Oct
01
Last night, I had the pleasure of sharing the photos from Becky and Neil’s wedding with them. It was such fun catching up, hearing about their Hawaii honeymoon adventures, and of course, reminiscing about their day as we looked through the photos. And what a day it was! You know it’s good times when scientists get married at a science museum.
First of all, there is romance. The Washburn Pavilion let in beautiful afternoon light and provided views of the Charles River as Becky and Neil exchanged their vows.
Their parents and friends were alternating between smiles and tears. And sometimes both.
Becky and Neil chose red, black and white for their colors- formal with a splash of fun. They also happen to be the colors of the Museum of Science, a very nice tie-in. The bridesmaids carried bouquets of red roses and wore red sashes.
Loving this moment just before the kiss. Such joy!
Then there is the fun- it’s a museum and a fun one! I mean, really, what could be better than a museum that has stairs that play music?
After the ceremony, we took a quick tour of the museum to capture some portraits of Becky and Neil in and among the exhibits. Our first stop was the dinosaurs, but on the way, I wanted to capture Becky and Neil in the midst of it all.
We just had to play around with this big ole dinosaur. This reminds of the TV show Land of the Lost.
And then of course, there was this super cool physics machine/toy and the sky at dusk.
When we returned, it was time for the reception. Becky and Neil kicked things off with their first dance. They were great. They took lessons and had the dance choreographed; they totally sold the dance with their energy and connection to each other.
Their guests were understandably mesmerized.
Becky’s maid of honor toasted the couple…
And brought tears to Becky’s eyes.
Enjoying a moment with her parents.
At their sweetheart table, they steal a kiss.
As Becky danced with her father, her mom watched on.
Becky had a very special treat for Neil. Becky had actually sung with the band they hired for their wedding a couple times.
So she decided to serenade Neil with a special song. How cool is that!
For us, the evening came to a close after her song. What a treat it was to be able to spend this day with Becky and Neil. To our newlyweds- you guys are fabulous and your friends and family are lovely. What a truly wonderful day it was! We are so grateful we could be there to document it for you.
Also, special thanks go out to all of the professionals who helped create an amazing day for Becky and Neil:
Getting ready site: Austin Horn from the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Cambridge
Ceremony and reception venue: Leigh-Ann French from the Museum of Science
Caterer: Keith Mahoney from Wolfgang Puck
Floral design: Darlene from Kaleidoscope Florals
Ceremony musicians: Kristine & Steven Kirby of Alla Breve Duo
Band: SirTunes (aka Pete Massa Band)
Definitely check out more from Becky and Neil- their engagement session, sneak preview, and wedding slideshow.
Sep
19
When two people fit like a glove, their wedding day is an affirmation of what everyone present knows and trusts- that they belong together and that it couldn’t be any other way. So it was with Becky and Neil. From the very beginning, Becky and Neil found they had so much in common- there was the obvious passion for chemistry, but also less obvious things like their style and approach to the world. Being a part of their wedding day was such a joy. They were truly relaxed on the day and each of them was so excited to get to marry the other.
Becky and Neil started their day at the Royal Sonesta, where they each got ready. Dave spent most of his time with Neil and I got to hang with Becky and the ladies. I started off with a few details. Becky’s color theme was black and white formality with a splash of red to spice things up. She even had a red sash added to her wedding dress.
The white and ivory bouquet of roses and freesia for Becky; the red roses were for the bridesmaids.
Becky helped her dad (who also happened to be her officiant) with the boutonniere.
And as Becky did a few finishing touches, her bridesmaids watched on.
Meanwhile, Neil was getting gussied up himself.
One of my favorite parts of the day was actually the "transportation." As they had chosen to get ready at the Royal Sonesta which was literally around the corner from the Museum of Science, their wedding venue, they elected to walk. So fun.
It was a brilliantly gorgeous day, perfect for a stroll. Along the way, Becky was treated to honks and hollers of congratulations from passers by.
Not a bad view from the pavillion at the Museum of Science.
And we were ready for the ceremony to begin. Neil walked down the aisle with his mom and dad. I love how all three of them look so proud and so happy.
Becky soon followed, escorted by her mom and her brother.
She and her mom exchanged a kiss, with smiles from her brother, before she greeted Neil as her groom.
Want more from Becky and Neil? Check out their engagement session.
Apr
19
Last night, Jackie and William came over for the premiere of their engagement session photos. The viewing of the photos was a central part of the evening to be sure, but honestly I just had so much fun getting to know them better. I knew their story, the story of how they met, that is; and a good bit about their wedding planning. But now I feel like I know so much more about them, such as that they love good food and they enjoy cooking together. So then they tipped us off to a great Boston secret- a culinary school for average folk in Cambridge. We can’t wait to try it out.
But I digress, this entry is really about their engagement session, which was a blast! We journeyed down to Princeton University where they met while attending a reunion. It was the perfect location to do their engagement session. We were happy to oblige and found a weekend in early April that worked for everyone, including Naomi and Jack of Generations Cinemastories, who came down to film their story.
With a backdrop as beautiful as Princeton’s campus, we were truly experiencing an embarrassment of riches. Add to that all of the connections that they have to their school and we ended up shooting for hours. We would have kept on going if the daylight hadn’t left us.
We wandered around campus with Jackie and William pointing out favorite spots from their time at Princeton as well as the important locations from the weekend when they met and fell in love.
They saw each other for the first time in this amazing library in Chancellor Green.
In the courtyard outside the library.
William’s dining club from his year’s at Princeton, called Tower, also happens to be one of the places where they met up during the reunion weekend. The light shining through the doorway was glittery and magical when we popped in to look around.
Naomi and Jack took a few moments to interview Jackie and William.
Of course, early April on the East coast is hit or miss as far as weather goes. Clearly Jackie and William have done something right with their lives, because we were so lucky. They had the most perfect weather and all of the stars were aligned for trees full of blossoms. I am a magnolia fanatic so this was heavenly.
For mom….
For our fabulous couple….
Apparently Princeton has some very fun traditions, and Jackie and William were holding out on us until the very end of our session. It is customary for each class to have their own reunion uniform when they come back for reunion weekend. Celebrating the school’s colors- orange, black and white- and their mascot- the tiger- Jackie and William donned the outfits they wore that weekend for a few photos around Princeton’s landmark tigers at Nassau Hall.
I just have to close with one image that’s a bit more abstract, but I think it expresses what it must have felt like for Jackie and William to find each other. They were in what I imagine was a somewhat crowded space attending a reunion party and somehow they saw each other; the world slipped away. I created this in the library where they met for the first time and the effect is done completely in camera.
Of course this is only a glimpse of all the fun we had, so if you want to see a few more, definitely check out their slideshow.
Jul
23
Marla and Shawn- what a couple! We had so much fun at their wedding. This was truly a destination wedding. Everyone came to Northern California from Texas and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine of wine country the week before the wedding. Of course, that meant that everyone was in great spirits throughout the day. On top of that, it is clear how perfect Marla and Shawn are for each other. Their day was not only a testament to their love, but also a celebration of family!
When Shawn proposed, he pulled all the stops, recreating their first date in style. Marla was truly surprised, but didn’t hesitate. She answered with a resounding, “Absolutely!” You can just imagine the cheers.
Marla and Shawn chose to get married at Hans Fahden, one of our favorite wine country venues. They had the best weather, perfect temps and clear skies with fun streaks of clouds. The kind of clouds you almost never see in California. Plus Hans Fahden was all abloom with pinks and oranges and whites. The setting was idyllic.
Marla prepped in the bridal suite surrounded by her closest friends, her sister, her mother, and her grandmother. There was lots of laughter, and suprisingly very little nervousness. Marla seemed so calm.
Before the ceremony, we took a few portraits in the gardens. Isn’t she stunning? When I captured this, I was completely entranced by her eyes. No wonder Shawn adores her.
Here’s the 3 generations of ladies. You can totally see the family resemblance in their smiles.
Marla hid up in the bridal room while we captured a few of Shawn with his family. These are his two darling little girls. They were so good throughout the day. And you could tell they completely adore both Marla and Shawn.
The ceremony took place overlooking the pond. With under 80 guests, it was truly intimate. Marla’s dad shared a special reading for them. And other family and friends created the music.
I can’t get over how sweet Shawn is. That smile is for his daughter. Melts my heart.
Another important element of the ceremony was their faith. Their connection to each other is enhanced by their religious beliefs. They definitely found ways to make the ceremony reflect their spirituality.
Marla and Shawn not only care about each other, they care for each other. You can see it in every gesture- a deep tenderness, appreciation, and love.
The final element to their ceremony was a special ritual designed to include Shawn’s two girls. Marla and Shawn presented each girl with a special medallion which symbolized their importance in the family. After the ceremony, we asked the girls to show us their necklaces. The necklace is really beautiful, but I think my favorite part of this image is the nail polish. So precious!
And just to give you a sense of what’s to come. One portrait with Marla and Shawn in the Hans Fahden gardens!
I can’t wait to share more. Not only did they have this amazing wedding day, but we got together with them again after their wedding to do a Newlywed/ Rock the Dress session. So there will be lots more amazing photos to see.
May
05
Dave and I were really fortunate to participate in the Gilded Bride event a couple of Sundays ago. This was definitely not your typical bridal show. Not only were there amazing vendors with truly unique products and services, but the set-up was very different from others we have been a part of. One of the things that made it special was the way the fashions were shown off. No runway for this crew. The “brides” and “grooms” mixed and mingled with the crowd. All of the dresses, tuxedos, accessories, and flowers were supplied by vendors at the shows. The looks were unique and exciting.
While I met with brides, grooms and their families, Dave did a mini-fashion session with the models. He had a lot of fun playing with a more fashion-editorial feel. There’s definitely a common thread of sexiness running through the images. Here’s a bit of eye-candy from the photo shoot:
We have so many people to thank for helping make this possible.
To start with, Ally from Polished Wardrobe Advising for sponsoring the event and inviting us to attend. Also thanks to Gilded Boston and the Algonquin Club for sponsoring the event.
A huge thanks to all of the vendors who put together the looks we featured above. They include:
Ties and shirts: 9Tailors
Tuxedos and suits: Evolution of Style
Dresses: Lily and Migs
Flowers: Carolyn Kegler Floral Designs
Hair: Daryl Christopher Salon and Day Spa
Make-up: Maria Capuano for Motives Cosmetics
Porsche: Classic Cars and Byways
And last, but definitely not least, the amazing models. We couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks for your hard work and dedication.
Apr
08
The designers of today are totally upping the ante with unique ways to set a table. Check out this black and white themed table. I love the Victorian chairs and the chic lighted table. And the floral arrangements of varied different flowers all in shades of white. This would be perfect for a winter wedding.
Dave captured this at the Westchester Ritz Bridal Show while photographing for David Tutera, who was speaking and displaying his work.
Check out more from the show here.
