Julie & Casey's Oceanside Wedding at Wave Resort in Long Branch, NJ

We first met Julie and Casey way back in the early 2010s while studying at RIT. Though it’s been some time since we all graduated we’ve kept in touch and when they told us they were engaged and wanted us to photograph the wedding we were flattered, and quickly (and very excitedly) told them we’d be honored to. They first bonded over a love of photography, something that remains a lively and integral part of their relationship, and these days can be found spending as much time by or in the ocean as possible, photographing their scuba diving expeditions together and surfing when the conditions are right. Their second shared love remains their three cats that complete their family, which is in turn indicative of a larger, tireless devotion to the wellbeing of animals in general, something makes us love them even more than we already do.

Having their wedding in New Jersey not far from where they and lots of friends and family still live seemed appropriate, and planning it in what is generally considered off-season for weddings but is firmly off season for the beach in New Jersey meant they would benefit from a more serene ocean side experience than they would earlier in the year. It was sort of wild to wake up on the coast of NJ and see folks donning winter weather clothes on the morning of the wedding - the same day Casey started off by taking a dip in the ocean. Everything from getting ready to the ceremony to the reception all happened at the same spot which meant that everyone was able to really let loose, and let loose they did. The moment the ceremony and first dance were finished folks took up games of dice and put real money on the line, cardboard cutouts of Julie and Casey’s three cats made their way onto the dance floor for the all-vinyl DJ set, and people eagerly awaited their turn at the photo booth. Aside from the usual wedding hubbub, the sense of community at this wedding was palpable and the love shared between everyone there was clear. For Julie and Casey, this wedding was the result of heaps of hard planning and scheduling, but to their guests it just seemed like an inevitability; they were always going to end up married to one another, even if they didn’t know it at first.

Venue/Coordination/Catering: Wave Resort
Florals: Magnolia Florals
Dress: The Barefoot Bride
Hair/Makeup: Lock and Shade
Music: DJ Jay Insult
Cake: Chocolate Carousel
Rings: Ken and Dana Designs
Photobooth: Pop Shop Photobooth
To-Go Treats: Cats Luck Vegan
Film/Processing: Kodak Portra 400 / Kerry’s Warwick Photo