Zenovia & Tanner’s November wedding was steeped in everything I love most about late autumn celebrations: a rich, romantic color palette, glowing fall foliage, and a reception that felt both elegant and deeply personal.

I met these two last summer for their engagement session and I could tell right away that they share a special love and connection! Their wedding day was filled with giddy excitement and joy and was truly such a gift to be a part of!

The morning began at their Airbnb, where the girls were getting ready upstairs and the guys were tucked away downstairs. There was an easy, happy energy in the house—music playing, final touches being added, and plenty of laughter echoing through the rooms. Once everyone was dressed and ready, we headed to a nearby park for Zenovia and Tanner’s first look.

It was windy in the best way. Zenovia’s dress caught the breeze as they stood by the water reading letters they had written to each other, and it gave the moment a quiet, honest feel. After that, we moved into portraits and wedding party photos, taking advantage of the daylight. Since the clocks had just changed, we knew we had to do most of their photos before the ceremony since the sun would mostly be gone by the time we were out of the church.

Their Catholic ceremony took place at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Merchantville, NJ. The church is rich in detail and color, and it provided a beautiful, reverent setting for their Ceremony. As they exited the church as husband and wife, we had just enough light left to photograph them on the stone steps and to quickly squeeze in a few more photos right outside the church. This was wonderful because it had been too windy earlier in the day to keep Zenovia’s veil on, so this gave us a chance to get a few beautiful veil shots – including the one at the top of this post!

After the Church we headed to their venue, The Marian Hall, a newly renovated reception space that felt warm and inviting. The room didn’t need much—soft fall tones, thoughtful florals, and candlelight were more than enough to set the scene so we could focus on what matters most: celebrating their new marriage with the people they love most! As the evening unfolded, Zenovia and Tanner shared a sweet first dance, listened to beautiful speeches, cut their cake while wearing adorable “Mr. & Mrs.” aprons, spent the rest of the night dancing and talking with their favorite people!

Zenovia and Tanner, thank you so much for trusting me with documenting your wedding! It has been a joy getting to know you both!

Xoxo,

Mary Kate

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A huge thank you to all the other vendors who came together to make this day possible!