I love a good love story and this stunning New Jersey wedding was FULL of special touches and romantic glances. Truthfully, I loved every minute of it. Michelle and Jeff are SUCH an incredible couple, and I am so excited to watch them take over the world in the next chapter of their love story. Their Cinco de Mayo wedding was already two months ago, but feels like just yesterday – it was so much fun! I love a couple that is able to roll with the punches. Goodness knows – 2020 threw quite a few of them! I can’t wait to share a few of their wedding photos with you all today! Above all, their wedding was so much fun, full of bright colorful details, and completely enveloped in love.
Love Wed Collective: Micro Weddings in New Jersey
Firstly, Michelle and Jeff were a love Wed Collective couple (where I am beyond honored to be the preferred New Jersey wedding photographer). When couples were forced to lower their guest counts, the Love Wed Collective team was born from a love of helping couples plan micro weddings that don’t feel like a sacrifice. Michelle and Jeff planned their New Jersey micro wedding for the past six months. More than that, as restrictions started to lessen, we were able to help them increase their guest list safely and stress-free. If you are planning a wedding under 50 guests and are looking for help looking after the details (and making your wedding feel like a true celebration), you can reach out to Love Wed Collective here.
Here are a few of my favorite details if you need a little proof that micro weddings can be INCREDIBLE. Michelle and Jeff’s wedding was absolutely stunning. The entire Love Wed Collective team knocked it out of the park!
Getting Ready Photos Before an Aisle Reveal (No first look!)
Michelle and Jeff chose not to have a first look and instead decided on an aisle reveal (when you don’t see each other until one of you walk down the aisle – in case you’re not familiar with the industry term)! With no first look, we had extra time to capture all of their detail photos and getting ready moments. Michelle got ready at her beautiful family home with her half of the wedding party. After she was ready, she walked down the stairs to some of her closest family waiting for her – almost like a first look but with family! One of the most incredible things about having a micro wedding, is how special each guest is and how intimate each moment is. Michelle got to enjoy a few moments with her guests before walking down the aisle!
Nearby, Jeff got ready at a hotel in Jersey City closer to the wedding reception venue! His getting ready photos didn’t feature a big reveal but they were just as lovely. Michelle had the sweetest gift waiting for him and I loved the photos of his brother and sister! Jeff gifted them flasks and his immediate family shot glasses featuring a play on words with their last name. Wedding photos aren’t *all* serious. I love taking candid wedding photos of what really happens on your wedding day. The heartfelt moments and all the laughs in between.
Montclair Wedding Sanctuary Ceremony in New Jersey
I always love when couples make their wedding ceremony their own, but it isn’t always possible with a church wedding. To compromise (without compromising!), Michelle and Jeff had a more traditional ceremony with Hindu wedding rituals inside the Montclair Wedding Sanctuary, and exchanged their own vows in the church garden after the ceremony. Both were incredibly emotional and sweet. On a personal note, as a New Jersey wedding photographer, I always love watching both members of the wedding couple fuse their different cultures and traditions together. I always like to be extra thorough in the planning process to make sure that as a wedding photographer, I don’t miss a single one of your moments.
A Micro Wedding Reception at a Unique Wedding Venue in Jersey City!
One of the other (many) things I love about micro weddings is that you’re not confined to traditional wedding venues. Michelle and Jeff chose to celebrate their wedding at Corgi Spirits, a Jersey City Distillery, and honestly, I think it might be one of my new favorite Jersey City wedding venues. It was GORGEOUS. Michelle and Jeff decided to get married on May 5 – Cinco de Mayo – because it was their “first kiss anniversary” and they didn’t want to have multiple dates celebrating their anniversary. I knew from the start that their wedding was going to be a lot of fun because they “met at a happy hour, got drunk on tequila, and then started dating.” If that’s not a realistic love story, I’m not sure what is!
With that in mind, their wedding blew me away. The warmth of all of their guests, the heartwarming toasts, the acoustic guitar playing for their first dance (a special performance by Jeff’s brother and Michelle’s sister!) – it was a room filled with everyone smiling from ear to ear. ALL NIGHT. To make the wedding a little more COVID-friendly, Michelle and Jeff chose individual appetizers (including tacos for Cinco de Mayo – of course!) and assigned seating, represented by stunning calligraphy place cards on acrylic hexagons. No detail was missed at this Jersey City micro wedding reception.
A Jersey City Wedding Reception: The Encore!
Did you think that was it? I didn’t even tell you about their wedding reception outfit change! Halfway through the wedding reception, Michelle and Jeff snuck away to change into more traditional South Indian wedding attire before they cut the cake. Don’t they look amazing?! After the cake, the dancing began and it was such a beautiful night!
New Jersey Wedding Photographer
I could have gone on and on about how much I loved photographing Michelle and Jeff’s wedding day. As a wedding photographer, it’s always my goal to capture the natural chemistry that exists between each couple and these two made my job easy. If you are currently planning a wedding, I would love to get in touch sooner rather than later! With the postponements and reschedules over the last year, my schedule for 2021 (and 2022!) is looking even more full than usual. You can learn more about my wedding photo and video packages here, or click the button below to check availability!
Love Wed Collective Vendor Squad
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Mile Square Moments is a wedding photography company based in Hoboken, New Jersey. If you are new around here, you should know that we love getting to know each couple personally. Wondering if we would be the right fit? You might be a MSM couple if you aren’t afraid of getting a little up close and personal in photos. We love natural chemistry and a little PDA around here! BUT, also enjoy a night in binge-watching Netflix. Are you planning a wedding in New Jersey? If you are, Contact us here to find out about our photography/videography packages. We also love stories on Instagram. If you want more micro wedding inspiration, check out this Micro Wedding on Long Beach Island. Enjoy!
