Wedding in NJ - Tara and Matthew - Part One

I am so happy to share with y'all one of my favorite weddings of 2009.  This update is long overdue on my part, but I also wanted to make sure I do it right!

Special thanks to the talented Gabriel and G2 of Philip Gabriel Photography for sharing these images with us!

Last year, I met with Tara, a nurse, and Matthew, an attorney, at a little coffee shop in Philadelphia.  We chatted for a while, and they said they need help with day of services.  Of course, I was happy to help.

A few months later, the mother of the groom, Stella, called and said she wanted to hire me for full service to help her son and her future daughter in law, and the first order of business would be flowers.

I learned they met down at the Jersey Shore a few years back.  They don't really resemble anyone from the show Jersey Shore; Tara is so much prettier than Snookie!

I had a great time working with Tara and Matthew because they were down to earth and just so sweet overall.  To be quite frank, I've been blessed with the most grateful clients who are genuinely sweet and so generous, and cHill!  It's nice to work with people who really can trust you to help them achieve the wedding they want.  And Tara and Matthew did just that, and the wedding was great, and the party was fun!

Here is Matthew looking dapper!  Don't call him Matt... because that's what people step on.

Matthew was one of the best grooms I've worked with, because he was great in communicating with me and expressing what Tara and he needed or wanted.  He was involved with the planning, and even included his parents and his sister in law to some our meetings.  He's funny, smart, and down to earth.





Tara is a sweetheart and gorgeous inside and out.  I loved getting emails from her because she made me feel special and not like just a planner.  She must also be a great loyal friend because they had a large wedding party, and I remember her congregating with her girlfriends throughout the wedding chatting and being there for them.  The wedding wasn't just about the bride; it was about her new husband, her family, and friends.

Ah Stella!  Sometimes working with parents of the couple can be difficult because they love to push their opinions or be judgemental, or they are just not involved at all.  Stella was not like that.  She called me a few times to express her concerns about making sure Tara and Matthew (and especially Tara) were making decisions based on what they wanted, not because they were being pushed by vendors or anyone else.  She hired me because she knew I could help and guide them without influencing them.  Smart lady!

Tara got ready in her parents home with all the girls in her wedding party, including the flowers girls.  When I was going through Gabriel's images of their wedding day, I noticed there were a lot pictures of Tara helping the flower girls with their dresses.  They were such sweet pictures, and a great example of how giving Tara is.  Even though it's her wedding day, and most brides like to be pampered and not lift a finger, she helped these little girls get ready too.

But of course, Tara is the bride afterall, and indeed received some special attention.  I loved this image because her future sister in law was placing the veil on her.  While they were planning their wedding, Matthew's brother and sister in law had a baby girl!  And Tara and Matthew bought a home together nearby.  When I went to visit their house for one of our last meetings, I was jealous that they were able to be so close to their brothers and sisters and parents.  (Move back to the east coast Mama and Papa cHill!)

Their wedding day will be broken down into three parts.  This post is Part One (see post title). :)

Part Two willl be portraits and Part Three will be details.  I hope you'll come back to visit to read more about their fabulous wedding!