Brooke-Ann & Andrew 

January 19, 2019

     I can honestly say that I was very excited to be a part of Andrew and Brooke's wedding day! They just seemed to be such a fun couple that balance each other out so well.  Andrew always the jokester, keeping Brooke and everyone else laughing and Brooke being funny as well trying to keep Andrew in line.  Their wedding day did not disappoint and it had all of the elements that made me a happy photographer.  

   They decided to have everything take place at Running Deer Golf Club, which is an amazing venue in South Jersey.  One of the great things about Running Deer is that there is plenty of space for the entire Bridal Party to get ready right on site, as well as have their ceremony and reception there. Over the years these types of venues have become very popular.  Of course church weddings still do exist but many couples like the idea of just doing it all in one place for many reasons.  Wedding Days are always extremely hectic and stressful so not having to add the pressure of traveling to and from multiple locations always helps.  

   Brooke and Andrew decided to do what is commonly referred to as The First Look or The Reveal where they see each other prior to the ceremony to do all of their portraits so that they can be free to enjoy their cocktail hour with their family and friends as soon as the ceremony is finished.  The First Look has become extremely popular in the most recent years, but is also still something many couples struggle with deciding whether or not they should do it.  The most common reason is that they fear that it will ruin that moment when they first see each other at the ceremony.  In situations like Brooke and Andrews where everything is taking place in one location and you are also dealing with daylight issues due to it being winter, The First Look is such a good idea.  In my many years of being a photographer I can tell you that it does not ruin that moment.  They are two different feelings and emotions.  One is private between the two of you and the other is shared with family and friends and it is when it hits you that you are indeed getting married. Just to prove this point, Andrew and Brooke laughed and talked and told each other how great they looked during The First Look and Andrew still got emotional as he watched her being escorted down the aisle towards him during the ceremony.  I actually love the shot I grabbed where Brooke's brother, who just so happened to be one of Andrews two best men is comforting Andrew while they both watch her coming down the aisle.  Is it an award winning image?  Of course not, but sometimes they just don't have to be.  It is real.  It is the feeling of love and happiness captured in an image.  Frozen for us to look back on and remember forever.  It doesn't have to be perfect by an other standards that any image would be judged on. If you look back on an image I captured and feel those emotions then I did my job well. 

   After Brooke and Andrews beautiful ceremony they joined their guests for their cocktail hour followed by their entrance into their reception where they danced their first dance as our DJ's made it snow on them. There was plenty of dancing and fun had by all, and later in the night we decided to go outside for some night time shots with our Cinema team as well.  To our surprise it was raining but that didn't stop them, nor did it stop us from going out there and making the most of it.  I kind of loved it because earlier in the day we got to capture them in the snow, which was Brookes dream come true, and then at night we got to capture them in the rain, and while it is something most couples dread on their big day, there is still something so romantic about it. We also took a few moments to have some fun with the Bridal Party in the guys locker room where there is a poker table.  They had  fun tossing around some chips, cards, money and who knows what else.  I definitely left for the evening having laughed a ton, smiled a lot, shed a tear or two, and felt fulfilled as a photographer which is something you always want to feel at the end of a wedding day. Congratulations to this amazing couple and thank you for allowing me to be a part in your beautiful, snowy winter wedding! 

Photography By: Angela Riley of BME Event Group

Cinematography By:  Christian Lucas and Eli Skwirut of BME Event Group

DJ's:  Bob Morgan and Eric Fantauzzi of BME Event Group

Venue:  Running Deer Golf Course

Floral Designs By:  Archway Programs

Up Lighting and Dancing In the Snow Effect: BME Event Group