It’s 11am on Thursday and I am sitting in BWI airport waiting on the status of my flight which should have left 30 minutes ago for Cancun where I am shooting a wedding on Saturday. We just found out that the flight has been delayed up to 6 hours because of Hurricane Paula…which is now over Cuba. So, instead of boring myself to death as I wait for the update, I thought I would blog about an awesome wedding I shot last weekend in Philadelphia.
I had been looking forward to this wedding for almost a year since I first met bride Jen and groom John in Annapolis to discuss their wedding. When I asked Jen how she picked me, the very cool connection that we all had made this wedding a bit closer to my heart then most. Jen went to the same college I did (Philadelphia University) and John graduated from The US Naval Academy, where I worked for my first two years in Annapolis as a sports photographer.
The wedding was originally planned to take place in Annapolis…but after much deliberation and reality sinking in, Jen quickly changed the location to Philadelphia and I was estatic! Jen has two kids and John has three and they all live in New Jersey, so Philly seemed a much more logical choice then lugging the whole family down to Annapolis for the wedding. The best part of the location change was the incredible venue that they acquired…The Philadelphia Seaport Museum!
I adore Philadelphia. I actually consider it my home more than anywhere else on the planet. The 5 years that I lived there really shaped the person I am today and the city has so much to offer. I go up to visit the city and all my friends any chance I can get.
The day of the wedding was a gorgeous fall Saturday, the sun shone brightly and the breeze was gentle. Jen was stunning in her simple, yet elegant gown and John looked handsome in his very cool orange tie. The 3 girls and 2 boys (their children) made up their wedding party and I have to say they were the best looking wedding party I’ve ever photographed! I was blown away by how well-behaved all of them were and how adorable they looked all dressed up in their fall colors. Kudos to the parents on that one!
The ceremony took place on a concrete terrace overlooking the Delaware River with the Ben Franklin Bridge on our left and the Walt Whitman on our right, the view was spectacular! One very funny moment that I can’t fail to mention because I have a great set of photos documenting the moment was Jen’s youngest kiddo, Andrew, was not a fan of the grown-up looking suit and tie that he had to wear. He walked down the aisle looking as if life were ending as he dragged his feet and wore a perfect frown. We all got quite the chuckle out of it.
The reception is where the fun really started to happen. Jen and John have an amazing group of friends and family who were not the least bit shy to jump onto the dance floor right away. Most of the time, the couple is too preoccupied with their guests to enjoy dancing the night away. Not true with Jon and Jen…they rocked it all night long thanks to the awesome tunes provided by Cutting Edge Djs! I had a blast photographing this reception and was contantly smiling at all the fun and hilarity that was happening thorughout the reception….so much that my cheeks hurt the rest of the night!
Jen and John…thank you for choosing me to be a part of your special day! It was definitely one of my favorite weddings I’ve photographed. You both were so kind and laid back that it made everything go so smoothly and without and stress.
Also a giant shoutout to the kids Dalton, Payton, Reilly Andrew and Julia…you guys were so much fun to be around and looked amazing! Enjoy the photos!
Freckle Photography-Annapolis, Maryland 