McKay Imaging

Liz and I always say that there are not many things more nerve-racking for us than shooting a friends wedding! I mean the pressure is really on! We have however both gotten so comfortable with wedding photography by now, that we should almost never be nervous but there is something just a little bit scary about taking on that awesome responsibility for a friend… usually anyway. That said, when our friends Chris and Susan McKenna brought Susan’s daughter Jessica Moll and her fiancé Thomas Chisholm to the studio for a meeting, well, we were just happy to see them! I think we all hit it off right away and by the time they all left that night we just had a great feeling about the day to come!
Tom & Jess’ June 1st wedding was a long way off on that Autumn night when we first met so we agreed to a little photo shoot rehearsal and on one particularly nice evening in December, we photographed Jess & Tom’s engagement portrait. They were really so good together! That night in Red Bank went so well in fact that by the time we photographed the wedding, we were barely nervous at all. Our shutter fingers were only shaking a little bit… : ) Really though, shooting their wedding was more like putting on a pair of old comfortable shoes.
It was a great wedding day for us, full of fantastic fun (like a guest appearance at the reception by Chris’ band, “Whitey 5-0″) as well as some unusual challenges (like crutches and a gas main break) that can make any wedding day unique; challenges that were easily overcome because the bride and groom’s sweet personalities were encouraging and their love for each other was inspiring and infectious. Even the weather, that throughout the day threatened to turn on us all at any moment, seemed to be on their side and held out until the very moment that Liz and I walked out of the fabulous Lobster Shanty that night to go home and felt the first few lucky raindrops of the day.
Big CONGRATULATIONS from us to Jess and Tom and many thanks to their friends and family, who treated us like guests all day, calming our nerves and making our jobs so very easy. Our shutter fingers barely shook at all! : )

Bridal Gown: Patrice Bridal
Bridal Shoes: Nina
Invitation: Maclearie Printing
Bridal Jewelry: Sunshine-Daydream
Rings: Earth Treasure
Bridesmaid Dresses: B2 by Jasmine
Tuxedo: Tuxedo Park
Anchor Socks: Tommy Hilfiger
Bridal Hair/Make-Up: Glen Goldbaum 72
Ceremony: The Church of the Precious Blood, Monmouth Beach, NJ
Bagpiper: Michael Hannigan
Reception: Lobster Shanty, Point Pleasant, NJ
Reception Entertainment: SCE Event Group
Photobooth: Snapshots
Photobooth Props: Etsy
Wedding Cake: Mueller’s Bakery
Reception Decor: Etsy and Pottery Barn
Sea Shell Decor: US Shell
Transportation: Concorde Worldwide

When we awoke on May 25th, the day of Chris and Romina’s wedding, a fog blanketed the entire Northeast. Later that day, as we traveled North to The Westin Hotel in Jersey City where the bride and groom were both getting ready for the big day, the veil of clouds began to lift and by the time we arrived, they had settled in just above the skyline, where they would remain throughout the entire wonderful wedding day; giving the guests a rare glimpse of a city that seemed to touch the sky. It was so beautiful, it made us wonder if Chris and Romina had planned that too. If only we could really plan the weather, we may have selected a day like this!
The day at the Weston began, as many do, with a gathering of friends and family, all coming together to prepare for a very big day. In this case, they came from all over; from Chicago, the Bride and Groom’s hometown; from South America and even the far off land of Long Island. So, when the hair and makeup were complete, the cufflinks secured and the the gown revealed and fitted, the bride and groom took the elevator 20 stories down to reveal themselves to each other on the fanciful floating staircase of the grand hotel and Liz and I were there to preserve these memorable moments.
Then it was off by bus to Liberty State Park for portraits and soon afterwards a ceremony at The Liberty House that had the distinction of binding the bride and groom with an ancient celtic hand fasting ceremony and a latin american tradition called Las arras, involving the giving of 13 coins. They sealed the deal with a kiss, wandered off into the sea of familiar faces and partied heartily into the night, all beneath the low ceiling of clouds, brightly lit by the city that never sleeps.
Congratulations to Chris and Romina. If the two of you can plan a day like this from Chicago, there is nothing that you can’t do!

Bob & Liz

Ceremony and Reception: The Liberty House
Wedding Dress: Pricsilla
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Groom’s Wear: Alton Lane
Make-Up: Leeya Washuta
Hair: Sonia Salon
Flowers: Bobbie’s Bloom
Wedding Cake: Carlo’s Bakery
Wedding Invitation: Girl Metro
Entertainment: D’Amilo Entertainment
Transportation: Villani Bus Company

It was May 5th, 2012 and the atmosphere was charged with excitement! Not only was it Cinco de Mayo and the day that the “Super Moon” would shine brightly on the Earth but it was the day that Devin Kirk would be married to Pablo “Luna”. Coincidence? I think not! Even the weather was affected by this convergence!
I can’t tell you how many times we checked the weather leading up to this event, our first wedding of the 2012 season. All week it said it was going to rain and then it wasn’t going to rain; it was and then it wasn’t again. The afternoon before Devin & Pablo’s big day, that least reliable of all services told us that there was absolutely no chance of wedding showers but when we woke the next day, it was absolutely pouring.
It seems however, that the sky was just wringing itself out one last time in order to provide the bride and groom with a beautiful day. By the time we arrived at The Molly Pitcher, where Devin and her 11 bridesmaids were getting ready, things were looking a lot brighter. I don’t think that anything could have dampened this couples spirits that day anyway but a little bit of sunshine surely helped.
The ceremony at St. George’s By the River in Rumson was sweetly traditional and incredibly beautiful but we were soon all off to the reception at The Navesink Country Club. Somehow, in 17 years of photographing weddings, Liz and I had never worked there before, so we were excited to be starting the new season, in a new venue, with this newly married couple. All the same, as soon as we arrived, we hijacked a couple of golf carts and made an escape with the Luna’s down to a neighboring barn for some quiet time and portraits. When we got back, the party began!
The first thing everyone saw when they walked into the ballroom was was the beautiful yellow flowers all around, a creation of Devin’s very talented mother, LInda Kirk. And the first thing they heard… well, the first thing they heard was “Uncle Brian” ; Brian Kirk that is, with The Jirks in tow of course. Playing for family this time, the band was in rare form, as was Uncle Brian’s famous sense of humor, now unencumbered by the need to play nice or be politically correct… : )
So… the band played into the night. Some danced while others strolled through open doors where the sound wafted out to those who preferred to converse beneath brightly backlight clouds. It was a convergence of family, friends and holiday spirit, all having come together in celebration of Devin & Pablo’s marriage; and all held together the powerful gravity of the Super Moon.
Congratulations and thanks to the Kirks and the Luna’s for a very memorable day!

Ceremony: St. Georges by the River, Rumson
Reception: The Navesink Country Club, Middletown
Dress: Watters
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Groom’s Wear: Jos A Bank
Flowers: Linda Kirk
Video: Inzi Videography
Entertainment: Brian Kirk and the Jirks
Make-Up: Josie Vega
Hair: Nicole Rubino
Wedding Cake: Cupcake Magician