Their Wedding: Private Residence, NJ

Elena & Tyler’s intimate summer backyard wedding day will hold such a special place in my heart for years to come! These two are some of the sweetest souls I’ve ever met, and their family bonds made their day extra special. It was so clear how much love has surrounded them over their years together. Their young love has grown into such a strong and unbreakable connection, and it was such an honor to capture how they celebrated their story. Alongside their closest loved ones in the home where Elena grew up, they shared the most romantic, tear-jerking vows and partied all night long! They gathered around one long table to share a home-cooked meal and toast to forever!

Elena’s childhood home was so unique with a vintage aesthetic, family photos and mementos on the walls, and a gorgeous flower-filled backyard! It was the perfect way to honor all the years of love before them, with their parents and siblings joining them to get ready before the ceremony. After the ceremony concluded, we walked a few minutes down the road to a gorgeous local garden for family photos and bride and groom portraits! While we took their portraits, their family went home to prep dinner, cake, and all the celebrations to come! They shared a special first dance, cried and laughed through toasts from their fathers, and danced the night away!

When they shared why they chose Elena’s parents’ backyard, they said it’s a “really magical place for both of us. It’s the place where we fell in love, it’s the spot we first held hands, it was the site of countless family dinners and study sessions and firepits that make up the blueprint of our relationship.”

Their vision of floral-focused decor with mismatched, multicolored glasses, dishes, and candlesticks came together to create the dreamiest backyard summer dinner party! They love flowers (since they both worked in the gardens at their local Arboretum all through high school), and wanted their wedding to be a riot of colors, textures, and patterns!

Their Love Story

Buckle up, this love story is SUCH a good one! Tyler and Elena are high school sweethearts and have been together for almost 9 years! They met when they were 15 years old in gym class, where they bonded over not wanting to participate in dodgeball! From the first moment, they were inseparable. They would stay up all night talking on the phone and take the train to each other’s houses before they had their licenses!

Through college, they were long-distance, which was such a hard time being apart. They visited each other as much as possible and used the distance to grow individually and become the adults they are today! Now, alongside their one-eyed cat, they’re living the life they had always dreamt of when they were teenagers!

Tyler proposed at home while lounging in their PJs with their cat. The moment just seemed right, so he pulled the ring out and proposed in bed! He said: “This moment is exactly what our life is like, it’s exactly how I want our life to always be, and I can’t think of a more perfect moment to ask you if you’ll marry me.” How incredibly romantic is that?!

Elena & Tyler,

Thank you so much for choosing me to capture such a meaningful milestone in your lives! It’s been so special celebrating your love story and meeting your incredible families! Wishing you two a lifetime of love, kitty snuggles, and fresh flowers in your home!! Congratulations, love birds!!