Welcome to the jubilee journal
Here, we share expert planning tips, design inspiration, real event stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the magic we create. Whether you’re dreaming up your wedding, hosting a milestone event, or simply looking for creative ideas to make life’s moments more special, our journal is filled with insights to guide and inspire. At Jubilee Events, we believe every celebration should be as meaningful as it is beautiful—so let’s bring your vision to life, one unforgettable detail at a time!
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Last Tuesday I had the fun opportunity of modeling for Carla Ten Eyck + Team on a photo shoot they were doing at the New Haven Lawn Club (which is super dreamy by the way… all the unique rooms and spaces, plus that checkered black and white floor!), with The White Dress by the Shore, Datura, and Jennie Fresa Beauty. It was a ton of fun! I wanted to share some of the photographs of all their beautiful work, including the insane floral designs of Datura.
Arn’t they GORGEOUS??
Yeah…. its a shawl… made out of orchids!!
Can you believe this parasol made out of FLOWERS and LEAVES? It was so angelic! I want one!
Jennie Fresa and her studio did all the hair and make up for the day. They did an AMAZING job. Jennie is launching her own product line and used all of her products on us too!
All the dresses, including that fun short little white dress, were all courtesy of our friend Beth Chapman at The White Dress by the Shore. My favorite dress was the red Jenny Yoo one above…. it is so beautiful!! I’m considering ordering one for our rehearsal dinner!
To see more beautiful images visit Carla Ten Eyck, Erik Maziarz, Katie Slater, Graham Scobey and Ashley Scobey.
So.. after this post… its all about my wedding. Stay tuned!
Two weeks ago I had the AMAZING opportunity to be photographed by the ridiculously talented Eric Langlois of raw photo design in Danbury, Connecticut. I contacted Eric many months back to set up a trash the dress session BEFORE my wedding and he was totally game! I wanted to do something different, fun, and geared toward me. I didn’t want to do anything that included water, sand, or woods–so not me. In college I would sneak into old, abandoned and decrepit buildings to photograph them (some of my favorites were Norwich Mental Hospital and Holy Land in Waterbury). I love the stories they would lend and it was so much fun to investigate their history.
Before we go any further — HUGE thanks to Eric Langlois of raw photo design who was totally game for breathing in asbestosis. Also, Tom from Paradigm DV collaborated with us and filmed the entire thing. I saw some raw footage of it and let me tell you, it is SICK (I can’t WAIT to share it!). The dress I wore was “Aimee” from Modern Trousseau via The White Dress by the Shore. The dress was so gorgeous and comfortable– it fit like a glove! My good friend Elisabeth from Blush Floral Design designed the most gorgeous bouquet, inspired by the vintage location we were shooting at. My favorite part? The little bits of tulle she incorporated through out the. My hair and makeup was done by Catie Bane of Dana Bartone & Co. She took my idea of Dita Von Teese and Katherine Heigl and merged them together. Don’t you think she did a super fabulous job? The birdcage veil and fascinator was from Brenda’s Brdal Veils via etsy.com.
A few years ago I came across this abandoned girls college in New York and knew that someday I would have to go back and investigate it myself. Eric and I were tossing around some cool locations to shoot at and then the light bulb went off in my brain! Armed with flash lights and bail money the three of us created a way inside and investigated the top three floors. The site was as scary and desolate as it looks above. The inside was VERY decayed and heavily vandalized; overall, it was pretty dangerous — a whole section of the building had caved in from three floors down (Watch where you step was really an understatement). Having been abandoned for over thirty years the floors were very soft, the paint chipped, weeds and vines had made their way inside. It was absolutely awesome and lived up to every expectation I had.
Eric had some killer ideas and his guidance was amazing. He has such a keen ability to make you feel COMFORTABLE in front of the camera. I was so nervous I was going to give bad Zoolander face — but he steered me in the right direction!!
On our way back, we jumped out of the truck and took a few photographs in this roadside field.. They turned out to be some of my absolute favorites!
Eric has so many more amazing photographs and a killer slideshow on his blog — click here for the slideshow and click here for some additional shots! I didn’t want to post all of them here so go show his blog some LOVE!
If your photographer offers engagement sessions, be sure to schedule one. It is a great opportunity to work with them prior to your wedding day, and it really allows them to learn more about you, your style, personality, and what style of photography you like. I spent the latter part of this week doing a bit of inspirational research on engagement sessions. As a matter of fact, there is a whole website dedicated to the art of the unusual and fun engagement session: Are We Married Yet?
I love when couples put thought into the details of their engagement pictures: wardrobe changes, cool accessories, amazing locations, and great personal energy all contribute to spectacular photographs. I say: do something different! Go to a unique location, have your photographer capture you doing something other than posing on a park bench. Love wine? Go to a vineyard. Like football? Wear your team jerseys and play touch football in a local park. Obsessed with vintage old Hollywood? Get all dolled up to resemble Greta Garbo, Bette Davis… or better yet, Betty Paige. Reenact The Honeymooners, Ricky and Lucy, or old Good Housekeeping ads. If you have a favorite artist or painting, why not reenact them? Favorite movie? Remake one of the scenes (I’m thinking When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, Dirty Dancing!!, A Streetcar Named Desire, Bonnie & Clyde, An Officer and a Gentleman, Ghost, feel free to continue…). Spend the day at a movie theater, go to a carnival, oyster festival, flee market, amusement park, or concert. Ride a bike, get on a motorcycle, rent a vintage car, skate board, go horseback riding, rent a trolley. Have a fun, interesting, cute, unique story of how you met? Talk to your photographer about it and see if they have any ideas on how to pay homage to it.
The point is: do something out of the ordinary! It isn’t often that the two of you will be together with an entire afternoon dedicated to capturing who you are on film. But don’t just take my word for it – I asked a few of my favorite photographers for their advice on engagement sessions and here is what they’ve said:
“I always ask, if you have a free weekend to do whatever you want to do, you know you’re going to have a great time doing it, and distance and cost do not matter, what would you do?” Richard Esposito of RE Photo Design has worked with some really creative and fun couples. He just did a super fun engagement session at Disney Land, click here to check it out! Some other fun engagement sessions from Richard: Yale Baseball Field and A fun day in Newport. You can see all of Richard’s engagement sessions here!
Jerome Braga of Studio1923 has done some pretty amazing engagement photoshoots, too! “I always ask is to split the session in two parts. One more about fashion, scenery, architecture, etc and the other part about fun. The fun part is REALLY about them.” I think this is the perfect recipe for great engagement photo shoots! Check out some unique and fun ones that Jerome has done, such as Theatre Date, Toboggan or Not Toboggan, and It Ain’t Utah!. You can view a “best of” montage by clicking here!
Val McCormick of Val McCormick Photography recently had an awesome engagement shoot featured on Are We Married Yet? She says, “Engagement sessions are a great opportunity to have fun, romantic and playful photographs of the two of you, it is also a great time to either try out or get to know your wedding photographer. I have found that engagement sessions really give me the opportunity to get to the bride and groom a little better and help “break the ice” prior to one of the most important days of their lives.” I couldn’t agree more! Check out Val’s blog for more engagement session goodness!
Feel free to browse some of our favorite photographers websites who have all done amazing, awesome, fun engagement sessions (too many to highlight!): RJT Pictures, raw photo design, Carla Ten Eyck, Orchard Cove Photography, and Studiofoto, to name a few!
My friend Amanda of Orchard Cove Photography is introducing Boudoir photography to Connecticut and New England brides! Amanda has such an amazing eye and I can’t wait to see her style translate into these intimate portraits. Take a look at a recent Orchard Cove boudoir session below and get on the phone to schedule yours!
Over lunch with my good friend Robin Dini I mentioned this AMAZING California wedding I had come across. Heather and Scott took the idea of getting married in an enchanted forest to an entirely new level — the flowers, the fairies, the sock puppets — and not to mention the insanely talented photographer Tanja Lippert! I don’t think any description that I can provide will do this wedding justice, so enjoy the pictures below. But for all my photography friends — can you imagine arriving on the wedding day to be met with this?
Big thanks to Tanja Lippert Photography for letting us share her photographs with you. To see more, visit her blog!
I’m sure booze had a big role in the creation of these pictures, and luckily for these folks, there were some awesome photographers around to capture them. I don’t think I can choose a favorite out of this bunch — they are all equally awesome on their own terms. There is one set, however, that has proven to be epic. And yes, I’m talking about that insane photo booth session posted over on Raw Photo and its star, this dude:
I think he may have even lost his pants, but the point is, he had a good time! Here are some of my other favorite party photographs:
Photographs courtesy of Orchard Cove Photography, RAW Photo Design, Robert & Kathleen Photographers, and Lam Photography.
I hope you enjoyed our series. Big thanks to all my favorite photographers for letting me hijack their photographs and feature them here!
Most couples can’t wait for that moment after (or, as we suggest, before!) their ceremony where they get to slink away from the hustle and bustle of wedding day and be with one another. That quiet time together with your photographer? Savior it! It is one of the few moments through out the day where you can relish in your love for one another… and of course, get some fabulous pictures! Here are my favorite husband and wife moments, courtesy of Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Orchard Cove Photography, RAW Photo Design, RJT Pictures, Lam Photography, and Justin & Mary Marantz.
Sometimes they get nervous and sometimes they cry. Often times, though, they steal the show. The little guys are such an important component to any wedding ceremony, and remind us all that we shouldn’t take things too seriously. They are also a testament to the notion that nothing goes as planned! Here are some memorable photographs, starting off with my favorite from Mrs. Ten Eyck and her three gorgeous flower girls:
Photographs courtesy of Carla Ten Eyck Photography, RAW Photo Design, RJT Pictures, and Justin & Mary Marantz.
I love how these photographers come up with fun, quirky, and unique ways to photograph some of Connecticut’s wedding rings. My favorite? Hands down, it would have to be Eric from Raw Photo Design’s rings on a LAMB chop bone.
Here are some more of my favorites, from the talented Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Robin Dini Photography, RAW Photo Design, RJT Pictures, Orchard Cove, and Justin & Mary Marantz.
