The Waterview Wedding in Monroe, CT | Emelia and Jon
Arturo and I could not have been more excited to see Emelia and Jon get married! They had a beautiful wedding celebration with family and friends at The Waterview in Monroe, Connecticut on a gorgeous summer day. The details and florals were absolutely stunning, with touches of blush, gold, and navy. Arturo and I feel so lucky to work not only with wonderful couples but their families too! Emelia and Jon's family members were so sweet and welcoming throughout the day; we didn't want to leave at the end of the night! We started the day with the bride and groom for wedding prep, before photographing their first look. The light that day was absolutely perfect, adding to the beauty of their portraits! We moved inside for their ketubah signing before their outdoor ceremony took place along Lake Zoar. Emelia and Jon later shared their first dance before inviting their wedding guests onto the dance floor for the Hora! That evening, we snuck outside for more romantic portraits just as the sun was setting. The rest of the night was filled with beautiful toasts and endless dancing!
The last time we spent time with Emelia and Jon was for their Walnut Beach engagement session in Milford back in October. It was here that we heard their love story, and it may just be one of my favorites! One night Emelia was hanging out with one of her best friends, Rachel, who suggested that Emelia sign up for JDate. After much protest, Rachel convinced Emelia to create an online dating profile. Emelia included the bare minimum and signed off, assuming she would never meet anyone. A few days later a message popped up: "You're not Jewish, what are you doing on here?" When Emelia had signed up, she had to choose her religion from a drop-down menu. She was in the process of converting, but the closest option to her situation was "willing to convert" so she chose that. Thinking, "Who is this guy, the JDate police?", Emelia decided to scroll through Jon's pictures where she recognized Jon's sister, Erica, in one of the photos. As it turns out, Emelia and Erica had both been in the same sorority together at The University of Connecticut! After realizing that Jon was Erica's brother, Emelia decided that his rude question warranted at least a response if nothing else. Emelia angrily typed a snippy response explaining that she was in the process of converting and that she wanted to meet someone to support her through the process. She expected to never hear from Jon again. Jon, who was ironically messaging Emelia from a Christmas party, immediately responded and tried to diffuse the situation by stating how admirable it was that Emelia was converting. He then asked her why and about her plans for the holiday break. Emelia realized that Jon hadn't meant to be rude with his initial comment and decided to respond again. After a few more messages back and forth, Jon asked Emelia to meet for coffee! The two met a few days later and had a nice conversation over (several) cups of coffee. They later went on a few more dates and began to realize how much they had in common and the instant comfort level they had with each other. Only a few short weeks later, Jon told Emelia he was falling in love with her, and he had realized it when they went to a UConn basketball game together! Emelia was taken aback at first when he told her he loved her since they had only been dating a few weeks, but she admitted that she felt the same way!
The new Mr. & Mrs. are heading to Maui for their honeymoon next week and we are oh so jealous! Soak up some Hawaiian sunshine for us Emelia and Jon!
Emelia was such a beautiful bride!
Jon was so excited to see Emelia at their first look!
These two and that light are absolute perfection!
How sweet is Emelia's grandmother seeing her granddaughter in her wedding dress for the first time?!
Here comes the bride!
The new Mr. & Mrs!
Look at that beautiful wedding cake!
The Hora was one of our favorite parts of the day!
Look at those smiles!
I hope you enjoyed this wedding at The Waterview! Do you know Emelia and Jon? Show the newlyweds some love by commenting below!
CREATIVE TEAM
Venue, Catering & Cake: The Waterview | Photography: Shaina Lee Photography | Officiant: Rabbi Kari Tuling | Floral Design: Flowers by Justine | Hair & Makeup: Belle Noelle Beauty | DJ: Spin Doctor Entertainment | Videography: Your Event Matters | Bride's Wedding Gown: Stella York | Wedding Dress Boutique: The Wedding Embassy | Bride's Shoes: Jack Rogers | Bride's Earrings: Givenchy | Bride's Bracelet: Glamorous Bijoux | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Azazie | Groom & Groomsmen's Attire: Joseph Abboud from Men's Warehouse | Invitations: Aceti Design Co. | Save the Dates: Level 33 Graphics | Programs & Seating Chart: Connie and Joan | Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands: Becker's Jewelers
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shaina Lee Photography is a husband and wife photography team serving Connecticut, New York, Hawaii and beyond. We specialize in timeless, elegant, and romantic weddings while celebrating all couples in love. Are you planning a proposal, engagement session, or wedding? Take a peek at our wedding portfolio or contact us for availability.
