The year 2019 ended with a Hotel DuPont NYE Wedding that was an absolute banger!! And once again, this was an awesome couple that was brought together via online dating. Or as Melissa put it "We both swiped right and that's amore!"
An easy way for me to get to know my couples better is to ask them a few questions about their relationship. Not only does it provide insight but it also cracks me up some times, as it did here!
When I asked them "When was that moment that you realized that you wanted to spend the rest of your lives together"? Anthony, a family man at heart replied: “Very early on in our relationship, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Melissa and it was even more solidified after I introduced her to my family. I already knew she was my soul mate but the day I introduced her to my family was the day that it was confirmed.”
Melissa's answer was a classic: “Beyond the obvious reasons, I knew Anthony was the one after he practically save my life when I had an allergic reaction to shellfish in Mexico!” Hahaha!!!!
I I knew that I was going to enjoy spending time with Melissa after an hour plus phone call the very first time we spoke. Her energy is infectious, she's intelligent, well spoken and is not shy about letting you know what's up. It was a great conversation!
So, when we arranged their engagement session at Longwood Gardens, all I needed to do was meet her fiancé Anthony and hope that he liked me (and I him of course!). Well, Anthony made it easy. He's a great guy, easy to talk to and the session was not only a great time but we captured some really beautiful images.
Fast forward many months later to December 31, 2019. I was really looking forward to ending another busy year with such a wonderful couple...talk about going out on a high note! Not only did Melissa and Anthony look amazing but it was a beautiful day from start to finish. We captured a lot of memories and here are some of my favorites that tell some of their story:
Here's some favorites from their Hotel DuPont NYE wedding beautifully captured by Ralph Deal Photography.
Getting Ready
Hotel DuPont was our home base for the majority of the day. There are so many great locations in and around the hotel to make images!
Bride & Groom
If you're in the Wilmington Delaware area and are looking for a great location to chill in for a little while, check out the Marian Coffin Gardens. It's a beautiful, peaceful place with gardens and an old mansion right in the middle of Wilmington. I love shooting here!
Wedding Party
Melissa wanted a Vanity Fair vibe for the bridal party photos and the ballroom was the perfect location to set it up! Many thanks to the staff at Hotel DuPont for their patience. They were literally setting up the reception around us as we were taking these images and probably wanted to kill us!
Wedding Ceremony
Hotel DuPont NYE Wedding Reception
Venue: Hotel DuPont | Wedding Planner: Kia Matthews | Dress: Ysa Makino | Suit: Sayki | Hair: Ariel Katrina | Makeup: Juliana Fink | Floral: Beautiful Blooms | Music: SCE Event Group | Video: Shutter & Sound
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"I can't say enough great things about Ralph and his team. We, like many, were impacted by the pandemic and had to reschedule quite a few times. From the day we hired Ralph, to the day of our wedding - we had nothing but an incredible experience. He was professional, polite, and most importantly - incredibly talented. The pictures have turned out amazing and he did a great job capturing my wife and I for our engagement photo's and wedding day."
-Matt Powell