I found Jesse while researching wedding venues and discovered the photos he shot of John Mulaney…read moreand Annamarie Tendler's wedding through Onteora Mountain House's website. I thought they were absolutely stunning and that his work managed to capture the tender moments of such a special day so effortlessly and beautifully. We didn't end up booking Onteora, but I knew we had to book Jesse!
When I showed my now-husband Jesse's work, we felt like we were there with the couples and the families - we could feel the magic of the beautiful occasion in a way we just could not with a lot of other wedding photographers. We also loved the way that he paired these couples with the gorgeous landscapes of the natural elements around them. From reading other online reviews about him, we really liked that many people said they felt that they almost didn't know he was there, but that they were left with photographs that perfectly captured their love.
We were pretty much sold on Jesse before we even got on the phone with him -- yet, somehow things got better and better from there! Jesse's a breath of fresh air; just a really, really great guy. He managed to take two people who aren't too great at being the center of attention, and somehow make them feel relaxed and comfortable about being in front of the camera for an entire day. After we got off the phone with Jesse, my now-husband and I looked at each other and just knew he was the guy.
Our engagement session was amazing -- just my then-fiancé, me and Jesse out in the middle of the Pine Barrens. I left the session feeling so excited about our choice in photographer. And when the photos came?! INCREDIBLE.
Jesse made the wedding planning process a breeze. We booked him well in advance (about a year and a half before our wedding date), but Jesse maintained the conversation with us by email and on social media the entire time. He is professional, punctual and organized, and had us feeling well-prepared the few days before our wedding (which is hard to do during such a stressful time!). We trusted him to make it great!
The big day was absolutely magical. Jesse shot our wedding solo, and somehow managed to be everywhere at once the entire day! He was warm and friendly to all of our family and friends; his great personality and sense of humor had everyone at ease from getting ready, to the first look, to family photos, to the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, all night long. Our family couldn't stop telling us throughout the day what a great guy Jesse is, and how comfortable he made them feel.
It rained the morning of our wedding day, and I'll be forever thankful to Jesse for convincing us to take the tent down when the sun started peeking out right before our ceremony. (Aside from my own husband, I've never trusted a guy more!)
Jesse got the photos to us amazingly fast, and we decided to have a little "viewing party" with our immediate family. Even though we knew he'd be fantastic, his work just BLEW US AWAY. The photos took us on an emotional journey, telling the story of our wedding in the most beautiful way. As we were going through the photos, there was laughter, there were tears, there were exclamations of "how did he get that shot?" and "wow, I didn't even know he was there!" -- and there were sequences where we just sat there in complete silence, in utter awe at what we were viewing on the screen.
These photos are truly works of art, treasures of captured memories to cherish forever. There are no words to describe how grateful we are to Golden Hour Studios for making our wedding day nothing less than absolutely perfect.
