06.26.09 - Weddings Jennifer + Sal: 05.16.09

Jennifer and Sal both come from big, fun-loving Italian families - a fact that was reflected in just about every aspect of their May wedding. Even the ceremony, held at a local Catholic church, was half in Italian!

This simple, elegent bouquet is the work of Flowers by Yukie, who also orchestrated every aspect of the decor for the reception, which was held at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington.

Glamour everywhere - even their five-tier wedding cake was gold!

Jennifer surprised Sal with this Penn State football groom's cake, which he clearly got a "kick" out of (pun intended). Behind him are members of Jellyroll, the highly sought-after party band, who helped guests get their groove on (not that they needed much prompting!).

Thanks, Jennifer & Sal, for allowing me to be part of such a fun, special day!

06.26.09 - Kids organic baby

Mom Cindy is very into nature and is developing a blog devoted to organic living as a mother. She and her husband loved the organic feel of these images. They blend well because of they all have the same tonality and outdoorsy feel. Below is the center piece of the wall collection they chose - a square photo that will be flanked by two vertical ones. It's really a special way to document this time in their lives!

06.19.09 - Kids twins

I absolutely adored photographing this family in a local park. For one thing, mom Kelie - co-owner of Flirt Boutique - and her husband, Michael, have been wanting to schedule a session with their identical twin girls forever. For another, as an only child, I've always had this deep fascination with twins. I guess I imagine twindom as growing up with a built-in best friend.

As I was taking pictures of little G & E - two extremely sweet four year olds - I could just imagine them growing up to be each other's maid of honor (must be the wedding photographer side of me melding with the portrait side).

06.17.09 - Weddings Lindsay + Dan

Lindsay and Dan met working as teachers in Northern New Jersey. These engagement photographs, taken during a beautiful May day in Central Park, capture the love and consideration the two of them share. I'm really looking forward to being a part of their wedding this December!

This shot, taken at a reservoir near the park, is one of my favorites. The innocent kiss, framed by the arch, in front of the stairway - to me, it's like the perfect metaphor for love and marriage, the future stretched out before them.

06.12.09 - Kids beautiful

Meeting this family for the first time was a pleasure. I'd been in touch with Mom for a while, as she'd been really wanting to find the right time to take these photos, so I'm glad we were finally able to put it together. The oldest of this trio of cuties spent the majority of our session being my little helper, and keeping her younger brother - a total free spirit - in check. What I love about these shots is how evident the love is between these three siblings.

Parents who photograph their own kids often don't end up in the shot, which is one part about portraiture that I really enjoy. When I'm the one behind the lens, I have the privilege of capturing not only the children, but the family as a whole. Prior to our session, Mom was really concerned with coordinating clothing for five people - getting the colors and patterns to match. I happen to think she did a fantastic job, and I'm particularly fond of this shot.

06.10.09 - Weddings Erin + Jake: 05.10.09

I had an amazing time photographing Erin & Jake's Cape May, NJ wedding early last month. First off, Erin herself is an extremely cool person. You wouldn't know it just by looking at her, but she's a military photographer and actually booked me by e-mail while she was working in Iraq! Both Erin and Jake were so fun to work with. Even though the ceremony was held inside of a beautiful Catholic church, the whole day retained that outdoor, laid back, Cape May, beachy feel to it.

Here Erin and her maid of honor are greeted on the way to way to the ceremony by a Jersey friend. If she had any kind of typical "It's my wedding day!" nerves, they certainly didn't show.

Jake, on the other hand ... nah, just kidding.

Erin almost tripped on the way to hug her new mother-in law. I think Gram's reaction is absolutely priceless!

You honestly couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day - look how blue that sky is!

The superfun, gorgeous reception was held at Congress Hall, also in Cape May. The impeccable details here were orchestrated by (once again) Innove Events & Paper, with flowers provided by Flowers and decor were the joint effort of Beka Rendell of Innove and Nancy Saam.

Do you think she liked the decor?

You can't hear what's playing while the bride and groom share their intimate first dance, but it's music by Philly's own Urban Guerilla Orchestra (UGO).

Here Erin and Jake comply with the time-honored tradition of kissing every time someone rang the bell. The only caveat is that they would only kiss if the person ringing the bell made a donation to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, which helps support not only the injured Marines, but also their families.

What a lovely day - thanks, Erin & Jake, for allowing me to be a part of it!

06.05.09 - News "You can do anything you want to do ...

... you just have to be willing to work for it." That was my message to 30 high school photography students visiting from Philadelphia Charter a few weeks ago. Their talent and understanding of composition relating to portraiture completely blew me away. I know we have future stars in that class and I can't wait to see where life takes them.

06.01.09 - Kids Genevieve

Each time little G visits me from Florida, favorite photos abound. I love the balloons that match the little buttons on Genevieve's dress: perfection. After sharing the images, I got this message from Mom: Every time..... you do such an amazing job and we must speak the same language, because you found a way to turn my vision into a fun memory. Working with children is not easy, fun maybe but not easy! Your entire team has a gift only a few are lucky to know. Team Novak, creative minds with bubbling souls.... There's your new tag line.