The State That Surprises Everyone
People hear “New Jersey wedding” and think highways and strip malls. What they should be thinking about is Cape May — one of the most beautiful Victorian seaside towns on the East Coast. Horse country in Hunterdon and Somerset counties, where private estates sit on hundreds of acres with nothing but open sky and rolling fields. The Jersey Shore in all its genuine, unpretentious glory. A state that is, quietly, one of the most diverse and beautiful places to get married in the entire Northeast.
I’ve been shooting weddings in New Jersey for twenty-five years. I know this state.
Less Hectic Than the City
There’s something different about shooting in New Jersey versus New York City. The pace is slower. You’re not competing with tourists for space on a bridge or timing portraits around rush hour traffic. There’s room to breathe — literally. A ceremony on a farm in Bedminster with nothing but open fields around you, or a reception at Bonnet Island with the bay on one side and the Atlantic on the other, has a quality to it that a Manhattan ballroom simply can’t replicate.
That doesn’t make it less beautiful. It makes it different. And for a lot of couples, different is exactly right.
Where I Shoot in New Jersey
Cape May
One of my favorite places to work anywhere. The Victorian architecture, the light off the water, the unhurried quality of the town — it photographs like nowhere else in the state. A beach ceremony at sunset in Cape May is genuinely extraordinary.
Horse Country
Bedminster, Far Hills, Peapack, Gladstone — this part of New Jersey is extraordinary for private estate weddings. Some of the most beautiful weddings I’ve shot have been on private properties here, where the land itself is the venue and the ceremony happens in a field with horses in the distance and nothing but sky overhead.
The Jersey Shore
Waterfront ceremonies and receptions with a relaxed, genuine energy that’s different from the Hamptons polish. Bonnet Island Estate sits at the edge of Barnegat Bay with water on three sides — the light there is extraordinary, especially in the late afternoon.
The Venues
Ashford Estate in Allentown. Park Savoy in Florham Park. Florentine Gardens in River Vale. Park Chateau in East Brunswick. Each one is completely different — grand ballrooms, garden ceremonies, barn receptions, waterfront estates. New Jersey has everything. And unlike a lot of NYC venues, you rarely have to fight the city for space or light.
What It’s Like to Work Here
I travel throughout New Jersey regularly and I’m familiar with the venues, the light conditions, the best times of year for different locations, and the particular quality of a New Jersey wedding day. The pace is different from the city. The scale is different. The images look different — more space, more sky, more landscape.
If your wedding is in New Jersey and you want a photographer who actually knows the state rather than someone treating it as an afterthought to their NYC work, I’d love to talk. For more on my work across the region, my Philadelphia wedding photographer post and Hudson Valley wedding photographer post give a sense of how I work outside the city.
Frequently Asked Questions: New Jersey Wedding Photography
Do you travel throughout New Jersey for weddings?
Yes — I shoot regularly across the entire state, from Cape May to the Hudson Valley border. No part of New Jersey is too far.
What are the best wedding venues in New Jersey?
It depends entirely on what you’re looking for. Bonnet Island Estate for waterfront. Ashford Estate for garden elegance. Park Savoy for classic ballroom. Florentine Gardens for Italian-inspired grandeur. Cape May venues for Victorian seaside. Private estates in horse country for something completely one of a kind.
What is the best time of year for a New Jersey wedding?
Fall is extraordinary — horse country and Shore properties in October are some of the most beautiful settings I photograph anywhere. Spring is lush and romantic. Summer at the Shore is quintessential Jersey. Winter works beautifully for the indoor ballroom venues.
Is Cape May a good place to get married?
One of the best in the entire state. The Victorian architecture, the beach access, the quality of the light off the water, the unhurried pace of the town — Cape May produces images unlike anywhere else in New Jersey. It’s criminally underrated as a wedding destination.
What makes New Jersey different from getting married in New York City?
Less hectic. More space. More sky. A different pace that shows up in the photographs. NYC has unmatched energy and iconic backdrops. New Jersey has room to breathe, extraordinary landscapes, and venues that don’t require you to compete with the city for attention.
Do you shoot at private estates in New Jersey?
Yes — some of my favorite New Jersey weddings have been at private properties in Hunterdon and Somerset counties. Horse country estates with open fields, stone farmhouses, and nothing on the horizon but sky. If your wedding is at a private home or estate in New Jersey, I’m very comfortable with that.
Do you photograph elopements and micro-weddings in New Jersey?
Yes — intimate ceremonies at private properties, on the beach at Cape May, in the parks and gardens throughout the state. If you’re planning something small and meaningful in New Jersey, my NYC elopement photographer post gives a sense of how I approach intimate work, and the same philosophy applies throughout the region.
New Jersey is a better wedding destination than most people realize. If your wedding is here, I’d love to hear about it.
