Joyce started her day in a red qipao. Raymond was in Marine dress blues. By the time they stood together at Rockleigh’s outdoor pavilion that evening, everything between those two moments had been about family, tradition, and the kind of quiet pride that doesn’t need announcing. I photographed their Rockleigh Country Club wedding the way it felt: steady, emotional, and unforced.

The Tea Ceremony

Before anything else, Joyce and Raymond held a traditional Chinese tea ceremony with their parents. Joyce was still in her qipao, Raymond in his dress blues. They knelt before each set of parents, served tea, received blessings. The formality of it, the weight of it, was obvious on everyone’s faces.

I shot most of this in black and white because the color wasn’t the point. The emotions were.

Military Tradition

Raymond’s uniform wasn’t for show. The ribbons, the precision, the way he carried himself. His groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos with light blue ties, but Raymond was the focal point, and that was intentional.

Military weddings have a different rhythm. More formal, more structured, but when people relax in between those structured moments, the contrast makes everything feel more genuine.

Getting Ready at Rockleigh

Joyce had her bridesmaids with her. Six women in light blue, floor-length gowns. Her wedding dress was a fitted lace mermaid style with an illusion neckline. The prep rooms at Rockleigh Country Club have good natural light and enough space that I could work without being in anyone’s way.

The venue has those classic details that photograph well. Crystal chandeliers, arched doorways, purple velvet furniture that sounds terrible but actually works. Joyce’s bouquet was all white roses and hydrangeas, simple and clean, which photographed beautifully.

About Rockleigh Country Club

Rockleigh is in Bergen County, close to the New York border. It works well for weddings with a lot of moving parts, because there are multiple clean locations that keep portraits efficient. Multiple outdoor ceremony locations, including a stone pavilion with classical columns and a separate gazebo area. Mature landscaping, brick pathways, a fountain courtyard that works for portraits.

Inside, the ballroom has high ceilings and those chandeliers I mentioned. The space can handle large guest counts without feeling cavernous. The color palette is neutral, which means any décor scheme works.

After photographing weddings for over 30 years, I pay attention to venues that make it easy for people to stay present, and Rockleigh is one of them. The outdoor ceremony area gets great light in the late afternoon. The indoor prep spaces have windows. The staff understands how weddings flow and they don’t rush portrait time.

The Ceremony

Joyce walked down the aisle with both her parents. The outdoor ceremony happened at golden hour, which meant soft light on everyone’s faces and no harsh shadows.

After the ceremony, we used the pavilion, the gazebo, and the fountain area for family portraits and bridal party shots. The groomsmen all had their phones out at one point, taking their own photos of Joyce. That kind of moment is worth capturing.

The Reception

The ballroom was set up with blue uplighting to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. The timeline was familiar: first dance, father-daughter dance, cake cutting. But Joyce and Raymond weren’t going through motions. They were present for all of it.

Their cake had custom toppers made to look like them, Raymond in his dress blues, Joyce in her gown. Details like that matter because they’re specific to the couple, not pulled from Pinterest.

Final Thoughts

Joyce and Raymond brought together military tradition, Chinese cultural customs, and family from multiple generations. Rockleigh Country Club gave us the space and the light to document all of it without forcing anything. If you’re planning Rockleigh Country Club wedding photography and you want documentation that focuses on what’s actually happening rather than what’s supposed to happen, let’s talk.