Featured Weddings Archives

A Romantic Reeds at Shelter Haven Wedding

by TamiandRyan | Sep 25, 2019 | Featured Weddings, Married, Reeds at Shelter Haven

Kayla & Brandon are one of those couples that makes you fall in love, with love! Perfect for each other doesn’t even begin to describe the two of them and their relationship! After meeting them last year, when they volunteered for a Styled Wedding Rehearsal Dinner shoot we did at Hill Creek Farms, I hoped that we would get to also capture their wedding! When they asked, we were more than honored to capture their Reeds at Shelter Haven Wedding! We hope you enjoy a little sneak peek into their picture perfect day! xo

Kayla and her Ladies Getting Ready at the Salt Spa at The Reeds

Giggles and laughter greeted us as we walked into The Salt Spa at The Reeds where Kayla and her girls were getting pampered. Glamour Me Bridal did their hair & makeup, and all of the bridesmaids and moms looked beautiful! Speaking of beautiful, Kayla’s Martina Liana dress that she purchased from Bridal Garden was breathtaking! My favorite part of the morning though, was when Kayla’s dad saw her for the first time! So sweet!

Brandon and his Guys Getting Ready at The Reeds

Ryan walked into a hotel room filled with 16 groomsmen, 2 dads and a groom! Yes, sixteen groomsmen is a lot, but the day ran so smoothly! You could tell that every single one loved Brandon and were truly there for him and Kayla! They really made our job easy!

A Beautiful Ceremony at Maris Stella Church in Avalon

Maris Stella is such a big, pretty church filled with so much light! However, no light shined brighter than when Kayla walked down the aisle towards Brandon! The way they glanced at each other during the ceremony and how excited they were to become husband and wife – this is the stuff that makes you believe in true love!

Bridal Party Portraits at The Wetlands Institute

While Kayla and Brandon may have been getting married down the shore, they were hoping for a location for portraits that did not include any sand (haha). The Wetlands Institute right outside of Stone Harbor was the perfect location! There was greenery everywhere, but it still felt like you were at the shore! It was beautiful!

The Story of Kayla & Brandon

Kayla & Brandon met the way that a lot of our couples meet – online! Hinge was the app they used. I love that Hinge is unique – it requires that your potential matches have friends in common through Facebook. Little did they know, Brandon’s sister and Kayla’s brother connected them, because they went to Villanova together! They went on one date, and that was all is took, they were hooked! A little over 2 years later, Brandon proposed at their brand new house! And, what Kayla thought was a birthday party Brandon was throwing for himself, ended up being an engagement party celebration! <3

As a side note, I do truly believe that these two knew each other was the one – especially Brandon! His wedding day gift to Kayla contained a note book – with a note to her every.single.month – starting with their very first month anniversary all the way up to their wedding day! I get goosebumps just thinking about it! <3

Bride & Groom Portraits at The Wetlands Institute

Kayla & Brandon are so easy to work with and really made our job easy!

A Surprise Arrival to The Reeds by Boat

A few days before the wedding, I get an email from Brandon asking if it was possible for us to capture them arriving to cocktail hour on a boat! We loved the idea and of course said YES! So, I road on the boat with them, while Ryan waited at The Reeds for their arrival!

A Fun Wedding Reception at The Reeds at Shelter Haven

Details, details, details! This is what you get when you hire one of the very best floral design companies!! A Garden Party Florists really went over and beyond with Kayla’s idea of 50 Shades of Green! As you looked around the reception room, it was just full of beauty and little details! One of our favorite parts of the reception was working with Center Stage Entertainment! When you want your guests on the dance floor all night, you NEED to hire them!! They are absolutely amazing! Another company I don’t want to leave out is Laura Ashley Events! While Laura herself was a bridesmaid, Sarah helped run the show and help in any way that anyone might need!! She was a lifesaver, and the backbone of the day, and we can’t thank her enough! Ok, enjoy the photos and fun…

The Reeds at Shelter Haven Wedding Professionals Included:

Photography : Tami & Ryan Photography
Wedding Planning : Laura Ashley Events
Hair & Makeup : Glamour Me Bridal
Gown Designer : Martina Liana
Gown Retailer : Bridal Garden
Groom & Groomsmen Attire : The Black Tux
Florals : A Garden Party
DJ : Center Stage Entertainment
Invitation Suite : Minted
Transportation : Geiger’s Limousine
Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music : Jersey Gina Entertainment

A Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall Jamaica Destination Wedding | Sarah & Joe

by TamiandRyan | May 20, 2018 | Destination Wedding, Featured Weddings, Married

Sarah and Joe are not a traditional couple, so having a traditional wedding at home never interested them. They wanted a wedding that was a lot more personal and romantic and included their closest family and friends. So, having a Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall Jamaica Destination Wedding was the absolute perfect choice for them! Destination Weddings are our favorite weddings to capture, because its more than just one day. We are able to spend so much time with our couple and get to know all of their family and friends before the big day arrives!

Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall Destination Wedding – Montego Bay, Jamaica

Upon arriving to the resort, we were greeted with a tropical drink, sunny skies, pristine beaches and sparkling swimming pools! We walked around the resort to get a feel for the property and to choose some amazing photo locations for our bride and groom! We were also treated to a thoughtful welcome bag from the bride and groom! Thank you, Sarah and Joe, for making us feel like one of the family and for such an amazing location to photograph you both at! It was a blast!

A Dreamer Catamaran Cruise Welcome Party around Montego Bay

Sarah and Joe opted out of having a rehearsal dinner. Instead, they decided to do a Catamaran Cruise Welcome Party for all of their guests! Dreamer Catamarans, is Montego Bay’s premier sailing operations, offering first-class scheduled tours, exclusive private charters with outstanding service for the ultimate sailing & snorkeling adventures. For many of their guests, it was their first time snorkeling, and they all had a blast! From the coral reef to the fish and eels, it was absolutely beautiful and such a fun time for all! We definitely made sure to bring our underwater camera gear with us on the cruise!

Chic, Beach Details for a Modern, Destination Bride

Sarah chose a beautiful Jewel Collection bridal gown from David’s Bridal. To say it fit her like a glove would be an understatement! Her beautiful blush bridesmaids dresses were also from David’s Bridal and was the perfect choice for an island wedding. Sarah’s pearl necklace and earrings from Zales were pure perfection. You can’t go wrong with pearls! She even found her bridesmaids the most unique bouquet’s on Etsy – completely made out of seashells! They may have weighed a lot, but they were absolutely beautiful!

Getting Ready with the Girls at the Zen Spa and their Ocean Front Suite

Sarah and her ladies started their day at the Zen Spa where they were pampered with hair and makeup services. While getting her hair and makeup done, Sarah’s wedding planner Denisha came by with some weather updates. Although Sarah chose to still have their ceremony outside, rain or shine, they decided to move their reception from the Ocean Gazebo and Deck, to the covered Grand Ballroom Terrace (which was actually their first choice anyway! haha!) Spoiler alert:: It was such a great decision, because, after the ceremony, the sky opened up and it poured all night!

After the salon, the ladies headed over to Sarah & Joe’s ocean front suite for everyone to get dressed! Sarah’s Matron of Honor Joelle helped her to get into her dress and get ready to see Joe for the first time! Their son Joey, walked her down to their first look and gave his mama one last kiss before we got there…

Getting Ready with the Guys in an Ocean Front Suite

Joe and his guys kept their attire simple, yet beachy. With their attire from Old Navy, everyone seemed comfortable and very dapper! Joe and his guys had an easy morning, just hanging out, waiting for the ladies to get ready.

A Thrilling First Look for the Bride & Groom

Sarah and Joe’s son Joey was so excited for his mom and dad to see each other for the first time on their wedding day! Joe was so eager to see Sarah, and the way she looked in that dress, sure did not disappoint!

Bride & Groom Portraits at Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall

Sarah and Joe were such troopers in the rain! It drizzled for almost all of our portrait time together, but it did not damper their mood or the day. They were too excited! So, we walked around under umbrella’s and as soon as we got to our next location, they would suck it up and go out in the rain! We could not be more thankful for their willingness to get a little wet to still have some amazing photos on their wedding day!!

Sarah & Joe’s son Joey helped me take the photo on the right 😉

Bridal Party Photos at the Ocean Gazebo and Sun Deck

We ventured over to where Sarah and Joe would have had their reception with the Bridal Party, while the rain took a break for a bit of the afternoon! The people that Sarah and Joe chose to be in their bridal party, are so special to them, and they were SO much fun! One that I’d like to point out specifically is Joe’s Best Man – Sarah’s Dad! When I heard that Joe had chosen Sarah’s dad as his best man, I started to tear up! Joe and Sarah’s dad do everything together, including playing on a softball team together. It is so amazing to hear when a groom and a bride’s dad are that close and it just means that much more!

Ceremony at the Wedding Gazebo

The Wedding Gazebo offered a gorgeous beach backdrop for Sarah & Joe’s ceremony! Their guests encircled the couple as they exchanged vows. Sarah and Joe chose her Uncle Bob to officiate their ceremony, and he was able to add so many personal touches! I love when couples choose meaningful family/friends to be their officiants on such special days! The best part was the Sand Ceremony, where they joined pink sand for Sarah, blue sand for Joe, and their son Joey used sand that was taken from the beach there in Jamaica!

Reception at the Grand Ballroom Terrace

With a view of the ocean and palm trees, Sarah and Joe danced and partied the night away with their guests! Before dinner, Sarah & Joe lit a unity candle, a family tradition. This candle was used at her Uncle Bob and Aunt Sue’s wedding, and will be used at every family wedding thereafter!

Sarah and Joe’s first dance song was Perfect by Ed Sheeran, but funny enough, it was originally something else. One day, while driving in the car, this song came on, and their son Joey said that it is “Mommy and Daddy’s wedding song”. He continued to tell everyone, and would make them listen to it once a day and dance with him to it. So, it did become their wedding song!

A Sunrise Trash the Dress Session at Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall Jamaica

I’ll save this for another blog post… You can read more about Sarah and Joe’s love story, as well as their beautiful sunrise photos HERE.

Amazing Destination Wedding Vendors:

Destination Wedding Photographers: Tami & Ryan Photography
Bridal Dress: Jewel Collection from David’s Bridal
Bridesmaids Attire: David’s Bridal
Bridal Jewelry : Zale’s
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Old Navy
Venue: Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall – Montego Bay, Jamaica
Wedding Coordinator: Denisha with Hyatt
Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden
Catamaran Welcome Party : Dreamer Catamaran Cruises

Fabulous Fall Wedding at the Union League of Philadelphia | Mackenzie + Armand

by TamiandRyan | Jan 15, 2018 | Featured, Featured Weddings, Married, Philadelphia Wedding, Union League of Philadelphia

Mackenzie and Armand’s fall wedding at the Unique League of Philadelphia was truly one-of-a-kind with a classic style that incorporated unique and stylish details along the way. We already knew they were a pleasure to work with from their engagement session and loved getting to know their friends and family throughout the wedding day. The couple’s unforgettable wedding day was stylish, sentimental, and gorgeous, just like the bride and groom!

Chic Bridal Details for a Modern, Classy Bride

The bridal gown was custom designed by Kate McDonald Bridal as a modern take on the traditional a-line ball gown, which Mackenzie looked gorgeous and elegant in, of course. The bridesmaids dresses came from BHLDN, Anthropologie’s bridal line, and they looked absolutely beautiful. The stunning bridal jewelry made by DeFino & Campagna Fine Jewelry that gave her a pop of blue, was gifted by her parents for her college graduation.

Getting Ready With the Girls at The Inn at Union League

Mackenzie and her bridesmaids had a great time getting ready at The Inn at the Union League! You could tell this was an important time for her and her mom, especially when the gown was finally on, hence her moms excited reaction.

Such a sweet moment between the bride and her father for their First Look!

Mackenzie’s junior bridesmaid, Abigail, kept a longtime family tradition going! Abigail’s mother was a flower girl at Mackenzie’s mother’s wedding, and when Abigail’s mother married, Mackenzie was her flower girl. What a great way to involve your family and keep up a family tradition!

Getting Ready With the Groomsmen

Armand was so stylish in his vibrant blue suit, custom designed by Canali! His boutonniere was genuinely unique, a modern, handcrafted wooden piece and his Rolex added to his modern groom style. While the ladies were getting pampered, Armand and his groomsmen enjoyed a little free time before making final touches on their dashing looks at the Hyatt at the Bellevue.

How He Proposed

“We met at University of Rhode Island through mutual friends. Two of Mackenzie’s friends through a campus group called The Student Alumni Association happen to be Armand’s roommates and they introduced us!

There is a pretty cool tradition at URI that your college career as a Rhody Ram both starts and ends on the quad in the center of campus. The very first thing you do as a student is meet your orientation group on the quad and the very last is graduation on the quad. We were up visiting campus on what I thought was a regular weekend getaway. As we were walking back to our car, crossing the quad, Armand proposed!”
– Mackenzie

The Perfect First Look for the Bride and Groom

The moment Mackenzie and Armand laid eyes on each other for the first time on their wedding day was so sweet and perfect! They loved having that special time together before the excitement of the day took off. We wanted to take advantage of the rare time with just the two of them, so we photographed the pair inside the library of the Union League. The library ended up being the perfect intimate setting for romantic portraits of the bride and groom!

After their adorable First Look in the library, we took advantage of downtown Philly with portraits of the couple with classic Philadelphia in the background.

Saying, “I Do!” in the Historic Meade Room

This classic, historic room only needed a few floral details to create a romantic wedding ceremony. The bride and groom had clearly been anxiously awaiting this moment, but they still managed to plan meaningful details that involved their family.

During the ceremony, the couple lit a unity candle using candlesticks made by the bride’s grandfather years ago when he worked in a steel mill in Pittsburgh. Loving how they included their family in their wedding plans!

A Reception With All Their Family & Friends in the Grand Ballroom!

Lincoln Hall at Union League is an epic reception venue with glamorous details like the chandeliers and spectacular stage for the band. The navy blue tables, plentiful floral decor, and gold accents complemented the historic design of the room, adding to the classic, but chic wedding style. Mackenzie and Armand chose an amazing venue and created an unforgettable event for their family and friends.

In lieu of wedding favors, the newlyweds made a donation to the American Cancer Society. And after the wedding, all the floral arrangements were donated to the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. We’re so lucky to have beautiful couples like Mackenzie and Armand that have hearts of gold!

Fantastic Wedding Vendors in Philadelphia

Bride Getting Ready: The Inn at the Union League
Groom Getting Ready: Hyatt at the Bellevue
Hair: Le Reve Salon & Barbershop
Makeup: Dream Spa
Gown: Custom Designed by Kate McDonald Bridal
Bridesmaids Attire: BHLDN by Anthropologie
Groom Attire: Custom tuxedo by Canali
Groomsmen Attire: Rochester Formal Wear
Florist: Bakanas Flowers
Venue Coordinator: Kaitlyn Wendell, The Union League of Philadelphia
Band: Central Park the Band
Jewelry: College graduation gift from her parents. Made by DeFino & Campagna Fine Jewelry in Philadelphia, PA
Invitations: The Paper Source
Donations to American Cancer Society in lieu of favors

A Luxurious Hawaiian Wedding at the Park Chateau

by TamiandRyan | Jun 3, 2017 | Featured Weddings, Married, Park Chateau

As you pull up to the gates of the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens, you are greeted with a grand cobblestone entrance way, pristine gardens and a venue fit for royalty! This day may have started like a few of our recent weddings, with rain. But as the ceremony time got closer, the sky cleared and the sun shined down on John and Corley and the love they share!

Ryan and I are both lucky enough to know the groom, but its funny, because he knew both Ryan and I separately before we even ever met! I went to school with John and Ryan played hockey with him! On the morning of their wedding, we had the privilege of meeting Corley for the very first time, and it was like meeting an old friend. Corley was super sweet and you could just see the love that she has for John!

The Bride Getting Ready at the Park Chateau

The day started with the ladies getting ready in the beautiful bridal suite! The bridal suite is huge and perfectly set up for large bridal parties to get ready! Especially the salon area for hair and makeup! Corley’s Stella York dress was so beautiful, luxurious and elegant – the perfect dress for this venue!