Mar
23
Today, I heard the wings of swans, sang with a chorus of geese, and saw a wild beaver for the first time.
It is spring. A short paddle on the Charles River made it official.
The true color of the sky.
The swan whose wings hummed.
The concept behind this collection: A time of transition- on the cusp of spring, but still with a hint of winter.
May
09
I am literally doing a little dance; I am so proud of my partner in all things. Dave’s work was recently published in David Tutera‘s My Fair Wedding book!!! We just got our hands on a copy and it is fabulous. Each chapter is devoted to a different episode and has great tips for your wedding- tips ranging from choosing your dress to engaging with your guests to permit needs to thematic choices. Really practical. And of course the photos are amazing!
Here’s a few pages from Dave’s Chapter in the book. Yup, a whole chapter. Did I mention I was proud? He photographed Christina and Ed’s Mexican dream wedding. They had initally planned a destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico, but had to change their plans suddenly. With no time whatsoever, they were at a loss. David Tutera created a stunning Latin inspired wedding in Staten Island. They were even able to wed on the beach. Amazing!
And now a few details that actually aren’t in the book for those who want more.
Christina’s dress was one of the first from the David Tutera by Faviana bridal collection. It’s perfect for both the ceremony and the reception; the skirt below the flowers can be removed for a fun party dress.
If you’ve watched My Fair Wedding, you know that David makes the decisions. The brides can voice their opinions, but in the end, the buck stops with Tutera. Once he decided on the Latin theme, he included it at every turn. The bridesmaids dresses, for instance, were light, airy and supremely colorful.
As I mentioned, they were able to host their ceremony on the beach. It was quite breezy.
David transformed this corner of the beach into an oasis with tropical plants, orange and yellow roses, green turf and gold chiavari chairs.
The string ensemble enhanced the mood with beautiful music.
Blue skies and puffy white clouds with an oceanview. Oh my!
In the distance, the clouds weren’t quite as playful, but I love the bridge peaking through them. And a chance to see what was going on nearby at the beach.
Everyone went inside the hotel for the reception. The colors and theme were carried through into these spaces as well.
Cocktails with fruit.
A Mariachi band started off the party with Mexican flair.
A very romantic, warm dinner table. Roses dripping from everywhere and amber plates and glassware.
Candlelight always great for ambiance.
Bringing in the tropical flowers and more vibrant colors on a chocolate cake. Mmmmmm…..
To end the day, what could be better than fireworks?
The bride and groom were definitely surprised and happy with this ending!
Congrats to my hubby, Dave Lee; to our friend and fellow photographer, Critsey Rowe, who is also published in the book; and of course, to the man behind it all, the extremely talented, warm, and charming, David Tutera. It is such an honor and pleasure to work with David and his team- consummate professionals and creative geniuses!
Check back soon for a behind the scenes look at the making of this season 2 episode of My Fair Wedding.
Aug
28
Just wanted to give a shout out to all of our loyal readers to let you know that we will be taking a break from our normally scheduled programming to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We promise to be back soon and in the meantime, please enjoy the archives.
Jan
27
So very excited to share the news that we have been published in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of grace ormonde WeddingStyle. Absolutely love this wedding magazine- chic, elegant, fashion forward designs and style aplenty. If you are planning a wedding, you should definitely check out their current national and New England issues. Tons of great stories, real weddings and inspiring ideas.
We submitted images from this fabulous Plaza Hotel wedding in New York City. It was designed by the trend-setter David Tutera and his talented team. With his table decor, he not only defines the space around a table, but creates a feeling like you have been transported to whole other world. All of your senses are enticed. It’s an amazing experience. We are thrilled that we could share one of his signature designs with Grace Ormonde readers.
If you would like to see more from this wedding, definitely check out our story from the wedding.
And if you would like to see other David Tutera wedding designs and ideas, check out these posts- NY Metropolitan Club Wedding, NY Gotham Hall Wedding, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Inspiration. More of David’s designs still to come from an episode of My Fair Wedding.
Cover image by Jade Studio Productions.
Dec
31
As a tribute to all of the fabulous couples and the amazing weddings we have been a part of this year, we thought it only fitting to celebrate love in the form of the wedding ring. So here’s a few of our more creative and fun ring shots from 2009.
Our bride Shelley wanted to honor the city where she and her husband were getting married, so they incorporated historical Boston images and special locations into their seating arrangements and used this book as their guest sign-in book. Photo taken at the Wang Theatre at the CitiCenter Performing Arts Center in Boston, MA.
This photo seems like it is the beginning of a cinematic short. I have a whole story in my mind about how the rings meet and talk and fall in love. Okay perhaps I am getting carried away. Photo taken at Wine and Roses in Lodi, California.
This image combines the rings with a family heirloom. Love the sentimental connection. Photo taken at destination wedding at Hans Fahden Vineyards in Calistoga, California.
The Russian dolls were the favors at Yelena and Rob’s wedding. They made a great prop for the rings. Photo taken at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts.
More than meets the eye. You know the rest. Photo taken at the Fort Mason Officer’s Club in San Francisco, California.
Many, many thanks to our fabulous couples, our supportive family, and our warm and loving friends. We wish you all a healthy and happy 2010!
Dec
24
This year, I joined the Junior League. Didn’t know much about it, but liked the idea of getting to meet new people in the Boston area along with having an outlet to do community service. Turns out it was an excellent decision. My project allows me to work with a great group of young ladies. We meet up a couple times a month and do all sorts of activities geared towards building self-esteem and self-awareness in the girls.
Recently, we had a bit of a holiday celebration, complete with holidays songs, gingerbread house building and decorating, cookie decorating, and games. The sugar highs were fun and the kids were at their silly and serious best. So here’s a few pix from our party!
And I had to put up a special PicFlick of my favorite girls!
Jul
04
"So much fun!" That’s how I would describe our stint on the other side of the camera. Dave and I feel like it is hugely important for us to remind ourselves what it is like being photographed by a pro. And the learning involved? Let me just tell you there was lots. Love it.
We were very fortunate to coordinate with Doug Levy, a peer of ours in the Boston area. Doug is an extraordinarily talented, self-taught photographer who plays with light (particularly off-camera flash) in all sorts of interesting ways. Not only did we get the fabulous images below, we also had the opportunity to work with Doug as his clients and get a sense of how he works. It was an awesome afternoon.
We started off at Lake Cochituate. My very favorite image from the session…
Check out my hotty husband.
We did this take about 10 times. Max was not particularly cooperative, and Doug was even encouraging him to lick the lens. It was pretty funny.
Max not cooperating again. I think I am actually holding him in place. And he looks like a petulent teenager. But nice to have a pic with just me and him nonetheless.
This guy was just playing his sax in this little picnic pavilion. Apparently he goes there everyday to practice and then performs most nights in Framingham. It was such a treat.
Doug was really excited to help us use our kayak membership at Charles River Canoe and Kayak. We headed over to their Newton location. The currents weren’t really working in our favor here and neither was all the weight being in the back of the canoe. But Dave managed to get us close to where Doug wanted us.
I like the feeling of isolation of this one
and how you can see Doug’s feet in this one.
And last, but definitely not least, another personal favorite of mine. Colorful kayaks are fabuous. And it totally looks like we are on a date. 
We are so very thankful that Doug agreed to work with us. And we can’t wait to return the favor when he gets back from touring as an umpire in the minor leagues- his totally cool other job. It will be great to work with Doug and his girlfriend Jess from behind the camera.
If you want to check out the whole set, you can view the slideshow.
Apr
14
Warning- this entry may get a little cheesy, but it’s all true nonetheless.
Dave’s dad was visiting a couple of weeks ago and we decided to take a trip down memory lane. Dave pulled up his digital archive of old family photos, and came across this one. I was astounded. I had no idea that we had a photo from Dave’s grandfather’s wedding. And I was so excited to see it for so many reasons.
Read More»
Feb
15
A huge wonderful Happy Birthday to my super-fabulous sweetie. Wishing you all the best, Dave!
Wasn’t he the cutest?
Dec
30
At this time of year, we have an opportunity to reflect. I don’t do this terribly often, preferring to look ahead and move forward, but I find it really is nice to remind myself how lucky I am. With regards to our work, I can’t imagine being more fortunate. Dave and I both love what we do- we get to be creative in so many different ways.
We love our clients. Our brides and grooms are from so many different walks of life and have so many interesting stories, from all over the country (from San Francisco and Boston to Chicago, New York and Portland to Washington DC and Phoenix).
their romance (boy rescuing girl with a lost show (aka Cinderella) at a party to getting engaged on a mountain top)
and their personalities (fun, funny, thoughtful, intelligent, creative).
Our clients have become our friends. And we are thrilled that we have been able to keep in touch through the years to see their families grow. (A special thank you to Facebook for making that even easier!)
We have been able to work with some of the most creative professionals in the wedding industry. Our colleagues teach us and support us. We are all better for these relationships.
And Dave and I get to work together!
Like I said, we really are unimaginably lucky.
With that, I would like to thank all of our fabulous clients, our wonderful family, and our peers for helping us do what we do. We love you all. Here’s to a fabulous 2009!
