Archive for weddings

Natalie and Patrick’s families have been intertwined since, well, since they could remember! With summer homes just a block apart in New London, Natalie and Patrick grew up at the same beach, and, with three siblings each, they had a ready-made social group that loved nothing more than hilariously competitive sports, both silly and serious! Natalie’s mother recalled in her toast that she realized Natalie and Patrick’s relationship was evolving when, as teens, Patrick actually rang the FRONT doorbell to pick Natalie up for a formal date, as opposed to the norm of popping in the side door unannounced!

Naturally, their wedding was a warm and joyful family affair, with the ceremony and reception held on the lawn of the Branford House, on the grounds of the University of Connecticut, Avery Point, in Groton. The rehearsal dinner was held at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, and the next day brunch was an all-day croquet brunch hosted by Natalie’s parents.

I gave Mallory & Jarret a ride to Mallory’s sister’s wedding last year, and I secretly knew they were going to soon be engaged (…they were so obviously perfect for each other!)  What I didn’t know: they were secretly choosing me as their wedding photographer at the same time!  We spent some time on their wedding day visiting a few of Mallory’s favorite spots from her childhood, including the old Parrish Museum (now the Southampton Arts Center) and the old Library in Southampton Village. Their fun-filled wedding day ended at 1am with a piano-singalong by one of their very close (but living far away) friends. Big laughs and a few heartfelt tears along the way: it was a really lovely wonderful day!!

Emily and Peter had an intimate yet raucous wedding at the Ramscale Studio in Chelsea in June. Emily wore blue Tory Burch sandals with her short wedding dress and swept up hair, and the bright colorful flowers she chose added more vibrant pops of color in the open white loft space. Emily and Peter were unflappable all day, laughing constantly and simply enjoying the day with family and friends. The party moved inside after the sun went down over the Hudson River, but the outside deck afforded beautiful spacious river views all afternoon and evening!

Meghan and Michael’s wedding day was all sparkling sunshine and lots of cheer, pretty much a direct reflection of their personalities!  Their venue, The Inn Spot on the Bay, was perfectly charming and hosted their family and friends on the lawn overlooking the water with plenty of room for lawn games and signature cocktails!

I’m just taking a moment to sit back and count my blessings. I’ve spent the last 8 hours doing some long-overdue updating on my website.  In updating my site, I got to spend a little time re-living some of the best, most beautiful days of so many amazing people and their families. My clients! Oh how I love them. When I’ve run into former bridesmaids at the grocery store, they don’t always remember me, but I have spent so much time editing wedding photos, I never forget a bridal party face!

Let me tell you, the best day of my adult life was my wedding. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to loving being a part of so many wonderful weddings, because I KNOW how special that day is. I know how long it takes to plan a wedding. I know that your Grandmother is very special to you, because mine was to me. And I am so happy that my clients trust me and believe in me. I believe in them too, in their vision and their family ties. I don’t take it lightly that, by taking photos of weddings, I am a small part of the family legacy, creating heirloom photos that I believe will pass the test of time. Not overly trendy, not too posed. Just real. Real beautiful. Real emotion. Real families. Real photography.

Congratulations to Anne & Rob on their beautiful wedding day. (I am still not sure how they commissioned a full rainbow during the cocktail hour, but it was just the icing on the cake for their gorgeous, heartfelt day with family and friends.)

A large portion of my family on my mother’s side lives in Alaska, and I had the pleasure of shooting my cousin’s son’s wedding in Anchorage this year. This was my husband’s first ever trip to Alaska, so we planned a two week trip, packed our cameras and wetsuits, and headed for the great Northwest!  The highlight was, of course, the wedding and all the time we spent with extended family, but we also found time to make new friends and take an adventure on an amazing surf boat, the M/V MILO out of Homer. I will post photos about that later. For now, here is a portrait of Zach and his new bride Trish, just returning from their ceremony at the historic Captain Cook Hotel in downtown Anchorage.