We first saw Jen and Ken’s love for life and each other as guests at a wedding in 2011. At the end of the wedding they told us they were engaged and we secretly crossed our fingers and toes that they would call us to shoot their wedding! We were over the moon when they did as we knew their wedding day would be one filled with exorbitant amounts of love, friends, family, BIG fun and TONS of dancing!
When you enter into Jen and Ken’s new home, where the girls were getting ready, you can’t help but smile at all the personal homey touches, such as reminders to laugh and old-fashioned fire trucks!
Jen’s San Patrick dress was so sculptural, I adore every last little detail of it!
From the airy layers, to the endless line of buttons, to the weaving textures, to the intricate buttons- this dress is a piece of art work!
Nothing like hot little purple shoes to add some flair! I couldn’t help but notice Ken’s fireman dress hat on the dresser! Ken is one of New York’s bravest!
Jen’s makeup was masterfully done by Heather Vullo and her hair by the Hair Genie!
Jen’s Mom and her sister did the honor of getting her into her dress and ready!
The bridesmaids were checking in on her and they were full of smiles when she made her debut!
Gorgeous!
It was time to head to the church and when Jen left the house she had a whole fan club waiting for her!
The neighbor’s kids came out with signs, it was so adorable!
And on the other side there was a group of people waiting to see Jen as a bride!!!
So sweet!
Jen’s bouquet was the perfect pop of color for this summer wedding, created by Flowers by Burton.
On the way to the church, Jen and her Mom went to pick her Dad up from their house, the house she grew up in!
That’s one proud Dad! This moment and every other moment Jen shared with her Dad on her wedding day was extra precious. Jen’s Dad had been battling cancer for a long time and it was a complete blessing that he was able to be there on the wedding day. Every moment of that day was a celebration of his strength.
Considering this was the street Jen grew up on, I wanted to capture her here as a bride. I love the trees and of course, the patriotism of the flags!
Back at Ken’s parents’ house (which is the house Ken’s Mom grew up in) the men were getting ready with Mom helping out!
Well when you shave your head I guess it cuts out getting ready time and leaves time drinks! You guys have it so easy!
Ken and his Mom stand in front of a very special mirror, Ken’s Mom has a picture in front of this exact mirror from her wedding day, when her Mom helped her get ready!
Before heading to the church, the guys made a special stop too! Ken surprised his Mom by stopping off at the park that is dedicated to her father to get some special wedding day pictures!
St. Thomas the Apostle, was buzzing with excitement for the wedding to start!
Love was all around, how adorable are these two giving kisses?!
Ken escorts his Mom down the aisle.
The ring bearer and flower girl melt everyone’s hearts with their cuteness!
And then I kid you not, Ken’s jaw literally fell open when he saw….
Jen! Jen as a stunning bride escorted by her parents down the aisle!
Guess who can’t take their eyes off each other?
The wedding ceremony was conducted by a very special man, Ken’s uncle.
Ken and Jen listen to each other’s vows.
Both sets of parents look on with full hearts!
The moment everyone waits for!!! Kiss the bride!!!
Nothing like a big church exit! Sheer happiness and joy!
Jen and Ken celebrate with a champagne toast outside the old Cadillac, chosen for the wedding since it was one of Jen’s Dad’s favorite cars!
Then a toast of a different kind once they transferred to the party bus!!
The hour long ride to the beach was full of fun, dancing and a few drinks too!
Love it! Jen even said she didn’t mind the construction as it was a sign of Long Beach rebuilding and growing strong after Hurricane Sandy!
Ok so this shot may have been a sign of too much time on the party bus! How to get 19 people to jump at the same time? Hmm, not sure. BUT what I can say, is that the groomsman 8th from the left must be a professional bridal party jumper! Wow!
We sent the crew back to the bus and had some moments with just the newlyweds on the beach!
We then headed off to the Bridgeview Yacht Club for the celebration!
Placement cards were creatively made with sand dollars!
The place was decorated with photographs and beautifully handmade personalized signs created by Tishie M Designs!
The guys!
The ladies!
This bridal party was great, they even went for my idea of putting them out on the docks! They may not have been the best jumpers but they certainly were awesome to work with!
The Birdgeview Yacht Club offers such a great variety for taking portraits, from their beautiful garden, to the dock overlooking the water, to their fountains and cabanas!
I love this picture of these two! They were very patient waiting for the water droplets to fall perfectly, making a space to see their smiling faces!
Jen’s bouquet had a very special addition, her Grandmother’s broach.
Honestly, I could have photographed these two all day but there was a party to be had!
Jen and Ken not only gifted their friends and family an adorable wedding favor but they also made a donation to the Lung Cancer Alliance.
Oh the cupcake table! And this isn’t even in lieu of a cake! Jen and Ken as sweet as they are just wanted to share their love of cupcakes with everyone!
The champagne was chilling and the Super moon was rising! Two signs of a very fun night!
The parents were welcomed in with hoots and hollars!
And then the magnificent bridal party strutted their stuff with all kinds of shenanigans!
Then with a roar from the crowd, everyone welcomed in the Mr & Mrs!
First dance!
Oh the speeches! Jen’s sister brought the house down with the BEST maid of honor speech we have ever heard! She created a unique personalized rendition of, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” ! It was HYSTERICAL!!!!
Ken’s best man made everyone laugh and even get a twinkle in their eye. He had so much to say that….
…like a long speech at the Oscars, the DJ’s played him off with some music! But he was speaking from the heart and he clearly has a big heart!
Jen and her Dad then took the dance floor for a very tender father/daughter dance while they watched a slideshow of pictures from their past.
This moment here is why I feel being a wedding photographer is an incredibly important job. It’s not just about the bride and groom and everyone’s pretty outfits and the perfect details but about the relationships between the family members on a special day. It’s about preserving a moment in time between two people, such as this man using all his strength to have a dance with his daughter, giving a sweet kiss on her wedding day to let her know how much he loves her.
Ken then danced so sweetly with his beautiful Mom!
After a decadent meal, it was time to cut the cake! This stunning seaside-themed cake was magnificently created by Allison of Sweet Peace Bakery.
They played it nice!
With the super moon high above the yacht club now, it was dark enough to pull the love birds out for a night time photograph!
When they got back inside it was PARTY time!!! Gotta love my 2011 bride Liz rooting them on!!
The dance floor was packed from first song to the last thanks to the skillful DJ’s from 2+2 Entertainment!
Can you guess the song?!
Ken’s Dad took Jen’s Mom for a twirl!!
Big thanks to this lovely couple, our 2011 bride and groom, for introducing us to Jen and Ken! Liz and I also used to teach together at St. Francis De Sales School for the Deaf!
The photo booth was a big hit!!
There was no escaping from the dance floor!
Ken made a special toast to all his Fireman brothers.
Towards the end of the night things got carried away… literally!
Whoot! Whoot! What a day! Congratulations to the happy couple! We wish you a lifetime of love, laughter and dancing!
Well I wasn’t surprised. As we were heading out, in true Jen and Ken fashion of always taking care of everyone’s happiness, they had a sign up expressing their gratitude to everyone!
Sadly a few days after Jen and Ken’s wedding Jen’s Dad, Mr. Colarusso passed away. But not before he escorted his daughter down the aisle, gave her hand in marriage to Ken, had a last dance with her and thoroughly enjoyed the celebration of Jen and Ken! May you rest in peace Mr. Colarusso.
Such a beautiful wedding with a lot of love. It’s wonderful her father was able to see her big day. You captured it beautifully.
Wow so sad to hear about Jen’s dad but you captured so many amazing and touching moments with him that they will cherish. So much love and happiness seen in their wedding.
Gorgeous wedding, gorgeous couple, and gorgeous photographs Susannah! A touching and beautiful story of love and life. And you know I’m a big fan of the bridal party jumping picture 🙂
What a stunning couple! and I love those pillows, totally making them now.
Love all the beautiful details! The portraits by the water are just so stunning! Beautiful work as always 🙂
Not going to lie…the pic of dad and daughter dancing completely got the tears going. I know you know this…but she will treasure that picture forever. One of my favorite pics from my own wedding is me and my dad dancing…I always loved it but now that my dad’s health isn’t doing so well, that pic means the world to me. Great job. xo
Susannah, these photos are incredible.
I have tears in my eyes writing this as I know how precious this day was for the bride and her father. Such an incredible gift you gave her to be able to capture their special relationship.
There are too many beautiful photos to comment on, but one of my favorites is the bride leaving for the church and the 2 girls outside holding up their drawings.
I am in awe of the amount of work you put into these blog posts. Besides all the photos the story throughout is wonderful as well. Great job.