🌲🌊This Winter Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding combines the beach, Christmas trees, and a new family of 6 (one being a sweet fur baby)! There are joyful laughs, tears and so many beautiful moments throughout, check out this Reeds at Shelter Haven wedding here:
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Jeanne shares, “After looking around at many photography websites, the first thing that caught my eye was the vibrance of Lisa’s shots. A lot of other photographers had very nice pictures, but they just didn’t seem to *pop* like hers did. We then saw the candid shots, especially of kids having a great time, my heart was touched, I was sold. We knew we were going to have a lot of kids at our wedding, including my children, and we wanted to be able to capture them having fun so they could have great memories to look back on as well.”
Robert adds, “We were given a list of ‘vendors we love to work with’ from the wedding planner at The Reeds and I opened up a web browser with all of the ones listed. It seemed to me that most of the vendors seemed to have the same ‘style’ of photo up until getting to Rhinehart Photography. From the moment I opened the website, I could tell they were different. All of the photos looked so vibrant and full of life, even the rainy ones!”
He continues, “After meeting with Lisa we knew we wanted her team to be part of our big day. Having the timeline set up by Lisa prior to the big day was such an amazing help, especially trying to coordinate our big families, 3 kids, and nieces and nephews for pre-ceremony photos so that we could enjoy all of the festivities together and not have to stop for photos.”
Rob smiles, “Lisa’s associates, Jim and Joe were amazing! I spent the morning with Joe getting ready. He was so nice and great to talk to. Joe made what could have been a very stressful day, very easy to manage. He was even taking photos when I didn’t know there was a photo to be taken haha. After our first look, we then had both Jim and Joe together. They worked so well as a team and were taking photos from all types of angles. With some help from family above, the 100% chance of rain held out until after our first look and for most of our family and wedding party photos. Jim and Joe were able to roll with it and quickly moved everyone under an overhang and snapped photos while in the rain. They are truly dedicated professionals! I can not express how grateful I am for having them there to make everything stress-free and easygoing. It was exactly what we needed! Thank you so much for sending them to us as our winter Reeds Stone Harbor wedding photographers!”
The couple says, “It was obvious that Lisa and her team were prepared and did extensive research planning their shots prior to the big day. They didn’t need to have spur-of-the-moment decisions to make. Each photo location was planned out prior with backups in place in case of rain. Even the ‘sunset’ photo that we had been hoping for, was replaced with stunning photos in front of The Reeds giant Christmas tree on the bay. The weather didn’t cooperate, but Jim and Joe were able to give us amazing photos nonetheless!”
Ladies Preparations at Reeds at Shelter Haven
Jeanne explains, “Jim spent the morning with the ladies and he brought a lot of calm vibes with him into the Salt Spa that morning.”
She shares, “The girls were SO excited about getting their hair and makeup done. Honestly, just the overall day of being dressed up fancy, having their hair done, makeup done, jewelry, shoes, etc made their year.”
Robert smiles, “The girls absolutely love doing all of the ‘girly things’. They are always asking Jeanne to do their hair, makeup, nails, face masks, etc. It was awesome to be able to have the space, and ultimately why we chose to rent the space out for the day. I can’t wait to see all the photos of the girls getting hair and makeup done and being pampered!”
Jeanne laughs, “When I was putting my dress on, I couldn’t zip it up. My maid of honor, Courtney came over to help and at first couldn’t get it either. The clasp snapped off and went flying and I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing and my face went white for a minute. Courtney was able to talk me down and got my dress zipped. It was really nice to come out of that to a photographer who was not panicking about time and was very laid back.”
Gentlemen’s Preparations at Reeds at Shelter Haven
Robert shares, “The guy’s prep space was amazing. We absolutely loved the room. It was so perfect. We are so thankful to have had that available to use. It was awesome to have a space for all of the guys to have breakfast and then get ready together.”
He laughs, “We overlooked a few minor details in the prep – Jack apparently was not a ‘youth’ size in suspenders, so my brother was able to modify some of the clothes, and even one of my belts, to get Jack looking sharp.”
First Look on the Beach in Winter: Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding
Robert shares, “Having my groomsman with me getting ready, helped me get through the morning and kept me grounded. I was extremely nervous leading up to our first look. Once I saw how absolutely beautiful Jeanne looked, I lost it. She looked better than anything I could have ever imagined. I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I am to have her and in a few short hours I would have her for the rest of our lives!”
Jeanne says, “The emotions I experienced on that day were happiness and excitement. I felt so excited to marry someone I love so deeply and would be able to build a positive life with. I also felt so happy that my children were able to witness their mom find happiness and be able to celebrate it with them.”
She adds, “I was so happy we were able to pull off the ‘first-look’ photos on the pavilion by the beach. I knew that was something that was really important to Rob and we were worried the weather wouldn’t allow us to do them, but we were able to get them in!”
Rob continues, “It would have been awesome to have a bright sunny day, but we at least had no rain and some warmth, given the middle of December time frame.”
He shares, “After our first look, Jeanne was my anchor and helped me through the other difficult moments that came up, especially the moments when she knew I would be missing my father. She knew exactly when to hug me or squeeze my hand just a little bit tighter.”
Meet Robert & Jeanne:
Jeanne shares, “We met at work and only worked a 6-hour shift together. I don’t think we saw or talked to each other again for months after that. One night, we both happened to be at a work event and things just clicked.
She continues, “What made me most attracted to Rob, aside from his obvious handsomeness, was how much of a gentleman he was. I have never had someone treat me with such chivalry and I am still not entirely used to it. To this day, he still has to ask me if he can open the door for me and laughs and shakes his head when I go to sit down in a chair different from the one he is pulling out for me because I assume he is pulling it out for himself.”
Robert smiles, “Jeanne fell in love with me almost immediately! Can you blame her? Just kidding. Fortunately for me, Jeanne is easy to love. She is a beautiful, caring, and passionate person. She is such an amazing mother. I love everything about her!”
Jeanne adds, “Rob and I are both first responders and I feel are really in tune with what the other person may be dealing with on any given day. We understand what each other may go through and see on shift and can vent to each other without feeling like it’s too gross or detailed to share. By nature, we work well under high-stress environments and maybe it is this reason we were able to book and plan our wedding within the short span of 6-7 weeks, instead of the normal 1-2 years most people do. All while I am in an accelerated nursing program, we are raising my 3 kids, and he was picking up overtime to pay for the wedding and the baby we found out we are having!”
She continues, “Rob is truly a miracle worker and I give him all of the credit for making this happen. He is not your typical groom who only shows up on the day of the wedding. He planned the majority of the wedding, including the decorations, favors, bathroom baskets, and all of the little details, and told ME to just get a dress and show up. This would not have been as amazing as it was if it wasn’t for him.”
Robert shares, “Our story is far from perfect and our journey together was not an easy one. We shared so many laughs and some tears. We have been each other’s shoulder to lean on and best friend through good and bad. I can honestly say that I am the luckiest man on the planet to have Jeanne, Lily, Jack, Lucy – and Vegas, of course!”
Winter Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding
Jeanne shares, “About 3 years ago, we bought a camper and parked it at a campground in Cape May Courthouse. We started coming to Stone Harbor as ‘our beach’ and fell in love with the little town. There were always orange umbrellas on the beach and we’d wonder where they were coming from. We soon realized that they were from the Reeds Hotel and would always see people coming out of there dressed up as if they were at a wedding. When searching for a venue for our wedding, it was at the top of our list of places to visit. As soon as we left the meeting with Liz, I told Rob that this place was my number 1 pick. It is a beautiful hotel and the staff is so friendly and accommodating.”
She continues, “The rehearsal dinner took place in The Crew Room, which is the room above the Stone Harbor Pizza Pub. The food was so good and the staff was amazing. The women in the Salt Spa who did our hair and makeup were spectacular. When we got there in the morning, Carol asked my daughters what music they listen to and of course, they let her know that Taylor Swift is their favorite. Carol played a Taylor Swift playlist for them for the duration of our time at the Salt Spa that morning. The girls were so happy. Carol also went out of her way to stay a little extra longer to fix my hair after our ‘first look’ pictures on the beach because she knew the wind would ruin my curls. She kept reminding me that nothing would happen without the bride and everything would be fine. I am so grateful to her for that. We hoped to have the ceremony and cocktail hour on the back bay deck by the Water Star Grille, but due to inclement weather, we had to have it in the Sweet Grass Ballroom. They still made it a beautiful experience. The Reeds staff was incredible at making every transition and set-up look effortless. We absolutely loved having all of the decorations as part of our wedding day, too!”
Robert adds, “It is such a beautiful venue that is beachy, but elegant. We loved the venue and loved all of the Christmas decorations that were all around the hotel, inside and out. We were so happy to have photos taken near their giant tree!”
He continues, “We cannot express how deeply indebted we are to the staff of The Reeds. When we had our initial meeting with Liz, we knew this was where we had to have our wedding. When we told her which date we had in mind for the wedding her words were ‘No sweat, I just had my wedding and planned it in a few weeks too!’ She was absolutely amazing in every aspect. Any questions we had, she immediately had an answer and made everything so, so easy and stress-free. Aside from Liz and her wedding staff, every single staff member of The Reeds was extraordinary! The Valet Captain and staff, front desk, concierge, bartenders, wait staff, kitchen staff, cleaning staff, and anyone else I may have missed – were all so amazing and so accommodating in every way! We can not thank them enough!”
Christmas Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding
Jeanne smiles, “Our wedding united us into a family of 6, including our fur baby! My heart goes out to Rob who went from living the bachelor life to stepping into the role of a step-father to 3 children in their pre-teen and teen years. He is a great role model and my kids think the world of him.”
Robert exclaims, “How lucky am I? Not only did I get to marry the most beautiful woman in the world, but I also got some pretty awesome kids to go with it! When I met Jeanne and the kids, they had a very cute and very sleepy English bulldog. I have never had a dog so this was all new to me. Unfortunately, she was on the older side when I met her and her health started to decline and we had to say goodbye to her which was very difficult for Jeanne and the kids. We had an empty house for a few months and then we all thought that she would want everyone to be happy with another dog.”
He continues, “Jeanne, the dog whisperer, was immediately drawn to the puppy that we would rescue. Vegas comes from ‘Puppies and More Animal Rescue’. Every month, Puppies and More brings dogs up from a kill shelter in Georgia and saves their lives. Vegas was lucky enough to get brought to NJ by Puppies and More and we were lucky enough to find her and bring her home. All of the rules that I wanted to make, she immediately broke, how could I say no to that sweet face? No dog on the couches – she has her own couch in front of the window that she lays on like a cat. No dog in the bed – she has 3 dog beds throughout the house but sleeps in our bed every night. Sometimes I think she tries to push me off the bed so she and Jeanne can have the king-size bed to themselves to stretch out… I’m sure they enjoy it while I’m at the firehouse for my 24-hour shifts, haha!”
Jeanne smiles, “Jim was especially great at getting our dog to cooperate in pictures. She hates getting her picture taken! He did this funny bark and she would look straight at him/the camera and pose like a model! It was perfect!!”
Rob says, “We made it a point to ensure that Lily, Jack, and Lucy were accepting of everything that was happening and they could not contain their excitement when we would ask them anything about the wedding. In fact, they often were asking what they could do to help and every detail they could. They were so happy and excited!! Jeanne and I realized quickly that this was not a wedding for her and I, but it was a wedding for all six of us becoming a family. We could not be more proud of them and thank them for standing next to us on our big day!”
The couple shares, “Our family will soon be expanding to 7 as we are expecting a baby this summer! It is going to be crazy and chaotic, but filled with fun and love.”
Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding Ceremony
Robert shares, “Our flower girl was my God-daughter, Riley. She was so cute and did such an amazing job! Unfortunately, our ring bearer, my nephew, Ricky, got sick the morning of the wedding and wasn’t able to make it to the wedding, it was such a bummer! He would have looked so handsome in his suit and would have done such a great job! His twin sister, Stella, was able to take some photos before the ceremony but also ended up getting sick and missed the ceremony and was unable to be the second flower girl.”
Jeanne smiles, “Rob and I both feel anxious standing in front of people and being the center of attention. So, we requested that our ceremony be short and sweet. We asked one of our coworkers and friends to be the Officiant and he did a flawless job. I believe my cousin said that we had a record time of a 3-minute ceremony!”
Due to the weather, the couple couldn’t have their ceremony outside like they had planned and it was moved inside.
Jeanne laughs, “It may have been a good thing it was not outside since the best man dropped the rings during the ceremony, haha!”
Reeds Stone Harbor Winter Wedding
Robert says, “My sister was able to use a photo of my father in my boutonniere which meant so much. My sister did all of the flowers, bouquets, etc. She did such an amazing job and we can not thank her enough. We had extreme difficulty getting the supplies in and she was able to get all of the wooden “flowers” dyed, dried, and arranged in only a few days!”
He continues, “The wedding day was filled with a roller coaster of emotions. After losing my father only a few months prior, it was a difficult time for my family and I. Thankfully, my family is very supportive and we were able to get through the difficulties together and made the best of it. My brother and Uncles came together to support my mom through the difficulties she had with being escorted. My brother escorted my mom into the ceremony, and my uncles (my mom’s brothers) escorted her into the reception. Both of these instances brought many of us to tears.”
Rob says, “As I have gotten older, it seems the table I wish I could sit with is the memory table. I wish all of those family members and friends were still with us to be there for our special day; although, we could feel their presence there that day. I’d like to think they had something to do with holding the rain off just long enough to get our photos taken at the beach like we had hoped and prayed for.”
Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding Reception Entrances
Rob smiles, “We can’t wait to see the entrances! Unfortunately, we couldn’t see everyone go in from where we were set up but it sounded like a good time! We used all 90s music for entrances! We are so thankful my uncles were able to escort their big sister into the wedding in honor of my father. It means so much!”
Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding Reception Traditions
Jeanne shares, “My dad’s favorite artist of all time is Elvis Presley. I really wanted to find a song by Elvis to dance with him, but nothing really seemed to fit. If we couldn’t have Elvis, then I wanted something fun and light. My father has always been such a fun guy, a social butterfly, and one of my biggest supporters. We always joked that I was the boy he never had because I have 2 sisters, no brothers, and am the tomboy/athlete of the family. It seemed only right to pick a song that was fun to dance to.”
Robert adds, “Jeanne’s father/daughter dance was so beautiful, and father is such a funny guy, I can only imagine the things he was making her laugh about!”
He continues, “My mother/son dance was very emotional. It was very difficult to not have my father there on our special night. We both tried to keep each other from crying, but neither of us succeeded.
Jeanne says, “Watching Rob dance with his mom carried a lot of emotions. I know they were both missing his father fiercely that day.”
Jeanne explains, “I had no idea Rob had planned a dance for me to dance with my kids. I felt like I had held back my tears pretty well until it came to that dance. The song was, ‘Never Grow Up’ by Taylor Swift, and it was the perfect song that I still cry to whenever I hear it.”
Rob smiles, “Having the kids plan out a special dance to have with their mom was one of my favorite parts of planning the wedding. I am so proud of them for not spilling the beans and accidentally letting our secret out before the dance! It made so many people cry watching them have their special dance together. I cannot wait to see those photos!”
Winter Reeds at Shelter Haven Wedding Toasts
Robert shares, “The speeches were both amazing. I have known Jeanne’s Maid of Honor almost as long as I have known her. She has 5 kids and we all try to get together as often as everyone’s schedules allow.”
Jeanne says, “Courtney and I met while I was in EMT school. She trained me on the street once I finished school and started working. She quickly became my best friend as she has 5 kids of her own and we had so much in common. Anytime we’re together we just laugh and laugh. We both went through some difficult times together before I met Rob and we were each other’s rock. Courtney was kind enough to remind me and everyone present of my giant forehead vein that sticks out when I start laughing really hard (usually at something that she says unexpectedly) and I am sure at that moment it was showing itself to the world because I could not stop laughing.”
Rob adds, “My brother’s speech was awesome. Thankfully for him, I was a good target for all of his jokes! What stood out most to me was when he said he was excited for Lily, Jack, and Lucy to stop calling him Mr. Rich and that Uncle Rich sounds much better.”
The Best Dancing Photos at the Reeds at Shelter Haven
Jeanne smiles, “I know I had a really great time and was able to enjoy myself at the reception! I’m not sure I left the dance floor except for a few minutes here and there.”
Robert shares, “Thankfully after all of the tear-inductions in the ceremony, entrances, dances, etc., we were able to let loose and have a great time on the dance floor. The dance floor was packed all night and it was incredible! It seemed like everyone was having so much fun! The highlights for me were all of the kids that were there having so much fun! They all loved it and had such a great time! My cousin’s son even came up to me in the middle of the reception and said, ‘I can’t wait to have a wedding just like this someday!’ Lily, Jack, and Lucy all had such a great time too, and we were so happy to see them having so much fun and dancing the night away! Unfortunately for us, they are going to want to attend every wedding with us now! Haha”
He adds, “When the DJ asked if we wanted to include ‘up lighting’ we were unsure but decided, why not? We are so glad that we did! It really made the party that much more fun! I really think that it had a big effect on the dancing, it was awesome!”
Jeanne says, “We had so many kids at our wedding, which we both felt made it even more fun. Kids definitely can bring a party to life and keep the dance floor moving the whole night. I hope our families and friends can look back on 12/17/23 and say that it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to!”
Ummmm Everyone Needs Fat Heads at their Wedding Reception!!!
Robert laughs, “The ‘fat heads’ were from my bachelor party dinner!! My brother had them made and they were so funny. When he asked if he could also bring them to the wedding we knew they had to be there! In fact, there were also 2 mini ‘fat heads’ that were placed in the photo booth as well! One of my friends ended up taking my fat head home with him and now it is on his wall haha.”
Winter Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding at Night
The couple smiles, “Since we were so close to Christmas, it was only fitting to end the wedding with Christmas! And no better way than to end the night with the 5 of us dancing in the middle of the dance floor as our new family. It was the perfect ending to the perfect day at our Winter Reeds Stone Harbor Wedding.”
Vendors:
- Venue: The Reeds at Shelter Haven
- DJ: Chuck Russo Professional Disc Jockey
- Ceremony Music: Jonathan Russo
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