Beacon Hill Boston Engagement Pictures :: State Room Wedding Photographer :: Addy + Matt

Cast your mind back to your high school days. Remember when you'd all hang out in big groups - the guys all playing video games, the girls talking about what to wear to the next school dance? Remember how your friends would do that "my friend likes your friend" kind of thing and the next thing you know you were dating?

Adeline was 16 and Matt was 17 and although they were at different high schools they had some mutual friends. The first time Addy met Matt he was playing video games. Matt remembers that one of his friends had actually tried to get him to take Addy to a semi-formal dance but he was shy and so someone else took her.

I remember being 16 and hanging out with friends and there was this one guy, we'd talk all the time but there was so much "Does he like me?" and "Is he going to kiss me?" and "Maybe he likes someone else?" and it took a couple of our friends to literally be like "OMG, will you guys just kiss each other already?"

Addy and Matt were at an O.A.R concert together and I guess they had a helpful friend too who pushed them together. I believe she'll be one of Addy's bridesmaids next year - that's a good friend! The next few years of high school went by in a blur of hanging out and eating pizza over at each others houses and school dances. And then Addy and Matt did the whole long distance thing while Addy was at UPenn for nursing school and Matt stayed in Boston for medical school.

Matt knew he wanted to propose to Addy but he wanted to wait until she'd graduated from school and was back in Boston. Plus there was the whole asking Addy's father for his permission (the first attempt disguised as a random visit to drop off some lawn chairs had to be aborted when he couldn't get Addy's dad alone) but the second attempt over lunch at Legal worked out. 

There was much laughing from these two. Did I mention it was one of those FREEZING cold fall days - where your eyes are streaming and your hands and nose feel like they're going to fall off? Addy and Matt were troopers!

So back to the proposal. Matt had Addy's dad permission, he bought a ring and Addy had mentioned she'd like to go out for dinner on the boat one night. It was all coming together! They set sail and Matt told Addy he was having a little engine trouble and asked her to hold open the door. Addy turned to see Matt down on one knee. Matt asked. Addy said yes. Then they drank champagne and called everyone to tell them the good news.

The temperatures were dropping lower so we took a break for a warming (medicinal?) cocktail at Drink which is one of Addy and Matt's favorite hangouts. There may also have been some french fries involved.

Playing around with multiple exposures

Before everyone froze to death we took some night time pictures, the bridge on Northern Ave now has some cool uplighting, I felt like I was at a wedding :)

Addy and Matt - thank you for braving the cold temperatures and for being so warm and fun to hang out with. Matt - you were sneaky fast on the draw with your credit card so cocktails are on me next time. I hope you like this handful of pictures - there are LOTS more uploading as I type!

I can't wait for the wedding at the State Room Boston next year, it's one of my very favorite venues to photograph at:
State Room Wedding Photographer 
Wedding Pictures at the State Room Boston - Amanda & Danny just celebrated their 1 year anniversary and...they're having a baby!

Have a good weekend everyone! Paul is on his way home from Germany so I'm planning a lazy weekend by the fire, maybe a movie or two. And then I have two November weddings coming up that I'm super excited for. Next week on the blog I'll have some fun holiday card ideas for you along with info about my upcoming annual Black Friday print sale...

Award Winning Boston Photographer :: Leah Haydock Photography :: *blush*

I'm blowing my own trumpet today. Parp parp parp parp parp parp paaaaaaaarp!

I'm a proud member of ISPWP. The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers.

I remember submitting my application for admission a few years ago - it was kind of nervewracking! Most associations/groups/guilds you can simply join by asking and/or paying a membership fee but ISPWP is different. You have to have shot 50+ weddings, submit your portfolio for review, agree to operate under the ISPWP code of contact, have an ISPWP sponsor or four professional references AND you have to be voted in by current members.

Each season, ISPWP runs a photography contest. Members from around the world - winners hail from France, Spain, Russia, Quebec, Brazil and many other countries - submit images for serious judging and then cross their fingers until the results are announced. As I clicked through the winning images for the Spring 2013 contest I was shocked/delighted/honored to have 3 images place.

Here are my winning images:

The Bride & Groom Portrait Category has super fierce competition AND this was one of my very favorite pictures from last year so I was super happy with this one! Amanda and Mike's Boston Harbor Hotel Wedding:

I also had two images place in the "Venue or Location" category. Images come from all over the world - the most stunning and unusual and exotic locations - so I was so proud to have winning images from two iconic Boston wedding venues.
Jessica & Mark's State Room Boston Wedding:

Elizabeth & AJ's Boston Harbor Hotel Wedding (in the blizzard of February 2013 no less!):

And if you'd like to see the first time I placed in the ISPWP awards you can check out this post: Award Winning Boston Photographer

Longwood Events Boston State Room Wedding :: State Room Wedding Photographer :: Jessica + Mark (Part III)

I got a little off track with my blogging thanks to a ton of engagement shoots, a wedding in the middle of the craziest October snowstorm ever and some power-outages but it's all good now so time for part III of Jessica & Mark's wedding reception pictures at the State Room in Boston.

Quick recap: Everyone got ready at the Longwharf Marriott and Jessica & Mark had the most beautiful first look before their ceremony. We then did family and wedding party pictures **here** before heading to Gordon Chapel of Old South Church for their wedding ceremony **here**

And now we're at the exquisite State Room Boston, if you're looking for an elegant wedding venue with the very best view of Boston then the State Room is it! Jessica & Mark were insanely smart with their timeline planning and scheduled cocktail hour to coincide with sunset and then twilight over the city:


But I'm getting a little ahead of myself, let's backtrack to our arrival at the State Room a little earlier, the tables were beautifully set with purple silk linens and Twig Boston had excelled with the centerpieces:


The State Room is a Longwood Events venue and I've now had the pleasure of being the wedding photographer at both Belle Mer and the State Room. Taylor and the State Room team were awesome to work with for the evening. I ate a delicious dinner at the same time as all of the guests (most welcome after 8 hours of working) which then meant I was ready for cake cutting and parent dances...it's not rocket science but you'd be astonished how often vendor dinners are set out just as the cake is about to be cut or the dancefloor is opened....


Jessica & Mark have traveled all over the world together so they used some of their favorite locations with photos instead of table numbers:


I have no words for how amazing Jessica & Mark are:


Or how beautiful the State Room is as a wedding venue:


Guests were starting to take their seats and this was just before the start of the entrances of the families and wedding party. Sometimes the little in-between moments are the best:


Fabulous first dance, with thanks to my fabulous second photographer Sarah Dugan for some of the aerial pictures from the balcony:




Brilliant toasts full of funny and touching stories:


Jessica & Mark spoke very eloquently of the love and support they've had from friends and family (is there a more beautiful backdrop that the city of Boston at night?):


Jessica danced with her father Dan as her Mom Louise looked on:


If you remember from the getting ready pictures **here** Mark's Mom Kay had a last minute dance rehearsal with Mark and it paid off well. I adored the little bow that Mark and Kay started and ended their dance with:


The dancefloor was then well and truly opened and the party went on until the wee hours:


And that's it for today folks! I hope you enjoyed these preview pictures as much as I enjoyed getting to know Jessica and Mark through their engagement shoot and then working with them on their wedding. Jessica & Mark - I can't put into words how wonderful you both are, it was an absolute honor and pleasure to document your wedding day and I am so so so happy for you both. Should you decide to have any gorgeous little redhead babies you'd better let me photograph them for you!