Wedding at Pleasantdale Chateau
FEATURE WEDDING
NANCY + ANTHONY
A real story along with tips and thoughts from Charles and Jennifer Maring to help couples plan their wedding smarter...
Location: Pleasantdale Chateau
Photography by MARING VISUALS See the Gallery Below
Nancy and Anthony had a perfect plan, a perfect team, and a perfect day. This is one of those events in which good planning truly paid off. The couple planned their wedding on their own, and with a keen sense of style and quality advice and referrals from friends and family their day was as smooth as any wedding we have ever seen.
The couple came to Charles and Jennifer Maring through a referral. Maring had photographed numerous weddings within the family, and the couple knew right from the start that we would be a perfect fit. It must have been... because we have now photographed even more weddings within this group of friends along with portraits of their lives as new parents.
Getting Ready Moments
“TIP... Whenever possible it is smart to have the bridesmaids get ready prior to the photographer arriving. It enables friends to help the bride into her gown, while looking their best, which everyone appreciates in the end.”
The couple got read in homes ADJACENT to one another...
The couple got ready in homes adjacent to one another with the girls and brides family in one home, and the grooms friends and family in another. A smart move because it allows photographers and video artists to navigate between the two locations with ease. There was also plenty of time prepared pre-ceremony. When we arrived, 1.5 hours prior to departure time, the bridesmaids were in their dresses, and the bride was getting finishing makeup touches. This is a smart move on the part of the bride because her friends are able to help her with her dress, and look their best. Everybody wins! This was ample time to capture the getting ready moments as you see in the gallery of photographs below. It even offered enough time to capture some beautiful portraits of the bride, groom, and their families.
The Church Ceremony
Steps up to the church offer multiple photo-ops.
Nancy and Anthony planned a ceremony just minutes away from home at St. Gabriel the Archangel church in Saddle River, NJ. Having photographed here many times, we adore the soft natural light, and the experience is calming. As the bride arrives, there are steps up from the road to the church offering grand photo opportunities along the way. The vestibule in the back of the church is perfect for staging the processional, and it leaves plenty of room for a receiving line as well once the ceremony is over.
Pleasantdale Chateau Reception
In our experience, Pleasantdale Chateau is a location you could write a book about. Located in upstate New Jersey it's a quick drive from Manhattan making it ideal for those who live and work both locally and in the city. It's a gorgeous estate with plenty of outdoor shade for portraits, and it has an old world charm with modern amenities. The many rooms of the mansion offer endless options for creative photographs, and there is also a pool adjacent the main house that is remarkably decorative and kissed with beautiful light. The ballroom is nothing short of stunning. It's both grand and elegant, and with it's remarkably tall ceilings it can handle floral decor on any level imaginable. The catering, food quality, and presentation compliment the location as well.
within 20-30 minutes maring creates all the portraits the couple could dream of allowing them to join their cocktail hour celebration.
We arrived on time to Pleasantdale Chateau and as the cocktail hour began we started taking portraits. This location is so gorgeous that we could easily spend hours on end taking portraits and never have the same shot twice. However, everybody wants to join the party, and in the spirit of speed and efficiency this is where a great photographer can shine and be worth every penny. Utilizing battery powered Profoto off camera systems, we have studio lighting on location at our fingertips that is portable, powerful, and consistent. This allows us to create all the portraits a client can dream of in 20-30 minutes, which enables them to join their cocktail hour and focus on living in the moment.
During cocktails, guests are fully relaxed and enchanted by the many rooms and locations that they can wander in and out of. Both inside and outside conversations are flowing, with bars in multiple locations, and the food spread in the great hall gives guests nourishment along with a visual that would make any foodie happy they were invited.
“TIP... Not every photographer believes in, or uses off camera strobe. However, finding one that understands that it makes the quality of wedding photographs from start to finish consistent is smart. It actually allows them to work more unobtrusively, and gives your real moments a beautiful three dimensional quality.”
In the distance the faint sound of music begins to grow as the band kicks it up, and the doors to the ballroom are opened. Guests are greeted to the smell of fresh flowers and jaws drop when they see the party they have been waiting for. The couple chose a traditional wedding white theme for their floral, which never seems to get dated. Tall candelabras compliment the high ceilings, and as they make their way to the dance floor fireworks let loose as they embrace for a kiss to kick off the celebration.
proper Professional lighting makes real moments in this grand ballroom extraordinary. Something to consider when choosing a photographer.
The blend of candlelight and ambient light in the ballroom gives photographs a heartwarming glow. However this is a location where choosing the right photographer and video artist can make all the difference. As photographers, who know the room well, and we have pre-planned to light the room in such a way that we can work gracefully and unobtrusively. Small battery powered off camera studio strobes are carefully placed next the band speakers allowing us to blend portrait quality lighting and photojournalism together in each image. This gives their real moments a classy elegant style. In our experience this is not a room to work with on camera flash or just natural light alone due to the high ceilings and photo-opportunities that lighting this particular ballroom offers.
The evening is filled with traditional celebrations including toasts, parent dances, and a bouquet toss from the balcony followed by a low key after party in another location at the mansion.
This was a beautiful day, and one that all who attended, including ourselves as artists will never forget. Peruse a selection of photographs in the gallery below to see the story unfold visually.
