Jamie & Sam // Shrewsbury, New Jersey

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Perel! After over a decade together, these two tied the knot in the most memorable and captivating way last month at the beautiful Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury in New Jersey. I couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate them on the blog today. I’m excited to share a little bit about Jamie and Sam’s love story (and my favorite photos from their day!). These two are high school sweethearts (their first date was to Panera and to watch Pitch Perfect - what a throwback!). Because they both love to travel, they haven’t always lived in the same city in fact, they were together for almost five years before they were in the same city for longer than a few months!), so while their road hasn’t always been easy, it’s always been worth it.

Kind Words from Jamie & Sam

Wedding planning can be stressful with all the options and decisions you have to make, but one of the easiest decisions we made throughout the process was having Lizzie capture our big day. From the moment we booked her a year and half in advance, she answered my many questions and made us feel so comfortable at our engagement shoot. From that point on, she played a key point in our journey. Answering emails right away, providing sound advice, and creating a thorough and incredible timeline helped us stay on track for the day. Lizzie was prompt, and professional, and she was by my side every step of the way, while her team captured the rest of the details. She was a calming presence- even felt like a familiar friend throughout the day. I had a vision, but I never had to worry whether all the details were being captured, if we were getting the group photos, or hitting all of the photo op spots in the venue. Lizzie was on top of it from start to finish. I can’t thank Lizzie enough for bringing her calming energy and professional insights to such an important day. She even had over 100 photos delivered less than 24 hours later— unheard of!!! Lizzie is truly incredible at what she does and I can’t wait to use her again for all future life milestones.

Getting Ready at Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury

The wedding day began with meeting Jamie and her bridesmaids at Shadowbrook to capture their getting-ready portraits, and one of my favorite moments was her first look with her bridesmaids. We all need best friends like Jamie has! They couldn’t hide the level of joy they were feeling for their friend. I also couldn’t help but adore the unique bridesmaid dresses in an array of silver and metallic tones, all of which looked absolutely lovely on all the ladies in attendance. For the most part, Jamie and Sam kept their wedding decor neutral and timeless and I loved soaking up (and documenting) all of the incredible details.

First Look at Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury

Jamie and Sam wanted the sentimental moments to be just that - sentimental. Beyond having a first look with her bridesmaids, Jamie also had a first look with her dad (and his reaction will just melt your heart!). After a first look with dad, it was finally time for Jamie and Sam to meet. Their first look was such an intimate and special moment, that I wish I could relive it again and again. After a few kisses and tears, we took their wedding portraits together (with their wedding party joining halfway through!) around all of the incredible backdrops of Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury.

A Stunning Jewish Wedding Ceremony

Long Beach Island, NJ has been Jamie’s happy place since she was 5 years old and it’s where these two choose to spend the majority of their summer weekends. One evening, they were supposed to be "meeting friends" for dinner and he asked to have a drink on her parent’s roof before we left. As soon as Jamie went outside, she saw the lights and decorations and knew what was happening. Even so, she felt like she blacked out and was overwhelmed with so much happiness. In her own words, “it was such a high!”. The two shared a sweet moment together on the roof where he proposed, and then both of their families surprised them when they came down from the roof. From that moment on the roof to their stunning Jewish wedding ceremony at Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury with a white floral chuppah that would take your breath away, these two were ready to be married. After signing their beautiful Ketubah, it was time to tie the knot in front of their guests.

As an aside, one of the reasons Jamie and Sam chose Shadowbrook was because of the ceremony space. It felt modern and romantic, while still maintaining a whimsical feel. Because of the windows and shape of the room, there was almost an illusion of being outside, and they could truly envision their winter wonderland wedding here.

A Modern Ballroom Reception at the Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury

I was gushing over all of the classic and beautiful details of Jamie and Sam’s wedding reception - keep scrolling for photos! Every detail was perfectly selected by the couple and they did an incredible job. I want to share a little bit more about why they chose Shadowbrook to be their wedding venue in case you are currently looking for a New Jersey wedding venue as well. They say that Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury is “Newport meets Manhattan” and honestly, they are right. One of the things they both loved about the venue was that the food and service felt unmatched and when they toured the New Jersey wedding venue, they immediately felt a WOW factor. Being that they were married in February, having a wedding that looked just as good in the winter as it did in the summer was incredibly important to them, and I think they absolutely nailed it by choosing Shadowbrook. I’m in awe looking back at the reception photos remembering all of the care and details!

A Gorgeous NJ Reception and an Outfit Change

Jamie’s wedding reception outfit change truly needs its own introduction because WOW. When I asked Jamie and Sam what their vision for their wedding day was, Jamie exclaimed, “I want guests to feel all the love in the room and I don’t want to stop dancing”. Staying present and enjoying each and every moment (and every song) was important to them, and judging by the photos I think you will agree: mission accomplished. As you can tell, I couldn’t be happier for these two newlyweds. Their wedding day was such a joy to capture, and I can just tell their marriage is not only going to be filled with adventure (given their love of exploring new places and cultures), but also filled with so much joy in the day-to-day (from Peloton workouts, TV binges, and more). I couldn’t be happier for the two of them!