Weddings at Raven and the Peach have become some of my favorite to photograph.  Part of that was who I got to photograph.  Kevin and Melissa were AMAZING to work with.  Very laid back and just went with the flow of the day.   They both got ready at a nearby hotel, which is also where we did the first look.  Some Weddings at Raven and the Peach may look a little different, part because the ceremony for this wedding was at the Nauvoo Grill in Rumson.  A restaurant right across the street.  The ceremony location was beautiful.  The rustic wooden architecture and the gorgeous fireplace made for a beautiful backdrop.  I find that weddings at Raven and the Peach feature another element which cannot be underestimated...AMAZING FOOD!  Folks this is not your ordinary wedding reception food.  I found the food to be unreal.   Well enough about the venue, lets talk about Melissa and Kevin.   For more about these two..here is a blurb from Melissa:

"How We Met:

Kevin and I met at the end of 2013 through our roommates who were dating at the time. We had hung out a few times with friends and Kevin told me that he wanted to get a group together to go to the American Museum of Natural History, so we exchanged phone numbers. The week we were supposed to go, I asked Kevin if we were still going, but he told me that no one else was able to go. I suggested that we could still go, and we did. Kevin likes to tell people that I asked him out (which I guess I did). However, on our first outing to the museum, neither of us knew it was really a date. It was not until our second date that we talked about it and decided that the museum outing was actually a date. The rest is history!

The Proposal:

I work on Saturdays, but Kevin suggested that we have a date night when I got home. I agreed and went off to work. In the afternoon, Kevin was texting me and asking when I would be home. I was cleaning up at work, and my co-workers were trying to get me to leave, which I thought was weird, but I agreed since Kevin and I had plans to go out. On my way home, Kevin continued to text me asking for my status and arrival time. I was starting to think something was up...Kevin told me that he had decided to cook (it is not often that Kevin decides to cook) and he needed to know when the food should be ready.  When I walked into our apartment, Kevin was dressed up and standing in the middle of the room. The lights were dim with tons of tea light candles lit. I stood in the doorway wearing my scrubs from work with my backpack on and was surprised and confused, but at the same time knowing exactly what was about to happen. I just kept saying "what is going on here?" and "what are you doing?." Kevin got down on one knee and proposed. Obviously, I said YES! When he tried to put the ring on my finger, I refused and told him that I needed to wash my hands first (which he really should have expected given that I am such a clean freak). We ate dinner (which he had ordered in...and not actually cooked) and then he told me we were going out for dessert. As we were walking to the "dessert place," Kevin told me that it was a place that I had never been before. However, we turned down a residential street with only one bar, where we had been many times. As we were entering the bar, I gave Kevin a look and I thought I knew what was about to happen. I expected some local friends to be there ready to celebrate and party. However, when we got inside, I saw all of our close friends and family waiting to celebrate with us. When we had talked about getting married, I told Kevin that if he proposed, I wanted it to be in private. However, Kevin is a social butterfly and loves surrounding himself with friends and family. So the proposal was a perfect mix for both of us: a romantic, private proposal and a celebratory, festive party with people that we love. 

The Wedding Planning:

There is not too much to say on this. Kevin and I planned the wedding together. I think Kevin would agree that I did the majority of the planning and work (with a huge help from my mom), but he was definitely involved and opinionated!  We both wanted the day to really reflect us, so we asked his brother to officiate.  Although there were some stressful and very busy times throughout the planning, we enjoyed the process and were so excited for October 1st to arrive. Very cliche to say, but the day was perfect!"

No matter how many weddings at Raven and the Peach I photograph, I am pretty sure this will always be my favorite.   Special thanks to my second shooter John Argueta.  

I hope everyone enjoyed this wedding at Raven and the Peach by New Jersey Wedding Photographer Delgado Studios.  We are fine art documentary photographers based out of Old Bridge, NJ.  We photograph weddings in New Jersey, New York City and Eastern PA.  We are also available for destination weddings.