Boston Engagement Pictures :: Seaport District and ICA :: Bridget + Matt

Wedding pictures at the Old State House resume tomorrow but I wanted to squeeze in these wonderful engagement pictures in Boston.

Oh where to start. Bridget and Matt are just a hoot. We met for a mini engagement shoot - just 30 minutes - and I don't think I've ever laughed so much. Well, not as much as Bridget and Matt who basically laughed their way through the shoot.


We started in the bar of the Seaport Hotel. Any shoot that starts with a glass of wine is pretty much guaranteed to be fun (although I have a strict no-drinking rule at weddings, an engagement shoot is just as much about getting to know each other as the pictures)

Like a good cocktail Matt was maybe one part hungover and one part nervous but mostly one part pretty crazy about Bridget who was looking rather stunning in her cute green jacket. And these two pictures are my absolute favorites from the day:


I had dinner plans with Mr H and my Mom at Sportello and I knew that Bridget and Matt wanted to shoot somewhere a little quieter so I figured the Institute of Contemporary Arts might be a good location. Can I just say this might be my new favorite and best location for engagement pictures in Boston...


Liking this one:


Check it out. Bridget and Matt's reflections have a little crush on each other:

As we walked back to the hotel I realised I'd been having such a good time with Bridget and Matt that I hadn't even found out how they met. Turns out they were at school together but just friends. A few years later a bunch of them rented a summer house and one thing led to another.

In Matt's words "Bridget was hot. And available" Cue more laughing.
I caught this split second where they managed not to laugh:


I asked about the proposal and Matt explained he'd had all sorts of elaborate plans but ended up proposing at home. To give him full credit he did get down on one knee which involved squeezing himself in next to the coffee table:

Bridget even sent me this little note the day after our shoot: Leah. We had SUCH a fun time with you on Saturday. We couldn't believe how much fun we ended up having =) Thank you so much for making it as painless as possible!!! What a cool spot for pictures. Matt is so psyched you are our photographer as am I, obviously =)!!!

Bridget & Matt - I think I had more fun that you did! Hope you enjoy these preview pictures. I can't begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to photographing your wedding ceremony at Trinity Church in Boston and wedding reception in the tent at the Boston Aquarium. Although if we don't get at least one picture with a penguin I might just cry.

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Boston Engagement Pictures :: Waterfront + Faneuil Hall :: Hillary + Paul

According to *this* article:

15-20% of people met their spouse at school or work...

8-10% found the love of their life at a party or bar...

11% of people got lucky through their church...

Hillary's parents picked out her husband from the Yellow Pages.

Kidding! Well, not really. When I first met Hillary to talk about her wedding plans at Tupper Manor (with thanks to the wonderful Christina Doucette for the referral) I asked how her and Paul met. Hillary explained that her parents had hired Paul's paving company to do some work on their driveway and listed Hillary as the point of contact....

I met up with Hillary and Paul on a HOT Saturday morning in Boston and as we walked around the city they told me more about that week and a half of paving work...


Throughout the course of the week and a half Paul and Hillary would chat. Hillary admits that she had a crush on Paul but assumed Paul was married and not wearing a wedding ring due to the nature of his work. Paul admits that he thought Hillary was amazing, more than how she looks, how she holds herself and simply IS. But Paul is the consumate professional and didn't think it would be appropriate for him to ask Hillary out for a date.

As the days ticked by and the work was going on, Paul and Hillary got to know each other a little better. Paul would drop the odd piece of personal information into the conversation but Hillary didn't bite. Hillary said she didn't want Paul to get the wrong idea

On the final day of paving, it was a warm balmy evening and Hillary asked if Paul and his team would like a cold beer as they finished. Hillary was trying to delay Paul from leaving. Thinking of the professional liability, Paul asked if he could get a rain check. Hillary assumed her crush might just go away.

As the trucks left one by one, it was just Hillary and Paul that were left. Hillary was sitting on the porch thinking that she didn't want Paul to leave. Paul didn't want to leave either. He was planning on waiting a week or so and then calling Hillary but he explained to me that he didn't want to regret not saying something for the rest of his life.

So Paul asked Hillary to go on a date. Hillary told him to call her to make plans ;) Go Hillary!

Paul did call her and their first date was in Boston, at Kingfish restaurant.


And at the end of dinner neither Hillary nor Paul wanted it to be over so they walked and talked and got gelato in the North End (coconut and banana if you must know) and then walked and talked some more. Hillary ended up with pretty bad blisters but it was worth it.

Some time later, Paul & Hillary went away for the weekend and Paul had the engagement ring in his pocket. Paul thought about proposing at dinner but knew that Hillary would prefer something more private. So early the next morning, up high on the widow's walk, Paul asked Hillary to marry him. Hillary said yes.


This gentleman here is "Red" Auerbach, Coach and General Manager of the Boston Celtics for over 29 years. And the other two? That's Hillary and Paul who will be getting married next June!


Who'd have thought the Mass Traffic Tunnel Administration Building would make such a lovely backdrop:


This is one of my favorite pictures from the morning:


We found a patch of lovely soft light under the arch of the Boston Harbor Hotel:


And then wandered over the the aquarium. We may have stopped at the carousel but I may have agreed not to post those pictures ;)


Hillary & Paul will be married at the gorgeous historic Tupper Manor and I can't wait to document it with pictures. I'll leave you with this last image:

Gate of Heaven, Boston :: Wedding Ceremony Pictures :: Danielle + Kevin (Part III)

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you when I say that I couldn't squeeze all of the pictures into a three part post and so I'll be back tomorrow with the wedding reception photographs at the Exchange Conference Center in Boston

For your viewing pleasure today we are at the Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston where Reverend Robert E. Casey conducted the beautiful wedding ceremony between Danielle & Kevin.

Maid of Honor, Steph and Flower Girl, Kaitlyn walked down the very long aisle:


Danielle and her father stood in the heavy wooden doorway and Kevin beamed:


Here comes the bride:


Seriously, how beautiful is the Gate of Heaven church? The cornerstone of the parish was laid in 1862 and the church was dedicated in 1863. It was requested that only one photographer is present during the ceremony so Julia went ahead to the reception whilst I headed up into the balcony for this image:


By the power vested in me by the state of my blog, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride:


Loving the contrast that the heavy doors of the Gate of Heaven provide:


After some quick relaxed family portraits we headed to the waterfront area of Boston for maybe 3 minutes of wedding pictures! Having taken pictures before the ceremony and with limited family groups on the formal shot list, Danielle & Kevin were ready to enjoy cocktail hour and celebrate with their friends and family:


More tomorrow at the wedding reception - how great is the patio overlooking the waterfront of Boston Harbor at the Exchange Conference Center?

Happy Wednesday!

Boston Engagement Photographer :: Boston Common + Waterfront :: Stephanie + Tim

The beep-beep-beep of the alarm clock is painful at 6am on a Saturday morning. You get out of bed, shower and dress to drive into Boston. You're still kind of sleepy so you stop for a bucket of diet coke. Breakfast of champions.

And it's totally worth it when you get to take engagement pictures on Boston Common while the light is still low in the sky, the temperature is still below 90 degrees and almost everyone else is still tucked up in their beds.

Of course it's easy to take great pictures when your subjects look like Stephanie and Tim:


Stephanie and Tim met at work and gradually formed a friendship. They'd hang out, play volleyball together and then there was this one time they went out for dinner together...


Each year they'd go to New York City at Christmas. Last Christmas, the weather was terrible - rainy and cold - and the huge Christmas tree was deserted by the usual crowds. The puddles were too deep for him to kneel but Tim still asked Stephanie to be his wife. Stephanie said yes.


There are so many locations in Boston for engagement pictures. You can be amongst trees and flowers one minute and then right in the middle of the city with just a short walk:


The best kind of kiss is a squished-nose kiss :)


With an outfit this awesome, I wanted to take a couple of pictures of Stephanie looking fabulous:


And then I got these two pictures. No direction, they're just looking at each other and cracking up:


Interesting architecture in the city:


Then we stopped in at Quincy Market. Who knew it was such an issue to try and buy ice-cream before 10am at Quincy Market...


Here's a last shot down by the Waterfront & the Boston Harbor Hotel. The sky was amazing all day - a little overcast with lots of rolling crowds:


Stephanie & Tim - thank you for getting up at 5am to be camera ready and for being so fun. Really looking forward to being your Wedding Photographer in September at Hillview Country Club in North Reading - especially the riding on the trolleys part!