I first “met” Stephanie on a phone call about 6 years ago when I was booking a limousine with Joshua’s Limousine for my own wedding. Over the years we’ve gotten to know each other and I’ve had the privilege of photographing her beautiful family and collaborating with Joshua’s Limousine for this coastal wedding styled shoot in Mystic, Connecticut.
Fast forward a bit to today and I think we can all agree that life has changed significantly in the last year and a half and the way we buy food and interact with local businesses and shops has also been drastically affected due to living in the world of a global pandemic. COVID-19 changed everything. Though much of these transitions have been traumatic and the lives of sos many rocked, we have also admired the resiliency of humanity, the loyalty of friendships, the kindness of strangers, and the importance of hard work, communication, and the ability to adapt. Many of these shifts in the world aligned just right for Stephanie to begin a company that focuses on the creation of gourmet food items and luxury service - a journey that really started with the chocolate dipped strawberry and has expanded from there. So today I’m excited to be introducing you to the Southeastern Connecticut business, Simply Ohana.
Behind every small business is a story of the person who had a vision and worked hard to have it come to life, and Stephanie’s story is particularly significant and moving and gives so much meaning to the heart she brings to her endeavor. Read on for her story…
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Sitting at my desk watching the snow fall in April - got to love New England - and it reminded me that I haven’t had a chance to blog Nicole and Dan’s cozy winter engagement photos at Heavitree of Griswold B&B. From a few warm indoor photos with tons of historical character, cozying up on a couch together with gorgeous exposed beams, fireplaces and a taproom, to some outdoor moments with gorgeous rock walls, a red barn and a Christmas tree farm backdrop of Geers Tree Farm, this session was filled with all of the reasons I love New England and the moments it inspires in love stories.
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Your wedding is absolutely your special day, but it’s also a chance to create a memorable and meaningful event for your friends and family. After all, they're taking time out of their busy schedules to celebrate with you — why not thank them for showing up by giving them a guest experience they'll never forget? Fortunately, there are tons of thoughtful ways you can elevate the guest experience at your wedding that can help make your big day feel special for everyone. Read on to learn all about the top seven tips for crafting a unique and unforgettable wedding experience for all of your favorite people.
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Joe & Tori’s wedding plans, along with so many other of my couples this year, were affected by the global pandemic. They moved their original wedding date from June to August and ultimately had to push their larger celebration until 2021. But that didn’t stop these two from saying “I Do.”
In fact they didn’t just face a pandemic, in addition to COVID-19 they also had a tornado touch down in their town the night before their ceremony (yes, we are still talking about Connecticut). The neighborhood where they were married was greatly impacted, so much so that Joe spent the morning cutting and clearing trees from the place where they were to officially tie the knot. I honestly couldn’t believe the destruction from the tornado when I was driving in to photograph their wedding. A date change, canceled rehearsal dinner, a downed cell tower that resulted in communication with their loved ones being difficult, a broken wedding dress strap (from Tori sharing a tight hug her dad at the end of the aisle - the best possible reason for a slight wardrobe malfunction) and a power outage - these two truly faced just about all of the obstacles in their wedding planning.
But on a Friday afternoon in August these two spoke words of truth, standing back to back, as they read their vows in a quiet moment before the ceremony. They tied the knot with their closest friends and family there to witness and they kept one another grounded in the things that they know to be true.
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Whitney and Dylan are two people who love intentionally. Everything they do is done with such care for those around them. Every detail of this day of celebration in Mystic, Connecticut at The Stonington Meadows came together beautifully. Whitney’s dress was absolutely breathtaking, the weather was glorious, the florals were stunning, the ceremony was meaningful, and the party was epic. It was a beautiful day and I could not think of two more deserving people to have their plans finally fall into place.
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Leia and Dave are both lovers of the outdoors. They are two people who light up in each other’s presence and their calm demeanor and steadfast devotion to each other is admirable. Not to mention they both have the best sense of humor and watching their genuine and carefree interactions throughout the day was such a fun front row seat to have.
The were married at the Chapel at Camp Fowler, a stunning and peaceful woodsy building with pine features, followed by some portraits by the water and surrounding buildings, beach, and canoes and then an intimate and fun backyard gathering. This gathering was uniquely and exquisitely styled and arranged much in part and thanks to their amazing families, including their sister-in-law, Jess, who owns Different Blend Bakery in Schenectady, New York. Be sure to checkout the amazing cake, s’mores station, custom napkins, and many other carefully attended to details that made this celebration so clearly crafted in love.
We ended the evening with canoeing around the lake and letting the newlyweds enjoy a grand adventure together - their first canoe trip as Mr. and Mrs. captured forever. The day wouldn’t have been complete without running down the dock together hand-in-hand and a jump in the lake. Admittedly, I asked them to do this twice because it was just too much fun.
This wedding day had all the intentionality behind it I wish for all of my couples. If an adventure inspired intimate wedding in the Adirondacks doesn’t speak to your soul, that’s ok. But these two celebrated in a way that was true to them and their relationship and I hope that every couple feels empowered to choose the things that are most important to them on their wedding day. It truly doesn’t matter if you call it an elopement, micro-wedding, destination wedding, intimate wedding - for Leia and Dave the celebration was no-fuss in all the ways they intended. They will forever have this day etched in their minds and can always look back and know that they chose love, they chose each other, and they chose to declare their union and be affirmed in it by their families who will continue to stand by their sides for years to come as they watch Leia and Dave, undoubtedly, embark on many more adventures together.
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The added twist to this styled shoot was that our models were a real couple I connected with on social media and they exchanged vows and were legally married during the shoot! They traveled in from Ohio and it was quite the destination elopement weekend (be sure to check out their Engagement Session and cozy morning of wedding shoot if you haven’t already).
Where a typical styled shoot might be called off due to rain, because we were holding an actual ceremony we obviously went ahead with the plans and we think the rain and dark sky add an element of realness and romance to this styled-shoot-turned-real-wedding. So many amazing vendors and talented creatives came together to make this possible and their entire intimate wedding day was a complete surprise from start to finish! So cool.
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The first time Courtney and I chatted on the phone we connected over so many things - among them, the similarities shared by our significant others (right down to them sharing the same birthday). During their initial inquiry call we talked at length about the plans they envisioned for their wedding day, but even more importantly, I had the opportunity to get to know them and hear about their love story up until their engagement. These two have been together for about 10 years, and from the bits and pieces I’ve picked up from conversation, as well as their live-life-to-the-fullest personalities, I would say that those 10 years were filled with more epic adventures and life experiences together than some have the opportunity to have in a lifetime.
When they were officially engaged, in conversation with Courtney’s 98 year old Grandmother (affectionately known as Grma), she asked that they get married in Connecticut so that she could dance at their wedding. A Connecticut wedding wasn’t necessarily a given because Courtney and Jeff have lived in Connecticut, Hawai’i, and Colorado, but they decided to plan for a New England wedding to make Gram’s wish come true.
Fast forward to a meeting over Christmas week to tour Guilford Yacht Club together, followed by a global pandemic (COVID-19 plot twist), added state guidelines, gathering mandates, travel restrictions and a change of venue. At the end of it all? A happy ending for two of the most deserving people I know. A stunning wedding with their family in attendance on Chaffinch Island in Guilford, Connecticut where they frequented together in the early days of their relationship. Gram was in fact able to dance at their intimate outdoor wedding reception, and the joy that lit up that backyard made several months of stressful wedding planning and adjusting worth it.
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Are you recently engaged? Did you get engaged before the global pandemic, began planning a wedding and are now looking around wondering what the next year will hold?
I have a lot of feelings about this season, and I can’t imagine as an engaged couple all of the feelings you are working through, but I hope no matter where you are in life, if you are next to the one you love, you are supported and encouraged that in the chaos of the moment we become stronger. Stronger as individuals, stronger in our relationships - increasingly aware of the things that really matter in this life.
Awhile back I’d posted “5 Date Ideas for the Engaged Couple,” but I realized that I should maybe revisit and modify this list for those of you engaged during this season and looking for inspiration to lean into joy and dedicate time your significant other. So here goes!
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This Engagement Session actually happened last May. Whoa. I can’t believe I’m just now sharing this gorgeousness, but when I photographed these sweethearts I was actually about 8 months pregnant, and well, that was a pretty crazy season of life - I’m kind of loving revisiting these images just a few weeks before their celebration with friends and family.
I began working with Whitney and Dylan back in 2018, if you can believe it. I still remember sitting at Starbucks chatting about the dreams they had for their wedding day (plans that were ultimately altered a bit by COVID-19). Well, I’m happy to say, not only did these two have an intimate ceremony and still get married on the original day they had planned, although they had to postpone their larger celebration, the party will be happening THIS month and we’re all pretty excited.
Since I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know them they’ve bought a house, added fur babies to their pack, and actually gotten married - it feels like a lot of life has happened since we met and I couldn’t be more excited to stand with them in celebration as they are able to have their closest friends and family witness their commitment to all of life’s changes and challenges ahead.
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If you’re one of my couples you know that during our inquiry call I spend quite a bit of precious time chatting about your Engagement Session and the importance of this time that we spend together. I have a whole list of reasons for this that I will share in another cohesive blog post, but can I just say that I love when my couples get excited about this and make the Engagement Session a priority?!
Fun fact! Courtney & Ryan will be getting married NEXT month. The photos they receive in their gallery won’t be used in the “typical” Save-the-Date fashion, as they’d already had that taken care of (although they did end up using a few to be in touch with their guests with some COVID-19 updates and information). But that doesn’t change the significance of this evening of exploring around Downtown Mystic, Connecticut along with one of my favorite local beaches. I loved having the opportunity to get to know them both better before their wedding day and it added an extra level of uniqueness because their wedding is so close and all of the details are falling into place. I know that the time we spent together in will make them immeasurably more comfortable in front of the camera on their wedding day and a huge bonus is that they also have some cute couples photos to hang around their home where they aren’t in wedding attire.
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One of my absolute favorite things about photographing in New England are the amazing and vibrant colors you can find on the coast - in the landscape and the architecture. Tiffany and Patrick’s Engagement Session was no exception with a beautiful sunset and so many gorgeous flowers in bloom. These two will be getting married this Fall and were ahead of the planning process, choosing an intimate wedding celebration long before COVID-19 changed the world (and with it, the way we can currently gather).
It’s been encouraging to watch their plans fall into place and have a chance to catch up as we walked around exploring this stunning coastal town - making this location even more meaningful is the fact that Patrick proposed here!
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After months of quarantining, getting to spend a beautiful evening hanging out with Sarah and Jordan for their Engagement Photos - well, it truly meant everything to watch these two interact and chat about their wedding plans. Their outfit selections were on point, not to mention, Sarah’s doppelgänger might be Cinderella and they both have the most infectious smiles.
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Michelle and Johnny’s December wedding day was truly stunning; however, it was the emotion woven through the entire day that had in me in tears at least 3 times while editing their galleryl. There were so many touching and heartfelt interactions between the beautiful new Mr. & Mrs. and their friends and family.
I met up with these two to walk around Yale University a few weeks before the event to scope out the perfect spot for some photos. Let’s just say - I’m glad we took the time to do so because the weather cooperated and we got some seriously lovely photos of them snuggling together with incredible architecture as the backdrop for their love story. Fitting, as Yale is where they first met. These two were rockstars bearing the cold and I’d say it was worth it!
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Regan and Dayne are some of the sweetest people with the most genuine hearts you’ll ever meet.
Years ago they first became aware of each other when Regan attended Freshman orientation at the Branford House where Dayne was giving a presentation. How cool that they can now say they were married in this same place (the exact same room, in fact). Their day was filled with all kinds of sentimental touches, woven together with the history of the legacy of their loved ones - fitting, considering they are both passionate historians. The dress Regan chose to wore was previously worn by her grandmother and mother and it was an absolute honor to photograph such an heirloom. And Dayne, a pianist having performed at hundreds of events at the Branford House previously, finally had the opportunity to sit and play for his wife. So many gorgeous long-awaited meaningful not-soon-to-be-forgotten moments are what this day was comprised of.
It was an absolute pleasure getting to know these two and walking alongside them capturing the next chapter of the beautiful story they are writing together. Thank you, Regan and Dayne, for trusting me to capture your wedding!
Read MoreChristmas Tree Farm session - the perfect setting for Christmas card photos!
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This photo displays one of my absolute favorite moments to capture. It’s what I like to call, “The Smile Before the Kiss.” It’s the feeling of excitement in the anticipation of knowing what’s about to happen. It’s a great way to describe the season of being engaged as well. It’s a time filled with exciting to-do lists and decisions to be made, all in preparation for the exchanging of vows.
Charlotte and Rob live in New York City, so when we were trying to decide on a location for their Engagement Session I sent them some local options and they loved Harkness - it really is such a great choice to achieve different vibes and backgrounds all in one place!
We ended up moving their session up a bit to try to beat the rain and it luckily it worked! We started our time together walking around their venue, Jonathan Edwards Winery, and then made our way to the water for some cute photos of them (and their adorable dog, Scout)!
I’m already counting down the days until I get to see these two again and can’t wait to capture the joy on their wedding day and so many more smile-before-the-kisses kind of moments. Thank you Charlotte and Rob for trusting me to capture this season of your love story!
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