Photographing Jacqueline and Kevin’s backyard wedding was such an intimate, creative, and relaxed experience. From their backyard ceremony to their dreamy couples portraits at the Allentown Rose Garden, their day was nothing short of magical! I am so grateful to have worked alongside my favorite videographer, Romeo Tran Media, for their day. Together we make the ultimate wedding production team. I love creating with my friends! Let’s start from the beginning.

I arrived at the couples home in the midst of the afternoon. Romeo and I scoped out the ceremony space in their backyard and made our way inside their home. Jacqueline and Kevin were trying their absolute hardest to hide from each other until their first look. All while getting ready in the same house and trading Kevin’s office space as our photo backdrop. This was the space with the best natural lighting and a solid white backdrop. It was up to myself, Romeo, and Jacqueline’s wonderful maid of honor to keep the couple from seeing each other. Did I mention how terribly humid it was outside? On top of the typical wedding day stresses, it was possibly the hottest day of June this Saturday. Keeping the couple cool and relaxed was our top priority.

We started the morning off with Jacqueline’s getting ready portraits. In Kevin’s office, I began prompting Natalie, the maid of honor, to touch up Jacqueline’s hair and zip her dress for some candid photos. When it comes to getting ready portraits, most of it is staged. I like to let the bride get mostly ready and then I’ll come in to photograph the finishing details.

After swapping the bride and groom’s places, it was Kevin’s turn for portraits. I simply prompted the groom to put on his jacket and tighten his tie. I love capturing this early moments of the day. You feel a mixture of excitement, nerves, anticipation, and gratitude for the day ahead. I highly recommend making this beginning part of your day intentional because it truly sets a tone for what is to come. On the photo and video side of things, this is an important part of the storytelling of your final gallery.

After the morning full of anticipation, it was finally time for Jacqueline and Kevin’s first look. This is always such a special, emotional, and exciting part of the day. It’s one of my favorites to capture. I find it to be so much more intimate than a traditional wedding. It gives the bride and groom a chance to be reminded what the day is all about: the connection and love between two people. Romeo and I found a space in their yard away from their ceremony set. We wanted a bit of a different look for these portraits. Romeo set Kevin in his spot and kept his view away from the house. Meanwhile, I brought the bride outside and placed her in position. When she was ready, she then tapped on his shoulder prompting him to turn around. As a photographer in this moment, I really just sit back and give this couple their moment. I snap a few photos when I see the emotion on their faces and when their hands interlock. First looks are different every time. I find that to be the special thing about them.

Following the first look, we took a little trip to the Allentown Rose garden about 10 minutes away. This is a location I have been dreaming of photographing at. I was so excited that Jacqueline suggested we add this spot to her wedding day timeline. I was overwhelmed with backdrops to shoot at. We found an arbor covered in roses, a gazebo, pink rose bushes, and a willow tree. It was simply a photographer’s dream. I stuck to a few basic poses for their bride and groom portraits. I’m a big fan of the ‘end of the aisle’ pose for wide angle shots, I love a good nose-to-nose for close ups, and we had to do a few dips. There is always that one pose that really feels like it was made for that couple. For these two, I felt like the classic hand holding and running towards the camera really prompted the most genuine smiles. I could really feel their excitement in that set.

Finally, it was time to get these two married! We made it back to their home after portraits just in time to prep for their ceremony. I gave Romeo a run down of my game plan and we discussed our positions on the aisle. As the music began to play and the guests started to quiet, the groom made his way down the aisle. Then came the bride and her father hand in hand. The couple stood at the end of the aisle with charmander ring bearers on either side. (They are huge pokemon fans!) This couple prepared written vows for the ceremony. I love capturing and witnessing this part of the day. I feel like I truly get to know their love story in a new way. Hearing this couple pour their heart into these vows is such a special thing. It’s one of those moments that I get to sit back and feel like a guest as well as a photographer documenting their day.

I highly recommend sitting down to watch Jacqueline and Kevin’s wedding highlights video by Romeo Tran Media. Romeo truly knows how to document and create a cinematic experience. It is always a pleasure to work alongside such a talented creative. We truly enjoy working together on projects like this. If you are a newly engaged couple in the Eastern PA area and are looking for a photographer and videographer team to join you on your wedding day, we’d love to be a part of it.