Michael and I took a total leap of faith in Joe and Melissa.  They also took a total leap of faith in us.  We never met with them before they booked us.  Why?  They live in California and planned this entire wedding from the west coast.  Crazy huh?  Booking with a vendor or even a client before meeting them can be a little tricky for all.  For us, it’s important that we work with clients that value photography, trust us in what we do, and have a similar style and personalities as we do.  When we work with the right clients, I really think magic happens!  Sounds cheesy, I know, but, I believe this for any photographer and the right client.

So after a couple emails back and forth, I was without a doubt convinced Joe and Melissa would be a perfect fit for us.  Over the winter, we shot their engagement shoot and met them for the first time.  It really felt as if we were catching up with old friends.  It never once felt like we were meeting them for the first time =0)

What Joe and Melissa have/share is so unbelievably special….it brings tears to my eyes!

Their story is so sweet and after hearing it again this weekend, it reminded me a lot of the recent what if conference Michael and I went to in Portland (I still need to blog about that, details and pics to come).  So let me share a little of their story…

-Joe, who is originally from NJ (ahh fist pump)..was visiting Spain.  He missed his returning flight home back to NJ.  He called his mom, told her what happened.  Instead of booking the next flight out, he decided he wanted to stay and explore for a little while longer.  That alone was probably the best crazy decision he ever made! Why?  Because the very next day, he met the love of his life.  It didn’t take long for them to realize that they were a perfect fit for each other . What did they do next?  Instead of Melissa going back to Seattle and Joe going back to NJ, they decided to create a new adventure together.  And that’s exactly what they did.  They took a huge chance on each other, moved to CA and built a life together.

They are definitely ‘life is too short, make the most of it, and take chances in life’ type of people.  They couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for us!  I’m so unbelievably happy that we all took the chance on each other!  Otherwise, we never would have met these two incredibly amazing people!  Now we have a reason to go to San Fran =0)

Enjoy!

Groom wearing suspenders

bride and groom first look

This guy, wanted to take her to city hall and marry her himself, haha.

amazing bride and groom portraits

romantic bride and groom portraits

custom stitching in wedding dress

cute bridesmaids dress for earthy wedding

bow ties for groomsmen

stylized groom bowtie

city of Philadelphia

creative vintage sign in wedding table

Who doesn’t love a Polaroid camera at a wedding?!

Polaroid pictures at weddings

paper straws at wedding

cloth wedding tissues for ceremony

outdoor ceremony space

sweet rustic outdoor wedding details

sweet moment with bride and groom during ceremony

Look closely at this picture…notice any similarities?! Yes, Melissa is a twin who also has twin brothers!  Maybe this is why we instantly connected!

They were recreating a childhood photo…{hence the funny faces}

Izzie drinks at weddings

table place cards with clothespins

cute eco-sweetheart table

skull cake topper

hanging lanterns in reception venue

cute mason jar centerpieces

children's table at wedding

Brother singing bride and grooms first dance

Mother son dance

Salsa lesson!

 

Salsa Lesson at wedding

funny bride and groom cake cutting

Groom dipping bride on dancefloor

Bride and groom night portraits with city skyline

Bride and groom running through field at night

This wedding {along with the couple} fit our style perfectly!  Thanks for trusting us Melissa & Joe!  We hope you enjoy Mexico!

If you’d like to see more of their wedding, check out their slideshow!  If you’ve read their story above…grab a few tissues…their story tips it over the top {at least for me it does}.

<3

Melissa.

 

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Wedding Details

Venue: Bartrams Garden

Makeup: Beautiful Brides Philly

Catering: Diverse Catering

Photographers: M2

10 responses to “Joe + Melissa’s Bartram’s Garden Wedding”

  1. Kathleen Schmidt says:

    You two are quite amazing. You captured a dream come true. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following your passion and dream of being photographers, so that you can give the gift of visual memories. I will treasure each photo – always!

    • Melissa says:

      Kathleen, we’re so blessed to be able to do what we love and more so to get chances to meet amazing people like Melissa & Joe. =0)

  2. montana says:

    These are absolutely stunning! They are such a beautiful couple & I love that you can see their love so clearly in each photograph. I also love Bartram’s Garden…so so pretty! 🙂 🙂

  3. Meggie Schmidt says:

    You captured the day beautifully – thank you so much for doing such an incredible job!

  4. Lauren says:

    Beautiful wedding and photos! Those first look pictures made me want to weep right here at my desk. 🙂

  5. Tifffany says:

    Still sad I missed out on the special day, but with your amazing photography I feel like I didn’t miss out on the fun. Everything was so well captured…. Thank you for doing such an amazing job for Joe and Melissa! I know it means the word to them.

  6. Laura Schott says:

    Such fantastic photos from an amazing day joining together two incredible people! You really nailed it!

  7. Kathleen Schmidt says:

    Just one more comment: Joe’s Dad and I can’t stop viewing the photograph’s! You have captured their beauty, souls and love for each other.

  8. Crystal says:

    I can’t stop looking at these photos, talk about capturing each moment exquisitely, wow! It says something when people who don’t even know this couple tear up while viewing the photos. I love it!!! Melissa and Joe – you rock my world. M2 – awesome work, I look forward to sharing!

  9. The nerves, the laughter, the tears, the dancing, the crazies, the moments of SHEER joy… ALL captured! We could not have asked for two more incredibly talented (and hilarious to boot!) artists to capture the best day of our lives. We love you two and cannot thank you enough. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 😉

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