New Jersey: Conservatory Wedding at The Madison Hotel NJ

This blog features photos from a simply elegant conservatory wedding at The Madison Hotel, NJ.

Where is the Madison Hotel?

1 Convent Rd, Morristown, NJ 07960 [map]

When did this wedding take place?

The rainy and hot month of August

Why should you choose a wedding at the Madison Hotel Conservatory:

It’s one of two dreamy wedding venues in New Jersey that has a glass conservatory event space (the other conservatory is at Eagle Oaks)
Can be dressed up with little effort, even a floral design
Brand new and updated historic hotel into a modern masterpiece
A part of the grand hotel can occupy your wedding guests
If it rains, the conservatory is the rain plan and very beautiful. No need to go outside for a gorgeous wedding at The Madison Hotel
If you want an afterparty, plan it at the bar at Rod’s Steakhouse
Make photos enjoyable and capture moments in the train car, conservatory pre or post-wedding ceremony/reception, and front lobby area. If it’s a nice day, the side of the hotel is iconic for photos, too!
You can flip the conservatory venue space from ceremony to reception while at cocktail hour

What you should know when booking the Conservatory as your wedding venue:

The Madison Hotel can host multiple events in the conservatory on the same day, and if there’s another event before your wedding, you may not be able to take ample portraits with the family, wedding parties, and as a couple in the glass conservatory pre-ceremony.
If you want your reception decor to look great, I highly recommend hiring a day-of coordinator or planner to bring your vision to life. Otherwise, it might end up looking messy.
The Madison Hotel provides printables, but it’s better if you create your own menu cards to enhance your wedding. Otherwise, the cards will be printed on regular printer paper.
When you and your bridesmaids are getting ready for hair and makeup, you’ll probably be in a boardroom on the same level as the conservatory and restrooms. However, the photos of you getting into your dress will be taken in your overnight bride & groom suite.
When you hire any of these New Jersey wedding vendors, you will receive excellent service at The Madison Hotel.
The maitre’d team is always attentive and friendly
The venue is very clean and the servers are extremely attentive to the guests
If you’re looking to have your wedding reception in a different space, the Madison Hotel offers a dark modern option, “The Grand Ballroom” steps away.

Conservatory Wedding Photos at the Madison Hotel NJ

Bride Getting Ready Photos

After the bride and her bridal party finished their hair and makeup by Nino Davis, I invited them to the front lobby for photos on the couch. The boardroom where they got ready wasn’t suitable for photos, so the lobby was a better option. The front desk staff allowed us to take photos, and we finished in 10 minutes. Then, the bridal party got dressed, and I asked the bride and her mother/sister to go to the bride/groom suite bedroom, which was clean and clutter-free, for more photos. This whole process took about 90 minutes – without feeling rushed.

Groom Getting Ready Photos

Next, I asked the bride to go back down to the main level and hide away in the boardroom so that I could ask the groom to meet me in the bride/groom hotel suite for his getting-ready photos with his groomsmen. The groom getting ready photos took about 45 minutes. Once everyone was together and dressed, he offered a toast to salute everyone who came and took a drink to celebrate with his father, who had passed away. It was his dad’s favorite beer.

First Look and Bride & Groom Portraits in the Conservatory

Wow, they were really lucky that there weren’t any other events at the Madison Hotel Conservatory on their wedding day. It rained a lot, making it difficult to take photos outside, and there was even a tornado watch at one point. The couple had planned to have their first look and take portraits in the Conservatory – despite the cloudy and rainy weather outside – it didn’t affect the perfect setting for bright and airy wedding photos. I asked the florist, Luz, if her team could have the floral designs ready for their photos with only a two-hour notice. She did an amazing job and the flowers looked perfect, adding some pink and blue color to the lush conservatory. During the bride and groom portraits, I had about 30 minutes to work on different posing and guiding them into candid moments – we did some walking shots, acting drunk photos, practiced the dip, and I even had them taking a selfie and photos of each other on their cell phone.

Wedding Party & Family Photos

After this series of adorable bride and groom portraits in the dreamy Conservatory, we had the wedding party, and the family met us for group photos with the couple. I followed a shot list to ensure I didn’t miss a group shot the couple wanted with their VIPs. The couple requested a collection of fun photos with their favorite people.

Wedding Ceremony in the Conservatory

This wedding ceremony in the Conservatory was beautiful. The grandparents, siblings, and parents were all honored in the ceremony, and the conservatory protected the guests from the storm outside. The groom’s uncle married the couple and made the ceremony feel personable. Although the bride and groom did a first look before the ceremony, the groom still cried when the bride walked down the aisle. *awwwww*

Cocktail Hour and Reception at the Madison Hotel

While the guests enjoy the cocktail hour food and open bar – the conservatory staff, DJ, and florist is flipping the room into a reception space for eating and dancing. Prior to letting the guests enter, I asked the couple if they wanted to practice their choreographed dance in the empty reception ballroom (the Conservatory) and they agreed it was a good idea. They nailed it – with all their hard work to remember the moves. The crowd cheered (some cried) by the end of their beautiful first dance. The night was magical with the purple uplighting, a photo booth that recorded audio, and music that kept people on the dance floor. Thanks to the entertainment company for making the night memorable for the couple.