One of the biggest challenges for a wedding photographer (or at least for me) is finding an engagement session location for a couple that doesn’t live in New Jersey. Sentimentality goes out the window and I have to identify a place that inspires the couple and offers a certain level of coolness. When Kristen and Alex asked me for ideas, I was initially at a loss. They’re from South Carolina—a state so different from NJ that I wasn’t sure what I could find that would exude country charm. After bouncing around a few ideas, I decided to just go hardcore Jersey on them and settled on one of my favorite cities down the shore—Asbury Park. The town is a huge hodgepodge of vintage decor, urban decay and beachfront merriment, and Kristen and Alex were completely game for the change of scenery.
We spent the afternoon dancing between clouds and working our way across the boardwalk from Convention Hall to the old Casino. Kristen and Alex were a joy to photograph. The two kissed and cuddled as I played paparazzi amongst the shore-going denizens and tourists. Every time I asked Alex to tickle Kristen or make her laugh, a smile that lit her face that could never be replicated by simply asking. Alex was game for any quirky idea I came up with and the two honestly enjoyed the entire afternoon. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the afternoon.
