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A New Chapter // Jeanann + Paul

We were so happy to have the opportunity to meet with Jeanann and Paul a couple of times before their wedding and couldn’t wait to see them again on their big day!  They’re such a sweet couple… we knew their wedding day was going to be a fantastic fusion of formality, rich cultural traditions and a ton of fun!

Well, the big day was finally here.  Needless to say, Jeanann was such a striking bride!  She wore an amazing strapless mermaid silhouetted wedding gown that featured a gorgeous jeweled belt and incredible ruching below the knee.  Her shoes had amazing embellishments and matched the deep plum of her bridesmaids’ gowns.  We really loved her unique and eye catching bouquet which featured burgundy and white blooms, feathers and bright white lights throughout.  Simply perfection!  And Paul and his groomsmen were so dapper in their dark, three-piece suits.  The beautiful bridesmaids were ready, dressed in their matching strapless gowns and everyone was ready for this special day to begin.

The day’s formalities began at St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church in Cherry Hill.  Gorgeous flowers from Leigh Florist featuring the rich colors of fall flanked the altar.  These blooms were a beautiful complement to the bridesmaids’ lovely burgundy, plum, pink and orange bouquets.  At the altar, Paul kept his back turned until Jeanann walked halfway up the aisle.  At that point, he turned around for his first look at his beautiful bride.  We loved the expressions on their faces – the excitement and emotion that neither could hold back at that moment. The rings emerged from their safe keeping (literally, out from the safe!) for the beautiful exchange and ceremony.

During the traditional ceremony, wonderful Greek/Arabic Byzantine Orthodox wedding rituals were performed. We discovered that many of which included repeating a task three times to represent the Holy Trinity.  One of the most important rituals was the Crowning ceremony, which symbolized the royalty of marriage with Jeanann and Paul as the queen and king of their new family.  Delicate white pearl and crystal crowns joined together by a white ribbon were presented and placed onto Jeanann and Paul’s heads with blessings, representing their unity.  The crowns were then swapped three times.  This is where their official marriage began.  Afterwards, another lovely rite performed was Circling the Table.  In this ritual, Jeanann and Paul were led around the altar three times, representing the dance of Isaiah.  It also symbolized Jeanann and Paul’s first steps as a married couple.

After the ceremony concluded, we traveled to their reception venue, Trump National Golf Club, Philadelphia in Pine Hill, NJ.  Their photo shoot outside with the pristine rolling greens in the background was incredible!  The wind was blowing steadily, providing wonderful ‘rock star’ shots for their photographer, Steven Silvers of Silver Image Photography!

Inside the clubhouse at Trump National Philadelphia, the traditional portion of the day took a back seat to the unexpected and to the fun!  Jeanann and Paul’s wedding cake from Stella Baking Company was an unbelievable work of art!  The four tiers took the ‘ruffled wedding cake’ to the extreme!  Jeanann and Paul personalized their wedding by displaying memories of their life together (so far!) in photo frames, highlighting many of the fun – and funny –  times they’ve shared.  And their first dance was a true thriller!  Kyle Michelle Weddings helped the couple to put together a truly exciting and wonderful wedding event!

And the party was just getting started!  CTO Park Central’s high energy, electric sound kept guests dancing to the hits all evening long!  But we’ll also not soon forget the touching first dances that were shared between Jeanann and Paul and their families and the traditional Bridal Candle Dance that captivated all in attendance.

We want to wish all the best to Jeanann and Paul, best friends and soul mates.  Congratulations!

Cinematographers:  Glen Elliott  //  Violet Elliott  //  Lisa Skala

Editor:  Glen Elliott

Photographer:  Silver Image Photography – Haddonfield, NJ

Floral Design:  Leigh Florist – Audubon, NJ

Hair Stylist:  Martino Cartier Salon – Sewell, NJ

Makeup Artist:  Martino Cartier Salon (Liz) – Sewell, NJ

Entertainment:  CTO – Park Central – Philadelphia, PA

Cake:  Stella Baking Company – Sewell, NJ

Wedding Planner:  Kyle Michelle Weddings – Mullica Hill, NJ

Officiant:  Father Emmanuel and Father Elias Bitar

Church:  St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church – Cherry Hill, NJ

Venue:  Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia – Pine Hill, NJ

Accommodations:  Hyatt Place – Mt. Laurel, NJ