Nov
09
And color too.
Last night, Alyssa and Slava came by for their wedding premiere. We had such a great time sharing their photos with them and hearing more of the stories behind their wedding day- stories like how the color palette of blue and yellow reflected Alyssa’s favorite colors and how their friend Tex enjoyed their wedding so much he suggested they have a wedding every week. It also became clear that these two look great from every angle and in every style. And so I am excited to share the photos from their ceremony and reception. Dave and Brian did such a fabulous day capturing the joy and spirit of the day.
The ketubah signing is the Jewish marriage contract and there’s a special ceremony for this that occurs before the chuppah ceremony. Alyssa and Slava were surrounded by their families and a couple of friends.
I am completely enamored with their ceremony. There was so much laughter and joy in it.
Check out the full view. A beautiful chuppah decorated with orchids and a runner with flower petals along the sides.
So sweet the way Slava holds her hand.
These two are so much fun. Honestly we were laughing non-stop last night. And you totally get that in this photo as they leave the ceremony for the reception. It’s play time.
Oh me, oh my. These gentlemen lifted Alyssa way up in the air during the hora. She almost fell off, but amazingly held onto the chair for a bit longer.
The feeling of joy when reaching the ground again, safely.
The Hotpockets (Alyssa and her two girlfriends sang together in high school and that’s the name of their group) dancing and singing their hearts out. Now if only they had taken the stage with Powerhouse….
Everyone took a break for a few toasts. Alyssa’s sister sharing her thoughts.
Which were highly amusing to Alyssa and Slava.
And then more partying. Actually to hear Dave tell it, the dancing was crazy fun. And to see the photos, I have to agree. These people know how to celebrate.
The groomsmen dancing up a storm.
The bridesmaids dancing up a storm.
The guests dancing up a storm.
The bride and groom dancing up a storm.
So much fun and you can absolutely feel all of the joyous energy.
During the slow songs, our associate Brian captured the next two beautiful images. And I love the way they tell a story when I look at them side by side.
The present.
What the future holds.
One last super sweet image. Dave took Alyssa and Slava aside during the reception so he could capture a portrait of them at night, and so they could enjoy a quiet, private moment to take it all in. Here they are amidst their ceremony site.
Special thanks to all of the pros who made their wedding so beautiful:
Wedding gown: Priscilla of Boston
Bridesmaids dresses: L’Elite
Groom’s suit: Saks Fifth Avenue
Hair: Kristy’s Hair Studio
Officiant: Rabbi David Meyer of Temple Emanu-el
Floral design: William Mizuta
Caterer: Toby Karlyn from Celebrations Gourmet
Cake: Ellen Bartlett of Cakes to Remember
DJ/Band: Alan James from Powerhouse
Invitations: Heleene Fink from Special Occassions
And huge thanks to their hosts for sharing this amazing location.
Last, but definitely not least, much gratitude to Alyssa, Slava and your wonderful families for sharing your wedding day with us.
If you would like to see more from Alyssa and Slava’s waterfront wedding, check out their engagement session, sneak peek and their slideshow.
Nov
09
Sammy is a super great young lady whose bat mitzvah we photographed this fall. This was so different from my bat mitzvah and so much fun. Not only did she showcase her knowledge and talent during the morning service at the synagogue, she performed two dance routines during the reception and gave a speech about her family and friends during the candlelighting ceremony. Sammy is definitively gifted- full of spark, energy, intelligence and thoughtfulness. We had a wonderful time working with her.
We started our day with family portraits before her bat mitzvah ceremony in Needham.
After the service, Sammy’s guests had lunch at the synagogue. Everyone reconvened that evening at the Blue Hill Country Club in Canton. A few more portraits before the reception….
The party got underway after a fabulous cocktail hour for the adults and mocktail hour for the kids. Then dancing, dancing and more dancing. Sammy’s brother kicked it all off.
Then Sammy made her grand entrance and did her first dance routine with these two professionals. Her theme for the evening was based on Tiffany and Co, so she surprised all of her guests by popping out of a huge Tiffany’s box. And then going right into the dance. Of course the song she danced to was Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. She looked amazing.
The hora followed. Everyone in the family had a turn in the chair, but Sammy was first.
Sammy and her dad had a special dance all to themselves….
Well, almost. Some of Sammy’s friends busted in about half way through and they kicked it up a notch- this was planned, of course, but a surprise for the guests. Sammy did her second dance number during this portion of the evening.
The end of the evening came faster than anyone could say "Sammy & Company." But it was clear that all of the kids had a great time.
If you would like to see more from Sammy’s amazing day, you can view her mitzvah PicFlick here.
Oct
03
When last I wrote about Erin and Darren’s fabulous Boston wedding, I shared their story up to the ceremony. Picking up where I left off… the ceremony was held in the Wharf Room at the Boston Harbor Hotel, with views of the waterfront as the back drop.
Having spent their courtship in London, it was only fitting that they import their rabbi, a former Bostonian himself who now lives in England, to perform the ceremony. Their close friendship with their officiant made for a very special and meaningful ceremony under the chuppah, with lots of personal stories and lots of smiles.
This picture totally makes me laugh. All eyes are on Darren, except for Erin’s mom, who can’t take her eyes off her daughter.
Fortunately, Darren said the right thing. He stomped on the glass and sealed the deal with a kiss. And Erin and Darren exited with absolute joy.
We then ventured upstairs to the Rotunda, my absolute favorite part of the hotel, for cocktail hour. Some guests enjoyed the views on the patio outdoors. Others mixed and mingled indoors. Many hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Family members reminisced and passed around old photos.
All were ushered downstairs for the reception to get underway in the Wharf Room. Erin and Darren kicked off the party with their first dance and guests soon followed suit.
As Erin danced with her father, her mom looked on.
Erin and Darren listened as toasts were given by their closest friends and Darren’s brother.
Fun, fun, fun. Following some of the formalities, a little Irish dancing. Which as it turns out is a lot like Jewish dancing only with different music. It is just as fun and crazy and enthusiastic. And for these two, it melted into the hora, which culminated in this men’s group dancing in a wild circle.
Our final photos of the evening were a few that Dave imagined and created. Focusing on their connection to Paris, we brought the Eiffel Tower into the mix.
With that, I have a few thank you’s and kudo’s.
First, special thanks to all of the professionals who made Erin and Darren’s day amazing:
Michael and his team at the Boston Harbor Hotel, the beautiful venue with the amazing staff
Teresa and her talented crew from Mimosa Style for their floral creations
DJ John Dudley for the reception entertainment
Lisa Husseni for the ceremony music
Vows and Anahit Alterations for helping Erin find and perfect her dress
David’s Bridal for the bridesmaids gowns
Jean Yves for the groom and groomsmen attire
Judy at Four Season’s Hair
Make-up by Caitlin Murphy
Erin and Darren, you two have been absolutely wonderful to work with through and through. I was going to title this entry Beauty and the Beast, as I thought "Beauty" aptly described Erin and "Beast" alluded to Darren’s life as a wrestler, but I couldn’t do it, because there really isn’t anything beast-like about either of you. Thank you so much for welcoming us into your day!
For anyone who would like to see more, you should definitely check out their slideshow.
Nov
03
This weekend, I photographed Juliet’s bat mitzvah celebration and I had one amazing good time. Juliet and her friends were full of energy. I am still exhausted simply from being in the same room as them. They danced, they played games, they laughed, they sang. It was so much fun.
To kick off the sneak peak, here’s one of Juliet during the hora.
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Aug
06
It is with great pleasure that I share the second portion of Shosh and Jon’s day. We just couldn’t help ourselves; there are tons of images. Shosh and Jon included so many elements of fun and honored their Jewish culture in so many different ways. And they have such a cool urban aesthetic as seen in the fabulous architecture of their venues. What’s a photographer to do? So sit back and enjoy!
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Aug
01
We are really excited to share a few of Shosh and Jon’s wedding images. They had an amazing wedding. It was filled with love, friendship, tradition, warmth and fun. We had a blast getting to know their family and friends. I loved all of the Jewish elements; I felt right at home.
Shosh and Jon are so clearly completely and totally in love. Jon was adorable; he really couldn’t keep his eyes off Shosh. And Shosh exudes a warmth and caring for everyone. On her wedding day she had an extra aura of joy around her and she couldn’t stop smiling. They were such a pleasure to photograph.
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Jul
21
We wanted to share a quick taste of what’s to come for Jon and Shosh. They had an absolutely amazing wedding. Their ceremony was at the Fourth Street Summit Center (run by the Fairmont) and the reception was at the new San Jose City Hall. We had so much fun with this crew and we can’t wait to share all the details.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak. This was during the end of the Horah. They stole this kiss while all their guests danced around them.
You can also check out their engagement photos on our blog here and the slideshow here.
