Nestled in the picturesque mountains of Northwestern New Jersey, Rock Island Lake Club in Sparta offers a serene and rustic setting for couples seeking a unique lakeside wedding celebration with their family & friends. I've had the good pleasure of photographing dozens of weddings here since they opened in 2014 (in fact, I photographed one of their first weddings there!). Their food is amazing, the staff is incredible, and that lakefront view is just simply gorgeous, all year round.
One of my favorite memories with Rock Island Lake Club took place several years ago when we did a charity event for Wish Upon a Wedding, where vendors would come together to donate their time and services to couples who were battling cancer. Imagine my surprise when I observed BOTH of the owners working alongside their crew, behind the food stations and personally serving the guests to ensure this couple would have the wedding of their dreams. Here's the thing: charity work is always a little easier when all you have to do is write a check; but to lead by example with kindness, gratitude, and smile on your face - it's a testament to the kind of people who'll be helping you host the wedding of your dreams.
If you're planning to host a rustic wedding in New Jersey, you're going to have many options. You can rest assured that they'll all going to offer an incredible menu, impeccable service, and some of the most incredible views that the NJ countryside has to offer. But when it comes down to the people, from the bottom all the way to the top, as I described earlier in this post - who lead with kindness, generosity and gratitude, it truly makes all the difference in the world.
If you've already booked Rock Island for your wedding day,
let's check "wedding photography" off your list, yeah?
485 Glen Road
Sparta, NJ 07871
(973) 512-3995
info@rockislandlakeclub.com
Wedding cost: $$-$$$
Capacity: Up to 200 guests
Possible number of simultaneous events: 1
Venue Space Type: waterfront, lakefront, outdoor ceremony, wooded, modern, contemporary, rustic
Website
https://www.rockislandlakeclub.com/
Aside from the delicious food, attentive staff, and that incredible view - what else can couples ask for, right? Listen - every venue that you're researching will probably sell you on those things. At the end of the day, those single one of those items should be the lowest-hanging-fruit; everyone should be offering them. But as a casual observer as well as a wedding photographer who's worked here a bajillion times, here are some of the reasons we've learned were most important to our couples when they chose Rock Island Lake Club to be their favorite NJ wedding venue.
Exclusive & secluded setting
The venue's as secluded as they come, far, far away from all the busy-ness of NYC. This means that if you wish to party late into the night, you're more than welcome to do so (without annoying the neighbors). But even more importantly, Rock Island is one of the few venues in NJ that hosts only ONE wedding per day. This means you have the grounds and space to yourself, and you won't have to coordinate with other couples who might be celebrating their wedding day on the same day as you. In other words, you can go anywhere, anytime you want - no permission needed.
All-inclusive & convenient
Rock Island Lake Club offers a complete we dding experience, including same-day wedding coordination, in-house catering, and a seamless & efficient execution between the two. If you wish to get ready on-site? Not a problem! Located on the premises, you'll find two spacious "getting-ready" suites. If you need even more space? There's a luxurious, newly renovated AirBnB across the lake from the venue. Convenience is everything!
Modern amenities
The venue's design is modern and thoughtfully laid out for guests and the natural flow of your day. The management has done a great job at keeping the space freshly updated, ensuring that the space never feels "outdated". This includes the professional lighting in your reception space, the rooms where you'll be getting ready, as well as fun dessert nook where your guests will be enjoying an impressive array of pastries and sweets at the end of the night.
Food & Service
And can we talk about the food for a moment? Because if there's one thing your guests will be talking about, it's going to be about all that delicious food! From the paella to the carving station, and everything in between; you can't go wrong with anything on their menu!
Photo locations
Whether you're hosting a summer wedding or winter wedding, outdoors or indoors - Rock Island Lake Club has you covered (and by proxy, I'd be covered on the photography end as well!). We'll cover the photo locations a little later in this post, but let's just say that regardless of what the universe throws our way on your wedding day, we're going to be just fine. With my particular style of wedding photography (which tends to be a little bit more "composition-forward"), the modern, clean lines juxtaposed with the natural beauty of Rock Island Lake Club offers me endless possibilities for amazing wedding photos, all conveniently within arm's reach.
Awesome staff
Not only do they take incredible care of our couples and their guests, they take incredible care of me and my team whenever we're working together. They always ensure that we have enough time for photos, and they'll even personally drive us around to the various photo locations on the property. In the 10+ years, they've become amazing colleagues and an invaluable partners in helping us make your day memorable. TLDR; They make our jobs as photographers ridiculously easy and fun.
Couples are super laid back, fun, and easy-going
Rock Island Lake Club attracts a certain kinda of couple, and we're totally here for it! At the end of the day, we're all in the service industry and we'll happily serve everyone with a giant smile on our faces. But when we've got incredible couples who are also kind and thoughtful towards their vendors, it makes us even more excited to do what we do in our work. They say that "your vibe attracts your tribe" - and I couldn't agree with this more :).
Ready for the most amazing photography experience?
Here are some of my fave photo spots when my couples get married at Rock Island Lake Club
Rock Island Lake Club offers a variety of stunning photo locations that provide couples with breathtaking backdrops for their wedding portraits. As a wedding photographer whose style combines an organic approach to photo-documentary storytelling, clean compositions and creative posing - Rock Island gives me all of that and a whole lot more. This means a clutter-free ceremony space for those jaw dropping ceremony photos. This means minimalists backdrops (like the evergreens along the property's perimeter, as well as the dock) that helps us focus all of the viewers' attention on you. So in no particular order, here are some of our favorite photo locations at Rock Island Lake Club.
The Lakeside Ceremony Site
When couples book their wedding here, this is probably one of the top 2 iconic spots as far as eye-candy goes (the other being The Dock, which we'll cover next). While this spot will serve as your primary backdrop for your outdoor ceremony, you can definitely use this space for your portraits as well (and many couples do). In recent years, they've added pavers on the ground for everyone's convenience, and a permanent structure which an double as your chuppah. Wide shots taken here will feature the venue, the lake, as well as the wooded area that's surrounding you.
The Dock
The wooden dock extending over the lake offers one of the most gorgeous backdrops for your portraits. Light-permitting, you can also do your family photos and group portraits on this dock as well. It's an especially stunning location during sunset, when the golden hour light dips below the tree line to help create a soft warm glow in your wedding photos.
The Lake and Lawn
For adventurous couples, there is a boat you can use to paddle yourself off-shore, which makes for a truly unique photo opportunity. When you book with me, I also have a canoe you can "borrow" for a truly exceptional experience :). When you're on the water, watch out for Bowser, the venue's resident snapping turtle!
The Wooded Trails
For our nature-lovers, the wooded trails offers a backdrop which allows our couples to be one with nature. You "could" include the yellow Moke for an added chef's kiss, or even the tree swing they've got hidden here. Earthy tones and good vibes rule here, which I highly recommend!
The Outdoor Cocktail Area
Towards the end of the night, the staff will light up an outdoor fire pit for you and your guests to enjoy. Whether you're out here making smores, needing a break from dancing (or both), this is a nice little treat that can also be a great photo op.
The Entrance Driveway
During the warmer months, the lighting (and backdrop) is perfect for larger family portraits (smaller groups can be done on the dock). Adjacent to your ceremony space, it's not only convenient, but super easy to manage. Once your guests are done taking photos with you after your ceremony, they're just a short walk away from their delicious cocktail hour!
The Dessert Silo
There are many things we can control on your wedding day, but weather isn't one of them. If it's too hot/cold/windy/dark outside, we can perform some of our camera magic here in the Dessert Silo (not the official name). Conveniently located right outside the groom's suite, this space offers tons of natural light, as well as composition gifts which make our jobs as your wedding photographer super easy.
Love what you've seen so far?
Want the best photos at Rock Island Lake Club? Then you'll want to read this!
Weather contingencies
In the event of inclement weather, you have at least 2-3 alternative indoor options for your ceremony. Discuss these contingencies with your point-of-contact at Rock Island Lake Club. On our end, we've seen (and photographed) all the various configurations they offer if you decide to move your ceremony indoors. As far as portrait locations go, we can go outside as long as you and your family/friends are okay with going outside too. But you can rest assured we can just as easily take your couples' and group portraits indoors (for everyone's comfort!).
Distance to hotels
The closest hotels are at least 25 minutes away, so you'll want to plan accordingly if you decide to get ready off-site (maybe because you're getting married a church instead of the venue). Shuttles are available to transport your guests from any one of the hotels in the nearby towns. The sales-team at the venue will help connect you with the right people to make this a seamless experience for your guests!
The sun will rule the day
The sun's position is going to determine how I'm going to photograph your group photos and portraits. Nobody likes squinty photos, or hot-spots on grandma's face in your official family photos. When in doubt, just follow my lead - I'll know exactly where to take you and your guests, regardless of what the sun may throw at us :).
Shooting indoors will require experience & skill
In the event of inclement weather on your wedding day, your default photo option will be shooting indoors, and here's the cold honest truth: not all photographers excel at shooting indoors, neither with window light nor with artificial lights. And while this wedding venue does offer many compositional gifts, both indoors and outdoors, it would require a skilled & experienced photographer in order to take advantage of all of it. When in doubt, ask to see some portfolio for some rainy day weddings at the Rock Island Lake Club.
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If you are currently engaged and looking for a wedding photographer to help document one of the most amazing days in your lives, I would love to hear your plans and seeing what we can do to be a part of them!
- Ben
