Feb
24
The thing about being a photographer is that it is all too easy to miss documenting your own life. And even more challenging to create photos of you with your family. We knew we wanted photos with our Giant Schnauzer Max (we have tons of images of him, and tons of him with each of us, but very few with him and both Dave and I). We also knew we were not alone in needing photos with our beloved canine baby. Amy Hawkes of Click Imagery is a supremely talented photographer in the Boston area, and she has a fabulous furkid, Jaxon. So we proposed a trade.
On one lovely afternoon in June, we ventured to Wellesley College‘s beautiful gardens for family photography and then a bite to eat. And here we have a few of our faves from the session.
Amy and Jax, all smiles.
Sweet moment.
Love how Jaxon looks up at Amy. So expectant and attentive.
Amy has a great sense of humor. This one absolutely captures the amusement in her relationship with Jaxon.
More smiles.
Jaxon is a ball dog. And for those of you who have ball dogs, you understand the intensity involved.
Communicating about the ball.
A simple portrait of Amy’s best friend.
Dave was fascinated with Jax’s squirrel like tail. (I imagine this was because Max didn’t have one, but I can’t be sure.)
We left the cover of the trees for the warmth of the grasses. Jaxon has beautiful bright brown eyes.
Another thing about Amy, she’s a competitive runner and triathlete. So she and Jax often enjoy jogging together.
Oh and a super cute High 5 trick.
One last image, I think this is Dave’s favorite from the whole furkid session. So funny and whimsical.
Many thanks to Amy and Jaxon for spending the afternoon with us in Wellesley and being such great models. We love you guys!
Oct
20
What do you get when you mix a family of Italians and a family of Greeks celebrating a wedding? Great food, yes. And also full on Mediterranean zest for life, which translates to one helluva good time. And so it was when Loula married Massimo.
It started with a ceremony at Boston’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Lovin’ the look in Massimo’s eyes.
You have to check out the beauty of this place- so vibrant and colorful- with stunning crystal chandeliers, an amazing space for a wedding.
And the lights are kept pretty low, so there is a romantic ambiance and warmth as well.
The ceremony was presided over by his and hers officiants, aka a representative from both Loula’s and Massimo’s faiths, making the service doubly official.
The newlyweds….
We dashed off to the State Room for their reception. Loula and Massimo added beautiful touches, such as custom designed menus and table numbers, as well as elegant floral arrangements, making the already elegant venue truly shine.
Their first dance, surrounded by their guests, with the city lights in the background.
As is customary in the Greek tradition, this dance becomes a money dance. This young man is helping the couple start their lives with good fortune.
And sharing a different kind of fortune.
Some guests watched (and cheered) from the upper gallery as the party got started.
Dancing got underway quickly, first with modern music.
Then with Greek tunes. Loula’s dad with a few great moves.
During the evening, toasts and merriment prevailed. Our bride…
and our groom definitely had a good time.
Oh, and did I mention that Loula changed into a party dress later in the evening? So cute and fun, complete with the perfect shoes.
Lovin’ this look on Loula. Beautiful!
What a crazy night! Really. Everyone knew how to have a good time.
Congrats to the professionals who helped make their day so special:
Getting ready venue: Boston Harbor Hotel
Ceremony site: Father Cleopas from the Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Officiant: Father Tom
Reception site: Venessa Hoyle from the State Room
Cake: Claudio of Modern Pastry
Floral design: Kerranne of Les Fleurs
Ice Sculptures: Brookline Ice & Coal
Cinematographers: Naomi, Jack and Lauren from Generations Cinemastories
For ladies’ looks:
Hair: Shelly of Dellaria
Make-up: Luiz Filho of Luz Beauty
Wedding gown designer: Claire Pettibone; and Shelly from Sewly Yours
Party dress designer: Lazaro; and Maria from Cristina’s
Bridesmaid dresses: Jim Hjelm at Cristina’s
Want more from Loula and Massimo? Check out their engagement session, their sneak peek and their slideshow.
Oct
15
Prepping and primping for a wedding takes time, takes experienced professionals, takes vision- well, at least for the women it does. For the men, it takes about 5 minutes, and they’re done. So of course, the photos captured during the getting ready of the men and the women are vastly different. For Loula and Massimo’s wedding, Dave and I split up- Dave hung with the boys at Massimo’s place in the North End and I played with the ladies at Loula’s suite at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
The rings were with the boys. And Massimo wanted an image documenting the ring alongside the day’s newspaper.
Meanwhile, I was capturing details of Loula’s wedding dress, shoes and veil.
And of course, documenting the process of the preparation.
As I mentioned, the boys don’t take much time to get gussied up. So Dave had time for some fun portraits of the boys.
Loula getting into her dress.
Her koumbara put on her shoes, a special Greek tradition.
Loula takes a moment by herself, almost, to put on her jewelry. I love how her pup watches her captivated.
I have time for a quick portrait before we head out.
Dave and the boys are already at the church. This little sweetheart is so intent.
As the boys arrive at the church, we are heading out. Loula hired a beautiful vintage car to carry her and her parents to the ceremony. Just a moment before we leave.
More from Loula and Massimo’s wedding- ceremony at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral and reception at The State Room- to follow soon. In the meantime, check out their engagement session in Nahant.
Jun
05
I am so excited to be sharing a sneak preview of images from Jackie and William’s amazing wedding at a private club in the Back Bay. I am limited by what I can show you at the request of the club management and their members, but I am able to share a few snippets from William’s getting ready, the portraits along Commonwealth Ave and a few details. So I hope you enjoy.
Dave started the day with William at the Boston Harbor Hotel, where he was getting ready. This view from William’s room would totally put anyone in the right frame of mind- peaceful, serene, stunning.
William was very excited about the tux he had custom-made by Brooks Brothers for the occasion. It seems only fitting that he receive artful photos of his attire.
A final check….
The effort and choices he made were impeccable. He looked so dashing.
William made his way to the club in a Rolls Royce, arriving in high style.
Meanwhile, Jackie was at the club getting ready. She chose a Vera Wang gown; the fabric flowed beautifully and totally showed off her figure. Plus the texture and shape was a perfect match for the cherry blossoms, which she used throughout to decorate.
After they saw each other for the first time (a truly emotional and beautiful experience), we popped outside for some photos around the Back Bay. Comm Ave is surrounded by gorgeous brownstones and a tree lined pedestrian way, so finding locations was no challenge. Plus we still had the Rolls Royce to play with.
Such a gentleman…
And a few little bits from the ceremony. The groom’s vows…
The embrace.
And a post ceremony portrait of their gorgeous puppy, who also played the roll of ring bearer. He was so cute walking down the aisle, and looked so handsome with his bowtie.
More to share soon, but if you want more now, and I wouldn’t blame you, definitely check out Jackie and William’s engagement session in Princeton and their love story by Generations Cinemastories.
Sep
02
I am so excited to share the second installment of Erin and Vitali’s wedding. You may recall that they were married at the Lord Thompson Manor in Thompson, Conn. In the first post, I made it to the beginning of ceremony so there is lots more to share.
Allow me to set the scene. The day was gorgeous with blue skies above. Erin and Vitali were surrounded by their family and friends, and stood under trees and this beautiful gazebo with the gorgeous mansion behind them.
Some moments were tender…
And some amusing. The groom’s best man was his son; it took him a second to remember where he had placed the rings. But he held it together and provided them in due course.
Little tubes of bubbles were placed at each person’s seat. They were blown after Erin and Vitali’s kiss and as they exited, and then everyone continued to blow bubbles until they received another kind of bubbles in preparation for the toast. Blowing bubbles can be addictive that way. Everyone loves bubbles. Erin’s dad especially loved blowing the bubbles. Love it!
The Lord Thompson Manor has a great set up for the toasts.
Erin’s brother provided the stories and words of wisdom. He had Erin and her family in stitches.
We followed the toast with a few portraits. I especially wanted to capture something special of Erin and her grandmother. Erin’s mother had told me how close they are.
And of course, I had a little time with our bride and groom. This is one of my favorites. They seem so at ease and totally themselves in this moment.
Cocktail hour awaited! And what would a cocktail hour be without a signature cocktail? Apparently Vitali doesn’t drink, but because he is a white Russian he and Erin thought it only appropriate that they serve White Russian’s at their wedding. Too funny! Here we have a pair of white Russians.
The joy of the evening was definitely catchy and everyone was feeling a bit spunky. Erin’s parents Marion and Jack were hilarious as they danced their way in during their entrance.
After the rest of the bridal party and Erin and Vitali’s dog entered, they made their grand entrance. They immediately started their first dance.
One young lady was inspired to start dancing afterwards. Can’t blame her, it was a beautiful first dance.
Keirnan of KCK Photography, my partner for the day, captured this moment during the cake cutting. So much joy. Of course, who wouldn’t be joyous with two amazing cakes sitting right in front of them. The groom’s cake was brought in from their favorite bakery in New York as a special treat.
After Erin and Vitali each had a taste, Erin shared the red velvet cake with the kids. Yum.
Our evening was drawing to a close, but I wanted to make sure to get a few photos on the grounds before we left. The Manor looks absolutely stunning at night. I am so glad Erin and Vitali were up for a couple more portraits. My parting shot.
What an amazing day! There are so many people to thank for making it great.
First of all, Jackie and her team at the Lord Thompson Manor. Great work! Everything was perfect.
And the team of professionals that Erin, Marion and Jackie assembled.
Thanks to the following for completing Erin and Vitali’s looks:
Hair and make-up: The KISS Spa
Gown Designer: Pronovias of Spain from Mariella Creations
Groom and Groomsmen’s Attire: Formals by Antonio
And for creating the atmosphere and making the day even sweeter, thanks to:
Ceremony Musicians: Fensgate Chamber Players
Reception Band: Radiance
Floral Design: The Flowering Vine
Bride’s cake: Something Sweet by Michelle
Groom’s Cake: Two Little Red Hens Bakery
I also want to send out lots of kudos to Erin and Marion who teamed up to create the gorgeous invitations and other paper products. Your handy work absolutely paid off. Beautiful!
A very special thanks to Keirnan of KCK Photography for joining me this day. I so appreciate you and your talent. You are amazing. Thank you!
Finally, I want to thank Erin and Vitali and your wonderful family and friends for inviting us into this very special day.
For those of you who want to see a few more, definitely check out their Sneak Preview and their Slideshow.
Aug
26
This weekend, we snuck in an engagement session with Jess and Ivan, whose wedding is in just over a week. We wanted to make sure we had this chance to get together in a relaxed setting before the wedding. And also, to share the photos with them and get their feedback before the big day. The weather had been less than cooperative for our initial plans, but this day was perfect. As was the location.
With the Back Bay as our playground, we enjoyed the wealth of possibilities our fair city has to offer. Gotta love Boston!
We actually know Ivan and Jess pretty well already. Ivan and Dave had been roommates in college at UMass Amherst; as soon as we moved back to the Boston area, we got together with them. We instantly adored Jess.
And of course, playdates with Max and their pup Noodle were a must. Both dogs love the tennis ball and neither is agressive about having it. Excellent playmates.
Perhaps my favorite thing about heading out on a photographic double date with Ivan and Jess was pausing to watch them interact with each other. They laugh so much!!!
And my other favorite thing was watching them play with Noodle- who is totally absolutely adorable. Such a happy family.
And so cute, Noodle watching Jess and Ivan. Like he wants to join in.
All around a great morning! Thank you both- we had so much fun.
We really can’t wait for your wedding at the Harvard Club. It is going to be amazing. And we are totally going to take you up on your offer to hang out and dance for a bit after we are finished shooting!
If you want to see more, check out their slideshow.
Aug
22
Erin and Vitali are such a great match- they both value their families and each other completely. Vitali totally makes Erin laugh. And Erin watches out and protects Vitali. Perfect! Add to that a plethora of adoring friends and you have just the right mix for not only a fabulous wedding day, but also an amazing life together.
Erin and Vitali chose The Lord Thompson Manor as the backdrop for their special day. The Lord Thompson Manor brings back the joy of weekend getaways from times gone by. It’s perfect for a destination wedding, where friends and family can join you for an extended period of time.
After the rehearsal, Vitali spent the night at the Manor. On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, Erin was treated to spa fun with the girls at the Cottage. I arrived to capture some special details and some of her getting ready.
Erin’s dress was beautiful. She had a complete look that totally fit with the style of her wedding at the Manor- elegant- and definitely influenced by the 1920′s.
The KISS spa is a serene place to spend a few hours. Everything is white on white. So of course, Erin’s bouquet of pinks, greens, and purples popped against the backdrop. That’s Erin getting her hair done with her mom and maid of honor watching in the background.
Checking out the make-up…
Even Erin’s dad had a little work done.
What an embrace! You can feel the love Erin has for her brother. He played an integral role in their day, as the brides’ best man. He stood on Erin’s side next to her Maid of Honor and gave the toast. She found a truly special way to honor him and their friendship.
Erin’s mom helped her with the finishing touches up in her bridal suite.
The antique lavalier is Erin’s something old. The necklace belonged to Erin’s Great-Grandmother who passed it on to Erin’s Grandmother who passed it on to Erin’s Mother who wore it on her wedding day.
When Erin was all ready, her friends joined her at the spa. I love the smiles on all of the ladies, each expression tells a different story.
For this very special occassion, I was joined by Keirnan of KCK Photography. Not only is she a hugely talented photographer, she is wonderful to work with. Thank you, Keirnan, for helping me out and a huge thanks to your family for giving you up for the day. I totally appreciate it.
Keirnan popped over the Manor to get a few of Vitali and his kids as they were getting ready.
Here’s Vitali helping his son and groomsman.
And some special portraits. All the kids….
One more of the pup- because I LOVE this photo. Keirnan prefectly captured this adorable moment.
I will leave you with a teaser, one image I captured as Erin walked down the aisle on her dad’s arm, a prelude of what’s to come. Though I placed it at the end of the post, it is definitely “the beginning.”
There’s lots more to come… the ceremony, the toasts, the dinner, the cake, the party, and some fabulous portraits. So check back soon!
