The 6th Borough Market is a curated mix of artisan crafts and vintage goods for sale, and the experience is topped off with children’s activities and yummy eats. Artists, collectors and chefs gather to provide a fun experience for families on one given Sunday each month during the warm season. (Upcoming dates: May 18, June 22, July 20, August 10, September 14, and October 19.)
When it comes to “the most important day of your life,” good photos are essential—and good makeup.
I spent a recent afternoon with wedding photographer Susan Shek and MAC makeup artist Maura Rivera to talk weddings weddings weddings and how to create and capture the most beautiful subject on the most beautiful day of your life—you.
Here is my day of makeup and photos with two awesome ladies who make weddings their business.
Maura Rivera, a freelance makeup-artist for MAC, arrived with (literally) a suitcase of beauty products. She just completed stints doing runway makeup for both NYC and Jersey City fashion weeks.
As Maura applied my makeup, Susan began to take pictures.
Susan is a wedding photographer with a very strategic approach. “I meet with clients and share my portfolio, which spans eight years in the business. People ask me what makes me different from other photographers and I tell them ‘Because it’s not a job. I do it because it’s my passion. I love it.’ If I wasn’t doing wedding photography, I would be doing wedding planning.”
Susan also wants the bride-to-be to have the least stress as possible going into the wedding. “I always have a specific plan. I give the bride and groom an organized list of how the day will play out photo-wise, shot by shot.”
Here is one of the shots Susan took of me outside the day after a big snowstorm, dashing through the wintry white in the cold. (For others, check out jerseycitygal.com in the near future). She has a great eye for picking good backgrounds, even when options are limited and the air is thick with fog—both of which could have caused problems on this particular day.
When it comes to Jersey, both women are enthused. Susan says, “I like working in Jersey the best because there’re more venues, more space. I would love to shoot at Liberty House. I love that Jersey City is still close to Manhattan, and it’s a diverse and close community of ex-New Yorkers.”
“People in Jersey are crazy about weddings,” chimes in Maura. “I like weddings because I love pretty makeup and being part of a woman’s special day. A lot of women don’t even know how to do their own basic makeup [JCG interjection: Myself included!], and it’s the best feeling when they look in the mirror and gasp and say, ‘Thank you. I’m so beautiful!'”
As an old-school gal, Maura doesn’t rely on social media for her business; it has been purely word-of-mouth (still in style!) amongst Manhattan’s elite and her MAC customers. She has plenty of regulars for eyelash extensions and daily makeup (I’m thinking rich housewives). She also does party makeup: Club nights, the prom, sweet sixteen celebrations, Halloween faces, fantasy makeup, etc.
Susan’s photography business is booked for most of 2014, as she likes to start planning a year in advance and prefers space between weddings to really focus on each one. She also does the editing, photo-retouching, the layout, and chooses what photos make the cut. Check out her website here.
Both ladies travel to their clients and do not have set price lists. Rather, they individualize packages according to the customer’s needs.
Later in the day, Susan said, “I can’t see myself planning my own wedding because I’m too controlling and obsessive. I’d want everything to be perfect.” Maura and I laughed, because despite the fact that all three of us have long-term boyfriends and love weddings, we feel the same way.
No, seriously, both teams are staying in our great city, and as part of the Volunteer Host Committee, I will be in one of those hotels on gameday…as well as participating in other activities during this week before the event.
The Media will start arriving on Sunday, January 26th. Fellow followers, grip yourselves: The area’s already overcrowded population will increase MUCH. Our small businesses are going to thrive and our citizens are going to enjoy all of the excitement (or be bothered by the influx of hyped outsiders) in the cold.
I decided, rather than do my usual personal research and write-up of everything, to make a montage of info already out there and put it here in one place. I’ll continue to update my site as I get more tips from all of you! Send to: jerseycitygia@gmail.com
I can definitely improve your stay in this area. I might have inside info. Just ask! Need a place to crash? Just ask! Reasonable price for people I trust.Email for details.
We’ve got a new program in town, and it’s about to change the face of youth soccer in Jersey City.
While Jersey City has a local league, a couple of competitive teams, a soccer school and different camps run by outside organizations, they have yet to have something as dynamic as USA Global soccer with its dedicated and deliberate training, which is about to bring us to the next level.
Ari Levit, one of its directors, is orginally from Argentina and has been coaching players from ages three to college-age, boys and girls. He holds the prestigious USSF “A” license, NSCAA “Premier” Diploma, NSCAA “Director of Coaching” Diploma, but as Ari says, the main credential is his experience in running soccer programs, training and coaching successfully all over the state of New Jersey.
“When I started coaching, soccer was a relatively new sport in the United States, so much of the professional coaching revolved around teaching the game from a basic level. Soccer was mostly played for fun. Many things have changed in the current scene, ranking points for U10 teams, tournaments all over, and as a consequence, we have made a 180 turn. It’s time to find a middle point.
“I’ve been living in Jersey City for over five years now, and in one of my attempts to help out the JC Soccer Association I met a great coach, with similar views as mine and we decided to partner up to create a unique program in town.”
His partner, Karim Mazarou, born in Belgium, holds the USSF “National Youth License” and is also a resident of Jersey City. “I have been volunteering for JCSA for quite some time and I still do, but I feel there is a demand from Jersey City parents for more dedicated training for their children. Coaches who keep educating themselves in becoming better teachers help children with their confidence and their overall development.”
What makes USA Global Soccer unique and different? Their program teaches beyond soccer. Besides the coaches’ credentials, knowledge and experience, they have developed a unique curriculum, philosophy and methodology:
? Develop game intelligence: Following recent methods of training that help develop the cognitive part of the game. Sessions include music, rhythm oriented exercises, brain centered learning, and soccer activities to develop decision making.
? Developmental appropriate progressions: At younger age groups, the most important part is the development of the player. The activities, and games, should be appropriate for the player, results are secondary. For the youngest players, success is measured by the growth of the players, not the score. As players grow older, the objectives start changing, but focus is on the “how we win” and not just “to win”.
? Modern Coach: A coach is above all a teacher, always learning better ways to educate children and develop their brain along with their body. Using activities that relate to the philosophy and that players can transfer to the game, separates our professional coaches from volunteers.
? Parent education: Feedback is crucial for development. Parents need to know what the objectives are for their child, so a clear path in growth can be seen. If parents cannot measure the success of the program by the score, educating them on what is taught during the deliberate training sessions is crucial.
There are many advantages to their time playing the game. Cognitive development, healthy exercise and the understanding of respect, commitment and teamwork are only a few of them.
“We want to grow with the city, and our plans have a long term in mind.” The coaches will launch a winter program in two locations, Jersey City Heights and Downtown during January and February. “Jersey City is our home. We live, shop, and attend local events, which means we are here to grow and stay. We want to build a soccer program like no other, and ultimately give back to the community for the benefit of the City and the kids.” both coaches agree.
On an exciting side note, Coach Ari and Coach Karim will be running a soccer clinic in conjunction with Ryan Strother, Jersey City Department of Recreation’s Director, in late January at the Jersey City Armory. They are expecting over 200 boys and girls, ages 5 to 18 years old to participate. Those interested in attending can contact USA Global Soccer for more information.
