Morning Wedding at Park Chateau Estate and Gardens
OCT 6, 2024
Lea & Nick said “I do” on a sunny Sunday morning and it was perfect in every way. The day was planned and coordinated by the bride’s mother, and so while the wedding took place at one of New Jersey’s finest luxury venues, the day had a personal and home-grown feel to it that made the day exceptional.
The bridal suite at Park Chateau has large windows that allowed the morning light to pour into the room, creating interesting shadows and highlights. I enjoy playing with harsh and uneven light when taking flatly detail photos, especially when the light casts a watery shadow through a perfume bottle or a strong highlight on a diamond.
One of the defining characteristics of Park Chateau is their expansive gardens in the courtyard reminiscent of the gardens of Versailles. Lea & Nick chose to have their first look in the gardens and this had to be the most precious part of the day. I have never in all my days seen a groom so blown away by the beauty of his bride! The tears were flowing freely which of course made me tear up as well, and it was just the sweetest thing to witness and capture on film. 
The ceremony was held in the stunning airy chapel on the grounds of Park Chateau.
The ballroom at Park Chateau is a regal space with high ceilings and a magnificent crystal chandelier hanging over the dance floor. Since this was a daytime wedding, the reception started around 2 PM, allowing us to use natural light to take most of the photos, which is a luxury I am not used to having during receptions!
By far the most unique part of Lea & Nick’s wedding was the reception. The couple are both musicians and singers, and so they collaborated with their wedding band to put on a performance during their reception—seriously so cool. They sang a duet to Shallow (by Lady Gaga + Bradley Cooper) which sent chills down my spine and probably every other guests’ as well. Then the sweetest part of all was when they each took a turn singing a song that they had privately prepared. They were completely surprised by each other’s song selections and it was just the most special thing to witness. I really don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. Another unique element of their reception was the traditional Greek dancing that they incorporated into the dance sets. Lea’s family is from Greece and so it was really special seeing how she was able to incorporate her heritage and some of their traditions into her wedding day!
Evangelea & Nick’s wedding had me crying happy tears from the moment of the first look, all the way through the reception. I have never in my life seen a groom so overjoyed to be marrying his girl! I feel incredibly grateful to get to work with such gems of humans like Lea and Nick (and their whole families!) and weddings like this one remind me of why wedding photography is just the most special. It was a privilege and honor to work along side talented vendors and to capture this day through digital and analog photos and Super 8 video. 
Vendor Credits