Glen Magna Farms Wedding Photographer :: Danvers, MA :: Helen + Matt (Part III)

I was planning to have this post be all about the beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony AND reception at Glen Magna Farms in Danvers, MA but who am I kidding? There are just TOO many wedding pictures to share so I'm going to include the ceremony in this post and then I'll be back with reception pictures in the final post.

If you missed getting ready and the first look then you can catch up **here**, right now I'm about to spoil you with LOTS of wedding party pictures. The breathtaking flowers were from Flower Kiosk in Portsmouth, NH, Helen's dress was Alvina Valenta purchased from Madeleine's Daughter (one of the very best choices for wedding dress shopping in New England, they have a HUGE selection and everyone is super nice there), the bridesmaids got to pick out their soft pink dresses from Nordstrom and Matt and the guys were dressed in J.Crew.

One last picture of the almost-newlyweds and then it's time for the wedding ceremony!!! One quick note - this particular Saturday in July was one of the most humid/hot days ever when you feel like you're melting into your shoes and look how flawless everyone looks! Thanks to the airbrush magic of Joanne from Joya Beauty!

How amazing is Glen Magna Farms for an outdoor wedding ceremony venue? Situated in Danvers, MA on the Northshore, not far from Boston, Glen Magna Farms is the very best wedding location in my humble opinion. The grounds are stunning, the tent is beautiful, the mansion is awesome and the whole team were amazing to work with. You should totally go visit if you're looking for a wedding venue...

I totally don't mind if your guests take pictures at your wedding ceremony but I do like couples to make an informed decision about the likelihood of cell phones in the aisle etc - you can read more about this **here**. Helen and Matt really wanted their guests to witness their ceremony in person and not through the lens of a camera or phone, I thought they worded this beautifully:

I had the super awesome Audrey with me (Audrey is my office manager/best person you could wish to have on your team) specifically to operate the photobooth and the fabulous Lindsay Flanagan along as my second shooter. I always want to be as inconspicuous as possible at each wedding and so rather than have 3 visible photographers during the ceremony Audrey stayed at the very back of the gardens which meant she got the great moment on the left below of Helen and her proud Mom about to walk down the aisle.

Lindsay got this great shot of Matt looking overjoyed to see Helen walk towards him

This one is Audrey again and I love the depth in the image

Helen's bridesmaid Josefine sang an amazing solo of "There is love"

Matt's father conducted the wedding ceremony; it was so personal, full of funny stories and heartfelt words for his son and new daughter-in-law including the classic phrase of "You may now kiss your bride!" How ridiculously happy are Helen and Matt? So happy that Helen forgot her flowers and they couldn't take their eyes off one another And with that, I must leave you until the wedding reception pictures. Just wait until you see the lovebird theme, the most beautifully decorated tent (hello giant trees hiding the tent poles) and lots more sweet moments between Helen and Matt...

Hawthorne Hotel, Salem, MA :: Glen Magna Farms, Danvers, MA Wedding :: Helen + Matt (Part II)

What a week it's been! On Tuesday I hosted around 20 Maine wedding photographers for a mid-season cookout which was a ton of fun. On Thursday I ended up working on a very exciting last minute request for a local wedding blog that I'm excited to share with you in August. Hence part II of Helen & Matt's wedding is coming to you a little later than planned but I promise it'll be worth the wait.

If you missed the fun and high-jinks in the photobooth you can catch up **here** but for now we're at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA which is where Helen & Matt got ready.

After saying hello to Helen and her bridesmaids - I decamped to the hotel reception to shoot some detail shots. The Hawthorne hotel is very historic and manages to be very cosy at the same time in the dimly lit lobby. If you love Helen's jewelry and accessories just wait until you see the flowers and all sorts of other surprises at the reception. Right now I have 2 wedding blogs both vying to publish this wedding based on the teasers on my facebook page alone!

Back up in the bridal suite the music was playing, the girls were dancing and the ever fabulous Joanne from Joya Beauty was making everyone look even more beautiful. I've said it before but it's worth repeating...hiring a professional make up artist is one of the very best decisions you can make on your wedding day. It's relaxing to have a moment of quiet while your make up is applied, airbrushing means you'll continue to look flawless even on a hot humid day and you'll not only look beautiful but you'll feel beautiful. Joanne from Joya Beauty is my go-to recommendation because she ALWAYS runs to time which is HUGE. Read more about Joanne **here** (wow - just clicked to make sure the link works - my hair is really dark in these pictures, sorry, off topic)

The fab ladies from The Salon @ 903 Central in Dover, NH made the last minute tweaks to Helen's up do before adding her gorgeous bird-cage veil. Do you know in over 5 years of photographing weddings I've only had two brides with bird-cage veils? They're so beautiful. I'm seeing a lot more little jackets/boleros and sleeves on wedding dresses though which is all kinds of awesome - so elegant. 

I had the always-wonderful Lindsay Flanagan with me to photograph the wedding and Lindsay took these pictures of Matt getting ready along with the shot of the custom monogram cufflinks resting on his hat:

We made our way to Glen Magna Farms in Danvers, MA for the first look and family pictures followed by the outdoor wedding ceremony and beautifully tented reception. I attended a function at Glen Magna years ago and I have been dying to shoot there since. If you're looking for a Northshore wedding venue where you can get married outside then this would be my choice everytime. The grounds are just stunning and the Glen Magna team are awesome to work with. Enough rambling, we found a quiet little spot for Matt to hang out while Helen got into her dress for the first look:

No words needed to describe these first look pictures at Glen Magna Farms:

Lindsay took this picture:

This is my absolute favorite: These spectacularly beautiful flowers are by Flower Kiosk in Portsmouth, NH and Helen's dress is Madeleine's Daughter also in Portsmouth, NH: Time for some relaxed family picture. A lot of photographer's choose not to blog family formals but I love family pictures, I think they're a really important part of the day - documenting your family for future generations. If I add any more pictures this will take forever to load so I'm stopping here! Next up we'll have the wedding ceremony and pictures of the styling wedding party :) followed by the tented wedding reception with the most stunning tablescapes and flowers and a very special surprise performance.... Better make our way to the wedding ceremony: