DIY Beach Wedding in Stone Harbor, NJ

Where do we begin with the story of Laura and Dane? Well, there’s a lot of reasons we love them. First, they met over a bottle of Malibu at a fraternity mixer at Penn State, and then had us photograph their engagement session in said basement where they met. Second, we met Laura because she was standing in line for ice cream at the 2018 Philly Bridal Expo. And Third, Dane “lets us” call him Dean for fun. Sorry Dean! I mean Dane!

In all seriousness, this wedding is a long time in the making, for these two beautiful souls that met in college, got engaged in 2017 and finally said their I do’s at the Shore. Laura did a lot - and I mean a lot - of DIY for this wedding. Which made it both beautiful and personal.

Laura and her gals began their day getting ready at Laura’s family beach house. As Laura was pampered by her beauty team, her girls popped champagne and had giddy conversation about the day in the making. Dane got ready at the nearby Reeds Hotel. And true to form, the guys room was filled with sports, pre-wedding drinks and excitement about the party ahead.

Being that it was a beach wedding, we opted for many portraits at the, you guessed it, beach. We found a quiet spot leading up to the beach for Laura and Dane’s first look. We loved hearing Dane’s reaction to how stunning Laura looked before kicking off our shoes and walking along the beach for some pictures. After, we ventured to Springer’s Ice Cream - a special request from the bride - for a pre-wedding cone, before taking a moment to gather for the ceremony.

The ceremony overlooked the beach, which was simply amazing, and every detail screamed Laura and Dane. A long walkway to the pergola made for perfect entrances, and while the wind gently blew in the background, Laura and Dane recited their vows with all their family and friends watching.

As we made our way to the tent for the reception, we were met with more amazing details from the bride’s DIY vision. Each place setting had a personalized sand dollar that doubled as an ornament, on-brand cornhole boards entertained guests, and even their “paddle” guest books were perfect. After cocktail hour, the DJ fired up the party that was filled with tons of surprises. Both sets of speeches did not disappoint, as Dane’s lifelong friends told his story through visuals and Laura’s sister surprised us all with a “Nittany Lion”, which afterwards all the PSU folks shotgunned Natty Light. Ah, college memories. After all the “formalities” the crew danced into the night beachside, while we shared a celebratory shot with Laura.

Laura and Dane have stolen our hearts - we love when clients put their soul into their wedding and better yet, just be unapologetically themselves. We love you both!