This weekends’ wedding featured cold hands, and warm hearts, and a bride who was willing to be chilled to the bone for great outdoor photos!

My day started at the beautiful and historic Mechanic’s Hall in Worcester, MA, where I met Deena in the green room where her family and friends were all gathered around in their custom pre-wedding robes touching up their makeup and taking the opportunity to grab a quick bite to eat before the day’s festivities began. After spending a few moments with them, I was drawn to the dressing room, where the custom made bridesmaid dresses and wedding dress were awaiting their occupants. When she’s not busy being a beautiful bride, Deena designs and sews beautiful custom dresses for a living, and the dresses for her own wedding were nothing short of stunning! And since they were custom fitted to each of her ladies, it took them no time to hop into them and be ready for photos. It was in the teens outside, but Mechanics Hall has no shortage of awesome indoor photo spots, and we hit them all!

And the personal touches didn’t end with the dresses. The music for the ceremony was provided by a close personal friend, who played some old standbys, and some pieces that he composed just for the event. The ceremony itself was full of laughter and tears of joy as Deena and James tied the knot. With their hearts sufficiently warmed, we all headed out into the frigid evening for a few night time photos in the city. Then they hopped into a horse drawn carriage for the short trot over to Union Station, where the guests were already busy celebrating. Despite her strapless gown, Deenas heart warmer hadn’t burned out and we spent a few more minutes taking photos outside of union station before heading in.  Once inside, the beautiful decorations and lighting of the great hall set the stage for an amazing evening of dancing and food and fun, as the assembled crowd celebrated Deena and James’ marriage with all of their hearts!

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I’m dreaming of a white Christmas is what Bing and Rosemary so famously sang almost 60 years ago, and I have to think that they would have been proud of Crystal and Josh’s White Christmas inspired wedding.  And like the famous film, the towns that hosted the wedding remained unseasonably snowless two days before Christmas, but that didn’t stop the Christmas spirit from flowing!

I met Crystal and Josh at the Church of Christ in Millis, MA.  After a few minutes consulting with the pastor and the pianist, Crystal headed downstairs to slip into her dress, while Josh welcomed the guests.  In no time at all, she was back, escorted by her father, while Josh waited at the altar in his full dress uniform.  The ceremony was short and intimate, with a small group of their closest friends and family in attendance.  It ended with the traditional kiss, and walk down the aisle to the cheers of the guests.

The reception took place at the Elks Lodge in Franklin, MA, which had been transformed into a winter wonderland with elegant, holiday themed decorations, including three large Christmas trees, which bordered the dance floor. And what’s a movie musical wedding without dancing?  I’m not sure, because there was dancing aplenty at Crystal and Josh’s affair as they showed off their moves not just in a first dance and parent dances, but wowed the crowed when Crystal changed into a festive red party dress and lit up the dance floor with Josh for a special holiday dance.

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The holidays are a time for good cheer, family gatherings, and awesome parties - so are weddings!  Joann and Matt had the great idea to combine the two, and the result was a superparty of love and fun!

I met Joann and her bridesmaids at their home in Salem, MA., where makeup and lunch were competing equally for the girls’ attention.  Soon both were done, and it was time to get dressed for the big event: Joann’s bridesmaids in beautiful blue dresses, and Joanne in a gorgeous white number.  After a few photos around the home, the ladies loaded up in the limo and headed off to St Anne’s Church in Salem MA.  At the church the guests and family were seated in anticipation, so Joann headed out of the limo, and straight down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams.  The ceremony was as fun and festive as the rest of the day, with the happy feelings that the marrying couple were experiencing mirrored on the faces of the large croud that came to witness it.  With a final blessing from the priest, Joann and Matt walked down the aisle, married, to the waiting limo outside.

It has been an unseasonably warm winter for Massachusetts, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t freezing cold in downtown Salem when we arrived to take photos.  But Joanne, in her sleeveless gown was a trooper, and cuddled all the closer to Matt for his warmth as we wandered around the town common and the grounds of the Peabody Essex Museum.  Luckily our constitutions lasted as long as the light, and when both started to fail we hopped back in the limo and headed over to the Cruiseport in Gloucester.  And that’s where the Holiday party/wedding party/let’s just all have an awesome time party fully kicked into gear with the dancfloor never getting a break the entire evening, as the assembled crowd showed their awesome moves into the night.  And at the center of it all were Joann and Matt with the most awesome moves of all…the married moves!

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It seems like no matter how many times I am lucky enough to shoot a wedding at The Willowdale Estate in Topsfield MA, there is always something new and super cool to discover on the property.  So I was excited to head back this weekend for the awesomely fun wedding of Meghan and Jake!  First off, when they picked a wedding “Party” they weren’t kidding.  As the bridesmaids and family arrived to get ready, they spilled over into two of the upstairs rooms, making the entire top floor ring with fun and laughter.  It wasn’t long before it was time to head downstairs where the solarium was already filled to capacity with the rest of the family who were there to witness Meghan and Jake’s wedding.  As the early evening light filtered into the glass enclosed room, the JP happily declared the smiling couple “married”.  Taking advantage of the light, we headed outside into the courtyard, where the groomsmen displayed the swords they’d received as groomsmen gifts by running at me full speed brandishing them.  It was one of the most terrifying things I’ve experienced as a wedding photographer :).  A walk around property with Meghan and Jake restored my wits, however, as we checked out the cool buildings behind the estate, discovering one in particular that resembled Hagrid’s cabin from the Harry Potter stories.  With the sunset upon us, we headed back into the manor house, where Meghan and Jake showed us how to properly treat a dance floor!

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Saturday dawned a perfect, sunny fall day in Boston; just the kind of day that makes people smile…especially when it happens on their wedding day!   My day started at the soon-to-be-wed couple’s apartment in Cambridge, where the beautiful sunlight streamned through the picture windows casting a glow on Michele and her bridesmaids.  With their makeup and hair already perfect, everyone was eager to get dressed and head outside, and that’s just what we did, pausing briefly in the building’s parking garage to take advantage of the unique setting, and interesting light.  Then it was a few photos around the building before heading a mile down the road to St Paul Parish in Cambridge, MA, where the guests and (most importantly) the groom were awaiting the arrival of the bride.  The centuries old cathedral reverberated with the sounds of singing as a boy’s choir provided the soundtrack to Michele and Justin’s declarations of eternal love.  After pausing for a photo taken by the priest, they headed into the limo, and we drove over to MIT where the reception was to be held.  And as wonderful as the day had been up to that point, we hit the bank of the Charles at its most spectacular, with warm, glowing light casting its rays on the newly married couple as we wandered around a bit for portraits.  As the sun was setting, we headed up to the MIT Faculty Club, where the band and the crowd of friends and family were ready to welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. into the best party of their lives.

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What could be better than a fall wedding in New England,at a vineyard,on a hill overlooking a classic white-steepled New England church?  How about summer temperatures…and cloudless skies…and a bride with an axe?!

I arrived at the Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA, just as they were setting up the pavilion for the afternoon reception.  Before long LC and her entourage arrived.  After spending a bit of time primping and dressing, LC was ready to see Dave for the first time in her wedding attire, and walk around the grounds for some romantic photos together.  Since Nashoba Valley is a working winery, there were plenty of awesome locations for a variety of backgrounds, from the rows of grapes, to the apple orchard, to the various out buildings with their awesome blue paint, to the wood piles out back.  It was at one of the wood piles that LC decided that she should have an axe, and the staff was happy to oblige!

Once our tour of the grounds was completed, LC and Dave were ready to get married.  With a favorite Uncle (and experienced wedding officiant) presiding over the ceremony, the wedding was intimate and personal, even with the crowds visiting the vineyard watching from the sidelines.  Wearing newly given rings on their hands, the happy couple walked across the clearing, and ducked up the the bridal suite with their wedding party for a refreshment before joining their guests for the cocktail hour.  A cooling breeze blew through the pavilion and a jazz band serenaded the crowd, as LC and Dave’s family and friends celebrated with them throughout the afternoon, finally sending them off through a sea of sparklers.

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Once upon a time an artist and a chef fell in love and decided to get married…no this isn’t the tagline for a new romantic comedy, though the production values were certainly there, it is the real life story of Dana & Steve’s wedding last weekend at the Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, MA.

When I arrived, I could hear that the party had already started up in the bridal suite.  It was humming with pre-wedding preparation as Dana and her friends rotated through the hair and makeup chairs.  It was here that Dana made the transformation from beautiful woman to leading lady from the golden age of Hollywood.  Her amazing gown completed the look, and the lighting in the bridal suite allowed us to capture it perfectly.  By this time, leading man, Steve, was waiting on the stairway to see his bride for the first time before we headed outside to take advantage of the last few minutes of daylight for some portraits.  Then back inside for a few family portraits, followed by the signing of the ketubah in the library.

It had been threatening rain all day, but in true romance movie fashion, everything worked out.  The beautiful courtyard was lit up for the night-time ceremony, illuminating the beautiful, flowered, Chuppah.  With a broken glass and a Mazel-Tov, their marriage was official, and the newlyweds headed down the aisle and into the throng of friends and family who were waiting to wish them well.  And wish them well they did, with dancing, and music and eating, all throughout the evening.

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If red skies at night = sailors delight, then there must have been some delighted sailors on the morning following Jen & Tim’s wedding reception!  The glowing, red, sunset that graced us over the Boston skyline that evening as Jen & Tim enjoyed cocktails with their guests at the Hyatt Harborside in Boston, MA, was one of the most spectacular that I have ever seen…almost as spectacular as the wedding day itself!

I arrived at the Hyatt Harborside just as Jen was being seated in the makeup chair, right by the window overlooking the Boston Harbor.  After a few minutes of makeup application, while I moved around the room getting photos of Jen, her bridesmaids, and all of the details of the preparations, she moved over into the hair chair, and I moved down one floor to take photos of the guys.  It didn’t take long to capture the fellas with their tuxes, football games, and specially imported Yuengling Lager, and I was back up with Jen and friends just as she was stepping into the dress.  That gave us a few minutes to capture some photos of Jen, while her hair, makeup, and dress were still perfectly unspoiled, then it was downstairs, where a giant stretch Cadillac Escalade with open gull doors was waiting to take us to St Columbkille Parish in Brighton, MA.

We arrived, just as the guests were all seated and ready for the ceremony to begin.  It was a lovely mass with the dimly lit church casting a romantic glow over Jen & Tim as their lifelong commitment became “official”.  They walked down the aisle as husband and wife, and waited on the steps to greet their guests with hugs and smiles as they exited.  After a few photos on the church steps, it was time for the guests to give them a send off with a shower of bubbles, as then ran for the limo.  Once inside the monstrous conveyance once again, we headed beck into Boston for a stop at the Boston Public Gardens for a few romantic photos of the happily married couple, before reaching our final destination at the Harborside Hyatt at Boston’s Logan Airport.  There we discovered a discarded couch behind the tent, and a couple of discarded gas cans behind that…and, of course, we had to incorporate them into some photos!  While we were pretending to create a fiery show, mother nature was busy showing us up with the spectacular sunset that reached its peak at the tail end of the cocktail hour.  With the last streaks of red still in the sky, and a couple of triumphant fist bumps, Jen & Tim made their way into the reception, where the fun was just about to begin.

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When you have the perfect venue, and a dress that matches the antique elegance of that venue, than there’s no need to go outside on your wedding day.  And that perfect storm of elegance came together on a rainy Friday for Geoff and Beth’s wedding at the Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, MA

I arrived at Willowdale, just as a steady trickle of the principals started to convoy in and head up to their respective “ready rooms”.  One of the things I love so much about Willowdale is that the bride’s party and groom’s party get separate suites on the same floor, so I have a chance to spend time with both of them before the big event.  Bouncing between both rooms, I got the rare opportunity to enjoy the pre-wedding dressing festivities from both sides.  Which made it seem to go by even faster then normal.  Before I knew it, Geoff was waiting on the landing of the grand staircase for his first look at the splendidly attired Beth.

After a romantic moment together, they headed downstairs where the family was waiting for photos in the great hall.   Then I got to spend some time with Beth and Geoff together, using the unique locations of the mansion to showcase their love for one another.  We even got to slip outside for a couple of minutes, the rain giving us a brief reprieve.  From there, it was indoors again, where the newly built conservatory was filled with guests awaiting the start of the ceremony.  A chamber orchestra played as Beth’s dad escorted her down the aisle of the brightly lit room.  Geoff was waiting to marry his beautiful bride, accompanied by the wedding party and his brother, ordained for the event. The ceremony was full of personal anecdotes, and stuffed childhood friends, and ended, as all wedding ceremonies should, with a kiss and lots of smiles.  A few more photos, then the newly married couple joined their guests for mojitos at the cocktail hour.   And that was just the start of the fun.  The cocktail hour bled over to the reception, where Beth & Geoff showed off their ballroom dancing moves, then their dance club moves as DJ Greg from Entertainment Concepts kept the perfect music spinning well into the night.

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As a wedding photographer, I get to see a whole lot of beautiful places throughout New England, and I try really hard not to play favorites.  But if I were to be honest, I’d have to tell you that one of my favorite places in all of Boston is Thompson Island.  It is like the best summer camp that I never got to go to as a kid…and going there feels like catching up!  So I was super excited to be on the ferry this weekend heading out to Thompson Island with Lindsey and Brian as they prepared for their wedding.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.  My day started at Lindsey and Brian’s beautiful townhouse in Boston’s Back Bay, where their family was gathered for hair, makeup, and coffee!  After a bit of fun at the homestead, we all loaded up in taxis and headed over to the ferry dock for the boat ride over to the island, feeling a bit like the little boat that could as we motored past the giant cruise ships and container vessels that shared the pier.  After a perfect trip across the harbor, we were greeted by a sign proclaiming Lindsey & Brian’s wedding day affixed to the pier amidst a big arrangement of hops - a preview of the awesome floral design that went into the wedding thanks to Natalie and her Whim Events crew.  From the pier, we headed up to the Commander’s house, and everyone picked a room to change into their wedding finery.  Brian, being a guy, was dressed the fastest, and was waiting outside when his soon-to-be bride appeared in her lovely gown.  After they had a moment to share, we loaded up on a golf cart and headed off to explore the island together.

So, if Thompson Island is like the best summer camp, the staff are like the best summer camp counselors! They know the island inside and out, and are willing to share them.  Our tour of the island took of to a cool little glade, where the high grass and funky trees provided some really awesome backgrounds.  Then we headed to the ruins of an old root cellar, where the building stones made it look like an old fort from a movie about pirates.  Then it was up to a bower that was recently constructed as a photo spot.  Finally we headed to the old brick camp buildings themselves.  Since it was the middle of the day, the light was a bit harsh around the front of the buildings, so I explored around back and found a couple of really cool spots near the dumpsters!  Not put off by the change of scenery, Lindsey and Brian were totally game to pose by the abandoned old lockers and the cool, overgrown shed.

Our tour complete, we were ready to get on with the business that brought us to the island in the first place.  The ceremony was set up under a large oak tree in the middle of the island’s orchard.  An uncle was ordained for the occasion, and gave the ceremony an extra personal touch as Lindsey and Brian said their “I Do’s”.  After a kiss to seal the deal, the newly married couple headed back through the crowd waving custom “terrible towels” to the music of a live steel drum band.  After a few photos we joined the guests at the pavilion that was also festooned with the coolest floral arrangements and accented with hops.  In front of the pavilion, guests played lawn games while the sun set over the best view of the Boston skyline around.  Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the awesome band, Clockwork, started the reception proper, and it was a whirlwind of fun from there.  From the musical toasts to the campfire out front, to the Michigan State fight song instead of a first dance, the party was uniquely Lindsey and Brian, which meant a boatload of fun.  But Lindsey had saved one more surprise.  Just into the second dance set, she appeared in a second dress, almost as stunning as the first, and a whole lot easier to dance in!  And Dance she did, until it was time for the ferry to take us back to the real world.

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