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!

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

We wish we could review the amazing people we get to capture memories for like they write reviews for us. Taylor and Jeremy would definitely get an infinite amount of stars. We first met them a couple years ago for their engagement session in Jim Thorpe when we learned that they were planning on getting married in Punta Cana. In the two years leading up to their wedding, we’ve shared so many laughs, got to meet Taylor and Jeremy’s parents, and can whole- heartedly call them family now. Taylor, Jeremy, and all of their family and friends are such down to earth, genuine, fun loving people who understand what’s important in life and cherish that to the core. That showed in every little detail of both… yes, both… of their weddings. In order for their destination beach wedding in Punta Cana to be performed in English, Taylor and Jeremy had to make it official in the states first. They had the sweetest wedding at Harveys Lake featuring Taylor’s beautiful dress by BHLDN and Jeremy’s father’s awesome vintage Chevy. A few weeks later, our very own Steve and Stephen were on a plane heading to the hottest, but most incredible wedding ever. Taylor’s brother officiated the ocean front ceremony, reminding us all that we could do anything we want to do, but we can’t always do it alone. Taylor and Jeremy are the absolute perfect match and truly bring out the best in each other and everyone around them. We continued the celebration with the reception right on the sand under the stars. Talk about dance moves (please refer to Jeremy in the wedding film below)! The next day we got to capture Taylor’s “trash the dress” as she and Jeremy ran right into the waves in full wedding attire. Yay for underwater housing and cooling down!! We had the best time on this incredible journey with the now newlyweds and everyone else involved, and are so honored to make the KJAD family even bigger. We really love what we do! Oh, Steve also highly recommends everyone try the pineapple juice in Punta Cana! He still won’t stop talking about it!

Congrats to The Williams!

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steve

VIDEOGRAPHER: Stephen

VENDORS:

Harveys Lake Ceremony Site: Our Lady of Victory

Harveys Lake Ceremony Dress: BHLDN

Harveys Lake Suit: Tuxedo Junction

Punta Cana Reception Venue: Palladium Palace

Salon: Zentropia Spa

Dress Shop: The Bridal Chateau

Dress Designer: Maggie Soterro

Bridesmaid Dress Shop: The Dress Lounge

Tuxes/ Suits: Tuxedo Junction

Wedding Bands: Tovon & Co.

Decor: Waves of Love by Karen Bussen

Sydney and Bryan chose to celebrate their big day at the always incredible Barn at Glistening Pond. There always seems to be something new whenever we get to visit the barn. DJ, the owner, is the handiest, and really outdid himself with latest addition of the spacious, new bridal prep room. A few robed, cloned Bryans showed up for bride prep, too. They even made an appearance later on during the reception to join everyone on the dance floor. Sydney and Bryan had State College’s “most popular band”, My Zero Hero, perform for their reception, and all of their guests went wild! It was an epic concert/ dance party/ sing-a-long/ celebration all in one!!

Congrats to the newlyweds!!

PHOTOGRAPHERS: MJ & Jimmy

VENDORS:

Ceremony / Reception Venue: The Barn at Glistening Pond

Dress Shop: Lovely Bride

Tuxes / Suits: Men’s Wearhouse

Hair / Makeup: Sorella

Flowers: Flowers ‘R’ Us

Officiant: Rob Provitera

Coordinators: Jen Rushton

Entertainment: My Hero Zero

Catering: Ma Greenly

Cake: Creative Cakes

Late Night Food Truck: Southwest Savory Grill

Cheers to The Broms!! Beth and Sean’s story starts when they were both part of the production of Guys and Dolls at their alma mater, King’s College. “The rest is history,” says Beth. Naturally, we had to expect some stellar performances on their big day. During Beth and Sean’s beautiful ceremony, Beth’s brother and sister-in-law sang “One Hand, One Heart” from West Side Story. The celebration continued at none other than The Woodlands; the same place Beth’s parents held their reception when they were married. Beth and Sean even reenacted the same pose at the same location of one of their favorite photos from Beth’s parents’ wedding album. Sean and his mom shared an epic mother-son dance covering nearly every inch of the dance floor, and Beth’s dad sang his rendition of Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” during their father-daughter dance. We have to admit, it melted our hearts. Beth’s junior bridesmaid even accompanied their band, Class Act Band, and everyone on the dance floor went crazy! From Beth’s perfect dress designed by Justin Alexander and their super romantic centerpieces by Robin Hill Florist to all of the awesome dance floor moves and sweet moments, these photos will have us smiling for a long time to come! It was also the first time we got to put our Mag Mod equipment to use, and we are in love with Beth and Sean’s sunset photos. We hope you love them as much as we do!!

Congratulations again to the newlyweds!

Ceremony Site: St. Nicholas Church

Reception Venue: The Woodlands

Dress Shop: RK Bridal / Dress Designer: Justin Alexander

Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Gerri’s Bridal / Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Mori Lee

Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Tuxes: Mens Wearhouse

Wedding Band: Van Scoy

Hair Stylist/ Makeup Artist: Mat Ocasio

Flowers/ Decor: Robin Hill Florist

Entertainment: Class Act Band, formerly New Solutions Entertainment

Catering: The Woodlands

Cake: Bakery Delight

Invitations: Elegant Wedding Invites

We’ve been through a lot with Sara and Joe; designing stationary, meeting after meeting, that one time Joe accidentally glued some invitations to a few envelopes that we will now refer to as The Great Glue Stick Incident of 2019.. After all of that, we’re so glad that we could add watching these two say ‘I Do’ to the list! Their whole day, from lake side prep to their Westmoreland Club sparkler sendoff, was filled with so much love from their family and friends. We are absolutely in awe over their color palette, the epic greenery that decorated their reception, and the sheer epic-ness of everyone (especially Joe who was able to obtain a microphone from the amazing Uptown Band) breaking it down on the dance floor. There was so much energy during their reception that Sara and Joe were even lifted into the air at one point! We hope you enjoy this look into their day as much as we do!

Congrats to the Collini’s!

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Steve and Jimmy

VENDORS:

Ceremony Site: Our Lady of Victory Church

Reception Venue: The Westmoreland Club

Dress Shop: La Belle Mariee Bridal / Dress Designer: Pronovias

Veil Designer: Pronovias

Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Azazie

Shoes: David’s Bridal

Tuxes: Mens Wearhouse

Wedding Bands: Valentine’s Fine Jewelry

Hair Stylist: Lauren Carey of Age of Innocence

Make Up Artist: Rikki Feerrar

Flowers: Floral Designs

Coordinators: Shauna of The Westmoreland Club

Entertainment: The Uptown Band

Catering/ Cake: The Westmoreland Club

Invitations: Knot Just Any Day

Jess and Tom; they make our hearts melt! Everyone who was a part of Jess and Tom’s special day gets all of the gold stars! Mother Nature helped us out by holding back the rain and Jess and Tom had their guests throw the most enviromentally conscious (and best smelling, says Jess) confetti – lavender – after their beautiful ceremony. Jess found the best deal on her absolutely perfect dress at The Darling Dress (if you are reading this now and are in need of a dress go check out The Darling Dress; this is the last day of their mega sale!) and The Woodlands was 100% gorgeous thanks to a little help from The Party Peeps! Everyone’s expressions throughout the entire day, from Jess and Tom’s first look to Jess and her Dad’s father-daughter dance, have us all at the studio beaming from ear to ear. Here’s to the sweetest family that is now a little bigger, to the sweetest wedding day, and to the sweetest newlyweds!

Congratulations, Jess and Tom!!

bonus sidenote: Tom gets the most gold stars for winning the Dollar Dance despite not knowing the “rules”. For those of you who also don’t know about the Dollar Dance, a Polish wedding tradition, guests will usually give a dollar bill to the bride’s sister or maid of honor in order to have a turn to dance with the bride. After the bride’s father dances with her, all of the wedding guests form a circle around the bride in order to keep the groom out. The groom must break his way into the circle to his bride. Tom has never heard of this tradition up until right when it was happening during their reception when he marched right in and lifted Jess into the air. Tom takes Dollar Dance 2019. Bravo!

PHOTOGRAPHERS: MJ and Jimmy

VENDORS:

Ceremony Site/ Reception Venue: The Woodlands

Dress Shop: The Darling Dress

Tuxes: Mens Wearhouse

Wedding Bands: Tovon & Co.

Hair Stylist: Kristy Roszel

Make Up Artist: Haley Schmid

Flowers/ Decor: Party Peeps

Officiant: Heidi at Journey’s of The Heart – highly recommended by Jess and Tom

Entertainment: Frankie Carll Productions

Catering: The Woodlands

Cake: Community Bakery

Invitations: Shutterfly

Aime and Shayne celebrated their special day at Scranton’s very own Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, and it was beyond beautiful! We cannot get enough of the details on Aime’s dress!! She even rocked a sixpence in her shoe for good luck, paying homage to the lesser known ending of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe”. Aime and Shayne’s special day was filled with live entertainment. It is tradition for the bag piper in Aime’s family to play at special occasions; he greeted guests outside of The Radisson before the ceremony and played inside after the I Do’s, too! Silver and Ivory, a flute and piano duo, performed during the ceremony while Aime’s brother’s girlfriend, Jamie Straw, did an amazing live painting that Aime even used for her thank you cards! You can check it out below!! We wish Aime and Shayne all of the congratulations, and we hope you enjoy this glimpse into their big day!

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Steve and Jimmy

VENDORS:

Ceremony Site/ Reception Venue: Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel

Dress Shop: Kleinfeld Bridal / Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero

Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Gerri’s Bridal / Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Christina Wu

Tuxes: Tuxedo by Sarno

Make Up Artist: Maria Bonacuse

Flowers/ Decor: Central Park Flowers

Entertainment: Souled Out

Coordinators: Amanda DiPierro of Radisson Lackawanna Station

Cake: Minooka Pastry Shop

Invitations: Blasi Printing