Their Wedding: Rock Island Lake Club, Sparta, NJ

Jackie and Thomas had an absolute dream wedding day at Rock Island Lake Club!! Every moment and detail was perfection, and I loved how laid back and relaxed their day was! Jackie and Tom are such sweethearts who surround themselves by the kindest family and friends, so their day was a joy from the moment I arrived! I loved all of the special details Jackie included like her sparkly sneakers to her gorgeous ring box! This gorgeous bride honored her mother, aunts, and cousin by asking them to be her bridesmaids! How special is that?!

A few moments that melted my heart were Tom and his daughter Harper getting to hang out together before the ceremony, Jackie and Tom’s adorable first look surrounded by nature, the romantic lakeside ceremony, and a super romantic first dance to Lady Gaga’s “Is That Alright?”

These two have been such a joy to work with from wedding date changes due to the pandemic that they handled so positively to photographing their sunset engagement session at Colonial Park! I just love how they light up when they’re together, and they truly are just a perfect team. It’s so special to see Jackie’s bond with Harper, and the photos of their sweet family made my heart so full! I’m so so honored I get to capture so much love and joy for my amazing couples!

Their Love Story

Jackie and Thomas met online in 2015! Although Jackie was pretty reluctant about trying out the online dating scene, after some convincing by her friends, she gave it a try! Thankfully, her friends knew it was a good choice, since she wouldn’t have met Thomas if not for their little push!

Thomas and Jackie’s first date was at a local coffee shop that had some live entertainment that night that they weren’t expecting. They had a blast, but the music made chatting and getting to know each other difficult, so they decided to move on to another place. They ended up at an arcade where they spent the night playing each other in video games and in their words, “reliving our childhoods with lots of laughter.” So dang cute! After a little persistence from Thomas for a second date, Jackie agreed! To this day, she still tells Thomas, “you’re lucky you were really funny and could make me laugh!” And to this day, he still does! <3

On June 9th, 2019, Thomas had planned a surprise hike for Jackie on Mount Tammany. It was very reminiscent of their first hike together back in 2015, except that Thomas was determined to complete the trail this time around, all while hiding an engagement ring in his hiking pack! When they got to the first overlook point of the Delaware Water Gap, Jackie and Thomas both stopped to take a break and have a snack. Thomas got down on one knee and started searching for something in his pack! Jackie just thought he was looking for a Clif Bar, so you can imagine her excitement when he pulled out a ring and asked her to marry him instead!!

Jackie & Tom,

Thank you for choosing me to capture your best day ever! It was such a dream getting to see you two tie the knot! You’ve been so incredible and I’m lucky to call you friends! <3 Wishing you a lifetime of happiness, adventure, and so much love! xoxo Love ya bunches!!!