It was a fall romance at Caffe Galleria in Lambertville, New Jersey on Tuesday night!

Fabienne and John sipped their delectable cappuccino’s under the covered patio with plush blankets and warm hearts. This quaint cafe, shares special meaning to the two of them, which is why they chose this location to capture this amazing time in their lives. Not only can they see the church they will be married in through the trees from the patio, but they were also engaged here on March 30, 2015 as well! John planned the entire thing perfectly, as if it was out of a movie! Fabienne said that John has a violinist and a pianist play as he sang an Italian art song called “Morgen” (Tomorrow) by Richard Strauss to her (that he translated to English for her of course). If you hadn’t figured it out yet, John is a professional Rossini Tenor who preforms for various opera companies, he teaches private voice lessons AND one heck of a romantic! ::swoon:: They spend quite a bit of time here trying different gelato’s, enjoying the cider, and of course reminiscing about that perfect day!

Before reaching Caffee Galleria, we walked along the colorful path by Lambertville Station. The leaves were bright and gorgeous, and we were all so happy we were able to catch the fall foliage in November (which is totally hit or miss in NJ) ! The weather had it out for us, but rain will not keep us away from capturing these beautiful moments. In fact, I think it made it more romantic. There is no better way to spend a rainy day than snuggling with that special someone wrapped up in a cozy blanket and something warm in a cup!

Fabienne & John, thank you for allowing me to capture these special moments for you! I am looking forward to your amazing wedding in 2016!

“And tomorrow the sun will shine again
and slowly descent silently we will look in each other’s eyes
and upon us will sink the mute silence of happiness”
– Richard Strauss

*Side note: Railroad tracks are very dangerous.
The tracks seen in this blog post are at Lambertville Station, which is not currently running as a station, but rather an Inn, and Restaurant!
Please be safe when thinking of locations for your clients!

When I met with Krista for the first time, she told me that she was getting married to her fiancé Arek at RON JAWORSKI’S BLUE HERON PINES.

Blue Heron Pines in Egg Harbor City, NJ is one of my favorite venues, and I love going there! Every time it is a new and amazing experience. I think having been there so many times, opens up more creative experiences. I try to keep things new, and fun. With Krista and Arek’s wedding, I really think I did just that! We had a ton of fun, and I mean, Krista is GORGEOUS, so it really wasn’t difficult.

Krista had the most amazing lace wedding dress I had ever seen. It was adorned with a delicate satin bow on the back, it fit her so well! She was timeless! Every brides dreams of what their perfect wedding day is, and for Krista, I am 100% certain, that all of her dreams came true! Having a wedding at Ron Jaworski’s Blue Heron Pines is so easy. Over the many times that I have been there, I have never had an issue. They treat their brides and grooms fantastic, AND what I really love is that their treat their vendors amazing as well. They work with the timeline that we have, and we work with the timeline they have. We are all in this together, and working as a team, allows the bride and groom have the most amazing day ever! No complaints here, and I highly recommend them!

Now, more about Krista and Arek! Seriously, these two are so much fun, you can see it in their photos. During their bridals, at the famous willow tree at Ron Jaworski’s Blue Heron Pines, they were laughing non stop… they are also head over heals for each other, and they are truly in love. Thank you both, Krista and Arek, for allowing me to capture these special moments for you, and to help you document the start of your legacy together. Best wishes in love and life!

xoxo,
Lauren

Vendors

Venue: Ron Jaworski’s Blue Heron Pines
Cake: Apron Strings Dessert Boutique
Photographer: Bokeh Love Photography

Laurita Winery is a BEAUTIFUL venue.

When I first arrived I drove down a beautiful long drive up to a gorgeous building with stone work all around. The atmosphere is so relaxed, and did you know it Laurita Winery was named 1 of the 7 Best Drinking Spots With a View in New Jersey! I just read about it on their blog, and I can absolutely believe it! I felt like I was on vacation here.

So when Melissa told me that was where she wanted to have her engagement session, I was so excited! I had never been there and was happy to take the drive. We started the session in the vineyards, the sun was bright, and the sky was beautiful. Her red shirt just popped! It was perfect.

I think engagement sessions are my absolute favorite. I get to know a couple before they get married, and we get to have fun in a relaxed environment. Not only that, but they get an idea of of how I shoot, and how I create these beautiful images.

I would highly recommend Laurita Winery for anyone that wants a casual, relaxed but luxury experience for their engagement session. Enjoy some delicious wine from one of the most amazing winery’s here in NJ, and set out for amazing photos at sunset.

We adore winter weddings, and snow in general. Egg Harbor City is my home away from home. We love to shoot all over this town, including their very own wedding venue, Blue Heron Pines! In fact, we are on their preferred vendors list! Their weeping willow is one of our favorite aspects to their venue, among other things their staff is absolutely priceless! They’re kind and always accommodating! If you are looking for an Egg Harbor City photographer for your upcoming wedding, please reach out to me today at lauren@bokehlovephotography.net 

I wanted to do a styled shoot in the snow, and when I heard we would be getting some snow, I ran to my closet to check the size of the dress I had purchased earlier this year. It was a thrift store find. A lot of beautiful dresses are worn once, and either tossed to the side of a closet, given away or sold to regain some money back after its use. Being a resourceful photographer, I often find myself looking into thrift stores to find some hidden treasures. Months ago, as I was skipping down the dress aisle (yes, I’m serious) I saw this dusty rose gown staring at me. It wasn’t just a prom dress, or an evening gown. This was a pink, taffeta wedding dress! I couldn’t believe my eyes. The size said 16, but there was no way it could be a 16. Whoever had this dress obviously had it fitted to their body. So, as you know how difficult it is to find someone to fit a dress that has been taken in, it just sat in my closet. I began imagining all of the different styled shoots I could come up with centered around this dress. Would it be a trash the dress? Would it be a bunch of roses? Never did I think of snow!

In two days, I was able to find a bride for the dress, a florist to make a bouquet (Karen Fowler Floral Design), and scout out some amazing locations. Believe it or not, finding a tree lined road, AND Christmas tree’s is a bit tricky. Thankfully, I’ve got some secret locations up my sleeve! Of course I had to add some personal touches as well (my wedding shoes that survived my house fire, my crystal champagne flutes that I bought for boudoir sessions, and the Bride even brought along her Grandmothers fur coat!)

This was going to be EPIC! Not only did it snow, but also it was a perfect day to shoot. We had nice, even lighting and of course my amazing assistant, my hubbs helped drive us around in his truck, and toss some snow on the Bride! Special thanks to him, and Theresa from Forever Sunshine Photography (Yes, she’s a photographer!) and Karen of Karen Fowler Floral Design!!! Check them both out and show them some love! Thanks Ladies!!!

Oh, and PS – As it turned out, the dress was a size 8!!!!!

I can’t wait to chat with you about your upcoming special day, and be your Egg Harbor City Photographer!

Dress: Good Will
Flowers: Karen Fowler Floral Design
Model: Theresa Michele of Forever Sunshine Photography
Shoes: Blue by Betsey Jognson Wish Platform Pumps
Champagne Flutes: Waterford Crystal
Fur under shoes/Champagne flutes: Nicole Miller Home Faux Fur Throw
Fur Coat: Model’s Grandmothers
Hair & Makeup: Model

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

I hope you were all able to gather around your table and give thanks for family and friends. Sharing these moments with your family may sometimes be difficult, but I wouldn’t trade these memories for the world! I love my family, and I love hearing them bicker and laugh and eat! They see me coming and know that photos will be taken, and then make fun of me when I show up with cookies! (Because everyone knows, I can’t cook to save my life! Seriously, just ask them about my brownie disaster!)

Anyway, I want to share something HUGE with all of you. This is the first year I am really offering some amazing Black Friday deals, but what’s even more exciting is they will be up and available until Dec. 2nd! With all of the days.. Turkey Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday… jeez, let’s just say I have thrown together a week of savings and I want you all to scream, get excited, tell your friends, and email me with your orders! So are ya ready? Here we go!!!

1. 20% OFF – ANY Wedding Collection! (Available to New bookings only for 2015 weddings, must be booked from Nov 27-Dec 2)

2. 30% OFF – ANY Bridal Album or Parent Album! (Available to EVERYONE); Includes leather OR linen.

3. B1G1 FREE CANVAS!!! (May be pre-purchased and redeemed after you receive your images)

4. FREE Secret Gift with EACH canvas order! (Valued at $50-$75)

5. 20% OFF SnapBooth! (4 Hour Wedding Reception only. Available to new SnapBooth bookings only)

ALSO, Gift Certificates are now available and we are so excited to offer them to our clients. These are a great way to show someone you care. They start at $50 and can be purchased at any price point from there up. Gift Certificates can be used for print products, sessions, engagements, or weddings! Please see image below for what they look like. They are a 5×7 double-sided cardstock and include an envelope for your convenience.

For more information on ordering, please email: lauren@bokehlovephotography.net

HAPPY SHOPPING EVERYONE!!!

Xoxo,
Lauren