Jessica + Nico + Lily + Max | Engagement Session | Natirar
Two nights ago, I had the pleasure of photographing Jessica & Nico’s engagement session at Natirar Park in Peapack-Gladstone, NJ. It actually was a hybrid family photography session & engagement session. They asked if they could bring Max & Lily along. Who am I to say no?
The park is right down the hill from Natirar Weddings (one of my favorite venues!) and Ninety Acres restaurant.
We initially met to chat about how I will tell their wedding day’s Love Story with my camera while enjoying coffee at Boxwood Coffee Roasters in Westfield, NJ. We had a wonderful visit. We got to know each other better, we pored over a couple of my wedding albums, and we could all tell that this was an instant match; kind of like Jessica & Nico. You could just see it written all over their faces...They were laughing, playing around, and just truly enjoying being together. THIS is the kind of couple every wedding photographer dreams about.
I asked Jessica a few questions to help us all learn a little bit more about how they came to be, and how their love story has been unfolding ever since.
Take it away Jessica!
”Our setting for our engagement photography session was absolutely beautiful and so serene. Our lives have been so chaotic lately. We just had our second baby while having a maniac wildman toddler, in the midst of completely renovating our house, planning a wedding, and topping it all off with COVID. It was so awesome to be able to calm down and be us. It was so easy to escape the world around you and be together in such a naturally beautiful place! We wish we got to see more of it!
We noticed that Daniel Nydick Wedding Photography was mentioned numerous times in a Bride & Wedding related Facebook group. I especially remember Jamie & Jaymes posting the gallery of their pictures and I fell in love with your work! I inquired on your website and got a personal call from you right away. You were so easy to talk to and I felt like we were already friends! Then after meeting you in person, we knew you were the perfect fit to be our engagement and wedding photographer! After our engagement session at Natirar yesterday, we fell in love with you even more and can't wait to have you photograph our wedding day!!!
A little bit about how Nico & I met…
We actually 'met' on OK cupid and had been talking for a few weeks before meeting in person. Nico had gone to Florida on vacation with his family and spent the whole week talking to me! We met up at Houlihan’s for a drink the day he came home. It actually almost didn't happen after I had a moment where I get tired and said we'd try another night, but then I caught a second wind and asked if he still wanted to meet up. Nico had already gotten in bed for the night when I canceled, but he got back up and ready and came to meet me anyway! (he almost said screw her after I canceled, but decided to give me another chance! I'm glad he did ;) ) Nico is very shy when you first meet him, but once he gets more comfortable, you can't shut him up. The conversation before meeting in person had flown so easily and I knew we had a connection, so when he seemed so shy, my goal was to break him in. It didn't take long and I knew I had him! LOL! I accidentally maayyy have gotten a little more than tipsy off the whopping 2 bloody marys I had, so Nico stayed there with me until they closed so I could sober up, even though he had to get up at 5 am for work the next morning! I also may have been slightly more flirtatious than I would've been otherwise! Ha! At the end of the night, I finally gave him my phone number and a kiss and we've been inseparable ever since!
Jump to Halloween 2019...We were dressed as Barney, Betty, and Max as Bam Bam. We have been having Halloween at our house a few years and our families are pretty close and obsessed with Max, so when our ENTIRE immediate family was coming over for Max's first Halloween where he understood the concept, I didn't think anything of it! Well, our whole family lined up out front to take pictures of us in our costumes (or so I thought!), I didn't think anything of it. In reality, they were all there to watch Nico propose and record/take pictures! I was so surprised!!!! We were posing for a picture and I was holding Max. Then out of nowhere Nico took Max from me and kneeled down. I was so confused, but then I realized what was going on and was shocked!! I couldn't even remember what hand the ring went on! (Then we found out we were expecting Lily a few days later!)
When looking for a wedding venue, we knew the overall feel we were going for. We were also interested in the idea of a hotel venue since we have a lot of family coming from out of state and we are getting married in March- God forbid it snows, etc., I don’t want people having to worry about that. We saw maybe 7 venues or so and none of them excited us. As soon as we walked into the ballroom at the Eatontown Sheraton, we knew it was it! It just felt right and was within our budget. We didn't even find a second option- nothing else compared to the Sheraton for us.”
