Elegant Mallard Island Yacht Club Wedding | Kelly & Justin

Weddings

Kelly and Justin are married!!! Despite the absolute crazy weather because of tropical storm Ophelia, Kelly and Justin’s celebration was stunning. Kelly and Justin met while they were in college on the swim team at Lehigh University. After a sweet NYC proposal featuring their favorite restaurant, Kelly and Justin began planning their elegant wedding day at Mallard Island Yacht Club.

Elegant New Jersey Wedding Day

I’m still OBSESSED with all of the incredible details that Kelly and Justin planned for their wedding day at Mallard Island Yacht Club. One of my favorite details was the big bow on Kelly’s dress. It was so cute! The day of Kelly and Justin’s wedding was the day that tropical storm Ophelia made landfall in Jersey. The weather was absolutely nuts – high winds, rainy, and just wild. But, my team along with the video team, bridal attendants and venue staff made these beautiful photos possible for Kelly and Justin. Thanks to Hurricane Ophelia, it was definitely a team effort to keep our bride dry! Thankfully the couple was willing to do whatever it took to get some photos outside! See a little behind the scenes of the wedding day from this Reel!

Kelly and Justin shared more about their love story with me – so I’m sharing their awesome responses. It’s a gorgeous story and I’m so happy that despite the craziness Ophelia caused, they had an elegant Mallard Island Yacht Club wedding day!

The Proposal!

Justin rented out a private room at our favorite NYC restaurant – L’Artusi. I thought we were going there to eat with friends, and then they guided me into the empty room where he proposed, followed by an incredible surprise dinner with both of our families.

Tell us about your photography experience with Susan!

Working with Susan was like working with a big sister! She is kind and confident, knows exactly what to do and when, and overall produces such beautiful, natural photographs. Her experience and expertise was critical on our wedding day when a tropical storm blew through and almost every plan was turned on its head. She tackled the unknowns with poise and helped guide me through what could have been a disaster of a day – all with the biggest smile!

Why did you pick your venue?

My whole life I’ve gone to LBI in the summer with my family (28 summers and counting!). It’s such a special place for us and holds precious family memories, one of them being Mallard Island. As a young teen as we drove over the bridge, Mallard was a landmark that told us we were getting close. My parents always joked “that’s where Kelly is going to get married”, not believing it would actually come true one day.

Tell us about all the details of the wedding!

We tried to be intentional with our details and make them as meaningful as possible. To name a few: made my robe and clutch from my mother’s wedding dress, placed magnolia tree foliage in floral arrangements as a symbol to my late grandmother, displayed parents’ & grandparents’ wedding day photos, childhood family beach photos, named drinks after our dog, Justin’s best friend joined the band on drums for a song, and more!

Favorite moment of the day?

Aside from unforgettable moments with my new husband, one of my favorite moments was my first dance with my dad. We talked about that exact moment since I was a little girl so finally getting to experience it with him is something I’ll never forget.