It was a beautiful day for a wedding in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Despite a weather forecast calling for rain the weather stayed clear and dry—a perfect day for  the two lovebirds, Laurel and Danny, to become husband and wife. And they looked absolutely overjoyed to be exchanging vows in front of family and friends.

And those who know them best wouldn’t have expected anything less. It was almost as if it were fated for them to fall in love, after all. Laurel was friends with Danny’s cousins for over 10 years and he was friends with her older brother for 15. Without even realizing it they were already becoming a part of their future families—and when the stars aligned and they fell in love both sides couldn’t have been happier.

Danny asked Laurel to be his future wife in a romantic proposal on the beach in the Dominical Republic. He even had a mariachi band surprise her by playing one of their favorite songs, “Only You,” right after. It’s meaningful gestures like these that best display their love for each other.

The ceremony was held in the beautiful Saint Michael’s church—Laurel’s family church where she grew up attending mass with her parents and siblings. The tender familiarity made for a perfect location for their sweet ceremony. They exchanged traditional vows that left barely a dry eye in the house. The love between these two was so evident that I couldn’t help grinning into my camera as I captured their special moment.

After the ceremony we moved onto pictures of the brand new Mr. and Mrs. along with their family and bridal party. Everyone was in fantastic spirits as the celebration of the newlyweds started to get into full swing. (And check out those bridesmaids dresses—aren’t they gorgeous?!)

Many laughs later everyone piled into their cars and headed over to the reception at the Oakeside Mansion at the Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center. A breathtaking 19th century private estate with lush gardens and charming touches, Oakeside provided a romantic setting to celebrate Danny and Laurel’s big day.

The reception was an elegant affair with plenty of personal touches, including the centerpieces which Danny made all by himself! (And they turned out pretty awesome don’t you think?) Guests enjoyed mingling before dinner, getting a chance to catch up with old friends and family members they haven’t seen in a while. And, most importantly, sneaking in a word of congrats to the happy couple.

Dinner meant heartfelt toasts and plenty of stolen kisses between the bride and groom. And a special surprise from the best man (that I got to be in on!) just added to the celebratory atmosphere. He interrupted his own slide show with a video of him on the hunt for a perfect gift for the happy couple—and ended up bringing out a framed photo of the two of them (that I was fortunate enough to capture for him) at the reception!

After a touching first dance as husband and wife the DJ made sure to keep the dance floor packed all night. It was a beautiful celebration of the love these two share and the love their family and friends have for them. And it’s a day I won’t soon forget.

I’m so honored I was able to capture these memories for Danny and Laurel and wish them a lifetime of love and laughter as they start their new chapter in life as husband and wife.