Nubble Lighthouse, Cape Neddick, ME :: Wedding Ceremony :: Tess + Allen

A light drizzle of rain fell on the windscreen of the Aston Martin as Paul and I drove up to Kennebunkport, ME for the wedding of Tess & Allen at Nubble Light.

Yes - you read that correctly. Paul and I drove to a wedding together and Paul took some pictures.

No - we will not be the next Jasmine Star and JD married photographer team :)

Paul has no desire to get involved in the wedding industry and that's why I hire qualified second-shooters. However when I explained that Tess and Allen were flying in from Pennsylvania to get married on the rocks at Nubble Light and they needed two witnesses and a way to get Tess to the ceremony he said "Hey, I'll come and drive the bride in the Aston Martin." We'd just finished dinner and may have had a couple of glasses of wine so I was a little skeptical that he's actually do it but he was perfect company for the day.

More on that later because let's be honest, you're here for the wonder that is the wedding of Tess & Allen at Nubble Light.

I arrived at the Captain Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport, ME to take some detail pictures and Tess getting ready. It can be difficult to find hair and make up on a Sunday when it's just for one person and although the super-awesome Joanne from Joya Beauty was already booked, she still took the time to find someone to help Tess. And the amazing Maura Gagne (mauragagne@gmail.com) from Samba Salon (Phone 603 766 2460) in Portsmouth, NH did a phenomenal job!

This beautiful little locket belonged to Tess's grandmother and was her "something old":


The Captain Lord Mansion Oriental Room was perfect for getting ready, and I couldn't resist hanging Tess's dress from the ornate four poster bed. I think Tess was channeling old Hollywood here:


A wedding isn't a wedding without rings:


Tess's beautiful satin shoes:


I drove ahead with Allen to Nubble Light and Sohier Park to meet with the fabulous Maureen Quirk who would be the Justice of the Peace conducting the wedding ceremony for Tess & Allen.

When I'm entrusted to document a wedding through photography it's a responsibility I don't take lightly, and when it's an elopement the responsibility is even greater as this is how friends and family will share in the wedding. I hope these pictures show the love and tears and wonder and smiles :)


And happiness:


So when you have only the bride and groom to photograph having a second shooter is kind of overkill so I figured I'd give Paul my back-up back-up camera and see what award-winning images he came up with. He may kill me for posting this but check out my multi-tasking photographer-bouquet-holding husband as this will be the first and last time he appears at one of my weddings:


Tess & Allen, by the power invested in me by the state of my blog, I now pronounce you man and wife and you may kiss your bride:


As it was such a cold and windy day, Sohier Park was pretty quiet but there was a smattering of tourists who quietly watched the ceremony breaking out in claps and cheers and honking their car horns. Tess and Allen waved back. And the picture on the right is one of my favorites:


Happy Newlyweds:

Okey dokey, I'm at the limit of images for this blog post...

After the ceremony I had the distinct honor of following Tess & Allen around York, ME for an hour or so to take more pictures.

I think most photographers are slightly insecure at heart; I constantly try to challenge myself to get that heart-stopping or remarkable images and always think that I could have done better.

I'm telling you this as Tess & Allen's wedding was the perfect storm of:

- a couple so in love

- soft Maine light

- no timeline or schedule

- beaches and rocks and old stone churches

as Paul drove me home after a celebratory drink with Tess and Allen, I looked at the pictures on the back of the camera and declared "these are so good I almost want to cry". The next blog post is already written so leave a comment below and I'll post it early...

Saratoga Springs Photographer :: Wedding Ceremony at Museum of Dance :: Lunda + Jonathan (Part IV)

And we're back at the Saratoga Museum of Dance for the wedding ceremony....

You'll get to meet the full wedding party in the next post but I feel like I have to introduce you to the flowergirls right now.

I've known many brides have somewhat of a dilemma about whether or not to have flower girls as part of the wedding party. Will they make it down the aisle? Will they get distracted and run around and giggle? Will they remember to actually scatter the petals in the aisle?

Luckily for Lunda and Jonathan, their flower girls behaved impeccably:


With the petals perfectly strewn, Lunda takes the arm of her proud father. Jake, the Best Man gives Jonathan a reassuring clap on the shoulder:


Is it a tear or a twinkle in Lunda's eye?

Jonathan beams as his almost-wife walks towards him:


Love the airy feel of the Museum of Dance venue:


Happy Unity Candle Lighting:


By the power vested in me by the State of my Blog, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss your bride:


Happy newlyweds:


So technically there are a couple of reasons why this photo wouldn't usually get through my rigid quality controls but there's something about it that made me smile :)


Relaxed pictures of the families and the wedding party are coming up but I HAVE to share just one more with you.

I'd spotted an empty display case in the Museum of Dance and said to Lunda "Wouldn't it be hysterical to get a picture of you two in the display case?"

Lunda in typical Lunda-style was all over it - "Let's do it Leah!!!" So we decided to seek forgiveness instead of permission and stole a shot. I had to apologize profusely for moving a couple of pieces of wood but I think it was worth it:

Thank you and Good Night. Family and wedding party pictures coming up, followed by the memorable wedding reception....

Saratoga Springs Wedding Photographer :: Lunda + Jonathan

Umm, I guess this is actually the third post of the Lunda & Jonathan series and we're only just at the getting ready fun. This is what happens when you make a full weekend of it.

My co-shooter for the weekend was the lovely, the fabulous, the talented Susan Ashe of Ashe Photography. Should you be looking for a superstar photographer in Michigan, don't delay - call Susan! I would have been lost without her :)

Anyway, after a quick trip to Saratoga National to set up our lights for the wedding reception, we headed over to Make Me Fabulous just 7 miles from Saratoga Springs in the little town of Ballston Spa. Alayne, Kyle, Kara and Angela were simply hair and make up geniuses or should that be genii? The ladies of the wedding party were hanging out, sipping mimosas, getting all sorts of delicious updos and flawless make up.

The best kind of friends are the ones that are so happy for you they just start crying:


Lunda writing a note in a card to her husband in t minus 4 hours:


Here's the card and the wedding rings (Helpful note to brides: if you have the wedding rings with you whilst you're getting ready I can take pictures of them then rather than having to ask you to remove them after you're married - which just feels wrong!)


One more helpful note, make sure you eat something before the ceremony, here's Lunda with a little sandwich:


General hilarity and random dancing:


It was then time to head over to the Museum of Dance where the ceremony would take place. The girls were all on one side of the building getting dressed and the boys on the other.

Kathy is the mother of the groom and was also responsible for all of the flowers - the bouquets, ceremony flowers and the centerpieces which you'll see later in the week.


Hello shoes:


Although they'd agreed not to do gifts, Lunda broke the rules and sent over a watch for Jonathan. Throughout the day, I caught Jonathan looking at his new watch and I don't think he was particularly interested in what time it was...


And now you're probably hoping to see Lunda in her wedding gown...you'll have to come back tomorrow...in the meantime I'll show you the reaction of her bridesmaids:

Are you excited? You should be. I think we'll review the ceremony tomorrow. Comments make me happy....