Boston Harbor Hotel Wedding Photographer :: Emily + Mike

When you take your first picture of the day at 10:47am and your last picture at 11:02pm and you're joined by two amazing photographers (thanks Audrey and Jen!) then you have a tough job deciding which pictures to show on a blog post when you literally have hundred to choose from. Here are just a few of my favorites pictures from Emily & Mike's Boston Harbor Hotel wedding:

There was much laughter and giggling in the girls room with hair and make up happening:

Check out Emily's adorable little Toms:

Audrey was hanging out with Mike and the guys:

With hair and make up still working away in Emily's suite we moved to another room so she could get dressed:

I popped downstairs to find Mike enjoying a pre-wedding Scotch in the bar:

Time for Emily to get into her beautiful wedding gown:

Emily and Mike really wanted to enjoy their wedding party and cocktail hour so they wisely chose to do a first look. This also meant we could do all of the wedding party and family pictures before the celebrations got underway. There was a little drizzly rain so we took advantage of the cover provided by the iconic archway of the Boston Harbor Hotel.

Here's Mike's reaction seeing Emily for the first time:

It was only when I was reviewing all of the images and came across this one that I realized Emily & Mike's Moms had snuck down, I kind of like that you can see them in the background:

I think Emily was just as excited as Mike:

Adorable Toms as wedding shoes:

After pictures on the greenway outside of the hotel we had to get back as a VERY special guest was due:

Yes, Emily & Mike's baby - better known as Bentley the dog - joined us for some pictures:

We were waiting for hair and make up to finish the last few bridesmaids so Emily & Mike ran through the steps for their first dance:

Emily's nephew Charlie was a ring bearer, Mike has the honorary title of Funcle which I guess is like a Uncle but more fun - love it!

The ladies looked fabulous in their black bridesmaid dresses from Aria. It's also always a treat when the flowers are by Madison Floral, loved the white and green colors against the black dresses.

Mike and the groomsmen looking sharp in their tuxedos

Emily & Mike are both incredibly close to their families and it was lovely to see. We took some relaxed and happy family pictures...

...before it was time for the Ketubah signing. Rabbi Gardenswartz led the happiest and most meaningful ceremony I have ever seen. There was singing and dancing and laughing and each member of Emily and Mike's family got the chance to wish them well and give their blessing.

Each wedding celebrates the joining of two families and this was truly the case with Emily & Mike's wedding. As we drove home at the end of the night, Audrey and I couldn't stop talking about how happy and supportive their parents, grandparents and siblings were of the couple. It was truly wonderful to witness.

We then moved to the Wharf Room to join all of the invited guests for the next part of the day. Thanks to Jen for getting this great image of Mike with his parents:

And thanks to Audrey for catching the moment that Mike got a little emotional seeing Emily walk towards him on the arms of her proud parents:

I'm not sure I've ever seen two people so incredibly happy to be getting married to one another:

After the ceremony we took a few more "just married" pictures. There are well-meaning but ill-advised wedding blogs and magazines out there that suggest you give a list of "500 must have pictures" to your wedding photographer. I'm always happy to have a list of family members but I don't recommend any other type of list. Weddings are by nature an unscripted event, you can't possibly predict many of the moments that will happen organically and if your photographer is busy checking staged pictures off a list they will miss the good stuff. 

For example - there was the most amazing racing schooner - the Germania Nova - moored outside of the Boston Harbor Hotel and we thought it would make an interesting backdrop. Little did we know that a) we would be invited on board to take some pictures and b) everyone on board would be wearing furry animal suits. Most unexpected and amazing wedding moment ever :) 

Although the super furry animals were kind of awesome, we wanted to get some beautiful wedding pictures for Emily & Mike and I love the one with the Boston Harbor Hotel in the background along with the rest of the city 

Jen was busy photographing cocktail hour so I headed back to the Wharf Room to take some set up shots of the reception. Loving the centerpieces by Madison Floral. Boston Uplights did the most beautiful uplighting with pin lights on the flowers and soft lighting on the dance floor. 

Such a beautiful wedding venue. I've photographed a number of wedding at the Boston Harbor Hotel and their attention to detail is amazing. It was a pleasure to work with Cortney Gold again, the last wedding we had together was in the middle of the blizzard so this one was way less stressful in terms of weather! 

The newlyweds were announced, thanks to Audrey for this image:

and then it was time for the hora followed by their first dance: 

Toasts followed and they were the perfect mix of emotional and hilarious. Emily's father managed to make everyone reach for the tissues when he pulled out a card he'd carried in his wallet since Emily was a little girl declaring that he was the person she wanted to spend all of her time with and gave it to Mike. He then also "took off his hat" to Mike turning the tears to laughter. 

Parent dances were next

Beantown were the wedding band for the night and they were SPECTACULAR! I have a few more weddings coming up with them and can't wait. You're guaranteed a full dance floor! 

And that ladies and gentlemen is it for tonight! Coming up next will be engagement pictures in Boston and Ogunquit and then the most beautiful wedding at the Red Barn Inn in Cohasset, MA

Emily & Mike - thank you, thank you, thank you! It's been such a pleasure working with you both. You have the most wonderful welcoming families and it was an honor to photograph you on your wedding day! Your thoughtful thank you note arrived in the mail yesterday and explained the generous gift of amazing wines that showed up on my doorstep earlier in the week. Paul and I drank the Cabernet with dinner and toasted to your long and happy marriage together! Keep dancing into the night...

What? You're sad that the blog post is over? There's LOTS more coming in the next few days! Make sure to "like" Leah Haydock Photography to see all kind of sneak peeks and updates. And there is just one more thing I can share with you...

The video team for Emily & Mike's wedding were the incomparable Boston Wedding Films. It's always a pleasure to work with Jason, Jim and their team. We had the photobooth set up and Jim asked if I'd be OK with him putting a small video camera up alongside mine. He asked me for access to the images and put together this fabulous little video combining behind the scenes footage with the photobooth pictures. Enjoy! Look out for "Bentley the dog on a stick" making a cameo!