Sara and Jamie: Van Vleck Gardens Wedding Portraits

One of Kyo’s favorite parts of the wedding day is the short period of time when he gets to photograph the bride and groom alone together. Usually, he finds a picturesque location at the ceremony or reception venue for the wedding portraits. But sometimes the bride and groom want to go somewhere special just for pictures — a location that is particularly beautiful or meaningful for them. Sara and Jamie chose Van Vleck Gardens for their wedding pictures, and we love to recommend it as one of New Jersey’s prettiest locations for portraits.

As Sara explains,

“I grew up in Jersey whereas my husband recently moved here right before we met, but both of us share a great love for the state’s rich colonial history and majestic natural beauty. The Van Vleck House and Gardens was the perfect space where we could enjoy both this history and beauty as a backdrop to our day.”

Van Vleck Gardens is a former private residence in Montclair, built in 1916, that was donated to the city in 1993. The main building, built in the style of a Mediterranean villa, looks out over a lush botanical garden filled with flowering azaleas, rhododendrons, and a stunning Chinese wisteria that climbs over the portico. The wisteria is truly majestic in summer when it is in full bloom, but the gardens are stunning at any time of year, even in winter.

Kyo photographed Sara and Jamie on a rainy day in late May, when the wisteria were just beginning to flower. From the pictures, we hope you can see why we always tell brides- and grooms-to-be that they shouldn’t worry about the weather. In fact, “bad” weather just makes the photos more atmospheric!