The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor Wedding - Tia + Brendan

Tia and Brendan had the most beautiful Gramercy at Lakeside Manor Wedding! After an extra year of planning and getting married to the same person twice already, Tia and Brendan finally celebrated their dream wedding!

The Love Story

Tia and Brendan met while visiting friends at the University of Scranton. Tia lived in Philly at the time and Brendan lived in Ithaca, NY. The first night they met, they hit it off so well and disappeared together! Brendan’s brother, and best man, said Brendan was gone for hours and started to get worried. Turns out, Tia and Brendan went to grab pizza together! They spent the next 3 years in a long distance relationship 4 hours away from each other. Eventually, they bought a home together and got engaged at Myrtle Beach.

The two had originally planned to get married in May 2020, but the world had other plans. They had to make the difficult decision to push their wedding back to 2021 even though they had already secretly married in March 2020. On their original date, May 16th, 2020, they had another celebration. The pandemic wouldn’t stop them from saying their vows that day!

Bride and Groom Getting ready in Red Bank, NJ

Tia and Brendan both spent the morning with their best friends at the Courtyard Marriott in Redbank. The hotel was newly renovated and the rooms were gorgeous! The spaces were full of neutral colors and large windows which made for great natural light photos! If you’re looking for the perfect getting ready locations, look for neutral colors and lots of natural light.

Tia put a lot of thought into every last detail of the day, including her bridal details. Her invitation suite was white with beautiful script fonts and ivory envelopes all wrapped up in a pretty champagne bow. She had the most beautiful Badgley Mischka heels with gorgeous stone embellishments on the heel that made me go totally heart eyed! She also had a velvet ring box to hold her rings and other jewelry, it was the perfect touch! Tia’s details all flowed so well together, I could have spent hours photographing it all!

Brendan spent the morning getting ready with his best friends, including his brother and best man, JT. The guys all joked about how many times JT would cry that day.. I think they landed at 14 times for the over/under. It’s so sweet how close these two brothers are, and JT was beaming with pride all day!

First Look at The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor

After some back and forth during planning, Tia and Brendan decided to have their First Look before their ceremony to shake off some nerves. They also wanted to finish all of their portraits early so they could enjoy their cocktail hour! We set up their First Look inside the main entryway at The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor which is floor to ceiling windows. As Brendan waited for Tia, I asked how he was feeling and he said he was so excited to see her and was so pumped to see her ASAP! They had the cutest moments, just the two of them, and were able to enjoy each other’s company without the hustle and bustle of everyone around.

We went outside for bride and groom portraits and although it was a bit cold for April, it was so beautiful! The Gramercy is a pretty white building with a garden area in the back. Even though it wasn’t in bloom yet, it was still a perfect backdrop for photos!

Beautiful Wedding Ceremony at the Gramercy at Lakeside Manor

Tia and Brendan’s ceremony was absolutely beautiful and SO emotional. There were tears walking down the aisle, tears throughout the ceremony, tears during vow reading, tears in the crowd, and even tears from the photographers! (Yes.. even though I just met you in the last year or so, there is a 100% chance I will cry at least once during your wedding day, haha!).

The officiant had so many special moments planned for their ceremony and briefed me on them before the start. The first special moment was before the ring exchange. She had JT bring the wedding bands to each grand parent so they could bless the rings and wish the newlyweds a long and happy marriage. The next was during the unity ceremony when each mother was asked to come up and pour the wine into each Tia and Brendan’s glasses. Their moms gave them their first kiss when they entered the world and then kissed them for the last time before they entered this new stage in their lives. *Cue the sobbing.* All of the guests were then included in pronouncing the couple “again and forever” and it was so special!

Husband and Wife Sunset Portraits in Hazlet NJ

After ceremony and some extended family photos, we stepped outside for a few quick husband and wife sunset portraits because there was a pretty sunset glow! Brendan was happy it was quick because he was so ready to eat some cocktail hour food!

Classic and Elegant Wedding Reception at the Gramercy at Lakeside Manor

Tia and Brendan’s theme for the day was classy and elegant which was so easy to pull off at The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor. The ballroom has beautiful chandeliers all over the venue, including one large one in the center of the ballroom. The tables had beautiful large centerpieces with a mix of white roses, other white flowers and greenery plus gorgeous candelabras.

Tia’s father gave a wonderful welcome speech and Tia’s sister, Niki and Brendan’s brother, JT gave amazing speeches that made everyone laugh and cry. Tia’s father was so funny and had everyone raising their hands throughout his story. Niki’s toast also has so many heartwarming and funny stories describing how excited she is to have a new brother and the fact that they get along so well (Sorry Tia, I’m with them.. there is ALWAYS room for ice cream!). And lastly, JT (remember the over/under?). Wonderful memories of the couple and the special moments they’ve all had together were sprinkled throughout his toast. JT fought back tears multiple times throughout his speech and while he said he didn’t cry 14 times, I think we’d have to go back for an official count, because it was definitely close!

Congratulations again to this amazing couple, Tia and Brendan! If you plan on getting married to the same person for the 4th time, please let us know because we wouldn’t miss it for the world!