Liberty House Wedding Photography in Jersey City
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Jane & James
As Heather and I drove through Staten Island en route to Bayonne, NJ, for our last wedding of the year, all I could think about was pizza. To be fair, I’m one of those people who can have pizza once a day and not get sick of it. I had already researched where we would stop in Staten Island on our way back (Denino’s); a choice that was further supported by the groom, James. At the end of the day, Jane and James invited us to dine with their guests and the entire day tied a beautiful bow upon our crazy wedding season.
Jane and James grew up in Bayonne, which is a peninsular city across the Hudson River from Battery Park and the southern tip of Manhattan. Bayonne’s residences reminded me of a cross between Queens and the Jersey Shore; the way that the homes were stacked upon one another but still retained that neighborhood charm. They got married at the church across from the elementary school they attended, and the walk from each of their homes provided literal walks down memory lane.
Both Jane and James built their wedding parties with friends from their childhoods, and the hours leading up to their ceremony felt like a Saturday in the neighborhood. I bounced from room-to-room as the groomsmen laughed and recounted stories, poking fun at each other in the way that only lifelong friends can. It really is magical the way that our brain remembers details about spaces, connecting intangible, invaluable memories with tactile experiences and objects. That morning felt like walkthrough a family scrapbook.
Jane and James’s roman catholic ceremony was followed by an intimate reception in Jersey City at Liberty House Restaurant. But before we headed there, we took some epic wedding party pictures at sunset in Liberty State Park with the Freedom Tower in the background. We also took advantage of a beautiful, historic transit hub where immigrants coming to the United States used to convene before making their way to Ellis Island to be processed. Jane and the bridesmaids deserve a shout out for braving the wintry wind off the Hudson, doing their best to stay warm in the middle of December with their fancy furs draped about their shoulders!
I remember meeting up with Jane and James in the summer when we did their engagement photos on the Jersey Shore, and they were set on getting married in 2020. They held true to their word and it was heartwarming to see how many of their closest family and friends showed up despite all that was going on. With all of the uncertainty it’s comforting to know that we all have people in our lives that we can rely on, laugh, and brave the storm with. From summer beaches to winter events on the water, New Jersey packs a lot more fun than New Yorkers and Long Islanders like myself give them credit for. I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap the wedding season than share a meal with Jane and James and their guests--I guess the pizza will have to wait until next year.