I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph Emily and John for their NJ Bay Head Beach Engagement Session! I’ve known Emily for many years! We both taught foreign languages at the same school years ago. She was a French teacher and I was a Spanish teacher! It was  wonderful to catch up with Emily, get to know John, and learn about their story!  

NJ Bay Head Beach  

We captured most of Emily + John’s engagement photos at a beach near the Bay Head Yacht Club in NJ. Their wedding will also take place at this very location next summer! The Bay Head Yacht Club and Beach holds a special place in their hearts. They both spent summers there when they were younger! They also spent time living down the shore together during the lockdown last year.

Emily also has many precious family memories there as her family has been going there for generations. Emily shared that several memorable family events have also taken place at Bay Head Yacht Club. Their wedding will represent the first event for the next generation at the yacht club! 

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We incorporated a few photos of them in front of the Bay Head Yacht Club. Then we went on the nearby boat docks. The lightning was gorgeous glistening off the water, with all the boats in the background! After capturing a few stunning photos there, we walked to the NJ Bay Head beach. The weather was perfect! There were bright blue skies, gentle rolling waves on the shore, and amazing sunlight! To end their dreamy engagement session, I captured one of my favorite photos of them gazing out over the water at the Bay Head Yacht Club! 

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Their Love Story

How did you meet?

 “We met through mutual friends one night in Philadelphia in the Winter. We were both attracted to one another and enjoyed the night but didn’t think much beyond that as we were both loosely seeing other people. After six months of seeing one another a few times in passing, we both went out with a larger group of mutual friends not knowing the other would be there. We soon realized that not only did we get along very well but we both were also ready for a new connection . . . We have been together ever since.”

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The Proposal 

“We had been going through the terrible process of selling and buying a house for several months and were completely focused on all that is entailed during that process. Therefore, we hadn’t really been talking about specifics relating to getting married/a wedding or anything like that as we were so focused on buying our house.

On Friday, March 26th 2021 . . . after the most stressful few months of our lives, we packed up and were so thrilled to finally be closing and moving into our house . . . With our car packed to the gills with various items we were moving in that evening we drove back to our house for the first time as the official homeowners with our very own key!

Emily wanted to bring some stuff from the car into the house since it would require a few trips but Johnny wanted to go into the house again just the two of us without any stuff. Me (Emily) being super practical was slightly confused/annoyed as I was already in unpacking and organizing mode and didn’t understand why we would waste a trip into the house. But Johnny insisted and his enthusiasm and happiness were infectious so we walked into our new home, for real, for the first time. After walking around for a few seconds, I (Emily) finally said that I was going to go grab a bag from the car. Johnny responded, “Wait, there is one more thing we have to do.” I turned around and Johnny was down on one knee and asked, “Will you marry me?” I was STUNNED!”

The Engagement ring 

My ring is actually John’s grandmother’s (Evelyn Geria) ring. Unfortunately she passed away in 2011, but Johnny remembers seeing this exact ring on her finger when he was younger. We also have a pendant of hers that we are going to use to create my wedding band. It made the proposal even more special once Johnny told me about the ring and his plan for the pendant. It is such a special way to honor his family.

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What is the one thing that you love about each other? 

Emily: I love Johnny’s sense of humor and humongous heart. He is so deeply caring, and I always feel so loved and supported. 

John:  I love Emily’s patience and that she helps me express myself and gives me time and support to unravel my own thoughts and feelings.

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I hope you enjoyed Emily + John’s NJ Bay Head Beach Engagement Session! Here are a few other romantic engagement sessions and gorgeous weddings: Longwood Gardens Engagement Session, Valley Forge National Park Engagement Session, Philadelphia, PA Wedding at Franklin Square, & Park Chateau Estate + Garden |

Jocelyn Cruz Photography is based in South New Jersey and serves the surrounding areas of PA and NJ.  Please contact me if you want more information about our engagement and wedding photography!