When reflecting on 2016, this was one I certainly won't forget! As a Bergen County Photographer there is always something nice about having a wedding where you shoot in familiar locations and those that are just the opposite.  I've had the opportunity to shoot at Our Lady of Victories in Harrington Park a bunch of times the past few years.  Gina and Sal had a beautiful and personal ceremony, of course their adorable son Anthony stole the show (and half of our shots!) We then spent time with Sal + Gina's Crew taking some of the most epic bridal party and wedding couple portraits thus far.  The remainder of the night at The View on the Hudson was just so fun.  It seemed like every other minute Erika my amazing second shooter for the day and I were either laughing or had tears in our eyes.  Everyone there clearly cared about them so much.  Thank you Sal and Gina for having us spend such a meaningful day with you guys! 

Kevin and Nicole had one of the most unique engagement sessions of 2016, reason being they shared it with their super cute kids! One of the best things about Kristen Maus Photography couples are that no two are alike.  Everyone has their own story. How they met, the first date, and of course how they got engaged.  Adding kids into the mix makes it all the more interested and fun! Kevin and Nicole were so easy to work with.  From their attire (how good does Nicole look in that dress? And Kevin looks pretty dapper too!) to how comfortable and affectionate they were, it just made the session fly by. My other favorite thing about this NJ engagement session was that it took place at the New Jersey Botanical Gardens.  Skylands has so many amazing landscape and architectural details along the way, it also gave the little ones, Shannon and Will time to take breaks and explore all that the NJ Botanical gardens has to offer.  As a Bergen County Photographer its always one of the most reliable places to shoot, it has something to offer literally every season.  I absolutely loved spending time with Kevin and Nicole and getting a little glimpse into their family and the love they share between them.  I can't wait for their wedding this fall!

Being a Bergen County Photographer, one thing we are always on the hunt for is amazing undiscovered locations.  If you know anything about Bergen county, you may know this isn't necessarily easy to find.  When Drew mentioned shooting at a park in her hometown of Old Tappan, I was stumped. I couldn't find any pictures of sessions from the park, let alone any pictures at all.  When we got there on the day of the session, I was pleasantly surprised.  The summer humidity had started to settle, cloudy skies had scared away most park goers, and we had the place mostly to ourselves.  Drew and Billy were up for anything during their engagement session.  They didn't bat an eye when I asked them to pose, even if I sent them into the woods! Thank you Billy and Drew for being so sweet and open-minded spending time with me, I can't wait for your big day in June! 

This post has been over 4 years in the making.  Although we've only had our new home since the spring and starting living in it this summer, we've been saving, working, and searching for the perfect home.  The market here in Bergen County isn't easy.  Homes go quick and to find a home that really has everything you want and in your price range is pretty much impossible .  We knew the only person Joe and I trusted to help us with this task was Mike Russini.  While Mike is family, he is also honest and someone we could trust with helping us make this decision.  When we were ready to start searching we had to jump on a house when it was the one, and low and behold, the one was house #3 on our first day of searching.  I'll never forget going to see it around 5:00, it was dark and we were tired and the minute they started talking about construction I was on my way out the door.  But Joe and Mike couldn't let this house go within a few weeks it was ours! It was the perfect mix of needs work but not a complete tear down.  While we had a lot of work ahead of us we had a ton of great help from family to get us through.  Joe did an insane about of work through the spring, spending nights at the house sanding, spackling, and waiting for me to pick paint colors.  While there's still work to do, (not even showing you the basement right now) we truly love living here, this home is really a reflection of us and Colton.  It's just the right amount of space we need right now with an awesome backyard.  We always knew when we left south Jersey our next home would be the forever home, I just never knew how complete it would make us feel as a family. 

Was this the summer of firsts? It seems so when I got to check another box off the list by heading down to LBI to spend time shooting Kim and Phil's beach engagement session prior to their winter NYE wedding! Although this wasn't my first time shooting at the Jersey shore, you can see Jen + Matt's LBI wedding and Amy + Jason's day, it was my first engagement session, which is such a different feel than a wedding.  We really utilized the three things that make the beach: sun, sand, and the water. We kept it simple and just enjoyed the weather and near empty beach.  One thing I love with engagement sessions is you can totally work the timing around your wedding. Phil and Kim decided on summer and the beach since they'll be in the dead of winter and hopefully snow for their wedding.  Have contrasting photographs of you two will bring the diversity needed when hanging these memories in your home.  Thank you Phil and Kim for spending some time with me while on vacation! Can't wait to count down the new year with you guys in a few months!

Michelle and Jim gave me a very surprising first for their New Jersey Engagement Session. Finally, three years after the start of Kristen Maus Photography, I was asked to shoot a session in Hoboken! Urban sessions provide so many of my favorite backdrops - cobblestone, brick, interesting architecture, and of course, the beautiful skyline.  Hoboken has such a great variety in such a small space that it gave us a great chance to explore some well-known areas as well as some undiscovered gems.  It’s always so much fun traipsing through a location on an adventure to find the perfect frame! 
As a Bergen County Wedding Photographer, I have the pleasure of photographing engagement sessions for many brides and grooms. I’m always on the lookout for a new location with good lighting and complimentary landscapes. Though an engagement session location can be delightfully simple, it can also be reminiscent of a sentimental moment, like your first date, or it can represent who you are as a couple. It’s a great way to express your coupling and commitment before your wedding day.   
During an engagement session, you can kick back, relax and get to know the rhythms of your photographer a little more. This will help prepare you for the wedding day portraits. The more relaxed you are around your photographer, the more pleased you’ll be with the final product. Think of the engagement session as a dress rehearsal where you get amazing photographs of you and your spouse-to-be in a location that’s beautiful, meaningful, or perhaps even both. 
A big thank you to Michelle and Jim for taking the time to discover all the great views that Hoboken has to offer, and of course for sharing this awesome time before your wedding with me!

2016 has felt like the year of the rustic wedding and Jesse and Jane stayed true to that! A true down-home celebration that celebrated them as a couple in the most simplest of fashions, completely unique to them.  There were strung lights, hot dogs, bug spray, and bbq sauce as favors.  Pretty much all of my favorite things rolled into one night.  Guests ate inside the lit up barn while dancing under a tent surrounded by New Jersey woodlands (and maybe a creature or two!) Jane and Jesse were such an easy going down to earth couple.  They along with their family and friends made my night so enjoyable.  Hope you two enjoy newly married life!

I first met up with Gina and Sal in one of the more nontraditional ways.  Gina actually won a family mini-session last fall and we had the best time shooting, that time including their adorable son Anthony.  Once Sal proposed and Gina started planning, everything fell into place and here we are now, only 2 months before their wedding!! For their engagement session we headed to one of my favorite places, Liberty State Park in Jersey City.  This location is near and dear to my heart since it was where Joe and I did our engagement session.  For Gina and Sal their day was freezing!! And windy, especially on the water, but they were absolute troopers.  They are so natural and comfortable with each other it makes shooting them a breeze and I can't wait for their big day in a few weeks!! 

I met up with Megan and Mike on one of the coldest days of 2016.  With Megan and I both being teachers we were able to sneak in a Monday session and even better Megan and Mike seriously were such troopers for the cold temps.  Bundled in their adorable plaid, vests, and boots, we incorporated tons of rustic elements into their session. One thing I always tell clients is to not worry about the background so much.  Trees and flowers don't make the session, they people in them do.  Winter has long been one of my favorite times to shoot and this session seals the deal for that.  Take a peek at Megan and Mike and you'll see them again soon for their wedding in October!

The past few months have been crazy with home buying and renovating on the minds (more on that on the blog to come!). But I had to get back to blogging, kicking it off with my favorites Glenn + Jamie.  One of the easiest starts to a wedding day in our hometown of Bergenfield, it was great catching up with old friends which is one of my favorite things about getting to be a wedding photographer.  Considering it was January we had a much milder day than we could have had which was a nice surprise! After the ceremony at St. John's Catholic Church, we moved on to the Palisadium in Cliffside Park for the reception.  This crew seriously loved to party and it made the night fly by.  Huge thanks to my second shooter Jess who rocked as always.  We also had the chance to work with Kress Productions which was one of my favorite cinematographers ever, thanks Shane! On the eve of summer I hope you guys enjoy reliving some winter inspiration :)