June Wedding at The Hamilton Manor | Kelsey & Matt
On June 27th, 2025, I photographed Kelsey and Matt’s June Wedding at The Hamilton Manor in Hamilton, NJ. The Hamilton Manor is one of those wedding venues that just knows how to bring rustic charm and refined elegance together seamlessly. My couple chose a stunning color palette of dusty blue and navy, which added just the right amount of soft romance and classic depth. The tones played beautifully against the natural wood of the barn-style ceremony space and the elegant ballroom.
Kelsey and Matt met at Allen Elementary School in Medford. Matt was there as a behavioral aide in a classroom and some of his coworkers knew Kelsey’s mother. His coworker spotted Kelsey one day on the playground and introduced her to him. They exchanged numbers and the rest was history.
Their first date was at Michaelangelo’s, a nice Italian restaurant. Kelsey told Matt before their date that she was celiac and she said, “we can go wherever, I can just do a salad.” That wasn’t good enough for Matt! He wanted to show her that he cared about her from the very beginning and he did that by bringing her to a restaurant that had plenty of gluten free options!
Matt says that he knew Kelsey was the one right away, from the moment they went on their first date, he knew it. After that date, Matt told his friend Jeff that he would marry her! His friend told him to take it slow, which he tried to, but since day one, he has wanted to be by her side. Kelsey says she knew Matt was the one from their very first date when he put in so much effort to make sure she could eat a delicious meal that was gluten free. He went out and picked up her favorite wine and made the date so special. Matt put forth so much effort and from that day on and always took care of her.
Engaged 06/01/2024, the proposal from Kelsey: “My sister Megan took me to the pool for the day and I thought it was just a normal day. Matt had mentioned going over to his friends house for a BBQ. After the pool Megan had asked if I wanted to go to a winery with some of her friends. We came back to my place and got ready and I just threw on a plain black skirt and casual t-shirt. She told me “you look like you’re going to a funeral, go change” she started helping me pick out an outfit so I became suspicious. She asked if I could drive and I later found out it was so I wasn’t tempted to text Matt. Once arriving to the winery Megan asked if I would take a picture of her in the vineyard. We walked down to the vineyard and as I turned the corner I saw Matt and burst into tears. He had the most beautiful set up with a framed picture of us, wine, and flowers. He had asked one of our good friends Hailey to take pictures of us in the moment. Megan’s boyfriend Connor was a huge help getting everything set up. The moment was truly out of a fairytale and I felt so blessed to have found my person. Matt and I hopped in the car and went back to my family’s house. As we pulled in the driveway there were 70 people in the front lawn cheering for us. We walked right into the most special engagement party. My brother, his wife, Matt’s brother, along with my parents and Matt’s parents had worked so hard all day making the party so incredible. It was a day I will never forget!”
When Kelsey, a 3rd grade teacher and Matt, a board certified behavior analyst weren’t planning their Hamilton Manor wedding, they love to watch all Philadelphia sports! They enjoy going to watch games in person or at home on the couch with their cat, Jack. They love to explore new coffee shops and wineries and spend time with family and friends.
Now married, their dreams include having a big family, which they cannot wait to do. They say Matt will be the coach and Kelsey will cut oranges for the half time snacks! Kelsey says she cannot wait to hold Matt’s hand for the rest of her life, he is her absolute soulmate.
Their advice to couple’s currently planning is to stick to what is going to make you happy. Also, plan together! Although Kelsey is a planner and has done most of the nitty gritty planning, her and Matt have loved talking about wedding things together each step of the way. They were most looking forward to saying their vows and finally getting to call each other husband and wife! They couldn’t wait to celebrate with their family and friends.
If you’re dreaming of a wedding that blends rustic charm with a touch of classic elegance, The Hamilton Manor paired with a dusty blue and navy palette is absolutely the way to go. It was an honor to document such a beautiful and love-filled day.
