Aimee Found me on Instagram and booked me right away. She said she loved the candid and natural way I captured the wedding day and the authentic moments she and Chris might miss during the celebration. I was thrilled when she told me the wedding festivities would take place in Jersey City Hudson House. 

The whole wedding started in the nearby hotel. I’m sure it was intentional that Aimee’s suite was on one of the top floors with a great view of the West. It was warm enough to take photos on the large terrace adjoined the suite. Aimee’s portrait, her bridal Party, and some family photos with good light and scenery. What else do you need? Oh yes. It was then that I found out why it was easy to work with my New Jersey bride. She told me she was a ballet dancer when she was young. She was very confident and looked stunning in her wedding dress. 

Jersey City church wedding ceremony

Just a few blocks from the hotel is a beautiful church where our couple was to say “yes.”  It is good to think ahead of the locations, especially in the city where it can be hard to commute and park the car or for the party bus to stop. Thankfully after the ceremony, we quickly walked across the street and jumped into another vehicle to get to the Husdon House.

The Hudson House wedding venue

It was not my first time in this modern Jersey City venue, but it was the first time being there in December when the days were short. We got there just in time to capture some portraits of them on the upper terrace. Even though the day was a little cloudy, the view from here was worth every minute. Manhattan, as a backdrop, always works, no matter the time of the day. It took my partner and me literally a few minutes to take a good amount of natural, lifestyle wedding portraits. It got dark, and it was time for them to join a cocktail hour on the second floor. 

I could focus on the ballroom. The light of candles and night lights of the city on the other side of the Hudson river made quiet and ambiance. Simplicity is the key, and everything looked classy and elegant. I asked Amiee and Chris to take the room shots with them, and it was on point. Romantic, clean, and slightly edgy images were what they looked for. Huge windows were unveiling the night over New York City. The lights of the buildings in the background were just enough to translate the elegance and intimacy of the moment.