Ali & Mike – 10.9.15

Talk about a fun, quirky couple! Ali and Mike were a couple that I had the pleasure of photographing previously in their engagement session. These two agreed to get photographed at the Magic Garden in Philly (which in itself is a pretty awesome setting) so I knew right off the bat that Ali and Mike were going to be a fun couple! Talk about a few states love affair. These two met in Philly, recently moved to Boston and had their wedding in New Jersey!

Their venue, Valenzano Family Winery, couldn’t have been a stunning setting. From the vineyards where we did their sneak peeks to the barrel room where we did some fun backlit shots, there were so many unique settings for stunning photos! When I arrived, the sky had already started to turn grey and looked like rain. I asked the photo gods to hold off the rain, at least until we could get some fun outdoor shots. Who would have thunk that would work?

Literally to the minute, these two had their outdoor ceremony, walked down the aisle as husband and wife for the first time and BAM full on thunder, lighting, torrential downpour. It was almost magical. Throughout the ceremony the sky got darker and darker. There was a moment when a loud clap of thunder occurred and Ali looked back at the guests with a worried look. Thankfully no one got soaked and everyone got to clamber inside before mother nature fully released her wrath.

As everyone scattered inside they were all led to the reception area where Matt and his team had set up beautiful tiers of food all around wine barrels and decorations. Guests got to sample Valenzano Wine as they smiled for photos and chatted the night away. A fantastic (seriously awesome!) dinner catered by Summit Catering was served after Mike and Ali shared their first dance under a chandelier surrounded by their party members. Soon after, parent dances followed until everyone joined in, especially the couple’s nieces and nephews who were dancing machines! After letting me snag them for some fun shots in the barrel room the staff did a dessert dance, led by all the kids, and served everyone a huge variety of sweet specialties. Talk about a fun night! These two and all their close friends and family were such a joy to photograph. Check out their big night below!