Wedding | Marlee & Ziggy – Maritime Parc Wedding in Jersey City, NJ
Months before the wedding, we met for Marlee and Ziggy’s engagement session at Bear Mountain. A few days earlier, Marlee had sprained her ankle running a race. Here’s the thing: most people would’ve suggested rescheduling. Instead, she showed up anyway, strapped on a boot, and climbed around a mountaintop on what we jokingly referred to as “three good legs” between the two of them – and somehow we still captured some of my favorite photos I’ve ever photographed. The cotton-candy sunset was absolutely delicious, the light was perfect, and if you didn’t know she was injured, you’d never guess it from the photographs.
That was my first clue about the two of them. They weren’t the type to let circumstances dictate the experience.
As it turns out, that attitude would come in handy.
The week before their wedding, there was a very reasonable chance I wasn’t going to make it. A medical emergency landed me in the hospital, and behind the scenes we quietly started preparing backup plans just in case. Thankfully everything came together, I was discharged a few days before the wedding, and nobody was none the wiser.
I should also mention: Marlee’s parents are retired wedding photographers.
Not photographers in the sense that they happened to shoot a few weddings years ago. This was their career. They spent years photographing weddings together as a husband-and-wife team before eventually retiring. Naturally, I was aware of that walking into the day. Whenever someone has spent decades doing exactly what you do, there’s always a tiny voice in the back of your head reminding you that they know how quickly weddings move. They know what’s happening behind the scenes. They know when things are running ahead of schedule and when they’re not.
The funny thing is, once the day got going, none of that mattered.
They weren’t photographers anymore.
They were mom and dad.
After years of making sure other families had photographs of moments like these, they finally got to spend an entire wedding simply enjoying their own daughter’s. Watching that unfold was honestly one of my favorite parts of the day.
The details felt very much like Marlee and Ziggy themselves. Elegant without being flashy. Their custom vow books, engraved ring box, white florals, soft greenery, and understated design all worked together without ever feeling like they were trying too hard. Everything felt intentional, but nothing distracted from the people.
Then the weather decided it wanted to participate.
It rained for a good part of the day, which isn’t exactly what you hope for when you’re planning waterfront portraits in Jersey City. Fortunately, we caught one perfectly timed break in the weather, and everybody immediately shifted into high gear. Marlee and Ziggy had an extensive family photo list – what felt like approximately one billion combinations – and somehow everyone was exactly where they needed to be. Nobody wandered off. Nobody disappeared to the bar. Nobody suddenly remembered they needed to use the restroom. We absolutely flew through family formals, finished every single combination before the rain returned, still had time for the ketubah signing, and nobody missed cocktail hour. I’m fairly certain we accidentally set some sort of unofficial industry record.
One of the reasons I enjoy photographing a Maritime Parc wedding is that even when the weather isn’t cooperating, the venue gives you plenty to work with. We moved between the marina, covered walkways, the waterfront, and the clean architectural spaces around the property without ever feeling rushed. Then later that evening, just when we thought the weather had finally had enough fun, we slipped outside with a clear umbrella for a few nighttime portraits against the Manhattan skyline. Those ended up being some of my favorite photographs from the entire day.
The rest of the evening followed suit. The live band kept the dance floor packed, the speeches struck that perfect balance between heartfelt and embarrassing, guests made good use of the photo booth, and the basket of “Dancing Feet” flip-flops slowly emptied as the night went on. Whoever first decided to put comfortable shoes at a wedding reception deserves some sort of humanitarian award.
Looking back now, it’s funny how many opportunities this wedding had to go sideways.
Marlee’s ankle before the engagement session.
My unexpected hospital stay the week before.
Rain on the wedding day.
An enormous family photo list.
None of it really mattered.
Everyone simply adjusted, kept moving, and focused on what they were actually there for. By the end of the night, nobody was talking about the weather or the logistics. They were talking, laughing, dancing, and celebrating with the people they loved.
