Edgewood In The Pines, Drums, PA

Our first wedding of the season at Edgewood in the Pines was one we looked forward to celebrating with Melissa & Cody all through 2020. After they navigated how the year would affect their wedding, we were there to capture what was initially planned to be a September autumn celebration and became a beautiful day in May. They are truly wonderful people and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to photograph such a monumental day in their life together.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Steve & Evelyn

VENDORS:

Entertainment: Frankie Carll Productions

Dress Shop: Bridal by Sandra

Tuxes: Tuxedo by Sarno

Florist: Smith Floral

Transportation: AJ Limo

Sand Springs Country Club, Drums, PA

This day was especially close to the KJAD crew as Todd is a former student of Steve’s from Wilkes University, where he & Alysa met through mutual friends. Two years later, Todd would propose during a private meet & greet with Rapunzel, which brought us all together here at their beautiful Disney Inspired Wedding at the Sand Springs Country Club in Drums. From the details (that hairpiece!!), a heartwarming first look with dad, a smiley Todd watching Alysa come down the aisle, and a magical first dance, to the happiest inspired decor on earth, their wedding day was truly something special. We are so appreciative to have had the opportunity to capture these moments and memories. Cheers to Alysa + Todd!

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Steve & MJ

VENDORS:

Ceremony & Reception Site: Sand Springs Country Club

Entertainment: Skuba Entertainment

Salon: Alexander’s Salon & Spa

Wedding & Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Tunis Bridal Shoppe

Engagement Ring: Zales Disney Designer Collection

Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Invitations: Shutterfly

Officiant: Rocky Bonomo

Wedding Rings: Neil Lane & Manly Bands

Florist: Mattern‘s Floral

Coordinator: Rachel Dunn at Sand Springs Country Club

Congress Hall, Cape May, NJ

Our photography and videography crews started our 2021 wedding season at Congress Hall in Cape May, NJ with Kiki and Dave. Kiki had been planning her destination Congress Hall wedding for as long as she could remember. So, being able to carry out her dream wedding despite the global pandemic, meant more to her than one could imagine. With a stately, historic yellow building and a perfectly blue sky as the backdrop of this chilly early spring Cape May beach wedding, we give you Kiki’s dream wedding… oh and Dave’s too!! ; )

Oh and be sure to check out the “KJAD aqua” ballroom. So cool.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Steve and Tom

VIDEOGRAPHERS: Stephen and Stay

VENDORS:

Ceremony & Reception Site: Congress Hall, Cape May, NJ

Entertainment: BME Event Group

Salon: Say I Do Hair and Makeup

Dress Shop: Van Cleve Bridal

Bridesmaid Dress Shop: The Dress Lounge

Tuxes: Tuxedo by Sarno

Shoes: FitFlop

Invitations: The Knot

Officiant: Judge Joseph Carmondy, District Magistrate

Cake: The Bake Works

Florist: The Manic Botanic

Coordinators: Erin O’Brien (ICONA Resorts) & Shauna Strellish (Westmoreland Club)

This past week KJAD had the opportunity to photograph two weddings (highlights included below). One was quite small, focused around a short ceremony, and the other was much more of a standard wedding day. It included hair and makeup, bride and groom prep, a full church ceremony, posed family and wedding party photos, and portraits of the bride and groom. Both weddings chose to have small and informal outdoor gatherings rather than a “full” reception, and both will celebrate with larger groups later this year at “part 2” receptions.

After preparing for and photographing each, I realized what stands between getting married now (during the pandemic) or postponing your wedding to later this year or even next, is the ability to envision your wedding in different ways. What you have imagined for the past year or more is likely not be what you will experience.

But, by no means is this a bad thing. Reimagining your 2020 wedding can be challenging and frustrating, but so can waiting another year to have the wedding of your (pre-COVID) dreams. Thankfully, a reconfigured 2020 wedding and the wedding you originally imagined have one thing in common – two people, joining their lives and families together with love and trust. The rest comes down to your comfort level. Options can include the following: a wedding on your original date, with a small party afterward or a more inclusive reception in the future; or, a more traditional full wedding ceremony and reception next year.

Whatever you decide, KJAD is here to help you navigate your long list of to-do’s and offer things to consider along the way. We are hosting a live stream session at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, to talk about wedding options for 2020 and beyond, and showcase our new KJAD LIVE service.

Consider these things if you would like to keep your 2020 date: Reconfigure the traditional wedding format – hair and makeup, bridal party prep, ceremony, formal photos, cocktail hour and reception – by evaluating the entire day to see what parts matter the most to you and only include those – safely. Think a little outside the box: change locations, activities, guest count, or even day’s timeline. Just remember, whatever you decide to do, make sure it is in line with your venue’s rules, and state and county’s guidelines.

It really comes down to one of a few options: get married on your original wedding date with pandemic restrictions – have a small ceremony on your OG date and then a party to follow later in 2020 or 2021 – or completely move your entire wedding to next year and hoping that the coronavirus doesn’t pose such a serious threat.

Quick Sidebar: I captured this photo of a section of the wedding party, safely spaced out throughout the entire church, wearing their face masks this past weekend. I understand the photo seems a bit “dark and grim” at first, but really the intention is far from that. (I also really just like the look and strong social narrative to it.) The church planned and executed safe practices throughout the entire service. They held a full Catholic mass and made it quite worry-free. While my photo has a darker overtone to it, the ceremony was the exact opposite; joyous, exciting, tearful, and full of all the tradition one hopes for at a mass. You can find more photos at the end of this blog.

The weddings we experienced last weekend (through a face mask and a little distancing) were two pandemic-era weddings held in completely different fashions. Both formats worked for the individual couples, and perhaps some aspects could work for you, too. We will share what we learned during our live discussion at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, and will also blog about each wedding in the weeks to come.

All my best to you, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you would like to talk through your upcoming wedding. Also, if KJAD isn’t a part of your wedding, we’d still be more than happy to consult with you over the phone or video chat. We are all in this together.

Take great care and see you soon!

Hey, it’s me, Mike! I’m your second crew feature, and while you’re here, I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself and how I became the Lead Photographer at KNOT JUST ANY DAY.

One day, just about 5 years ago, I showed up at the KJADstudio, sat down, started doing some work, and I’ve been here ever since. Okay, okay, maybe it wasn’t quite that simple, but it’s close.

I graduated from Wilkes University in 2012 with a degree in Integrated Media. My path with Steve didn’t cross there being he didn’t start teaching at Wilkes until 2013. Still, a good friend of mine, Eric, was a student of Steve’s and transitioned into videography for KJAD after he graduated in 2013. 

I definitely credit KJAD for jumpstarting my creative career, but art has been in my life for as long as I can remember. I was really into video games and anime, which made me want to learn how to draw. There was no YouTube then, so before taking art classes, I got my start by learning from drawing books from Walden Books. Drawing and gaming evolved into an interest in motion graphics, and that’s when I began working with Adobe products like Photoshop and After Effects, and found my interest in graphic design and photography. I watched tutorials and made graphics for friends, and by doing enough of those you learn the basics of it. Photography came into play when I needed some sort of footage to test my graphics over. Then, when I got to school, I learned that it was a part of the Integrated Media program, and it all started working together. 

Prior to KJAD, I worked in advertising for about 2 years, which oddly enough was right next door to the KJADstudio. During that time, my friend Eric then gauged my interest in coming to work for KJAD. I said I was down, so here we are. Even though I am a photographer now, my role there began as a video editor.

At KJAD, my first jobs were file management, video editing, and designing flyers, invitations, and all of that fun stuff. Within a few months, I was at weddings as a 2nd shooter for video. Ever so slowly from there, I started training more in photography, saved up some money, and bought all my gear. Getting a camera after all those years of messing around and teaching myself was like a “game on” moment. I knew this was something I wanted to do and that I was comfortable with it. So, in my second year, I started as a 2nd photographer to learn even more and grow my skill set. After that and once I got even more comfortable, I started shooting lead. Now, years later, that’s my role today! 

I think the cool thing is, being a photographer and videographer has gotten me out into the world more than I expected. I’ve gone to places I otherwise wouldn’t have gone and met great people that I would not have met. KJAD definitely kickstarted my creative career, which I’ve continued to build on since I’ve started, but the experience has also impacted me, as I’ve matured as an artist and a person through KJAD. 

Nowadays, you can find me splitting my time as an artist between my full-time job at Benco Dental as a designer, photographer, and videographer, and as a Lead photographer on weekends with the KJAD crew.

That’s all there is to know about me and my time here! I’m looking forward to becoming part of your wedding. Can’t wait to meet everyone! Thanks for reading and taking a few minutes to learn more about me. In the meantime, follow me here (@mjgentle) and listen to my playlist below. 

Hi everyone! It’s me, Steve. I thought I would take a few minutes to introduce myself to those of you I have yet to meet and give the rest of you who know me a little more, a bit more backstory on me. 

Owner, Photographer, Videographer, Stationery Designer, Wedding Planner, @thekjadbaby’s dad

I have a BFA in photography from Kutztown University. Began playing guitar and singing in bands, professionally, towards the end of college and continued that well into my 30s. I owned an art gallery in Jim Thorpe for a few years after college. Worked as an artist’s assistant, taught 30-50 guitar lessons a week, and began photographing everything I possibly could. I photographed my first wedding in 2003 with one of my film cameras and never looked back. I did freelance photo and graphic design from that point forward. The graphic design work landed me a killer seat working for the coolest arts and entertainment paper called The Weekender. During my time there I went from The Weekender’s graphic designer to the parent company’s, the Times Leader, creative director. This change of focus from just creating non-stop to being more involved with the development side of the business really pushed me to continue to further my own entrepreneurial endeavors. Towards the end of my time at The Weekender, as I tried to push forward my side work, I began teaching as an adjunct instructor at Wilkes University.

My first love is teaching. I teach no matter what I am doing. And over my time at Wilkes, I have learned what it’s like to make a difference in someone’s life. Teaching is a gift unlike any other thing, but it goes both ways. My students have always left a mark on me. They have always pushed me in ways to better problem solve, better communicate, and to be more patient. I’m the kind of person that can wait for anything from someone else, but can NOT wait the time it takes to watch my coffee reheat… so, I teach with a room temp cup of coffee. 

Continuing on, after leaving the Weekender and Times Leader, I made my way over to Metz Culinary Management. I continued in the creative marketing world during my time at Metz. And all the time all of this was going on over the past decade and a half, I kept playing shows with my two bands, Lessen One and OurAfter, played acoustic shows by myself, photographed weddings, bands, concerts, models, food, architecture, events, headshots, family/kid/senior portraits, designed logos and ads for local and regional businesses, AND officially started KNOT JUST ANY DAY in early 2008. (deep breath)

KJAD was created to give me a more formal business entity to take photos, create memories, and to find myself making art that lasted for generations to come. Ever since my first wedding in 2003, I found myself valuing the importance and beauty of weddings and relationships. Once I let the concept of weddings more into my world of photography, I realized that I couldn’t take another photo that was just for the sake of the photo. I needed to create for people who truly and genuinely loved every bit of what I was creating. Not to knock fine art photography, but if I had to try and sell another long exposure waterfall print for $35, I would have hung up my camera and called it a day. Weddings found me and I found my purpose as a photographer in weddings. Some people LOVE wedding photography, and others… not so much. I, on the other hand, love what I can timelessly create at a wedding for my couples, friends, and families. It’s an honor to be a wedding photographer if you want it to be. These images will last for generations to come and will carry in them, the most important people in my clients’ lives. Every wedding I accept the challenge to archive this day – to be present, predictive, artistic, tender and kind, and to allow my personality and technique to lead the way. 

Now, I’m speaking very much in the “I”, when really the point of KJAD is “we”. I started this business knowing that I work better with others around me. I thrive on sharing the excitement and positive outcomes with my crew and at the same time work towards better outcomes through challenging times. 

The concept of “we” really is what drove me to open the KJAD studio in 2015. The studio is a place where we meet prospective clients, have important meetings about weddings and events, edit photos and videos, create customized stationery, work as a team, and even share our work with you. If you haven’t been to the studio, please stop by… once, of course, we can all be in the same space as each other. Despite all of the hurdles we face with this ever-present disease that we are faced with, I know that if we take precautions, be aware of our actions and support one another, we will all be back up and running before we know it. This year will mark the five year anniversary of our downtown Wilkes-Barre studio’s opening. I am eager and so excited to, hopefully, in the near future, open our doors and have you all over for a celebration of what we have achieved and what we soon will begin, all thanks to your support and love of what we do. 

The last item on my list of things to share with you is my family. I have a wonderfully supportive family that’s always on the ready to help me stay flexible with my time and efforts with KJAD. My wife, Bridget, always has had my back and my biggest cheerleader, Henry, our son, (@thekjadbaby on IG) is itching to get in and help out… well I mean he’s three, but he really likes keyboards and all of the buttons on my cameras, so that’s a start. 

Thanks for reading this. Thanks for your continued support. Thanks for trusting us with such an important role in your lives. And thank you for trusting me. 

Steve 

And just for fun, I’ve decided to share with you a playlist of tunes I am listening to right now. On each on of these crew feature blogs, I will include a Spotify playlist that each crew member creates. Here are some of my recent musical finds and songs I have on repeat. Enjoy!

And lastly, here is the full video of a new feature we are doing with everyone in the company. And for your official max overload of me – enjoy 49 slightly random questions with me.

Here we are again!! Back at it, finally. Blogging like it’s our job. We kick off the 2020 season by blogging a little about our great friends Lindsay and CJ. Little backstory for you – I (steve) have known Lindsay and her family for quite some time now and I was just beyond thrilled when I received the text that she was engaged and that KNOT JUST ANY DAY was going to be a part of the wedding. Now knowing CJ for the little time that I have, I really couldn’t be any happier for the two of them. It’s always so great when the right people find each other. So congrats to you two!! Yay!

Lindsay and CJ asked if KJAD would come to their new home in Philadelphia for their session, and as you know, we absolutely prefer going places that our couples love over someplace that’s picked out of a hat. We buzzed around in their house for a bit, changed outfits, and then made our way over to Washington Square Park. Turns out it was one of the colder, windier days we had this late winter season. We braved the weather, took our photos quickly, and ran around to keep warm.

*Special shout out to my helper Caroline (Lindsay’s sister and friend of mine) for being on Lindsay and CJ’s coat duty at the park with me.

It’s always so wonderful to see our friends go through the process of getting engaged, planning a wedding, and saying “I do”. It’s especially sweet to see it all happen from our vantage point. We have the best seat in the house on their wedding day – being that close with all of their friends and family is such an honor and such an exciting place to be.

Enjoy their photos and we can’t wait for their upcoming wedding at St. David’s Golf Club in Wayne, PA. Till then!

Here’s a behind the scenes pic that Caroline snapped of us during our time at Washington Square Park. (thanks!!)

We’ve been so excited for their wedding since we met Natalie and Aash at their enagagement session earlier this year in Brooklyn. This time we got to travel a bit south for their special day to the incredibly beautiful Lake House Inn in Perkasie, PA. We had such a blast getting ready with everyone in the morning with excited anticipation filling the air. Natalie and Aash decided to incorporate a first look into their day before the celebration began, giving them a chance to just be with each other and us a chance to capture some really awesome moments. Before we knew it, Aash was seated atop a white horse for the most incredible Baraat procession complete with dancing and the biggest smiles on every friend and family member. Aash’s father led a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on a breath-taking mandap [wedding alter], and we were blown away with the beauty and meaning held by every little detail. After the ceremony, Natalie and Aash changed into their reception attire and joined all of their loved ones in night full dancing and cheer including the most epic of Horahs. The look on the newlyweds’ faces when they were lifted up on their chairs is everything. We wish them all of the best in the world!

To Natalie and Aash!

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Steve and Lisa

VENDORS:

Ceremony/ Reception Venue: The Lake House Inn

Bridal Reception Dress: The Reformation

Hair/ Makeup Artists: Jazmin Rae Company