Colonnade Hotel Wedding Photographer :: Boston, MA :: Alison + Matt (Part III)

Hello! We're back at Our Lady of Victories Church in Boston, MA for Alison & Matt's wedding ceremony...I'm keeping the words to a minimum as

a) the pictures speak for themselves

b) I'm in some kind of turkey coma...


Whilst Matt was getting his boutonniere pinned on, Alison's grandmother was catching up with family:


Alison arrived in the limo with her father:


Matt's sister Meredith, Alison's sister-in-law Taylor and Alison's cousin Ashlee wearing the most beautiful navy satin bridesmaid dresses:


Anticipation was high as the doors were closed and then opened for the bride (image on the right captured by Julia Snider):


Matt's mom had a little tear in her eye:


Matt was doing a subtle lean to get a better glimpse of Alison:


Alison looked straight ahead at Matt and her dad looked at her mom :)


This might just be one of my new favorite pictures:


Matt finally saw Alison:


Beautiful church:


It was too early for kissing or handholding but Alison and Matt still found a way to lean into each other and share a little smile:


A minor confusion in the order of service led to these priceless expressions:


By the power vested in me by the state of blog I now pronounce you husband and wife:

Julia shot this image of the lighting of the unity candle from the balcony:


Happy Newlyweds:


As you read this you might be thinking that your pants feel a little tight after your Thanksgiving dinner...all I have to say is that once you see the pictures of the food at cocktail hour tomorrow you'll be ravenous again...

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...

Wayside Inn, Sudbury, MA :: Engagement Pictures :: Jennifer + Wiktor

A few weeks ago I met up with Jennifer & Wiktor at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA to take their engagement pictures.


The Wayside Inn is the venue where Jennifer and Wiktor will be having their winter wedding next month and it's a photographer's dream of gardens, woods, grist mills and ponds:


"But wait!" I'm sure you're saying, "How did Jennifer and Wiktor meet?" Here are pictures of them talking through the story:


Well, seeing as you asked so nicely...Jennifer and Wiktor both happened to be at a party in Washington, DC on the very night that Barack Obama became the forty-fourth President of the United States.

Jen was telling a friend that she only wanted to date older guys. So Wiktor told Jen he was 48 years old. He's not ;)


Fast forward to Jen and Wiktor getting along like a house on fire and dating.


Then fast forward again to Wiktor spending a LOT of time in jewelry stores looking for the PERFECT engagement ring. He finally finds the one and arranges for it to be shipped to him in Washington as soon as it's ready.

Wiktor and Jen have a weekend planned together in Miami in February. Everything is coming together, Wiktor books flights, makes dinner reservations, there's just one issue. There is a huge snowstorm in Washington and the fedex package with Jen's ring can't be found and will likely arrive a day or two late.

Wiktor speaks to a wonderful customer service representative who can't resist the romance of the story; she personally finds the ring, gets it to Wiktor on time so he can ask Jennifer to be his wife. Jennifer says yes. Phew.

And here's the old grist mill I promised you:


As part of the wedding package offered by the Wayside Inn there will be a horse and carriage and I'm hoping we can clippety clop back to the mill for wedding pictures if the weather/schedule permits:


Jennifer and Wiktor are very fun to hang out with and they are also incredibly easy to photograph:


I've been challenging myself to see things differently so I shot this dancing picture through a small gap in the wooden fence. I rather like it. You?


It was a little too early for the leaves to have changed but you can't have fall engagement pictures without a little flash of orange foliage. Add in some laughter and it's even better:


Just next month, Jen & Wiktor will have their wedding ceremony at the Mary Martha Chapel and then their wedding reception at the Wayside Inn. It promises to be a supremely personal event with the focus on celebrating with family and fun cultural involvement like the Polish vodka ceremony which I am most intrigued by....

Coming soon to a blog near you (probably Wed & Thur) Tess & Allen's beautiful wedding ceremony at Nubble Light in Maine and Kate & Chris's fabulous wedding at the Old State House in Boston...

Hillview Country Club, North Reading, MA :: Wedding Photographer :: Stephanie + Tim (Part I)

It's really starting to feel like fall now; it's cooler in the evening, the leaves are just starting to change and I wore a sweater on the beach today when Paul and I took the dogs for a walk/swim.

So it only seems appropriate to start off this blog post about Stephanie & Tim's most excellent wedding ceremony at St Agnes Church in Arlington, MA and wedding reception at Hillview Country Club in North Reading, MA with a fall kind of photograph. I spotted these little acorns outside of Stephanie's parents home when I arrived for the getting ready and detail pictures. Oh and if you'd like to catch up on their engagement pictures in Boston you can click **here**:


As I carefully carried their rings back into the house I noticed that Stephanie's engagement and wedding ring fit exactly inside Tim's. So I couldn't resist one more, this time sitting on one of the stylish plates that the girls were eating their breakfast fruit and bagels from:


Gorgeous dress by Gianna's bridal in Stoneham, MA


I've recently been working on always trying to find a new way of seeing things. So much as I was happy with the above picture, I thought it might be even more interesting to shoot through the window inside, plus who doesn't love a shoe picture:


Of course to have a wedding, you need to invite your guests:


Fun with the macro lens, I love jewelry details and when you have earrings like these...


Stephanie's make up was done by her amazing bridesmaid Shaina:


Her sisters Jennifer and Allison, Matron and Maid of Honor helped Stephanie into her wedding dress and even niece Bella assisted with the shoes:


I usually head out 15-30 minutes before the bride to introduce myself to the officiant and get set up for the ceremony. If the location and time allow, I love to get a great wide-angle shot of the church and it was excellent timing as Tim and his groomsmen walked into the frame:

I usually do most of my blog posts on weekdays when internet traffic is higher but if you'd like me to post the preview pictures of the ceremony tomorrow just let me know in the comments....