Part 2- Flowers and Food

First the flowers, pinks perfect for a summer wedding.

Loving the lushness of our bride’s bouquet. And check out our groom’s boutonniere.

The walk down the aisle was just perfect with these flower baskets hanging from the seats.

Sweet flower girl with her soft pink roses bouquet.

They brought the pails from the ceremony to place on the cocktail hour tables.

The dinner setting was just perfect. Some tables had tall centerpieces, some with petite centerpieces, all set off by the crystal chandeliers.

One of the tall centerpieces. The use of greens and whites add depth to the arrangement.

Along the fireplace, the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets were placed in glass vases tied with pink ribbons.

And now for a few sweet, yummy morsels. Maren’s caterer- Blue Rocks Catering- was fantastic. The food both looked and tasted (what we were able to enjoy) amazing!

Oh and her beautiful cake. A perfect combination of the food and the flowers!

And one last favorite, which I think shows how perfectly her floral choices fit with the grounds of the Glen Manor House…

More thank you’s to their amazing team of experience professionals:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Katie Wilkinson from the Glen Manor House
Getting Ready location: Kate Jenkins of the Pelham Court Hotel
Caterer: Ingrid Martins of Blue Rocks Catering
Cake: Kate Repko from Cappuccino’s
Floral Design: Sayles Livingston of Sayles Livingston Flowers
DJ: Sidney Posey of DeeJays Etc.
Ceremony Musicians: Crystal Pascucci and Quartetto Vivo
Hair and Make-up: Wavelengths Salon & Spa
Wedding dress designer and salon: Simone Carvalli; Maria Spyridopolous of Sabella Couture
Bridesmaids Dresses and salon: Watters & Watters; Cheri Amor of Perfect Bridal
Groom’s attire: Jos. A. Bank
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse & Tuxedo
Invitations, place cards, save the dates- aka the full design suite: Steve Reepmeyer

Want more? Check out their slideshow, PicFlick. Or on the blog, their engagement session, sneak preview, scoop and details: part 1.

Part 1- The Special Touches

First off, pinks were the order of the day- from mauve to pastel- subtle shades and hues of luscious pink. More on the flowers in a later post (also pretty in pink).

The full compliment of paper products- invitation, save the dates, name cards and more.

Bird cage for collecting cards.

Escort table cards.

Programs.

Maren’s shoes with a hint of turquoise. This was a beautiful accent color to the pinks, and only used in two spots. Her something blue.

Her purse also with turquoise. She added the little hummingbird pin, a nice touch of whimsy.

Now check out their venue. The Glen Manor House is nothing short of stunning.

Loving the period details throughout, reminiscent of a French country estate.

The view of the ceremony lawn from the back patio, where the cocktail hour was held.

The back patio. Maren and Steve bought all of the lounge furniture and pillows to ensure it would have just the feel they were going for.

Twinkling in the evening.

A beautiful celebration such as this simply can’t be pulled off without a team of experienced professionals. Special thanks to all:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Katie Wilkinson from the Glen Manor House
Getting Ready location: Kate Jenkins of the Pelham Court Hotel
Caterer: Ingrid Martins of Blue Rocks Catering
Cake: Kate Repko from Cappuccino’s
Floral Design: Sayles Livingston of Sayles Livingston Flowers
DJ: Sidney Posey of DeeJays Etc.
Ceremony Musicians: Crystal Pascucci and Quartetto Vivo
Hair and Make-up: Wavelengths Salon & Spa
Wedding dress designer and salon: Simone Carvalli; Maria Spyridopolous of Sabella Couture
Bridesmaids Dresses and salon: Watters & Watters; Cheri Amor of Perfect Bridal
Groom’s attire: Jos. A. Bank
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse & Tuxedo
Invitations, place cards, save the dates- aka the full design suite: Steve Reepmeyer

Want more? Check out their slideshow, PicFlick. Or on the blog, their engagement session, sneak preview and scoop.

Maren and Steve planned an absolutely stunning destination wedding at the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth, RI. Their guests traveled from far and farther to celebrate with them and were treated to a weekend getaway celebration. Care was given to the smallest of details (each guest had their own personalized itinerary) and thought to the feel of the whole event. Spaces were created for relaxation, for dancing, for socializing. More on all of that later in a details blog post. For now, I want you to be able to get a sense of what it was like to be a guest at this wonderful wedding. And the answer is nothing short of amazing.

As I skipped ahead to Maren’s entrance in my last blog, I thought I would take a step back because I love this moment before Steve enters. The anticipation gives me goosebumps.

The guests also couldn’t wait to see Steve’s reaction to Maren’s entrance.

The ceremony was full of smiles and tears. When Maren and Steve brought each mom a specially embroidered handkerchief and white rose, Steve’s mom already had tears on her cheeks. So Maren helped wipe them away. Steve’s love and understanding of his mom came out in his smile.

Gotta love the folks who bring out the laughter.

At the end of the ceremony, Maren and Steve had not one, but two kisses, and then this very tender look as they enjoyed their new husband and wife status.

Oh wait, make that 3 kisses.

We snuck away for a few portraits on the grounds.

Immediately it felt like Maren and Steve were meant to be on this estate. They were so at ease at the Glen and comfortable in the space. It fit like a glove.

A private toast before they joined their guests.

The cocktail hour was enjoyed on the back lawn and guests spread out to all of the outdoor spaces, really enjoying the property.

Steve and Maren were such excellent hosts. It seemed as if they had invited all of their nearest and dearest to their private country estate. They really took ownership of the celebration, graciously welcoming their guests.

Loving the playfulness that comes with children.

And the sweetness. I can just imagine the conversation, something along the lines of "You look like a princess" from one of the ladies. Followed by "So do you," from the other.

A quick portrait on the steps with the whole bridal party. The kids are simply too cute.

For that matter, so is Maren. This moment during their first dance is hilarious. Maren is perfectly in character.

Loved hearing the story of how they chose the first song. Steve had requirements, well really just one. He didn’t want a song that would make him cry. Something upbeat fit the bill and as he liked Dean Martin, "Ain’t that a Kick in the Head" seemed a perfect choice. It was all fun, no tears.

As it turns out, his mom had similar requirements. So Steve surprised her with his favorite song from his childhood, Elvis Presley’s "Teddy Bear." The crowd, and his mom, loved it.

Dinner was served.

And guests wandered in and out of the ballroom, the dining rooms, and the outdoor spaces on this perfectly lovely evening.

What it actually means to be married I think. Too funny.

Just as we were about to depart, Steve broke out the cigars. He was hanging out with his friends- the whole group of guys, and gals, enjoyed a celebratory smoke.

Oh, what a night! And day, for that matter. This was such a wonderfully joyful wedding. I am so glad we could be a part of it. Many, many thanks to Maren and Steve for including us.

Additional gratitude goes to all of the professionals who helped make their day so fabulous. Each and every person was amazingly talented and wonderful to work with. Honestly I think Maren said it best though. "I just want to invite them all to Thanksgiving dinner." Now if that isn’t high praise.

A very special shout out of thanks to Katie Wilkinson the manager of their ceremony and reception venue, the Glen Manor House. What a joy it was to work with you! Everything was impeccable.

Getting Ready location: Kate Jenkins of the Pelham Court Hotel
Caterer: Ingrid Martins of Blue Rocks Catering
Cake: Kate Repko from Cappuccino’s
Floral Design: Sayles Livingston of Sayles Livingston Flowers
DJ: Sidney Posey of DeeJays Etc.
Ceremony Musicians: Crystal Pascucci and Quartetto Vivo
Hair and Make-up: Wavelengths Salon & Spa
Wedding dress designer and salon: Simone Carvalli; Maria Spyridopolous of Sabella Couture
Bridesmaids Dresses and salon: Watters & Watters; Cheri Amor of Perfect Bridal
Groom’s attire: Jos. A. Bank
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse & Tuxedo

And the knock your socks off invitations, place cards, save the dates- aka the full design suite put together for their wedding, by none other than our groom, a professional designer by trade, Steve Reepmeyer.

So honestly truthfully, I had such a hard time narrowing these down for the blog. I really hope you will check out their slideshow and their PicFlick. And if you haven’t yet seen their engagement session, definitely check that out.

What we didn’t count on was Maren and Steve’s good fortune. We had no idea they had some kind of extra special karma hanging out in their corner. Because what unfolded was nothing short of a miracle.

Maren got ready at the Pelham Court Hotel- a sweet boutique hotel with a great suite for our bride and her ladies. She didn’t seem at all concerned about the weather, which at that point was all sunshine in Newport.

She and Steve saw each other for the first time in the courtyard of the hotel. I love this moment where they get a good look at each other. And I love that Dave purposely captured the blue sky as part of the image. He wanted to make sure they had at least one photo with blue skies from their wedding day.

We took a couple of portraits in the courtyard. We actually had to have them sit in the shade, because it was still so bright out.

Then we headed off to Ocean Drive, for photos along the rocky coast line. As we drove there, we could see the storm clouds getting closer.

Check it out in this image. Towards the west an ominous sky.

In the same spot, but toward the east, the bridal party got to enjoy a few more moments of beautiful blue.

At this point, the sky was getting dark fast. Steve asked his groomsmen to bring the umbrellas to us, just in case. They were ready for the worst. Strangely the storm seemed to stop and hold it’s position.

We were able to capture a few more at this spot, and even stop at another along the coast.

I was so glad that we had been able to get those photos in. I figured that was all the luck we would have and was prepared for the inevitable indoor ceremony. When I arrived at the Glen Manor House, I was greeted with blue skies again. What?!? I thought. Then I saw that the gardens were set up for the ceremony. I honestly thought the coordinator had made a mistake. She told me she had checked the radar and it looked fine. I was shocked but happy.

Then of course, the skies turned to gray again. Didn’t bother the ring bearer one bit, though.

Maren and Steve took a moment to enjoy the view of the water, gorgeous even with the gray skies.

Then the ceremony began. And unfortunately just as the bridal party made their entrance little drips of water started falling very lightly to the ground. This is it! I thought. Now it’s going to downpour on their ceremony. The pessimist in me came out. I couldn’t help being concerned for all of the guests and our truly fabulous couple. And just as quickly as it had started, Maren walked out, and I kid you not, the drizzle stopped.

Not one more drop fell. Crazy? Maybe. True? Yes. A miracle? Absolutely.

Post script- I suppose all this sounds a bit overdramatic. And I can be prone to that, but just to give you a sense of how bad this storm was, everywhere but at Maren and Steve’s wedding that is, check out this article.

With the rain far behind us, we captured a few images of our happy couple with the beautiful scenery whenever we could steal them away.

And then we spent the rest of the evening photographing all the joy- and there was lots.

Lauren and David definitely like to have fun. They are so playful together. And Lauren must have had about a thousand different facial expressions to show her happiness.

After the first dance, the hora.

Each couple went up in turn, Lauren and David first, followed by Lauren’s parents, and then David’s. His mom was a little nervous I think.

David’s cousin gave one of the toasts and he rewarded her with a huge thank you hug.

Dancing got underway in full force. Lauren’s parents, so fun.

I loved this moment. Just before they fed each other the cake, there was definitely some teasing going on. And Lauren, all with her eyes, says, "Please."

Then more dancing. Lauren made sure to have a little time with each of her grandfathers.

And with her girlfriends.

Lauren’s sister was a great help throughout the day, and also enjoyed a little time on the dance floor once the party got underway.

Maybe the best thing about a destination wedding, like this one in Newport, is that everyone has more time together, because all of the guests stay for the weekend.

Lauren enjoys another chance to connect with friends.

I have to close with one of my favorite images from the day. We had this amazing sunset over the water. Such a beautiful place to spend a couple of moments as newlyweds.

Many thanks to the professionals who helped make Lauren and David’s day so special.

A big shout out to Nancy and her team at Castle Hill. Nancy was truly amazing, top notch all the way.

Also special thanks to Rocco Michaluk of Video & Vision. It was really great to work with you.

And for helping to complete Lauren and David’s vision:
Floral Design (more on this in a later post because WOW! gorgeous work): Laurel Lane of Laurel Lane Floral Design
Wedding cake and groom’s cake: Scrumptions
Invitations: Ruth at The Party People
Other printed materials: Judith Carroll at Papers

For creating Lauren and David’s personal looks:
Hair and Make-up: Jen Murphy and Frank Antonio from Frank Antonio Hair & Makeup
Lauren’s wedding dress: Romona Keveza from Bridal Reflections
Bridesmaid dress: Lazaro from Fontana’s
David’s attire: Georgio Armani
Groomsmen’s attire: Calvin Klein from Century 21

Plus a huge thank you to Lauren and David and your families. It was such a joy to be a part of your day and to celebrate with you.

Make sure to check out their slideshow as well.

So let’s start at the beginning of their day. We met up with Lauren at the Castle Hill Inn in Newport where she and David were celebrating their wedding. We started with Lauren in her room as she and her girlfriends were getting ready.

Then she met up with David in the chalet garden, where they saw each other for the first time on their wedding day.

The rain started coming down just as we finished the family portraits. And it kept coming down for a good long time. Fortunately, the ketubah and bedeken ceremonies were scheduled to be indoors. The went off without a hitch.

It seemed like the rain would pass. It was amazing- on one side of the building you could see sunshine and blue skies, on the other side rain. Lauren waited and watched.

They held off the ceremony as long as they could and just in time, the skies cleared completely. Except for a few of the most perfect fluffy clouds. It was definitely worth the wait.

A few of my favorites from the ceremony…

That’s David’s brother walking Lauren and David’s puppy, and ringbearer, Henry. Isn’t Henry such a sweet little pup?

Lauren walking down the aisle under the enormous sky…

Lauren during the ceremony…

The sun shining down on the happy couple under the chuppah…

I love Lauren’s smile.

And David’s.

And a fabulous kiss under blue skies.

Talk about weathering the storm. Lauren and David absolutely enjoyed all of the good stuff that came their way. It was such a delight to be with them on their wedding day.

There are definitely lots more to come. But if you want more now, check out the sneak peek on the Allegro Photography fan page.

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.

When the brides and grooms-to-be arrived with their families, they were shown to their table, where their personalized tasting menu awaited them.

Each table was decorated with a different theme and all of them were gorgeous.

Love the beach theme with shells and candles for this centerpiece.

I am such a fan of bright colors and especially love tropical flowers. Check out these orchids!

And something a bit more classical, various arrangements including calla lilies, roses, and candles, all in white.

She had her wonderful candy bar all set up, again all whites, a tribute to the winter season.

And the food and service, as always, were amazing. I love the pizzas and the mini-burgers.

Throughout the event, the wedding couples were serenaded with music by either the fabulous string quartet or the rocking band. They toured the grounds and had the opportunity to meet all of their wedding vendors. They could choose to talk with the florist, the fabulous cake designer, the ladies who created custom invitations, a videographer, a jeweler, an officiant, a tux shop, the folks from KISS Spa who will take care of hair and make-up and offer massages, and of course, wedding photographers.

An all around great day!

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.