Some days hand you everything: clear April light, a couple who clearly adore each other, and a vintage car parked outside a church that looks like it was built for photographs.
Christina and Mike were married at St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Holmdel, New Jersey, on a bright, warm spring afternoon. It was an Egyptian wedding, full of family and joy, and the kind of day where the sun does half the work for you. We spent the portrait window out front, where the church's mosaic iconwork and stone arches gave us a backdrop with real weight and history behind it.
The vintage car
Christina and Mike rented a vintage black Jaguar for the day, and it became the heart of their portraits. There is something about classic chrome and old leather that makes a couple look timeless, so we leaned into it. A few quiet frames of Christina alone in the back seat, her bouquet resting on the leather beside her. Mike pulling her in for a kiss against the fender. The car gave the whole session a sense of occasion that matched the church behind it.
St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church, Holmdel
St. Mina is a Coptic Orthodox church in Holmdel, and it is a genuinely beautiful place to photograph. The exterior carries traditional Coptic iconography, including the mosaic of St. Mina himself beside the entrance, and the proportions of the arched doors and tower give you clean, dignified lines to work with. For couples planning a Coptic Orthodox wedding here, the front of the church doubles as a ready-made portrait setting, especially in the afternoon when the light wraps softly around the stone.
One of our favorite frames of the day came almost by accident: Christina and Mike sharing a kiss, reflected in the rear window of the Jaguar, with their whole family, kids in front, everyone leaning in, gathered around the car. That is what these days are really about.
Congratulations, Christina and Mike. Thank you for letting us tell a piece of your day.