Lauren & Chris’s NJ Private Estate Wedding was an end-of-summer dream! Lauren being 1 of 4 sisters, weddings were not new for her parents. Her parents helped an enormous amount on the wedding day. Lauren’s mom helped with all the florals. Lauren’s dad made sure the outdoor tented setup and everything was perfect!
A word on the venue
A quick note on private estate weddings, since they keep getting more popular in New Jersey. A private estate is exactly what it sounds like, somebody’s land, set up for one wedding only. No banquet hall turnover schedule, no shared parking lot, no other ceremony at the same venue ninety minutes after yours ends. Lauren and Chris built their day on her parents’ property with a full outdoor tent setup, florals her mom arranged, and the kind of detail control you only get when you are not following a venue’s rule book. The trade-off is logistics. Rentals, generators, restrooms, bar service, weather contingency, all of it lands on you instead of a banquet coordinator. When you have family who can pull it off, like Lauren did, the result is the most personal kind of wedding day.
Bridal Morning Preps
Both Lauren & Chris got ready in different rooms for their NJ private estate wedding. Chris had a personal barber come to the house to give him a fresh cut and a quick facial mask. The groomsmen were all down in the finished basement while Lauren had free reign of every room.
First Look and photographs
We found a beautiful quiet location on their property with soft light for the reveal. In addition to finding good light, the sun was baking on their wedding day, so we always found a comfortable spot for them. The rest of the bridal party came over with spouses, and we had an enormous amount of fun frolicking at this ethereal treeline with perfect natural light.
NJ Private Estate Wedding Ceremony
We discussed this unique tree on their property before the wedding. It has special sentimental meaning to Lauren & Chris, and in addition, the ceremony took place underneath it. Lauren’s father is a judge, so he performed the actual ceremony.
New Jersey Private Estate Wedding Reception
They let loose with their closest loved ones and did not hold back! The speeches were beautiful, especially from Lauren’s twin sister, the matron of Honor. It is special having an outdoor tented wedding and a live band towards the tail end of summer!
In closing, it was an absolute pleasure to document Lauren & Chris’s relationship from their engagement session in the snow to their beautiful end-of-summer wedding day. Delivering their fantastic wedding album was an honor :)
Vendors:
Makeup Artist: Salon Silk
Dress: Bridal Suite Boutique
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Music: The Niche Band
Planning a New Jersey wedding?
If you want the same outdoor estate feel but need a venue with the logistics handled, I keep a working list of the best Jersey Shore wedding venues. For city couples, the best Philadelphia wedding venues list covers the indoor side. I cap at fifteen weddings a year, so the calendar fills early. Get in touch if you want to talk through your day.