Misty Dawn Photography » Weddings

People’s Light & Theatre Wedding :: Denise & Ed

Misty Dawn — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:25:59 +0000

When I woke up the morning of Denise & Ed’s wedding, I decided that it was the start to a magnificent day. The skies were blue and clear of clouds and it wasn’t too incredibly hot, which was a blessing. After a season full of rainy weddings last fall, I was more than gleeful {Insert Happy Dance Here} for this gorgeous wedding weather. The cherry on top was getting to work with such genuinely awesome people. I’ve thought very highly of Denise & Ed since the day we met and I just couldn’t wait to meet Denise’s son, Nathan, after I’d heard so much about him. In addition to the bride & groom being cool, I was excited to work with Pam Moore again (she’s the most amazing DJ!) and to finally meet and work with Justin Chan. Both were a dream to work with and we all worked together efficiently to make the wedding a success. Justin & his assistant were simply terrific, we communicated seamlessly throughout the day and were accommodating of each others’ needs and as a result, I highly recommend Valley Creek Productions as an awesome videographer team. Please enjoy some photos from this day.

Denise's dress was actually a pale violet and it suited her skintone beautifully. I love the pink stones in her wedding band as well.

The sand ceremony was really special, how it included Nathan.

I love that this photo isn't at all posed or staged, it was captured only minutes after the ceremony ended.

So many smiles! I love it!

Such a beautiful moment with mother & son.

Nathan wasn't so keen to dance with his mom in front of so many people but Denise managed to get him up there and having fun.

I love this emotional moment after the toasts.

Pam Moore is such a riot! She blindfolded the guy who caught the garter, so he didn't know he was putting the garter on a guy!

Check out the slideshow below for more photos of their day.

Big thanks to Denise & Ed for being so fun and laid back. Thanks also go to Valentin for coming out with me and capturing some of the photos you’ve seen here. It was a pleasure on all counts!

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Ceremony & Reception: The Farmhouse at the People’s Light & Theatre Company in Malvern, PA

Videographer: Valley Creek Productions

DJ: Pam Moore from Moore Music DJ’s

Concordville Inn Wedding :: Rachel & Adam

Misty Dawn — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:04:35 +0000

Adam has been a long time friend of my husband, Marc and was even a groomsmen in our own wedding 5 years ago. When he popped the ultimate question to Rachel and the phone call came in, Marc and I were excited to be such a large part of their special day. As it often happens with our engaged friends, I, the photographer and Marc, a groomsman, happily became the go-to people for help with their wedding planning. I accompanied the gentlemen to the tux shop and when asked, offered my input as to what I’ve seen with the many weddings I’ve documented. One of the perks of having a wedding photographer as a close friend (besides the obvious) is the access to a large catalog of visual inspiration to my friends as they plan their weddings.

Their wonderful wedding day presented only a few hiccups and those were small at best. The rain didn’t stop us one bit and luck would have it that I know a tiny bit about makeup and was able to fix a makeover mishap. (Have I mentioned I often wear many hats at weddings? LOL) Hubby happily helped out with double duties as groomsman and photo assistant, which I wholeheartedly thank and love him for. Please enjoy some photos from their day.

Lori, from Fusion Salon, did a top-notch job on Rachel's hair. It really was amazing. Unfortunately though, when we returned to their hotel room, Rachel was unhappy with her makeup. Thankfully, I have a decent enough knowledge of makeup (from my many trips to the MAC store for my own makeovers!) and since Rachel liked how my makeup looked, I quickly retrieved my makeup kit and did a mini makeover on her. Whew! Crisis averted! **Might I also add that this was a prime example of how having a 2nd photographer with me enabled us to not lose any time here as she continued to document as I played makeup artist.

Adam is the world's biggest Flyers Fan. I mean it. Don't test this theory.

How many bridesmaids does it take to get a bride into a wedding gown? A LOT. Seriously!

One of my favorites of Rachel (and her dress).

I love the excitement here as Rachel's Dad escorts her down the aisle.

Adam loves Rachel's son, Austin, as his own and Austin calls him Daddy.

I love when they think nobody's paying attention. LOL

My favorite moment of every wedding day.

This turned out to be one of my absolute favorites. Rain isn't so bad, now is it?

The dark purples, silvers and blacks turned out to be a beautiful combination for their decor.

Another favorite photo. This is is just sooooooo......THEM. This is the Adam & Rachel we know and love.

Adam and his mom are very close and so when the danced to "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, my tear ducts just may have been overactive. Just maybe. But it's not certain.

Austin was having the time of his life!

He's also quite the show off. LOL

I must admit that one of the hardest parts of this job is staying off the dance floor. Luckily, as part of the arrangement in having me photograph their weddings, my friends have been gracious enough to accept my stipulation that I be allowed to have fun at the reception. haha! (With my 2nd photographer still covering the event, of course!)

Tessie got this great shot of me & hubby - one of my favorites to this day.

and the coverage wouldn't be complete without a shot of the Boston Market club. All of us met each other while working for Boston Market! For many of us, it was our very first job.

Thank you, my dear friends, for trusting me to document your amazing day and for also offering me the choice to be a bridesmaid or guest instead. That was the most amazing thing. Love you all lots! Thanks also go to my fun and amazing friend and colleague, Tessie, for her help documenting this wedding. She was instrumental in my ability to lay back and have a few drinks with friends during the reception and she got some pretty rad shots of me dancing. LOL

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Ceremony: Holy Rosary Church in Claymont, Delaware

Reception: Concordville Inn in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

Videographer: Lo Ki Productions

DJ: Schaffer Sound Productions

Cake: Dough Main Baked Goods

Hair Stylist: Lori C. from Fusion Salon

Wild Quail Country Club Wedding || Michelle & Eddie

Misty Dawn — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:04:14 +0000

It rained. It POURED the entire day. Michelle & Eddie were married on one of the most dreadfully dreary days of the year. and it was BEAUTIFUL. The rain and the biting chill from the wind didn’t couldn’t touch their happiness and excitement to get married. I was sick that day, blowing my nose in discrete intervals and consuming cough drops like they were goin out of style, but I couldn’t bring myself to focus on my misery because the happiness in the air was SO contagious. It was a perfect day and Mother Nature herself couldn’t have said otherwise, now matter how hard she tried. Take a look:

I love when a bride wears non-white shoes!

If I could say one photo captures the mood of the entire day, it might be this one.

...or this one tells the story well too. LOL

I love that the parents came out to stand in the aisle for the kiss of peace. It made some nice framing for this shot.

After taking some photos at the church, we headed over to Dover Downs to do the bridal party photos.

The lobby of the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino provided a great location for indoor portraits.

There was so much laughter and smiling the entire day!

Eddie looked quite dapper and we could barely get a serious shot out of him for all the smiling!

When we arrived at the country club, I was greeted by a fantastic array of details. As I'm sure many of you know, details are one of my things to photograph, besides people!

Eddie's mom owns a bakery in Dover, Figgy's Fancy Cakes, who created their stunning and elaborate cake display.

Talk about emotional speeches!!

DJ Mike showed everyone how it's done!

Everybody had a great time on the dance floor!

and a shot to end the night with.

Michelle & Eddie – you are truly exceptional people and you have my many thanks for allowing me to be a part of your extraordinary day!

*******************

Ceremony: Holy Cross Church in Dover, Delaware

Reception: Wild Quail Country Club in Wyoming, Delaware

Portraits location: Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Dover, Delaware

DJ: Mike Warren, Just Kidding Around Entertainment

Cake: Figgy’s Fancy Cakes in Dover, Delaware

Happy Mother’s Day!

Misty Dawn — Sun, 09 May 2010 16:03:23 +0000

Happy Mother’s Day

to every mom, grandmom and mom-to-be out there! (furbaby moms too!)

In honor of Mother’s Day and my own very special mom, I thought today would be perfect to share with you a few photos from a wonderful day last fall, when my mom and step-dad finally got married! They’ve been together FOREVER (okay, maybe it’s only been 15 or 20 years) but they just never sealed the deal. Better late than never, right? It was a small family affair but it was special and of course, I made sure to have a camera on hand. Enjoy a few photos from their day.

My mom's favorite color is black, so it was inevitable that she would find a beautiful black dress to get married in. haha!

My mom’s bamboo plant aided in creating one of my all time favorite ring shots and as it turns out, ended up being published in Delaware Bride!

FYI – Bings Bakery ROCKS. We pretty much shop there for all of our family cake needs cuz their cakes are sooooooo good. Mmm-mmmm. Now I want cake!

Fonthill Museum Wedding | Lindsay & Nick

Misty Dawn — Sun, 09 May 2010 15:20:01 +0000

Just a few more weddings left to blog from last fall. Did I mention how insane last fall was? Lots of amazing weddings! Anyhoo…

Lindsay came to me as a referral from one of my all-time favorite brides, Andrea. (Shhh. Yes, I understand it’s not-so-PC to say it, but these two gals are just THAT fabulous.) After their Pennsylvania engagement session, I was certain their wedding would be creative and I was really looking forward to it! Sure enough, with a mutual love for reading and photography, Lindsay & Nick used their passions to create one of the most distinctive and personal events I’ve ever been witness to. The Fonthill Museum was a perfect backdrop for their amazing event, so I hope you enjoy the photos.

It's been said that diamonds are a girl's best friend, but not so much for Lindsay! Lindsay is one of an ever growing population of ladies who are inclined to love one of the many other gorgeous gemstones that exist.

Lindsay's wedding band is truly unique. it was custom styled after her parents' wedding bands and it fits her engagement ring snug as a bug in a rug.

Amazing smile this girl has! Beautiful eyes too. She made a stunning bride.

Lindsay & Nick's ceremony was emotionally stimulating in every way possible. There was laughter, there were tears and tons of "awww!" moments.

Their most favorite book titles featured as a centerpiece for each table, along with different colors of mums, which the guests were able to take home after the event.

Library sign out cards inspired their placecard design and it was surely the most unique placecard I've seen.

Their personal monogram, designed by Nick, was featured on this intricately carved pumpkin, as well as on their toasting flutes and on the back of their placecards.

Cupcakes!! EVERY time I see this photo I am overcome with an overwhelming urge to rush to the local bakery and stuff my face with confectionary goodness. It's almost painful.

This is my favorite first dance image to date. It's now hanging on the wall of my client meeting area as a 30"x40" canvas!

Some true craziness ensued on their dance floor. All in good fun though!

I'll end with a fun (albeit not quite focused) photo of Andrea, Lindsay & myself. Two very awesome women and two of my (admittedly many) favorite weddings.

Thanks so much, Lindsay & Nick for the amazing honor of documenting your fabulous wedding. Andrea – thanks for the referral, honey! Thanks also go to my friend and fellow photographer, Tessie for hanging with me for this one and for getting some awesome shots.

Brantwyn Mansion Wedding | Lisa & Philip

Misty Dawn — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:03:08 +0000

Lisa & Philip were married at the magnificent Brantwyn Mansion, one of the several fabulous DuPont locations in Wilmington. The mansion provided an amazing backdrop for photo opportunities and with the help of expert Delaware wedding coordinator, Erin Proud, there were plenty of details to photograph in this gorgeous venue. The threat of rain turned out not to be a worry after all and their elegant outdoor ceremony went on as scheduled in the gardens next to this Georgian mansion. Enjoy the photo story of their day below.

I just adore the amazing architecture of the mansion and wanted to make sure to take advantage of it. Worked out quite well for this dress shot, I think!

Lisa's bouquet and wedding ring were among my top favorites of the year.

My passion for photojournalism stems directly from documenting (and witnessing) moments like these. Mom's face is just glowing with pride when she sees her daughter's full transformation into a bride.

Paper by Proud provided the elegant and beautiful invitations, programs and signs.

So much happiness in their faces - I love it!

As exquisite as the gardens are on this elegant property (and of course we took many photos there!), I was drawn more to the architecture in the house.

Erin dutifully delivered Philip's surprise cake from Lisa with an enormous smile!

There was something about this candid moment that had me crackin up when I was editing the photos.

Huge thanks go to Erin and her crew for bringing success to another amazing wedding celebration and also to my wonderful second photographer, Tessie, for assisting me in the documentation of this day. Many, many thanks go to Lisa & Philip for the honor of being their wedding photographer.

Cape May Wedding | Jen & Ron

Misty Dawn — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:13:13 +0000

{When Jen contacted me about photographing her Cape May Wedding last fall, I was excited for more than one reason. First, because Jen and I used to work together and second, I’d never been to the Jersey shore! Lame, I know, but my family have always been Delaware Beach goers instead. Big thanks go to Ole for coming down to the shore to shoot with me! He got some really great shots, some of which are included in this post. This wedding was one of the classiest affairs I’ve ever had the pleasure of documenting. Since Jen has a background in photography and design, you can imagine how well planned and creative the details were for her wedding. AND because Jen is a blogger herself (she does a great job guest blogging for The Finer Things), I thought it would be fun to let her tell you about her wedding herself! }

Hello readers! My name is Jen, and I am a friend of Misty’s, as well as a blogger. When Misty asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I couldn’t help but be excited – especially because she asked me to write about something very close to my heart… my own wedding! Misty captured the day so perfectly, and I am anxious to show you her lovely work, but first, I’d like to share with you a few details about the wedding day.
My husband and I were married on September 19, 2009 in the seaside town of Cape May, New Jersey. Having our wedding at the shore was an obvious choice for Ron and I, as we both grew up spending summers on the beach and eventually fell in love at another Jersey shore point. Cape May was perfect for hosting the wedding, as it offered beautiful beaches, plenty of activities for guests, and romantic charm. Cape May’s Victorian era styling led to a ceremony and reception full of quaint elegance. The décor consisted of many DIY projects – strands of ribbons with tiny shells hanging from the pews, a Just Married sign on the bar, table number cards with the lyrics to “On the Way to Cape May”, a cake table decoration with a Shakespeare quote and salt water taffy favor boxes to name a few! Our vows were short and sweet, and our guests dined on gourmet food and then danced the night away. We had perfect weather that day, and could not have asked for a more joyous celebration! At the end of a wedding weekend full of family and fun, Ron and I are left with memories to last a lifetime, and gorgeous photos to tell our story so well.

: Getting ready on the morning of the wedding was nothing like I had thought it would be. It was so much more relaxed than I had anticipated.

: The engagement ring and wedding bands are so beautifully captured in the picture on the left. Some of the detail shots are my favorites from the day.

: My dad came in the room after my mom and bridesmaids helped me into my gown, and I remember how he looked at me, and then put on my necklace. The necklace was my “something borrowed”, as it belongs to my mom.

: It’s amazing to me how nicely a photo can turn out when the subject is so uncomfortable! I could barely sit down in my gown, but the way Misty was able to capture me in these bridal portraits really is lovely.

: You can’t tell in the picture on the left, but I was getting my picture taken from all angles! Misty was above me, and Ole was at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by picture-happy relatives. The photo on the right is hands-down my favorite bridal portrait – and now I will never forget how old I was on my wedding day.

: Walking the two blocks to the church from the house we stayed in was one of the most fun parts of the day. The weather in Cape May was beyond perfect, so the streets were full of tourists offering their well wishes. I love the way the light settles on my gown and creates shadows on the pavement.

: Ah, the handsome groom! Ron does not like getting his picture taken, but you’d never know from looking at these photos!

: This is one of the favorites, as far as pictures with both Ron and I – it’s just so natural and “in the moment”. The look on his face is so sweet as we make our way up the aisle.

: One of my favorite parts of this picture is the way my Maid of Honor looks (she’s next to me on the left). This really captures her just as she is – giddy and fun!

: Can you say, GQ? Did I say that Ron doesn’t like getting his picture taken?

: I love the exchange of looks between everyone in this photo. This was just before our photo session on the beach.

: Heading to the Cape May Point Lighthouse was not in the original plan, but we needed an excuse to rock out in the limo and sip our champagne, so we took the 10 minute drive to Cape May Point. We are SO glad that we decided to do this – there are so many great photos from the trip.

: The photos of Ron and I by the dune grass are so nice. The way the blue sky, grasses and light come together really make this a great shot.

: The way in which all the little details came together at the reception really was gorgeous. One of my favorite things about the venue was the gold Chiavari chairs. The day before the wedding, all the bridesmaids, my grandmother, mom, aunt and cousins sat around the huge table in the kitchen and assembled the little boxes of salt water taffy. My mom cut out over 100 boxes from craft paper, and the tags were made from templates I downloaded from www.marthastewartweddings.com.

: I remember waiting to walk in to the reception – we were both a bit nervous! We entered to the instrumental part of the song, “The Final Countdown” by Europe. The way we’re looking at eachother is like, “Ready? Let’s do this!”

: The wedding cake was inspired by my gown, with folds of buttercream icing instead of folds of satin. I love the cake toppers, too – they look just like Ron and I!

: Our first dance as husband and wife was to “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. I think we were trying to remember at what point in the song Ron should twirl me.

: My best friends Ashley and Meghann were Maid and Matron of Honor, and they each gave a beautiful speech.

: This is the moment these three boys were waiting for all weekend! They talked about this “Alligator Dance” for weeks before the wedding. The choreographed dance was first performed at our good friends Meghann and Bryan’s (guy in the middle) wedding, and is highly anticipated at Ashley and Bryan’s (guy on the right) wedding this August. Unfortunately, this photo is sans the groom – he joined moments later.

: My mom and dad, getting their dance on! Note the expression on my friend’s faces behind them.

: The last song of the night was “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. This is a tradition between my cousins – the last song is always the same, and all the guests circle around the bride and groom. It was truly a fantastic ending to the perfect day.

: Much love and an enormous amount of thanks to two seriously awesome photographers – Misty and Ole. The way they captured every moment of the day was perfect. Ron and I could not ask for better wedding photos, and we owe it to these two! They followed us around all day and rocked out with us all night long. What other photographer dances around the floor in stylish shades while taking pictures?

{Big thanks to Jen for the insider account of her wedding day and for treating us like one of the family. It was truly a pleasure to document her amazing day. Here’s hoping she’ll be willing to come back and blog for us again in the future! }

Winterthur Wedding | Kirsten & Matt

Misty Dawn — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:49:56 +0000

Winterthur + Ice Blue Kenneth Pool Gown + Proud to Plan + Beastie Boys Entrance = One Freakin Awesome Wedding!

When Kirsten first contacted me about shooting her wedding and informed me that her wedding dress was ICE BLUE and that she was a friend of Erin Proud, of Proud to Plan – I knew I was in for a rockin awesome time with these two! How could you not have fun with a couple who enters their reception to the Beastie Boys?! at Winterthur?! (Sabotage was the song, by the way and it was not the only Beastie Boys song that night!) Hanging out with Kirsten & Matt for their engagement session was so much fun, I just couldn’t wait for the wedding. When it finally came around, it was all I thought it would be. Sure it rained (like so MANY times this year!), but rain, schmain. It didn’t damper their day. It was still just as amazing. Before I go on to the pics, lets get a quick run down of the star studded vendors that made their wedding such a success:

Ceremony & Reception Location: Winterthur Museum & Gardens
Florist: Honeybunches Floral Design
Videographer: Martin’s Video
DJ: Music for All Occasions
Cake: Liz Marden
Photo Booth: Festive Fotobooth
Stationery & Paper Products: Proud to Plan

Warning! Warning! This post will be image overload. You have been warned. Please enjoy some images from Kirsten & Matt’s Winterthur Wedding…

The Dress: Ice Blue Kenneth Pool gown, purchased off the rack at Jennifer’s Bridal in Hockessin. This is literally the most AMAZING gown I have ever seen and Kirsten absolutely glowed wearing it.

This girl is a goof ball. I love it!

I already thought the dress was amazing. But Kirsten IN the dress?? Magnificent!

Like more and more couples are doing, Kirsten & Matt chose to see each other before the ceremony.

I adore this moment. Simply adore it.

Excited much?

Stunning, no?

Liz Marden did another fabulous job on their cake. The design carried through to all of their paper products as well.

As friends of the bride & groom, Erin & TJ (Proud to Plan) were off duty for the evening and tore up the dance floor as guests.

Rockin it out to some more Beastie Boys!

Thanks so much Kirsten & Matt, for being such cool people and for allowing me to document your day.

The Farmhouse | Mary Catherine & Chris Wedding

Misty Dawn — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:03:55 +0000

When I met up with Mary Catherine and Chris for their engagement session and they waded into the White Clay Creek (without prompting!), I immediately saw how down to earth they were. Not afraid to get dirty, not afraid to show their love in front of the camera and certainly not afraid to be themselves in front of me. Their wedding was the same, an uninhibited display of love. It was glorious. Please enjoy some photos from their Farmhouse wedding…

Such a glowing bride!

Mary Catherine & Chris decided to see each other before the ceremony and I love this moment right before Chris turned around to see his gorgeous bride!

The Farmhouse offered a simply breathtaking backdrop for photos….so puuuurdy.

Mary Catherine had a perfect idea to use these orchid centerpieces from JoAnn's Fabrics. They added the perfect pop of color to the room.

Cannon’s Bakery did an amazing job on the cake! A perfect blend of traditional and contemporary, if you ask me.

Toasts are actually one of my favorite parts of the wedding day as a wedding photojournalist, because they offer lots of great candid moments and expressions.

Mary Catherine had a blast on the dancefloor with her friends.

I love when all the guests circle around the B&G for the last dance, it's a great opportunity for my fisheye lens!

Thanks so much MC & Chris, for including me in your day and treating me not just as a vendor, but as a friend.

The Mill at Spring Lake Heights | Colleen & Dave Wedding

Misty Dawn — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:44:31 +0000

Colleen and Dave are two of the coolest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling clients. We have entirely too much in common to be coincidence, so I blame it on fate that they found me. How many ferret loving, Rock Band playing, Ford Probe owners could there possibly be in a 100 mile radius? Ok, technically the Probe isn’t mine – it’s Marc’s, but still. I USED to own one and there’s still one in my driveway, so I say it counts. OH, and our wedding colors were the SAME – pink and green. Eerie. I think Colleen and I were sisters in another life. Anyway, Colleen and Dave had their wedding at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights in NJ and despite the rain, it was an amazing day. Lots of fun people, lots of color and lots of love. Check out the photos…

There was so much great color in this wedding that I had a hard time shooting much B&W! The mood lighting was incredible and no detail went unnoticed.

I love the texture in Colleen's Maggie Sottero gown.

I'm not such a fan of flats but even I adored these Coach shoes! and the RINGS! Wow.

Lovin the antique ring like a fat kid love cake.

Ummm...yeah, so those are her REAL eyelashes. Jealous.

FAB. U. LOUS. Seriously.

The photo on the right inspires me to believe that Colleen belongs in a perfume ad in the pages of Vogue or Vanity Fair. BTW, she made her own headpiece as well.

Since the entire bridal party was riding in the limo to the wedding, Colleen & Dave saw each other beforehand. They were so excited!

It rained. Whacanyado? Everybody had a good attitude about it so there was no way Mother Nature was ruining their day.

Can you say.....Lady Gaga fans? Love it!

The guys were looking very dapper.

The ceremony was very personal and one of the bridesmaids sang a beautiful song. Very touching.

Dave looked so handsome!

The rain let up after the ceremony so we were able to do some portraits outside. I'm in love with how the lake looks at twilight here.

Carlo’s Bakery, from TLC’s Cake Boss, worked their confectionery magic on the cake.

The reception was a whirlwind of fun!

We closed out the night with an ending shot in front of this cool piece of glass.

You guys rock! Thanks so much for an amazing experience and for being such awesomely creative people.