New Jersey Winter Wedding at Renault Winery by Abbe Foreman

Honestly, while many of us may complain about all of the grief and hassle that social media has brought we do have to admit it brings some wild stories. Social media and the creation of dating apps has brought together so many amazing couples, one of those couples being Brandon and Matt. Together these two came together and flourished their love story into some amazing and beautiful. I felt so humbled and honored to have been able to capture their New Jersey Winter Wedding at Renault Winery. I am even more honored to be sharing with you this love story today.

The Love Story

Matt and Brandon met how a lot of couples nowadays meet: via social media. More specifically through the popular dating app, Tinder, back in 2020. Although it was in the middle of the world wide pandemic, that didn’t stop them from creating and fostering their undoubted connection. They managed to find a way to go on a first date and from that point forward their relationship has only grown. Hitting major relationship milestones along the way, Brandon and Matt have grown their relationship into something amazing. They both enjoy traveling together, raising their adorable pups, heading on countless brewery tours and fighting over what to decorate in their new home. Ah – the joys of married life.

Now if you’re wondering about a proposal story, don’t worry – I got you. So I’m not saying in any means that bribery is the perfect way to go about things… in this case it was a necessity. You’ll see why – lol. Brandon had rescued their golden retriever, Archie, and surprised Matt with this pup for his birthday. Brandon had kept the ring hidden until the very last moment when the anticipation of the big question was just too much to bear. Of course, we all know what the answer was. Matt and Brandon still joke to this day that the only reason he said yes was for the fear of not getting to keep Archie, however we all know the real reason * wink *.

Longwood Gardens Engagement

While on the hunt for an LGBTQ+ friendly wedding photographer in Philadelphia, they stumbled across my website. Hey hey, here is where I come in! At first Brandon and Matt inquired for engagement photos, which of course I jumped on the opportunity and said YES. While their first choice, Rocks State Park, was not meant to be we headed to a fan favorite of mine, Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania for their engagement session. What was originally an hour long session, turned into a full day together filled with a lot of laughs. We even finished just in time to avoid a thunderstorm and for me to head home to eagerly edit their engagement photos. Before leaving though, they let me know that the experience was so enjoyable for them that on the spot they booked me for their wedding AND rehearsal dinner. It was a picture perfect weekend (pun intended).

New Jersey Winter Wedding at Renault Winery

For Matt and Brandon’s special day they chose Renault Winery, an absolutely gorgeous New Jersey wedding venue. Their rehearsal dinner was held in Renault’s Speakeasy, which was just such a stunning space. One thing that Matt and Brandon decided to do at the rehearsal dinner was speeches! Rather than doing speeches to a larger group, surrounded by their closest family & friends was a much more intimate scene. This was such an amazing switch up from the typical wedding day plans and honestly it turned out amazing! What was first speeches then turned into an open mic night with lots of loving and embarrassing stories about the couple. Honestly what a perfect way to enter into their wedding weekend, don’t you think?

The next day was officially wedding day! Me and my second photographer separated ways and met up with both grooms while they were getting ready at their hotels of choice. We made sure to take some celebratory shots of the grooms and their groomsmen as well. Just don’t go TOO overboard – we still want to be able to walk down the aisle! After everyone was done getting ready, we made our way back to Renault Winery for Matt and Brandon’s first look.

Now I have a bit of a confession, their first look wasn’t really the first time they saw each other. The morning of their wedding day they actually needed to overlook COVID tests in order to travel for their honeymoon, so they DID in fact see each other. Don’t worry though, this did not take away from the intimacy of their first look. It held just as much emotion one could hope for and it gave them a bit of privacy before the hecticness of their special day.

Renault Winery

Renault Winery is such a gorgeous wedding venue and is really the perfect space for anyone looking to get married in New Jersey. It is a premier vineyard destination and holds tons of amenities like fine wines, artisanal cuisines, festivals, events and more. Truly if you’re a couple looking for a New Jersey wedding venue, I would highly recommend Renault Winery. To read more about what it’s like having a wedding at Renault Winery, just click here!

Ceremony & Reception

Matt and Brandon’s wedding day was an absolute dream. Their ceremony was just as touching as they are and truly their wasn’t a dry eye in sight. You could tell how much love filled the room and how all of their wedding guests care and love them. We made sure to utilize all of the beautiful scenery that Renault Winery has to offer for their portraits, despite the fact that it was in the middle of February. You know what though, nothing will stop me! We ended the night with some amazing food, thanks to Renault Winery, and of course first dances. The dance floor is always one of my favorite parts of someones special day and as soon as the open dance floor hit, it was game on! Everyone was partying and just having a good time celebrating Matt and Brandon’s love.

I seriously couldn’t have asked for a better couple to photograph and an even better way to spend my weekend. I truly feel so blessed to have been able to capture these special memories for them to look back on for years to come. Cheers to Matt & Brandon and may you live happily ever after!

If you loved this New Jersey Winter Wedding at Renault Winery, then you’re going to love this Summer Country Club Wedding.

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