Arianna & Dylan’s Romantic Rainy Day Wedding at The James Ward Mansion

Location: The James Ward Mansion, Westfield NJ

Highlights: Arianna and Dylan have been together since high school, so this wedding was a long time coming. What made it extra special was their daughter Amelia got to be a big part of their day. We went into their wedding day knowing we were going to be dealing with the tail end of a hurricane. We had planned to do their first look in the hotel lobby where they got ready, but it became apparent that wasn’t an option. So we jumped to plan b - there was a Wells Fargo Bank next door, and the rear of the building was really cute and had an overhang to protect us from the rain. This made for the perfect spot for our super emotional first look! Our couple read their vows to each other and honestly we couldn’t tell if it was tears streaming down our faces or rain… Then we jumped into phase 2 of our rain plan - shooting their photos at Dreyer Farms - a nearby nursery/greenhouse that graciously allowed us in to use their space. Dylan brought along his dice for a quick game and him and Arianna laughed and joked and also got super romantic in what looked like a tropical forrest. Our next stop was our venue - The James Ward Mansion. This historical building gave us all the glitz and glamor for some more epic shots. Arianna’s brother officiated the ceremony and it was super sweet to see our couple up there with Amelia all holding hands. Then it was time to party! The dancing went all night long, with a tiny break to step outside onto the balcony for some incredible end of the night shots.