When CJ proposed to Chrissy, it was a complete surprise. During a regular visit to see her family, Chrissy and her mom got their nails done, and went for a walk leading to the spot where CJ would pop the big question. It was PERFECT. After all, after you’ve caught your breath after your “Just Said Yes” moment, you’ll naturally want to celebrate with your family and friends! Not only were Chrissy’s parents there, but CJ lined up her best friend to be there to celebrate as well. The engagement was perfect, so this wedding at Maritime Parc had big shoes to fill. Needless to say, as magical as their proposal moment was, their wedding day was even more joyful. If you have been searching for classic, beautiful, wedding inspiration in Jersey City, you are going to love these two!
New Jersey Wedding Review
I blush every time I read a new review, but honestly this one made me tear up a little. Over the last couple of years, I worked tirelessly to make sure that during a stressful time (planning a wedding during a pandemic), I could be the “easy” part for my couples. At the end of the day, I just wanted my couples to have beautiful wedding photos. Although the last couple of years have felt like a blink of an eye (some days more than others), I am so incredibly grateful to have had a chance to work with couples like Chrissy and CJ!
The tl;dr for those are in a time crunch – hire Devin to make your engagement and wedding photography everything you’ve ever dreamed of and everything you didn’t even know you needed!!
Before working with Devin, I had been a bridesmaid in a handful of weddings in the recent years so needless to say I knew what kind of photographer I wanted to work with and style of photos I wanted to avoid. Trying to find a photographer that didn’t shoot what I would consider “typical” looking wedding photos is no easy feat and I am so thankful we found Devin!!!
To start, Devin is incredibly hands on and takes the time to get to know her couples which I think is very apparent by looking through her portfolio. It was so apparent to me that she did this just by looking at her work and without even speaking with her. I booked my consultation call with her before officially booking her for our wedding but I knew I was going to book her before we spoke just from seeing her work…after speaking with Devin, I knew she was the perfect person to shoot our day!
And then covid happened….BUT unlike most brides who had a hard time replanning through all of that, we had the exact opposite experience! Devin was so incredibly flexible with us as the world was so uncertain in the early days.
We postponed our wedding a few months before and replanned it for Sept 2021 and while that was not as chaotic to replan, finding a time to shoot our engagement photos was a trip, but Devin was so understanding and flexible as we had to reschedule our engagement shoot more than 4 times and wound up doing it a month before our wedding.
Side note – highly recommend doing something like this if you’re worried about the day of…having just “practiced” our posing the month before for the engagement photos was very helpful for the day of! Devin was able to quickly edit our engagement photos so we had them before our wedding and she absolutely crushed them! The engagement photos and wedding photos are truly works of art that I cannot wait to get professionally printed and hung up! In my opinion, Devin’s photos deserve to get attention constantly and not just something in an album!
The day of the wedding, Devin and her team made taking photos SO MUCH FUN. Having been a bridesmaid so many times, I know how long and painful this can be but to quote my bridal party after we finished photos “that was it, we’re done??” because that’s how seamless and easy Devin makes it!!
The team effortlessly fit photos into the day vs making the day all about photos. Looking at our photos was like reliving the whole day but also got to see so many other parts of the day captured that as the bride I wasn’t able to be part of. Now for the photos….first of all, after shooting our wedding and pretty sure many other weddings the days leading up to our wedding (Devin is superwoman!) She provided us with 30 preview photos to look through the very next day and from chatting with couples on our honeymoon that we went on immediately after the wedding, so many of them were envious of how many previews we received and how gorgeous they were!! Devin took my vision and must haves and executed them flawlessly.
Our photos truly capture the energy and emotions of the day without anything looking too stiff or posey. My husband and I immediately shared our gallery of photos after receiving it and all of our friends and family were blown away with the beauty Devin captured but most importantly the fun and love of the day. We have so many special memories and are beyond lucky to have had such a thoughtful and caring photographer capture the most important moments and day of our life. You can truly tell that Devin cares so much about her couples and really tries to capture the moments that a bride and groom will want to relive for so many years to come. Devin, I cannot thank you enough or rave about you enough.
Any bride who is not sure who to use for a photographer absolutely needs to hire Devin immediately – you will not be disappointed!!!
Engagement Photos One Month Before the Wedding!
Like Chrissy mentioned in her review, we set up their engagement photos just one month before the wedding! Although couples usually prefer a longer timeline (so they can use their engagement photos for save the dates, social media announcements, etc.), the shorter timeline was actually so nice! When it came time for those classic wedding day portraits, it felt like we were all well-practiced and super comfortable together. After all, we just did this! There was no sense of “what comes next” or “how do we pose/not pose”. Truthfully, these two are so in love we probably didn’t need a practice run. That said, I love that they always have engagement photos to remind them of this part of their love story. Trust me – your engagement goes by quickly! Be intentional about enjoying this chapter.
Getting Ready Photos at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Jersey City
We started the day at the (always stunning) Residence Inn by Marriott in Jersey City. Some of the “unexpected” moments on a wedding day I always love, is watching the wedding couple just enjoy being surrounded by their family and friends. You can tell, these two are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Excitement was in the air and the morning was filled with laughter and happy tears.
Once ready, Chrissy had a sweet first look with her father on the balcony. After that, we took just a few family photos outside before heading downstairs. Once downstairs, we snapped photos with her side of the wedding party (since her and CJ weren’t to see each other before the wedding!). Meanwhile, CJ was doing the same. He had a tender first look moment with his mother (you could tell how close they were!) and some fun outdoor photos with his half of their wedding party. There was pure joy in the air as we let the celebrations begin!
Wedding Ceremony at The Saint Peter’s University Church
When couples choose an “aisle reveal”, it’s often the moment they look forward to the most on their wedding day. Seeing your spouse-to-be as you walk down the aisle (or wherever you see them for the first moment on your wedding day) is always incredibly touching. CJ gave Chrissy this knowing look and she just grinned from ear to ear. During the ceremony, they couldn’t stop smiling at one another. When they were announced husband and wife, everyone stood up to cheer!
Wedding Photos Before Cocktail Hour!
After their grand exit outside of the church, Chrissy and CJ (with their wedding party!) headed for the party bus to take them to their wedding photo locations (near their wedding reception at Maritime Parc!). I knew attending at least part of their cocktail hour was a priority for Chrissy and CJ, so we worked quickly. To be honest, their wedding party also made it really easy!
Once we arrived at cocktail hour, Chrissy and CJ mingled with their guests on the terrace. Meanwhile, we snuck inside to take photos of their absolutely gorgeous wedding decor. Before the guests were welcomed inside! Seriously, I will never tire of a white and greenery color palette and it’s crazy to me how couples seem to make it look different, yet beautiful, every single time. And I loved the Prosecco wedding favors! The party was ready to begin.
A Lively Wedding Reception at Maritime Parc at Liberty State Park
When I asked Chrissy and CJ what they were most excited for on their wedding day, they both agreed. They couldn’t wait for an evening of dancing and celebrating with all of their family and friends in the same room. Their wedding reception was everything I knew they had wished for: joyful, lively, and overall just a fantastic time. There were some moments that made you tear up (like the speeches or Chrissy’s first dance with her dad!). There were also more than enough moments that made you absolutely grin from ear to ear. I couldn’t stop smiling watching the two of them limbo under a “University of Delaware” flag – where they met.
A Stunning Maritime Parc Wedding Night!
At the end of the night, I snuck Chrissy and CJ outside. I wanted to take just a few photos in front of the NYC skyline. It felt like the whole city was lit up to celebrate their love for one another! Both Chrissy and CJ have more “serious” jobs (she is a business analyst and he is in the sales and trading industry) so seeing them soak in every moment and just have fun together throughout the day was precious. Their wedding at Maritime Parc was filled with tender moments, and so much pure glee. I was beyond honored that they trusted me to capture it!
Vendor Squad
Mile Square Moments is a Hoboken wedding photographer. As we hope you can tell, we love getting to know each couple personally. We like to say, you might be a MSM couple if you love a night in binge-watching Netflix, but you also aren’t afraid of a little PDA in photos. Currently planning a wedding in Hoboken, NJ or beyond? Get in touch here to inquire about our photography packages. Prefer Instagram? We love sharing fun love stories on Instagram.
