Kate and Trevor are two of my favorite people as was their Red Bank Engagement session in Red Bank, NJ! We met at the Fair Haven Yacht Club. This marina is where they keep their sailboat docked. One of the most significant parts of their sailboat has to be the name, “Two Tigers.” The name is an ode to both of them meeting and graduating from Princeton. Princeton’s mascot is a Tiger hence the sailboat’s name.
About Red Bank, New Jersey
Red Bank earned its name from the red clay banks of the Navesink River, and the water has been the center of town life ever since. These days it is one of the coolest small downtowns in New Jersey, home of the Count Basie Center for the Arts, named for the jazz legend who was born here, plus blocks of independent shops and restaurants and a river full of sailboats all summer. For an engagement session it is hard to do better. You get the marina, the water, golden light bouncing off the river, and a downtown five minutes away if you want a second look.
I loved photographing this session! I brought along a videographer to capture it as I knew we were going to have a damn good time together. We started shooting at the marina’s little beach that was next to their boat launch. Trevor and Kate are dog lovers as am I so they brought along their two French Bulldogs for the session. Quick tip if you are planning your own session: bring the dogs. It takes five extra minutes, gives you photographs you will treasure, and honestly the dogs usually break the ice better than I can.
Red Bank Engagement Session Photographs and Sailing
I had photographed most of their session on their sailboat together but went onto another boat while they were cruising on the river. Red Bank is gorgeous, and Bon Jovi’s house was just across the river where we were sailing. After a nice little cruise we headed back to the marina, and they changed clothes for a different look and to capture the magnificent summer sunset. Summer sunsets on the Navesink are something special. The river runs wide, so the light comes straight down the water and turns everything gold for a solid twenty minutes. We used every bit of it, on the docks, on the bow of Two Tigers, and along the water’s edge. A clothing change between looks is something I recommend to every couple, one casual outfit and one dressed up, and the sunset look gets the dressy one.
Trevor, Kate and I had an excellent time together for their GTKY/Engagement viewing session in the studio. The first time they saw this session was on our ten foot HD projection screen. We created a custom album for them that they used at the wedding as a sign-in album for their guests. They also purchased a gorgeous canvas wall art of them on their sailboat. They will hang close to their wedding wall art. One of my favorite things they did was when we designed their custom Save the Date cards they put the photograph of the boat with the name as the front of the Save the Date. They are classic!
What Is a GTKY Session?
GTKY stands for Get To Know You, and it is how we treat every engagement session at the studio. It is not just about the photographs. It is a dress rehearsal for the wedding day, a chance for us to learn how you two interact in front of a camera, and for you to learn how easy it actually is. Couples who do a GTKY session walk into their wedding day relaxed, and it shows in every frame.
GTKY session on a boat with Trevor & Kate – Behind the Scenes – Jordan Brian Photography from Jordan Brian on Vimeo.
Special thanks to my good friend Damon from Absolute Media Productions for creating this video of Trevor & Kate’s Red Bank Engagement Session on their sailboat up in Red Bank, NJ.
Planning a Jersey Shore Engagement or Wedding?
Monmouth County gives you some of the best engagement settings in New Jersey, rivers, beaches, marinas, and towns like Red Bank with real character. If a wedding at the Shore is in your plans, my guide to the best Jersey Shore wedding venues covers the rooms and views I photograph most, with honest notes on light and logistics. And if you have a boat, or even just a favorite dock, let’s talk about your session.