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Nanina’s Wedding Photographer Belleville: Danielle & Jason

Uniting two beautiful people who are full of life, love & joy at a venue that honors their Italian heritage….
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Danielle has a smile that lights up the room; she is overflowing with energy and a joy to be around.  Jason is quality to the core– caring, honest and driven.  He says Danielle brings out the best in him :).  All elements of their day were held at Nanina’s in the Park.  It possessed an old world charm with the fountains, topiary, terracotta tiled roof, etc which gives a nod to their Italian heritage while also offering unbelievable Italian Cuisine.   Their day was amazing in every way, but there was one very important person who was unable to physically attend, but was certainly there in spirit…
Danielle’s mom was fighting breast cancer through Danielle & Jason’s engagement, and breathed her last 3 weeks before Danielle’s wedding.  She wanted to make it until the wedding day, but she was suffering badly and they had their own “dance party” in the hospital for her, playing “My First, My Last, My Everything” by Barry White as she passed.  They honored her by playing the song at the reception, which brought both smiles and tears.  What a strong, loving, resilient family!  Danielle kept her mother’s photos with her all day, on her bouquet, by the sweetheart table and here is a portrait from her parents’ wedding as she was getting ready…
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Danielle manages the cosmetic department at Macy’s so she brought in her favorite make-up artists to work their magic on her bridal party.  She also worked closely with Creations by Marie for hairstyling.
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The ladies bouquets were stunning– Danielle’s bouquet had more muted and neutral tones to compliment her dress and the bridesmaids coral tones really “popped” against the teal dresses.  Perla & Company created unique florals for Danielle & Jason’s wedding.
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Football has been a big part of Jason’s life– he played for over ten years and be believes it has helped him achieve his goals and get him to where he is today.   Here he is posing with his groomsmen, haha…
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Danielle and her father missed her mom very much during the wedding and when Danielle’s father was walking her down the aisle, she felt the sun hit her face.  She joyfully raised her arms taking it all in.  It was beautiful moment and Danielle said she could definitely feel her mom’s presence at that time:
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As the priest discussed the meaning behind the wedding rings, Danielle and Jason looked down at the rings they were about to place on each other’s fingers. When I showed Danielle the image below she immediately loved it, partially because of the sunshine and partially because of the orbs it created…
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I wanted to get both the sky and the water in one image and managed to do so with this silhouetted reflection of Danielle & Jason.  I love the bold colors in the sky, trees and even the stones of the stream bed.
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Talk about incorporating their Italian heritage… this scene could have come straight from Tuscany! There were dark clouds in the sky but for a moment the sun shone down perfectly highlighting Danielle & Jason from the balcony, that’s when I snapped this image.  I love her gorgeous smile!!!naninas-wedding-photographer-belleville-19
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Danielle’s husband and father kissing her cheeks– gotta love that mega-watt smile, just gorgeous.  Her dad was the first man in her life and is her hero :).  Below is Danielle & Jason’s character, a nice personal touch next to the guests’ place cards.
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The scrolls tied in blue ribbon at each person’s seat explained that in lieu of favors, Danielle & Jason made a donation towards finding a cure for Breast Cancer, as both of their mothers experienced having breast cancer.  What a very personal and lovely touch.
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Above, Jason dances with his mom during the mother-son dance and below little Jay steals the show during the bridal party dance…
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Their reception was fantastic, everyone was out on the dance floor and having a great time!  Danielle & Jason had a Viennese Hour with almost every dessert you can imagine.  They started out with a  bang (hehe) which produced some scrumptious Bananas foster:
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Danielle & Jason, what a pleasure it was to photograph the two of you!  I wish you all the best in your future and hope that these images will help you to relieve all of these amazing moments over and over again :)!

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