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Palace at Somerset Park Wedding Photographers: Katy & Brian

Love, laughter and tears of joy abounded during this vibrant, fairy tale wedding…
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Katy & Brian shared, “We knew from the start that we wanted to book you as our wedding photographer.  We loved the way you capture the candid moments, so we could get a feel of all of the things we might not have seen.  Our wedding day flew by, so we can’t wait to see the photos to re-live those moments.”
They continued, “From the engagement shoot to the wedding day working with you was so easy! You make everyone feel like friends and not clients.  We also love that you had a good mix of photos, a little bit of everything– from moments to family photos to details, you really cover things thoroughly.”
I opened with a colorful, romantic moment– it reminds me of a scene from beauty and the beast, and here is a shot of their wedding bands.  I love to get creative and really capture the overall look and feel of the wedding day and that specific couple.
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I tried to bring out that classic, romantic, fairy tale feel throughout Katy & Brian’s wedding day.  Here staff at The Palace at Somerset Park helped me to bring Katy’s dress into the garden.  I thought it fit Katy so well…
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Katy shared, “Brian’s gift to me was very sentimental.  It was a diamond necklace that used the stones from my grandmother’s wedding ring. It meant so much to me.”
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She continued, “My grandmother is no longer with us and I was very close with her. As soon as I opened the gift I knew what it was and I was emotional.”
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Brian shared, “I fell for Katy so easily because our personalities fit together perfectly.  She is the most beautiful woman I have ever met, inside and out.”
I wanted to capture that soft, romantic side of Katy in the garden, using the leaves of the garden to soften the edges of the frame and give it a more intimate feel.  Her dress, from Kleinfeld, was stunning and I wanted to show a bit of the front and the back…
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My second photographer, Denis, knocked this wedding out of the park!  The shots he took of the groom here that incorporated dramatic light and reflection were awesome!
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Katy shared, “It was just an instant connection we had when we first met. He was the first guy I had met that opened car doors for me and held doors open before I walked in. He was a true gentlemen and that hasn’t changed.”
Encircled by waves of green foliage, love it!
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Brain reminisced about the “first look”, when he saw Katy for the first time on their wedding day.
He shared, “When I first saw Katy I was at a loss for words, totally taken in by her beauty.  I will never forget the notice of her heels before I turned around.”
I have many photos of the smiles and tears, but for me this image best captures the moment, with its balance, intimacy, and deep connection…
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Katy shared, “Brian and I are best friends, no one can make me smile the way that he does.  He brings a difference side out of me.”
I love Katy’s beautiful smile, bouncing curls and the vibrant colors of the sky and trees here.  You can just feel the love 🙂
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Katy smiled, “I knew things were different with Brian.  I saw myself starting a family with him and that’s a feeling I never experienced before.  I knew he was the one.”
This was all shot in camera using reflections, and I love the intimate and otherworldly feel of this image.  For me it shows a deep, almost spiritual connection…
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Katy shared, “I was so excited to see him on our wedding day all dressed up in his suit. He looked handsome and I couldn’t wait for our ceremony to make it official. I’m looking forward to laughing through life with my best friend by my side!”
I used a fun tilt shift technique here…
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Brian explained, “We are best friends.   Every step of the way I was with my best friend and now she is my partner in life.”
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He continued, “I am so happy to have Katy by my side.”
I liked the symmetry of this shot and the way the black and white really emphasizes the columns of the Palace at Somerset Park.
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Katy shared about her venue choice, “We must have seen at least 15-20 wedding venues before we found The Palace. I had some things on my ‘must have’ list and The Palace at Somerset Park checked it all off for me. I loved how glamorous the reception area was with the high ceilings and staircase. We even booked the date the same day we saw the venue!”
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Lol, here they come!!!  I like this photo for so many reasons– it captures a real moment like Katy and Brian wanted, filled with joy emotion and authenticity, but also artistically (the lines, the shapes, the arrows, contrast, dramatic light, etc).  Also my SUV makes a cameo appearance, haha!
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I have several shots of these beautiful ladies, but I liked how this one pulled in the architecture of The Palace…
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Another moment, this time, with Brian and his brothers…
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Strike a pose, gentlemen…best-palace-at-somerset-wedding-photographers-creative-colorful-nj-artistic-20
Ahhh so one of the shots most of my couples like me to try with their bridal party, the “Vanity Fair” 😉
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Three cheers…
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Playing a bit with shutter speed, this one was super fun… for me, this shows the permanence of their decision to wed and the moving parts in their lives:
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Time for the ceremony… Katy timed it perfectly with the sunlight, which happily cooperated 😉
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Katy shared, “Brian and I said from the start we wanted a quick, relaxed, fun ceremony and that’s exactly what we got.”
Here Brian gives Katy’s mom a hug before it all starts…
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Katy’s father escorts Katy down the aisle on the terrace.  The light was just starting to glow into gold and the sky was still a stunning blue, it reminded me of a Renaissance paining…
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Two of my favorite staff members at The Palace, Richard and his assistant, Natanya, hold the doors for Katy and her father– such a sweet moment…
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So happy together…
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Tears of joy…best-palace-at-somerset-wedding-photographers-creative-colorful-nj-artistic-27
Katy and I had talked about the prettiest time, lighting wise for a ceremony on the terrace, and she timed it just to hit golden hour…  you can literally see the sky changing from blue to gold and some pretty pinks and purples in between…best-palace-at-somerset-wedding-photographers-creative-colorful-nj-artistic-28
Katy shared, “We asked my sister, Janine, to say something during the ceremony because we both looked up to her successful marriage and family, and we loved her speech, it was very meaningful with solid advice and funny as well!”
I love capturing moments like this…
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Denis and I captured several more traditional shots of the vows, but I really like this one, it is Katy’s dad’s reaction to the vows!  You can see them in the foreground, and him focused on in the background…
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Katy shared, “We were fortunate enough to have my brother marry us!  We asked him because we wanted someone we knew and who we saw in all aspects of our lives.  He did such a fantastic job.”
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Kiss the bride– that sunset!!!!
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Brian shared, “It felt so great watching Katy spin and seeing her smile.  She is so beautiful!”
I love to capture movement when I’m working with a still frame…
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The cotton candy sunset that just kept going…
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Katy shared, “We were so excited to see our decor and how it all came together.  We knew we wanted to bring some rustic elements into our decor, and a s soon as Brian and I saw the stump on display at our florist we knew we needed to have it   We were so excited to see it and our canvases of our engagement session and succulent favor display at the reception.”
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I loved seeing all the places that Katie and Brian displayed their engagement photos– here two guests view more photos as they sign in on Katy & Brian’s custom made guestbook that I created to display their engagement photos as well as well wishes from their family and friends:
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Katy continued, “We incorporated a lot of rustic natural elements in the decorations with the geodes as the table numbers, florals, greenery, and wooden planks under flower arrangements.”
 
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How sweet it is…
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I love to play with interesting vantage points and perspectives and had this shot planned out  ahead of time, wanting to capture both Katy, Brian and their wedding guests as well as architectural elements all in one shot…
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Here I wanted to play with the symmetry of the room and the purple up-lighting as well as the happy couple during their first dance.  I needed to wait for them to hit just the right spot on the dance floor.  I really played up the chandelier, too.
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Brian’s dance with his mother, so sweet.  I couldn’t get over the beautiful colors in this photo, from his mother’s dress, hair and red lip to the candles and purple uplifting in the background.
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Katy and her father’s dance was awesome!  For this shot, I used the geometric lines, gold spot light and interesting vantage point to capture their awesome dance moves:
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Katy shared, “The wedding flew by but we enjoyed every second of it! We danced the night away with friends and family and at the end of the night it was nice to enjoy a few days with my new husband.”
To say the dance floor was packed would be a gross understatement, haha:
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Cake time– love their expressions here and the classic look that all came together here…
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Speaking of classic– another classic moment.  I can almost hear Tale As Old As Time playing in the background 😉
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Katy and Brian thank you so much for choosing to have Rhinehart Photography document your day and these moments for you forever.  I hope they are just the sort of eclectic, artistic, authentic moments that you were hoping for.  Many more are coming soon.  If you want to see more of Katy & Brian now, check out their romantic beach engagement session here.
Shout out to all of the vendors who came together to make this wedding so incredible:
Venue: Palace at Somerset Park 
Dress: Kleinfeld’s 
Hair/make-up: Emily Salon
Florist: A Touch of Elegance
Entertainment: Global Productions
Video: KLassey Productions
Photography: Rhinehart Photography
 

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