocktail hour and hours of impressive dance moves back at the inn.

They grabbed the mic with five minutes to go, thanked all of their loved ones and danced together, swaying in each other’s arms as 100 friends and family circled them, applauding and cheering and dancing. Eric picked Mallorie up in his arms and twirled her once, twice and I couldn’t help but feel those Proud Big Sister vibes I always feel during my weddings. All of their planning and preparing and thoughtful gestures for their loved ones created this beautiful day, this beautiful moment.

Congratulations! Here are some of my favorite images!