ELLA & MIKE

MARRIED | THE KNOLL COUNTRY CLUB, BOONTON, NJ

Ella and Mike’s wedding was one I had been looking forward to for a while; 1. because it was a family wedding, 2. because I got a taste of Ella in front of the camera when she was a bridesmaid for Katherine’s wedding last year and she’s so sweet and photogenic and 3. I just knew it was going to be an over-the-top fun day being with friends and family. All of those things became a reality on October 11^th, a perfect fall day for a wedding!

Ella and Mike met in kindergarten. (You know these are one of my favorite kind of love stories…) How amazing is it to look back and realize that this relationship was building for THAT MANY years!? I love it. And Ella and Mike are truly adorable sweethearts. You can clearly see it in all of their photos – the love they have for each other and the joy that overflows from it is utterly contagious to everyone they meet.

All of this happened in a matter of months. Ella was living in Minnesota before they got engaged and Mike was in Arizona. They had talked about getting engaged in the spring and Ella told him how she really wanted it to happen in New Jersey so they could celebrate with all their family and friends, and she wanted it to be a surprise. A tall order, but Mike was up for the challenge. He got creative, and with the help of some of Ella’s friends, he flew to Minnesota one Friday morning and went straight to the local conservatory. He found the perfect spot and waited patiently for Ella to arrive. Meanwhile, Ella had no idea any of this was transpiring; some of her friends suggested we go to the conservatory that day, which was not unusual because it was the only warm place to go in Minnesota in the middle of February. As they were walking around, Ella actually walked right past Mike and didn’t even notice him! Her friend had to point him out, and when she realized, she couldn’t believe it! Of course, she was so shocked it never dawned on her that this could be THE moment. It wasn’t until he took her hand and got down on one knee that she knew it was actually happening. He asked her to marry him and she replied, “yes, yes, yes!” Moments later he told her he had also booked flights that very night to fly to NJ to be with all their family and friends. Not only did Mike plan a perfect proposal, he was also able to pull off all of Ella’s dreams!

They planned a beautiful, classy wedding with gorgeous fall blooms, hand crafted details and a HUGE bridal party. I think it was my biggest this year. 23 to be exact; it was gloriously nuts, but not surprising, because family and friends are most important to Ella and Mike. They were married in Basking Ridge at St. James Church and held their reception at The Knoll Country Club. This was all pretty amazing considering that for basically all of the planning Ella, Mike and their families were living in different states and somehow still pulled everything off seamlessly! I remember Ella telling me at one of our coffee meetings that her mom and sister were handling so many of the details at home that she felt completely calm (and grateful) having so much support and ability to not stress over next steps. But the craziness didn’t stop there – while planning, Ella was also preparing to move to AZ to live with Mike after they were wed. #superwoman

Ella was breathtaking in her lace, long sleeve Jenny Yoo gown. Literally, head over heels gorgeous. There were so many touching moments she shared with her mom, sister and dad while getting ready before we left for the church. When her dad saw her for the first time in her gown he was overcome with so many emotions and tears just welled in his eyes – his first little girl to get married. We took portraits at their house and then left for the chapel where a crowd of 14 groomsman and the groom were waiting for us. The church was packed. Family and friends from all over came to witness this amazing day. They exchanged vows and shared a kiss, which was followed by an eruption of applause, tears, shouts, and fist pumps. I told you… contagious joy.

Their reception was equally as epic and included spontaneous crazy dancing with dad during the father-daughter dance, a family musical performance, laughing off a lot of embarrassing jokes and stories during speeches and some of the craziest dancing I’ve captured to date. I wouldn’t have expected anything less. It was truly an honor to capture Ella and Mike’s wedding day and I can’t wait for you to scroll through all the highlights! Enjoy!