sweet harmony

Laura and Drew are literally in tune with each other: they met at Boston College where they were members of The Acoustics, an a cappella singing group.

Musical touches punctuated the day: Acoustics alumni sang during the ceremony, and Laura's band Magnus played at the reception. And the guests were in for a special treat: Laura and Drew each got up on stage to belt out a tune with the band.

One idea I especially loved: the church was walking distance from the Harvard Club, so Laura & Drew had friends lead the way, holding oversized white balloons for the guests to follow.


VENDOR INFO:
Ceremony: St. Cecilia, Boston
Reception & Catering: The Harvard Club, Boston
Flowers: Cocoon Home Design
Cakes: Sweet Tooth
Band: Magnus

here comes the sun (finally!)

After a cool and rain-soaked June, the sun was an unexpected but very welcome guest at Gretchen & Tom's lovely seaside celebration at the Winslow Estate in Orleans, MA. The couple exchanged 'I do's' in an emotional ceremony under a lush floral arch created by Flowers By Fancy atop a hillside overlooking the ocean. The reception featured a packed dance floor, set to a high-energy soundtrack provided by Horns In The House.

Favorite details: the "chalkboard" wine coaster favors, which doubled as escort cards, and the stunningly detailed butter cream frosted cake by Creative Baking.



VENDOR INFO:
Venue: The Winslow Estate, Orleans, MA
Catering: Cosmos Catering
Wedding planner: Jenn Mentzer
Flowers: Flowers By Fancy
Hair & Makeup: Lisa George
Cake: Creative Baking
Band: Horns In The House
Linens: BBJ Linen
Place settings (china, flatware, glassware): Be Our Guest
Liquor, beer, wine: Harwich East
Equipment (tent, tables, chairs, dance floor, lighting): Undercover Tent

Spring '09 WPJA contest results

The WPJA recently posted a list of winners from their 1st quarter contest, and one of my images from Lisa & Matt's wedding at the Crane Estate in Ipswich placed in the top ten in the 'Getting Ready' category. (More images from Lisa & Matt's wedding coming soon!)

From the judge's comments: "Wonderful job by the photographer to see this scene in a completely different way. The bride's hand on her shoulder is a moment that not everyone would catch and it really brings this understated but lovely image together. The use of the strong backlight helps to keep the composition simple. A rare wonderful use of a vertical composition."

More about the Wedding Photojournalist Association: www.wpja.com

sea of love

Jessica and Jason's wedding at The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA was full of laughter, color, and plenty of art -- the P.E.M. has an amazing collection of art and artifacts from Salem's rich maritime history. I especially loved the ship's figureheads mounted to the walls of the Museum's East India Hall, keeping watch over the ocean of happy wedding guests below.


VENDOR INFO:
Ceremony & reception: Peabody Essex Museum
Catering: Hawthorne Catering
Flowers: Fino Fresh Design
Hair & Makeup: Wedding Tresses
Cake: Montilio's
Band: Groove Alliance

wpja contest results

I was excited to learn that I have three winning images in the latest Wedding Photojournalist Association contest! It's so much fun to see my work alongside some of the world's best wedding photographers.


Fourth place in the category "Emotion":



Second place in the category "Great Natural Light":



Ninth place in the category "Ceremony":


Congrats to my colleagues and friends whose work placed in the contest as well!

true love, any way you slice it.

Among the many things that Roland and Tara discovered that they had in common was a love of pie. Blueberry pie, apple pie, lemon meringue...you name it. So when Roland decided to pop the question, he made Tara an appropriately sweet gift: a hand-painted wooden pie plate, inscribed with the phrase, "Tara, will you share all the slices of life with me?"

They tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony officiated by Cindy Matchett in Groton, MA on a chilly, bright February afternoon. The reception was held at one of my favorite venues, The Barn at Gibbet Hill. Everything ran like clockwork, thanks to Gibbet Hill's Sara Zambuto and the skills of DJ Peter Diozzi.

The guests enjoyed a fabulous dinner, followed by the perfect dessert -- instead of the traditional wedding cake? Pie, of course!


VENDOR INFO:
Ceremony: First Parish Church of Groton
Officiant: Cindy Matchett
Reception & Catering: The Barn at Gibbet Hill
Flowers: Michele Bernard
DJ: Groove Entertainment

my kind of town

In August, I traveled to Chicago to photograph Kerry & Greg's wedding at the exclusive Union League Club in the Loop. This wasn't my first time photographing Kerry's family -- back in 2007 I shot her sister Kristin's wedding, and it was so much fun to meet up with the family again! We stopped at the lakefront after the ceremony for a few must-have photos with the skyline in the background. As we arrived back at the hotel for the reception, we grabbed a few quick shots in the beautiful evening light on West Jackson Boulevard. For their reception décor, Kerry & Greg chose ivory, green, and gold tones, which created a dreamy and dramatic setting against the deep blue walls of the ballroom.


VENDOR INFO:
Ceremony: Old St. Patrick's Church, Chicago
Reception: Union League Club, Chicago
Catering: Union League Club
Flowers: Ashland Addison Florist
Hair & Makeup: Solo Salon
Cake: Union League Club

published: Kerry & Andy

Kerry & Andy's beautiful wedding at the Willowdale Estate was featured in the recent issue of Southern New England Weddings . Many thanks to the wonderful wedding planner Linnea Tangorra for helping to create all of the beautiful details that helped make the day so magazine-worthy!

Click here to download a PDF of the Southern New England Weddings article.

a grand celebration on castle hill

The Crane Estate in Ipswich never fails to amaze me. I always love watching guests arrive at a Castle Hill wedding...every time someone walks through the door and sees the stunning view of the sweeping lawn for the first time, the reaction is inevitably, "Oh, wow."

And Kelley and Ben had a splendid wedding to match the grand setting. The meticulously planned, gracious and elegant celebration was expertly managed by The Catered Affair, and featured a ceremony in a lovely old stone church in Gloucester, lush floral accents by Flowers By Steve, a knockout Vera Wang gown and wonderfully unobtrusive videography by After Image Productions.

It was a special treat to work with the talented and super-fun hair & makeup artist
Luiz Filho, who was an absolute delight! He accompanied to the church and on to the reception, providing touch-ups to his gorgeous work when necessary (keeping everyone looking flawless all day).

During the reception, Kelley and Ben let me to steal them away for a quick stroll in the lovely evening light, and returned to the party to dance the night away to the rollicking sounds of The White Heat Swing Orchestra.

VENDOR INFO:
Ceremony: St. Anthony By The Sea, Gloucester
Reception: The Crane Estate at Castle Hill, Ipswich
Catering: The Catered Affair
Flowers: Flowers By Steve
Hair & Makeup: Luiz Filho
Videography: After Image Productions
Band: The White Heat Swing Orchestra

red sails in the sunset

Up in Bar Harbor, Maine, the forecast was gloomy: it had been raining all week, and more rain was predicted for Saturday. But the morning of the wedding, the clouds lifted to reveal a clear, gorgeous day for David & Nicole's wedding at the Bar Harbor Inn. David & Nicole exchanged their vows in an emotional ceremony overlooking the beautiful harbor, followed by a reception at the Inn (I especially loved their choice of wedding cake: authentic Junior's cheesecake, flown in from New York, of course)! And instead of favors, the couple treated their guests to an unforgettable afterparty: a sunset cruise of the harbor on a historic 4-mast wooden schooner, the Margaret Todd.


VENDOR INFO:
Reception & Catering: Bar Harbor Inn
Flowers: Chelcey Dunham
Cake: Junior's Cheesecake
DJ: Nik Shukla
Sunset Cruise: The Margaret Todd, Windjammer Cruises.

to the nines: 95 degrees, and No. 9 Park

There's no getting around it: Tracy & Steve's wedding was a hot one. But the happy couple looked cool, calm, and collected as they exchanged vows amid an intimate gathering of family and friends in the Public Garden. There was even a Swan Boat ride to entertain the littlest guests! After the ceremony, Tracy and Steve strolled across the Common to the refreshing, elegant oasis of No. 9 Park, where icy cocktails and amazing food greeted their guests.


VENDOR INFO:
Reception: No. 9 Park

for Boston, for Boston...

Met at BC, married at BC! Caron and Alex tied the knot at St. Ignatius at Boston College, not too far from the spot where they first met. There was more than a dash of school spirit: as the couple walked back down the aisle, newly married, guests cheered and waved maroon-and-gold pom-poms. (They're such loyal alums that they just had to have a BC grad for their photographer!) The reception at Veronique featured fabulous food and service (as always), and the dance floor was packed all night long.

VENDOR INFO:
Ceremony: St. Ignatius, Boston College
Reception & Catering: Veronique, Brookline

Ni hao, Beijing!

The Olympics have brought Beijing into the spotlight, so I thought I'd share a few images from my 2004 trip to China.

I was booked to shoot a November '04 wedding in Pusan, Korea, and decided to extend my trip to spend a week in Beijing before the wedding. My husband and I climbed the Great Wall, marveled at the smog, ate some great food (and some unidentifiable food), and wandered the Forbidden City on a rare blue-sky day.

a romantic hideaway in the woods

Kerry and Andy found the perfect spot for their June wedding: the stunning, newly renovated Willowdale Estate in Topsfield. Willowdale is a turn-of-the century mansion in the Art and Crafts style, nestled amid acres of woodlands. Everywhere I turned, there was perfect, soft light: a photographer's dream!

I was already thrilled to be working in such a beautiful location, but I was even happier to be working with the absolutely fantastic planner Linnea Tangorra – it's such a pleasure to watch her work. She received a Best of Boston award last year, and it's easy to see why.

Other favorite vendors: the lush flowers by Jessica Wrobel, and artistic videography by Marcella Hoekstra.

The bride created some amazing details: Kerry is a talented visual artist, and she designed all of her paper details (menus, programs. etc.) using pale, luminous shades of pink. Dreamy!

VENDOR INFO:
Ceremony & Reception location: Willowdale Estate, Topsfield, MA
Catering: Willowdale
Wedding planner: Linnea Tangorra
Flowers: Jessica Wrobel
Hair & Makeup: Interlocks Studio, Newburyport
Cake: Montilio's
Videography: Marcella Hoekstra, Heirloom Pictures
Band: K2

Some images below are by the talented Kristin Cioffi, who captured gorgeous images as a second photographer for the day. Thanks, K!

published: Boston Weddings Magazine

On the 23rd, I attended Boston Magazine's fabulous launch party for the new issue of their wedding magazine. The party was held at The Liberty Hotel, which I promptly fell in love with – if you're still on the hunt for a wedding venue, you have to add this place to your must-see list!

The current Boston Weddings Magazine showcases a pagespread of images from Oni & Michael's July '07 wedding – the Fall/Winter issue is on newsstands now!

classic elegance at Castle Hill

Bathed in gorgeous late afternoon light, Elizabeth & David's wedding at the Crane Estate epitomized grace and elegance. The whole celebration proceeded flawlessly, thanks to a "dream team" of vendors: The Crane Estate's wonderful event coordinator Laura Daley, fabulous artistic videographer Rosemary Jenseth of AfterImage Productions, lush floral arrangements by Jessica Wrobel, delicious (and gorgeous!) food by Capers Catering, swinging tunes from Hush, and (literally) the icing on the cake – a stunning confectionery creation by JohnnyCakes.

Vendor Information:

Reception: The Crane Estate, Castle Hill, Ipswich
Catering: Capers Catering
Videography: AfterImage Productions
Flowers: Jessica Wrobel
Cake: JohnnyCakes
Band: Hush

Published: "Ten Must-Shoot Moments"

One of my favorite images from 2006 is currently being featured in all regional editions of Brides magazine.

one plus one equals one.

Erin and Hyung-Do are numerically-minded. Both mathematicians, they met in school, and a friendship blossomed into love. Their wedding celebration at the Gamble Mansion in Boston celebrated the union of their heritages – for the lovely traditional Korean tea ceremony, Erin and Hyung-Do changed into gorgeous Korean hanbok robes.

두분의 결혼을 진심으로 축하합니다!
("Congratulations on your wedding", Erin and HD!)

Vendor information:

Reception: The Gamble Mansion, Boston
Catering: Cuisine Chez Vous
Flowers: Nature's Design
DJ: DJ Raffi

talented client news: Vee Vee in JP

I love sharing news of my clients' new ventures and successes – Dan & Kristen (wedding in Truro, 2006) have opened a fantastic new restaurant in Jamaica Plain called VeeVee.

It's getting fantastic reviews, so if you're in the neighborhood, be sure to check it out!

a valentine.

On this day dedicated to love, I wanted to send a valentine of my own to all of my 2007 couples – a little slideshow featuring each couple from the past season – just a few of the many sweet moments I was privileged to capture this year. Enjoy!

1,000 cranes at the Crane Estate

1,000 paper cranes are a classic symbol of good fortune, and for Sarah & Scott's wedding, Scott folded every single one of the thousand cranes – such dedication! Jessica Wrobel's beautiful floral creations graced the ceremony chairs and place settings, and the day was expertly captured by the talented videographer Mark Willand, who I'm always so glad to work with.

One of the many things I love about the Crane Estate is its versatility – so many options for ceremonies, and so many stunning locations for photos. Sarah & Scott chose to have their ceremony in the lovely Italian Garden; during the ceremony, the sky seemed to threaten rain, but in the end the weather behaved very courteously...the rain held off until the minute after the last guest stepped into the Great House for dinner.

Vendor information:

Reception: The Crane Estate, Castle Hill, Ipswich
Catering: Vinwood Caterers
Flowers: Jessica Wrobel
Videographer: Mark Willand
Band: Hush

yong jie tong xing

The Commons in Topsfield was the setting for Denise and David's wedding in August. For the reception, each table was named with a phrase in Chinese or Hebrew, along with a translation...a lovely way to celebrate their combined heritages. One of my favorites? "Yong jie tong xing"..."forever united in your hearts".

Vendor information:

Reception: The Commons, Topsfield
Catering: Vinwood Caterers
Flowers: Annette Rinaldi
Band: Kahootz

niki & john : : waltham, ma

Niki and John celebrated at the gorgeous Lyman Estate in Waltham on a beautiful, warm summer evening. Red silk lanterns danced above tables set with luscious chocolate linens and monochrome centerpieces in summery jewel tones.

Vendor information:
Reception: The Lyman Estate, Waltham
Caterer: Tables of Content
Flowers: Madison Floral
DJ: Greg Gates

Happy New Year...

During the busy fall and winter season, I haven't had a chance to share images from the rest of my 2007 events. With all this ice and snow around, it'll be fun to look back at last summer's events and look forward to all the wonderful weddings to come in 2008!

by the beautiful sea

Shala and Jonathan chose the chic (and aptly named) Belle Mer in Newport for their seaside wedding in August. Shala and Jonathan's beach-inspired details, in shades of white and cream, complemented the venue perfectly.

Vendors:
Reception: Belle Mer, Newport
Flowers: Stoneblossom

american girl meets norwegian boy

The Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA is a gorgeous natural setting, set high atop a hill, surrounded by fields and rolling mountains in the distance. On a flawless summer evening, Jaclyn and Runar's wedding brought together families from both sides of the ocean, the U.S. and Norway. Runar's Norwegian relatives delivered their toasts in excellent English, and Jaclyn's sister even attempted a bit of Norwegian during hers!

Vendor information:
Reception: Fruitlands Museum
Caterer: Seasonal Specialties
Cake: Konditor Meister
Flowers: The Frugal Flower

there's no place like home

My favorite holiday (Bastille Day!) was clear, cool and beautiful, and provided the perfect evening for Oni & Michael's cozy, elegant celebration at their home. Their chic details were beautifully coordinated by Kori Elizabeth Events, and Capers Catering created the colorful and delicious menu -- the cocktail hour featured "mini" appetizers: tiny lobster rolls, diminutive cheeseburgers, and little takeout boxes with Asian noodles.

Vendor details:
Wedding planner: Kori Elizabeth Events
Caterer: Capers Catering
Flowers: Bow Street Flowers
Cake: JohnnyCakes

happy trails!

Kelly and Tim love the outdoors, so they named their tables after favorite hiking trails. Each table had a handmade wooden cutting board inscribed with the table name, and there were beautiful earthy details in the floral centerpieces as well -- I especially loved the artichokes! Their favors were little burlap bags filled with trail mix.

My favorite detail of all was the name of Kelly & Tim's own sweetheart table: "The Long Trail".


Vendor details:
Reception venue/caterer/cake: The Red Lion Inn, Cohasset
Florist: Artistic Blossoms
DJ: Greg Hodges

le Quatorze Juillet

In honor of Bastille Day, a few shots from the City of Light:

published: Elyse & Don

Elyse & Don's September wedding is featured in the brand new issue of The Knot Boston magazine, on newsstands now!