Every detail of their celebration at Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Mystic, Connecticut was crafted with so much love (and talent). Now seems like a great time to mention that Amanda made every single one of the wooden flower arrangements you will see below. The vibrant pops of color and beautiful display of both of their personalities was evident throughout.
The guest book? A custom globe. Escort cards and guest gift? Gorgeous colorful luggage tags. Have I mentioned just how much I really love guest gifts with a purpose that are sure to be used and serve as a reminder for years to come? Every table “number” had the beautiful cityscape of Paris engraved on the wooden base of a city name - a great spin on finding a place to sit. From their Destination Engagement Session in Portsmouth in New Hampshire I knew I was going to want lots of time and beautiful ways to style Amanda’s ring. My favorite is that Amanda loves details as much as I do, so I arrived to an entire box of extra florals, an Eiffel Tower heirloom souvenir and several macaroons from Sift Bake Shop in Mystic (and knowing their love for macarons and the significant roll they played in their engagement, these were well utilized!). Amanda and I had been chatting throughout their planning process about the fabric choices, food decisions, etc. and I walked into this wedding knowing a lot about their day and being prepared for helping to craft a visual narrative reflective of their incredible relationship and that really makes all the difference.
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When Ally and Colin were dating they used to walk in the Stony Creek area, and if you haven’t had a chance to visit the Branford Trolley Trail I suggest you add it to your list! Connecticut has so many unique coastal areas to experience and this is definitely a new favorite of mine. They had sent me a lot of information before our time together (they know how much I love details!) and this level of preparation always helps for us to make the most of our time together, especially when visiting a new place for photos. After stopping at a few of the landmarks on the trail and seeing the scenery, we finished our time together in the downtown area - which has much more of a small seaside village vibe than a downtown, it’s perfection - and the light at sunset was, dare I say it, completely dreamy. They even indulged my request for a few photos on the swings, and I’m loving all of the different vibes we achieved in the course of a little over an hour: elegant and poised, playful and fun, and a romantic sunset walk on the beach.
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If I’ve ever had the pleasure of connecting with you to chat about your wedding it probably took all of 0.001 seconds for you to realize that I’m a details-loving-gal. I try to reign this in a bit during initial conversations with couples, because the process of moving from being engaged to married and the intricacies of wedding planning are meant to be experienced in phases — and it’s so overwhelming to have all of the questions at once. However! While I may not be a planner, and you don’t have to share everything with me (or your respective photographer) right away, I know that your guests appreciate the details just as much as vendors do, and one of the best ways to share them is through a wedding website!
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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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Working with Kelly and Stephen to document this day amidst a global pandemic had it’s ups and downs in planning, but I think after everything we can say that their wedding plans worked out exactly as they were supposed to.
We held to their original plan of a church ceremony in Branford, but the reception that followed took place at Kelly’s childhood home. Now, her home is not in just any neighborhood - it’s one of those neighborhoods they make shows about. All the kids grew up together, the parents are all friends, it seems the neighbors collectively raised each other’s children (giving a whole new meaning and depth to the phrase “it takes a village”), the group even had their favorite song that brought everyone out on the dance floor at once. I don’t know all of the details of the many years of friendships that have developed in this neighborhood, but I do know from experiencing the level of community on display for just one night, this is they type of community and we should all be fighting for these days. It was so beautiful to watch Kelly and Stephen have all of their closest people celebrating with them in a place with such history for them.
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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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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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Where do I even begin?
The first time Alyssa, Alex and I hopped on the phone to chat about their wedding plans and get to know one another we connected over their love for National Parks. At the time I was knee deep in design plans for our national park themed nursery and we hit it off immediately. These two radiate joy, they love each other beautifully, intensely, and simply. Exploring during their Engagement Session it became evident that these two get each other.
Fast forward and #COVID-19 changed their original wedding plans but they adjusted to the changes with such grace, in the end deciding that although they would wait to celebrate with their large group of friends and family, but they wouldn’t wait another year, month, or day to get married.
And so, I was able to witness and capture their dreams come true in the backyard of Alyssa’s childhood home.
And it. was. stunning.
COVID-19 wasn’t the only thing they overcame. Let’s just talk about the absolute torrential downpour that happened right as we were supposed to have their First Look. Alex and I stood underneath the tent as the wind blew, the rain came down in the most intense way, and we waited it out. Props to Alyssa and Alex for being extra patient and taking my advice to wait just a little bit longer so we could have their First Look under the gorgeous tree they had planned because it was absolutely worth the wait for the most beautiful light and post-rain-perfectness. Make sure to check out the look on Alex’s face when he first saw his bride because it’s definitely precious.
And seeing their personalities shine through with their decor and National Parks place cards (each one carefully chosen for each individual person), these two certainly didn’t let life’s circumstances detract in anyway from the intent with which they committed themselves to one another.
Congratulations Alyssa and Alex! Thank you for allowing me to capture this incredible journey for you both…and bring on the party in 2021!
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Meghan and Timothy are incredibly sweet and classy people - there’s really no other way to put it. In addition to this, boy, do they know how to break. it. down. on the dance floor. I’ve truly never attended a wedding where two people along with all of their friends and family knew every word to every song for an entire evening. At the close of the night, I’m pretty sure the dance floor was just as packed as when the night began - the true sign of a really good party.
They met in Boston while in college, and as they say, the rest was history. Timothy planned an elaborate surprise when he proposed and had brought their friends and family together to celebrate.
Their wedding day was full of beautiful moments (and heartfelt vows) displaying their history of falling more in love over the last 5 years and it was an honor to capture this next part of their story.
Congratulations, Meghan and Timothy!
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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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From the first moment I met these two their genuineness and ability to truly have fun together was infectious.
Maybe it’s in part because they’ve known each practically since birth, but they are so comfortably themselves with each other. After sporadically keeping in touch over the years, Rachel tells the story of them reconnecting when they happened to be at the same restaurant one night and Harrison made a funny face at her from across the room - the more time I spent with them the more I realized that this interaction is so them.
I would also like to mention another beautiful part of their story that I think made their wedding day even more intimate and precious. Harrison serves with the United States Air Force (thank you for your service, Harrison!) and he and Rachel have had several seasons of time apart in their relationship. The more I think about it, watching the two of them together there’s really no other way to put it (sorry for the cliche) but they’ve found home in each other. From short visits and moves around the country, they’ve stood one another. Watching them embrace is like getting a little window into the immense comfort and safe space they’ve created together.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Nope, actually I was definitely crying. Especially watching Harrison’s reaction to Rachel walking down the aisle and then when they literally did a little *completely* adorable jump together in the first few moments after sealing their union with a kiss.
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an we please just talk about how seriously stinking CUTE these two are?
Rachel and Harrison currently live in Arizona and when we chatted over the phone about their wedding, I encouraged them to still consider planning an “Engagement Session” even if it was just the week before so we would have the chance to connect and also give them some adorable New-Englandy photos while they were back on the east coast.
Well, I’m so glad we made the time. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to spend even more time with them in addition to their wedding day.
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Johnna and Jay spent 10 years together before walking down the aisle, but if there’s one thing I could say about these two it’s that the foundation they spent time building, well, it certainly shows.
From the moment I first met them, the way Jay looks at Johnna let’s you know that he feels like the luckiest guy in the world.
I got to document the day they confessed their love for each other in front of their friends and family, and with the sweetest vows they committed their forevers to one another and it was pretty dang cool to witness. During the bouquet toss I planted myself next to Jay at their sweetheart table to get the best shot, and as she was laughing it up enjoying the moment with the gals, I looked over at Jay and said, “she’s pretty great, isn’t she?”
His response? Grinning from ear to ear he said, “Yeah. She’s the best”
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
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Going into this wedding weekend I had my fingers AND toes crossed for beautiful weather for this sweet couple - and mother nature certainly did not disappoint. Between blue skies and comfortable temps for the guests to enjoy a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at Great River Golf Club, this was the kind of day couples dream about.
Julie and Tom spoke their vows in front of cherished friends and family and I’m pretty certain there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd. Every detail was beautifully planned and as soon as the day began I could immediately tell they were both just excited to relax and enjoy the festivities.
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Spring is finally feeling like it’s here to stay and I don’t know about you but this warm weather and sunshine on my face has me thinking about staying more active, letting my inner beauty shine, and taking proper care of my skin to keep it looking healthy. I thought there no better time than now, with wedding season on its way, to talk about one my favorite local Makeup Artists, Mercedes McCoy, and to take you on a little tour to show you the inside of her gorgeous studio.
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Nothing better than a night with perfect light and a soft breeze at Harkness Memorial State Park taking some bridal portraits.
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