We chose the beach for the backdrop of the family portrait. This crew basically lives on the beach- hanging out, sailing, relaxing. We started off our session with the more formal portraits by the cabana.

When I talked with Kathy, Kristina’s mom, about how the family spent their time on the beach, the first word out of her mouth was "Kubb." I was a little confused as I had never heard that word before. As it turns out, kubb or koob is a favorite game in Sweden. It’s a combination of chess and bowling or croquet. I have to admit, I still don’t fully understand, but honestly, it was such fun to watch. Everyone was definitely into the game and it illicited shouts of triumph and joy, as well as truly genuine smiles.

The twins fooling around. There was a lot of that.

The "kids" celebrating a game well-played.

Then we got back to the business at hand. Loving the crew on the cliff wall. Seriously humorous.

Dave put together this triple panorama of the crew.

We were losing our beach to high tide so we popped on down for a bit of sand and sea.

Sometimes we get a little silly. Which is fun.

But more importantly, everyone relaxes again, and the smiles become completely natural.

One of my absolute favorites from the session.

Thank you to Kathy, Peter, Kristina, Matt, Christian and Pierson. We had such a great time with you on this beautiful afternoon.

Definitely check out the slideshow for more from this portrait session at the beach.

So allow me to let them inspire you and infuse your day with joy. We begin at the beginning.

Preparing for the big day, Selina was relaxed and happy.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that this was the view from her window. Even on a stormy day, Miami Beach is gorgeous.

Selina’s mom helped her put on her veil. So beautiful.

Selina and Greg created amazing atmosphere for their wedding. I can’t wait to share more details and inspiration; everything worked together beautifully. But for now, here’s just a peek from the ceremony decor.

Walking down the aisle on her dad’s arm.

She was literally jaw-dropping gorgeous. Can’t blame Greg for this reaction upon seeing his bride for the first time on their wedding day.

Bringing in family traditions, Selina and Greg jumped the broom at the culmination of the ceremony.

Relaxing with her bridesmaids after the ceremony. I love their dresses- very fresh and flirty and tropical. Best of all, they are totally wearable.

A hint of what’s to come from the reception details and inspiration. Stunning.

I love how Dave captured this image from their first dance. For me, it tells the whole story of this moment, but still allows for mystery. Very romantic.

Later dances included the father-daughter dance and mother-son dance. Greg’s mom looks so happy.

The party got underway. And it was quite a party. In fact, Selina told me this group had so enjoyed the destination aspect of the wedding, everyone arrived a few days before the wedding. They had all been hanging out together until at least 2 am each night. This group was totally up for some fun times.

So cute how the girls formed a circle around Selina.

On the dance floor. Selina and Greg know how to have a good time together.

So it’s no surprise that during the cake cutting, Selina had a plan to play a trick on her new husband. She got him as close as she could. Note her right hand.

Then sneak attack. She hit him with cake on the face.

Laughter abounded- cause that’s just how these two roll- and of course a "make-up" kiss.

Just had to finish with one of my absolute favorite images. A totally natural, candid moment of pure joy, love and tenderness.

I absolutely couldn’t blame you if you can’t get enough of Selina and Greg and their gorgeous destination wedding. So definitely check out their Newlywed Session where we did a little Trash the Dress action or their slideshow.

And of course, we have to thank all of the professionals who helped to make their wedding great:
Wedding Venue: The Palms Hotel and Spa, Miami Beach, Florida
Wedding coordinator: Helen Diaz from Modern Events
Ceremony Officiant: Father Frank Fagan

Make-up artist: Miriam B.
Floral Design: Ever After Floral Design
Cake: Elegant Temptations by Rosie Cunill
DJ: Exquisite Sound Productions by Raquel Salcedo

Another huge thank you to Sarah and Bryan for introducing us to Selina and Greg. We are so glad we can continue to be a part of your family’s celebrations.

Most of all, we want to thank Selina and Greg for including us in your amazing wedding. We are thrilled we could capture these memories for you.

Alas, it rains even in paradise, so we started off with portraits around the hotel. Fortunately the hotel is beau-ti-ful so we had no problem finding amazing locations around every corner. Plus Selina and Greg would look good anywhere. They totally made it easy for us.

We did jump from the veranda terrace to a little jungle-like oasis by the pool without getting too, too wet.

Then over to the bar with appropriate grass thatched roof.

Snuggling up among all the greenery…

and by The Palms gate.

As soon as there was a break in the rain, we headed out to the beach.

You might guess that Dave and I were a bit in love with the lifeguard stand. As it was raining, the lifeguard didn’t have a ton to do that day and was totally at ease with us playing on his perch. All of the stands along Miami Beach are decorated with Art Deco flair, but the one by The Palms just shouts sun and fun. How lucky is that!

We couldn’t miss the opportunity for a little Trash the Dress action, but only a little. Selina and Greg were flying off to their honeymoon that afternoon and we couldn’t have their baggage weigh more than the limit. So they couldn’t get too wet, but that didn’t stop them from taking on the From Here to Eternity moment and adding their own flare to it.

Oops. Didn’t expect that wave.

Yup, even with the stormy clouds, the view was spectacular.

So glad we were able to venture to Miami Beach with Selina and Greg. Can’t wait to share more from their fabulous destination wedding! More to come soon from the ceremony, the reception, the family and friends celebrating.

Fabulous news! We had four full-page photos published in Gala Weddings Magazine. We received the proof and the magazine, and it looks great!

The magazine focuses on the New England region and the brides and grooms who get married in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Most of our images are from Becky and Danny’s wedding last summer. They were married at the Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport.

Here’s Danny looking over his vows before he walks down the aisle…

And here’s Becky with her Dad walking towards the ceremony on the lawn.

The used this one from their portrait session as the lead image for their RI section.

And this one is from Ariana and Jesse’s wedding, used for their lead photo in the VT section.

Then they sprinkled a few more smaller images throughout. The bouquets and table arrangements in this spread are both ours from Becky and Danny’s Newport wedding.

And the mooncake is ours in this inspiration spread of citrus colors; it’s from Krista and Andy’s wedding.

If you want to see more from Becky and Danny’s RI wedding, check out their sneak peak, the scoop, their CT bbq, the details, and the slideshow.

If you want to see more from Ariana and Jesse’s Tilden Park wedding, check out their sneak peak, scoop, and slideshow.

If you want to see more from Krista and Andy’s Hakone Gardens and Decathlon Club wedding, check out their scoop part 1, scoop part 2, details, and slideshow.

Here’s my favorite humorous moment from the bedecken. Sara’s checking out Mike to make sure he’s the right guy. Turns out he is.

What I didn’t count on, was the tears they would bring to my eyes.

During their ketubah signing ceremony, the Rabbi allowed for them to share some thoughts with each other. They were so tender and honest with each other.

And the way Mike looks at Sara simply melts my heart.

Here Mike is ensuring that Sara is indeed Sara. When I look at this image, I somehow make the same expression that Sara does. I can’t help it. Quivery happiness all over.

Alas, I have gotten ahead of myself. So allow me to take a step back.

I have known Mike for several years; we met while performing in a comedy improv group- Blue Blanket Improv- in California. Mike has since moved on and even started his own- Chicken Scratch Improv. And Dave knew Mike from their swing dancing days. We met Sara (and puppy Oscar) last fall and were instantly enamored. Mike and Sara are absolutely perfect together, and perfect parents for Oscar. When they chose us to photograph their wedding at Kennolyn near Santa Cruz, we started counting down the days.

We started off – me with Sara as she and her bridesmaids were getting ready and Dave with the handsome groom…

and his Entourage,

which included his adorable nephew. Precious missing teeth!

The guys have it a lot easier. Here, the women getting ready…Sara almost in her dress.

And a nod to Sara’s fabulous shoulders and back. She is a triathelete and spends tons of time in the pool. The pay-off is clear.

Just before the boys joined the girls for the ketubah signing, Sara and her beautiful little flower girl compared dresses.

Mike arrives. And Sara welcomes him in.

The Rabbi in the background. Flower girl, apparently, not so interested in that.

Then we head over for the ceremony under the huppah.

And Sara walks down the aisle with her mom…

I can’t wait to share more and there will definitely be lots, lots more. Of course, more from the reception, but I will also be sharing about the flowers. They were amazing! Bouquets and bouttonieres galore by Laughin’ Gal Floral. Definitely check back soon!

Becky and Danny got married at The Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport, RI. They actually had a super colorful (lots of fresh pinks and greens) wedding. And most of their album reflects that aspect of the day. So I was so excited to use some of the black and white images and create this spread. I love the moments I was able to include- the large image was just after Danny gave his speech and went to steal a kiss from Becky. The other 3 images were captured during their first dance.

This is a spread from our modern flushmount album. The modern album is designed like a coffee table book; it has a leather cover and thick archival pages. Our album company actually takes our photographic prints and binds them directly to a thick core. Then they laminate them with a special coating that doesn’t affect the look of the photo, but protects it from fingers and such.

If you want to see more from Becky and Danny’s beautiful Newport wedding, check out their sneak preview, their scoop, fourth of july party, wedding details, and their wedding slideshow.

And if you want to check out their awesome wedding vendors. Here’s the list of amazing people who helped make their day so memorably wonderful.

Location: The Chanler at Cliff Walk, Newport, RI
Planner: Nick Vitale of the Chanler
Caterer: The Spiced Pear Restaurant at the Chanler
Floral Design: Broadway Florist Designs of Newport
Ceremony Musicians: Don Sanni

Their suite was decked out in cool blues and warm golds. The period details alluded to the gilded age; it felt as if we had stepped into a palace.

The room’s decor offset Becky’s summery colors of pink and lime perfectly…

as did the ocean.

Becky selected orchids and roses with a few gerbera daisies for her floral touches. I love the modern trend of long grass in her bouquet.

Becky and Danny also included some "green" themes. The grass in the background of the guest welcome table hints at the gift within the seat assignment cards. The paper is actually made with flower seeds and intended to be planted.

The food was prepared by the Spiced Pear Restaurant and Nick Vitale of The Chanler created a menu card for each table setting.

Becky and Danny celebrated with a larger group at Becky’s family home in Connecticut. This gorgeous cake was part of that celebration. She continued the theme of gilded age elegance and her colors of pink and green.

Details:
July 2, 2008
Location: The Chanler at Cliff Walk, Newport, RI
Planner: Nick Vitale of the Chanler
Caterer: The Spiced Pear Restaurant at the Chanler
Floral Design: Broadway Florist Designs of Newport
Ceremony Musicians: Don Sanni

If you would like to see more images from Becky and Danny’s wedding, check out the sneak preview, the scoop, the fourth of july bbq, and their slideshow.