Sheraton Eatontown Fall Wedding

Sheraton Eatontown New Jersey | South Jersey Fall Wedding | Sara and Dan

Sheraton Eatontown Fall Wedding. Sara and Dan could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding day! They had the perfect weather for their September wedding. Their wedding planning hit a snag when they found out their venue would close before their wedding date. Yikes, they had to find a new date and venue. They chose a sister venue and a new date; thankfully, all their vendors were still available to be on their wedding team.

LBI Engagement Session

I met Sara and Dan last September for their engagement session in LBI. These two love Long Beach Island and wanted to have their session there. They first met on the island and spent much time together enjoying the shore. I always loved going to the Barnegat state park because of the lighthouse, but when Sara showed me a new location nearby, I now love photographing sessions there even better. Check out their engagement blog to see their gorgeous pictures and read their romantic love story; click here.

The day started at Sara and Dan’s home. Sara and the girls all got ready there. I began by taking photos of all of Sara’s details. Her invitation, shoes, rings, and flowers all looked great. I enjoy capturing these items to help tell the wedding story. Sara’s wedding bouquet was simple but beautiful with all-white flowers (Roses, Ranunculus, & baby breath), dark greenery (Italian Ruscus), and an ivory satin wrap around the flowers. After celebrating with some champagne and popping the confetti bombs, Sara’s mom helped her get into her gorgeous wedding gown, a strapless A-line dress with lace underneath and flower appliques throughout the dress.

Sara had a first look with her girls, and we took photos in her backyard. Her little fur baby even had a special outfit to wear. I then headed to St. May’s of the Pines Church in Manahawkin, NJ. Dan and his groomsmen met me at the church for their photos. They decided to stick with the tradition of seeing each other as Sara walked down the aisle. Sara did have a first look with her dad, which was a sweet moment. They had a beautiful ceremony.

Wedding Day Photos

Before their wedding day, I met Sara and Dan at the Sheraton. We had fun walking around the venue and planning where we would go for photos the day of. I am so happy we did that because we found so many great spots with the help of their event coordinator and made a wedding day photo plan. We started on the grand staircase with their wedding party then the three of us headed off the capture romantic photos of the two of them. My favorite images are those of them sitting on the steps. They finally had a chance to relax and enjoy the moment. Oh, I also love the ones in the elevator!! Whenever I see those photos, I think of the Aerosmith song “Love in an elevator.”

The Sheraton Eatontown has a fantastic reception and cocktail hour space. The room was beautifully decorated with purple lights, crystals, candles, and flowers. The first dance song was the same song that Dan had played when he proposed and the same song they first listened to when they were just friends. They also danced in a cloud! Love when couples add that to their first dance. Their friends and family enjoyed the slideshow featuring baby photos and their relationship photos. They also had a bilingual DJ since Dan’s family is Mexican, and most speak Spanish. Their wedding favors were one-pot samplers from Dan’s sister’s coffee shop, Cool Beans, located in Beach Haven, LBI. There was so much love surrounding these two, and such a fun party.

Anticipated moments and words of advice

Sara couldn’t wait to see Dan that day at the altar and his reaction when he first saw her in her gown. They both couldn’t wait to dance with their families and celebrate with all their guests. The first and parent dances were also moments they were looking forward to.

I always like to ask my couples to share advice for future couples planning their day. They said, “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT SMALL DETAILS. You don’t even notice it on the wedding day, and guests don’t either. Please don’t worry about people canceling last minute. It will still be okay, and it doesn’t matter if some place settings are empty. All that matters is those that are there for you. Only do favors people will use so that they aren’t wasted. Don’t spend too much on a veil. I bought mine from amazon for $11, which was perfect, especially since I didn’t really wear it. Go with the flow and take moments throughout the day to take it all in. Consider getting a videographer to see how your day looked from your guest’s perspective.”

I genuinely enjoyed getting to know this couple. They had such a fun love story. I think of them when I take couples to the location; they shared with me on LBI, which I love. I wish them lots of love, happiness, and laughter, and I can’t wait to capture future chapters in their love story.