Women's Club of Ridgewood Wedding Photos {Jen & George} - Rock & Roll Wedding Photographer

I truly believe that adversity brings out the best in people, and that couldn’t be more true than in the case of Jen and George’s wedding day. Just a few days earlier, Super Storm Sandy tore through Jersey leaving a ton of rubble and displaced people in its wake. Gas lines formed for miles, electricity was sporadic and times were generally not happy.

Not to be deterred, Jen and George went on with their wedding that Saturday as planned. The Ridgewood Women’s Club had just gotten power back and most of the debris had been moved to the side of the road. My biggest challenge was finding gas to fill the HHR. Never in my 35 years on earth had I experienced a gas shortage and was blindsided by the situation. I had enough gas to get to the wedding, but not enough to get back. The plan was to find a couch to crash on and have Allison rescue me the next morning. Luckily, it dawned on me that both my bikes (which were in storage at my parents’ place) were filled with gas and I had a siphon gathering dust in the basement. Problem solved. Off to Ridgewood.

When I arrived to the ceremony location, I found the groomsmen and George setting up for the festivities and all smiles. Nothing was going to bring us down. I’ve known George for half a dozen years, having been a huge fan of a number of bands he’s played in. The guy is one of the kindest people I know and an unbelievable guitar player. Any time you need anything, he drops what he’s doing and heads over faster than you an say “buddy.”

Jen is the perfect complement to George. When I first met her a few year’s back at one of Nicole Traum’s legendary parties, we talked for hours about punk rock, stupid people and her future nursing career. At the time, she had just started dating George and both me and Allison knew there were meant to be together.

She showed up at the ceremony with a look of anxiousness and excitement written all over her. I set her up in the side door so George could see her for the first time as he made his way up the path to the venue. George tapped her on the shoulder and it was just one of those perfect moments where you realize that through all this chaos, everything was going to be just fine.

The ceremony was held in an adjacent sitting room where bassist and legendary hot sauce chef Shawn Orr presided over the festivities. Poems were read, rings exchanged and vows were sealed with a kiss. A jam-packed room of family and friends cheered as the two made their way down the aisle and the party was on.

I’m not 100% sure, but I’m pretty confident that the first time I met George was at Connections, a seedy old punk club in the bowels of Passaic, NJ. What was great about that place was that no matter what band was playing, you were going to have a great time with friends both old and new. That same energy coursed through Jen and George’s wedding, as The Descendents blared over the speakers and MC extraordinaire John McGuire crooned a few numbers before a joyous crowd. This was one of the few weddings that I wish wouldn’t end, but as we packed up the photo booth and cameras, I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I would see most of these people again. Good times.