Rebecca & Owen | Married | Part One

I have to give my friend Shane some credit.  He is the one who suggested me as a wedding photographer to his friend Rebecca when she asked through facebook for some wedding photographer suggestions.  THANK YOU SHANE!!!!! I feel so lucky to have been chosen to document Rebecca & Owen's wedding.  It was one of the most beautiful and fun weddings I have ever been to!  Every detail was perfect and the couple were on cloud 9 all day.  There are so many fantastic images from their day that I had to break this wedding down into two posts.

So without further ado- here is part one:

Rebecca's perfect fall themed flowers were done by Danielson Flowers.

I loved Rebecca's lace Jim Hjelm dress.

The light at the Harrington Farm is INSANE!!!!!

Rebecca you are beyond stunning- really there are not words for your beauty.

They made the call early that morning that even with a cool temperature the sun was shining so the ceremony would be out doors.

I love how happy grandparents are at weddings- they are ALWAYS smiling.

The dapper groom awaits his bride at the end of the isle.

Told you that light was crazy beautiful- I didn't saturate a thing this was straight out of the camera.  BAM!

A big thumbs up from the newlyweds.

This bridal party (all sibblings of the bride and groom) was halarious.  This just gives you a little insite to the non stop laughs and smiles that were everywhere on Rebecca & Owen's wedding day.

Stay tuned- the sun set portraits in part two will make you drool!

Breaking with tradition.

From my research the tradition started with arranged marriages.  The groom would be standing at the alter waiting for a girl he had never seen to walk towards him and become his wife.  Afraid he or she might run if they met before hand it became "bad luck" to see each other before the ceremony.  Over time it has become a common tradition and has nothing to do with a worry someone might run; but still people are split on the ideas of seeing one another before the ceremony. Emily and Anthony opted for a first look but it wasn't part of her original plan.  Emily's wedding was beautiful and unique.  She found a way to bring together some traditional elements and combine them with unique aspects of her own style.  When Emily and I first talked about her wedding and I mentioned the idea of a 'First Look' she wasn't exactly gung-ho about it.  Well, here I should let you read her own words:

"As a very unique bride, there were several traditions that I tossed out of the window early in the wedding planning. But one that I was not giving up was the fact that my groom would see me for the first time as I was walking down the aisle toward him. I thought that that moment would be the highlight of my day and that I would regret seeing him before hand. As the wedding grew closer, I began to have pangs of sadness when I thought about how little I would see everyone traveling to our wedding, and also I wanted to be at this cocktail hour I had planned for so long! And who doesn’t hate that awkward time when the cocktail hour winds down and there is still no sign of the happy couple? So I started to casually look at some “first look” photos online and read some things other brides had said and finally threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it.

Getting out of that car and walking the steps up to my nervous groom was one of the most exhilarating things I have ever done. The butterflies in my stomach could not be tamed. When he turned around and smiled at me I felt like someone had picked the world up off of my shoulders. All my nerves just completely dissipated and I soaked in that moment of happiness and contentment. It was both of our favorite parts of the day. It gave us a chance to see each other and spend a few quiet minutes alone before the craziness of the day took over. I am so happy that I have those tender moments to hold in my heart. We were then able to casually take all of our formal pictures in no hurry and get back in time for our ceremony. Walking down that aisle towards him was even more special to me because I actually enjoyed that moment with no nerves, I think I even laughed! After the ceremony we actually got to enjoy some time with our guests and eat! For us it made the most sense, logistically at first. No matter how you do it, it is a special moment. You, as a bride are seeing the person you are about to commit your life to for the first time on your wedding day. So why not get it out of the way and really be able to enjoy your day?"

Everyone has different thoughts on this break with tradition but I really appreciated Emily offering her thoughts for other brides to consider.  Maybe you are traditional, maybe you aren't.   But it is still nice to hear, from someone who has gone through the process, just how wonderful and meaningful the exsperience was for her.

So tell me- what are your thoughts on "First Look"?

Rebecca & Owen | Married | Just a taste.

Rebecca and Owen tied the knot yesterday.  Check back soon for more from their beautiful Harrington Farm wedding.

Mallory & Michael | Married | Sept 18, 2010

Mallory and Michael almost didn't make it to their own wedding.  About a week before the wedding Michael had an accident and was in the hospital for a few days.  Unable to fly north for their wedding the couple got in the car and drove from Florida to New Hampshire for their big day.  Thank goodness they made it and had a beautiful day for their big day.

Mallory, you are BEAUTIFUL!

The Waukewan Golf Club made a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony.

the late afternoon light was stunning.

awwwww.

This next image is my FAVORITE!

Thank you so much Mallory and Michael for letting me share your day.

Erika & Hans | Married | Newport RI

After much anticipation.... Ta Da!!!! Erika and Hans were married on September 26th at Our Lady of Mercy Chapel at Salve Regina University in Newport RI.  Their reception was at one of the most beautiful locations I've ever had the privilege to photograph:  The Blithewold Mansion in Bristol RI.   Along to second shoot for the day was my good friend Deborah Zoe.  We started the day at The Bristol Harbor Inn where the girls and family were getting ready.

Stoneblossom Floral did a fantastic job on the flowers!

Erika you are a classic beauty.

Here we go...

Hans was a little teary... which made me and i'm sure a lot of others a little teary.

Quickly tears turned to laughter.  The amount of smiles and full fledged laughter during their ceremony has got to be a new world record.

Man and wife.

After the ceremony we walked next door to the beautiful Salve Regina administration building.

Debbie grabbed this stunning shot of Erika.

While I was shooting from this angle.

Then we were off to Blithewold.

These two have cute down pat.

Your smiles are amazing.

So I told Hans to "kiss her on the shoulder" and this is what I get... hahahha LOVE IT!

There we go- thats the sweetness I was originally going for.

The details were beautiful.

Erika and Hans- it was a privlidge to spend your wedding day with you.  I had so much fun and can not wait to hear all about your honeymoon in Mexico!  Thank you so much for allowing me to capture your love. xoxo