Wedding Story
Photographer’s Remarks: “In September, I photographed Samantha and Josh’s BEAUTIFUL Windrift Hotel wedding photography in Avalon, New Jersey.
“These two had the most perfect day ever with a gorgeous ceremony at St. Joseph’s Church in Sea Isle, New Jersey and then the best light ever for beach portraits before partying all night at Windrift Hotel with their live band, The Big House Band. I am so excited to share this traditional coastal wedding!
“Samantha and Josh started dating freshman year of college and on their first date Josh took her to an ice cream shop. Josh proposed to Samantha in 2015 at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. The evening started with dinner with friends Downtown and on their walk back to the car he proposed on the river. The best part was when they arrived back home, Josh had planned a surprise party with all of their closest family and friends to celebrate the night.
“Samantha and Josh chose the Windrift Hotel for their wedding as these two absolutely love being at the beach, both family owns a beach house, so their venue fit them perfectly.
“I started the day with Samantha and her bridesmaids and family at her family’s beach house in Sea Isle. I loved capturing this group, all the girls were so sweet and excited and Hello Beautiful Weddings did a fantastic job on hair and makeup!
“Once at St. Joseph’s Church, these two had a traditional Catholic mass followed by some of my most favorite beach bridal party and couple photos ever. I absolutely adored the way Samantha and Josh looked at each other and these two could not stop laughing and giggling and just being sweet.
“Once we wrapped up their portraits on the beach overlooking the Windrift Hotel, these two partied all night. I love that my bride and groom never left the dance floor at their Windrift Hotel wedding! When I asked Samantha what her favorite wedding day moment was, she said, ‘I honestly do not have a favorite moment, the entire day was absolutely perfect between the beautiful weather and everything coming together so perfectly. My favorite part of the day was sharing our love with our close family and friends. I think the most important detail of our story that we want to share is really just how perfect the day was because we were surrounded by all of our close family and friends who have been supporting us throughout the years. We wouldn’t have made it to our wedding day without them all’.
“Now that these two have finished planning their traditional coastal Windrift Hotel wedding, they want to spend the next couple of years enjoying each other’s company and traveling. Ireland is high on their bucket list and once they have a little bit of traveling under their belt, they hope to begin their family.
“They cannot wait to see what life has in store for them and couldn’t be happier to be by each other’s side along the way. Their honeymoon is coming up in December, they will be enjoying Cancun, Mexico!
Bridal Q & A
Q: Tell us about your wedding!
“The inspiration behind our day was our mutual love the beach. We both love the ocean and spending time outside together. We wanted to keep the color palette very simple and classic so navy and blush were our colors.”
Q: Let’s talk wedding decor
“The venue overlooks the beach and has lots of glass windows so we decided to incorporate lots of candles for a very romantic look. Our DIY DECOR included the card box which we painted. in addition, we built the place card box and printed/cut the place cards ourselves and tied them to the starfish.”
Q: What were the florals like in your wedding?
“We didn’t go overboard with the florals and kept them simple by using white and blush. My favorite flower is pink roses so they were a central theme in the bridal bouquets.”
Q: Did you personalize the day in any way?
“Our favorite part of the wedding was the amazing band. The guests had so much fun dancing the night away and having the live entertainment. We personalized some foe decor by displaying photographs of our grandparents and parents on their wedding day during the reception.”
Q: How did you both choose your wedding day look?
“I knew that I wanted a lace dress that would be appropriate for the end of summer. I ended up choosing a beautiful all lace gown with a long train and open back. I added a crystal belt to add more detail and personality to the dress. The groom wore a blue suit and light pink tie which allowed for a coastal and sophisticated look.”
Q: How did you meet?
“We met and started dating freshman year of college. Josh proposed along the waterfront at Penns Landing on philadelphia PA. the best part was that he had also planned a sucrose party so when we arrived home following the proposal I was greeted you a house full of our closest family and friends.”
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
“The most aniciapted moment of our wedding day was probably our first dance .We had our first dance song picked out for years so it was exciting to finally be in the moment we had been thinking about.”
Q: Do you have any advice to share with other couples planning their day?
“I know this is cliche, however our advice would be to enjoy all of the planning! It flies by, we were engaged for 2.5 years and the time still past so quickly! At times it can seem overwhelming but in the end the day will be perfect no matter what.”
Vendors in this Wedding
Photographer: Susan Hennessey Photography
Band: The Big House Band
Cake Designer: The Cake Boutique
Floral Designer: A Garden Party
Hair & Makeup: Hello Beautiful Weddings
Invitation Designer: Basic Invite
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Ring Designer: Benari Jewelers
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Dress Designer: Pronovias
Dress Store: Bijou Bridal
Cinema and Video: TONEmedia
Reception Venue: The Windrift Hotel
Leave a Comment