Mara and Will’s North Haven Island, Maine Wedding

Sometimes there are those weddings where you know from the moment you take the first image, its going to be epic. Mara and Will’s was one of them. On his own, Will demanded that everyone got ready outside on the porch for the best light. So he and his best man donned their tuxedos out in the open. Mara on the other hand was having her hair and makeup done at the Nebo Lodge, with her mother and maid of honor . When I saw the dress, I nearly fainted with excitement. It was calm and quiet and relaxed and honestly what every bride pictures her getting ready to be like. Her mom even cried a little bit and kept telling her how beautiful she looked and how much she loved her. It was so so sweet.

Right before the ceremony, Mara found out that her sister, who lives on Nantucket, flew in that morning… after having a baby 4 days prior.

The ceremony was held at a tiny catholic church on the island. One of their friends played quite possible the most amazing violin performance I have ever heard in my life, or ever will. Later I found out that this friend of theirs is Ryu Goto. Yeah. They kissed and walked back down the aisle to the front steps of the newly painted church and basked in the awesomeness that was their newly married life!

We took a few portraits at his parents property and then we all headed to the reception overlooking the Penobscot Bay. As the speeches of love and friendship continued from the evening before, we learned more and more how special these two are.  They danced their first dance to another Ryu Goto song, and then they received a very unique gift. It was the only gift on the gift table, as per the couples request… but it was an unforgettable one. Two shot glasses were epoxyed to a canoe paddle, side by side. In order to sign this “guestbook of sorts” you had to take a shot of tequila from the shot paddle. It. was. a. huge. hit. AND since we sign every guestbook at every wedding, this was the first time ever we drank at a wedding. First and last… and I promised we were officially done working when we did so.

It’s weddings like this that I have to pinch myself when I realized that this is our job. Thanks Mara and Will and ALL your family and friends for making an unforgettable weekend for us.
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Church: Our lady of Peace Catholic Church of North Haven Maine

Officiant: Father Robert Henry  | Reception Venue: Private Property

Catering: Nebo Lodge    |   Tent Rental: Wallace Tent and Party Rentals

DJ: Eric of JTD Productions   |   Violinist: Ryu Goto

Make-up: Brenda from Adore Rouge    |   Hair: Colleen from Aphrodite Salon

Dress: Jenny Packham   |   Bride’s Shoes: Chanel

Rings: Anna Tucker of A & O Jewelry   |   Calligraphy: Everly Calligraphy


More from Mara and Will: Rehearsal Dinner

Mara and Will’s Rehearsal Dinner at the Nebo Lodge

Technically speaking, this post includes a little more than the rehearsal dinner. It really encompases all we saw on Friday when we arrived on North Haven Island, via the ferry. Mara and Will were waiting for us when we got there thankfully, since there is essentially no cell service on the island and we had no idea where we were going! We gave hugs and then Will said “We need you at the church right now!! We are painting the doors and we gotta have a shot of it!” Down to business right away eh? We followed them over to the church and lo and behold they were painting the doors to the church for the wedding the next day. How could we NOT photograph that? Afterwards, they swept us away to Will’s parent’s property, where we were to stay for the weekend. Most of the car ride, Dan and I were speechless at the scenery and the wonder that is North Haven. If you ever ever EVER get a chance to go, please do. We walked around and took a look at where the reception would take place and then Dan and I relaxed until the rehearsal dinner later on that evening.

All of their family and friends are close. Really close. We appreciated seeing just how much love their guests had for them. Once the dinner was served, toast began flowing and they didn’t stop all night! It was said more than once that Mara and Will’s love had inspired other to hold out for a love like that for themselves. What more could you ask?

Lastly, late that night after Dan and I had turned in for the night, we were in bed and heard a ruckus downstairs in the garage, (we were sleeping in the apartment above it). I was scared at first and sent Dan down to look. He ran back up and grabbed the camera and said he had to take photos. They were ripping into the alcohol boxes for the wedding the next day. Apparently Will and his crew wanted a little more before they themselves turned in for the night. I guess it was technically his already so why not right? They did save the top shelf goods for the following day but they were less a few bottles otherwise. Do you love these people yet? You should.

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Venue and Catering: Amanda Hallowell of Nebo Lodge   |    Wills Bow Tie: Barnaby Jones

Becca’s Newburyport Bridal Session

Today’s post is a little longer than usual but I really think that it is worth the read for any bride on the fence about these kinds of sessions.

Who say’s it’s only a southern thing?!?! Becca and I spent a recent evening in Newburyport, walking around and having a blast with Bridal Portraits. She won a session that I gave away earlier this year and we waited until after her wedding to Dave, to do the session. I found out that I ADORED photographing just the bride in a more casual setting than a wedding day. Becca felt more relaxed and we had time to really take some more creative images.

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After the session, I asked Becca if she would write up a little something about her experience and this is what she had to say about it.. “I apologize in advance that I am not brief, both because I have a lot to say about you and the whole experience, and because I write 10+ page reports for my job 🙂

101 Reasons to do a Bridal Portrait Session with Bethany
     Ok, so I won’t really write 101 reasons on why this experience was so special and amazing, but believe me – I could. No matter what your hang ups are about being photographed, what your insecurities are about your body, or how strongly you dislike being the center of attention (ok, those all apply to me at least), doing bridal portraits is a must for every type of bride – and I will tell you why. First, a little back story on me. While I’m not from the south originally, I went to school in North Carolina and was familiar with the notion of bridal portraits. It never sounded like something I wanted to do – sit in a studio, take stuffy photos, display them for people to see (did I mention I don’t like to be the center of attention?).  I’m more of a relaxed, no frills, practical kind of person and the idea of being a model for a day was more anxiety provoking than exciting.

 

     Fast forward to a few months ago when Bethany was giving away a chance to do a bridal portrait session with her. I reconsidered. First of all, free photos from an amazing photographer, you can’t pass that up!! Also, she didn’t do studio photos, instead she did them on location, which is totally awesome! Then, I thought about how unique it could be to have photographs of me in my dress that were separate from the wedding day. I pondered how fun a day with Bethany would be (I’d only met her once, but I knew we were 2 peas in a pod). I became excited about the idea of having pictures in a setting drastically different than our wedding venue. So, I entered her contest, and left it up to fate. If I won, I would make the best of it, have fun, and enjoy the process.

 

     My experience with Bethany was seamless and easy from start to finish. Working with Bethany is a true pleasure. When we initially started planning, we talked about doing the photo shoot a few weeks before the wedding day. I got nervous about my dress getting dirty or something horrible happening, and she was completely understanding and flexible. Not only did she calm me down and handle my crazed bridezilla emails with ease, she agreed to do the photos after the wedding, which was amazing. She was also totally open to my ideas and visions and heard me when I said I wanted a different feel to the pictures. We threw around locations and agreed together to go to Newburyport. To that she added her expertise and suggested props and specific spots on location that would ultimately combine for the most perfect pictures I’ve ever seen (in my very humble and modest opinion).

 

     On the day of my photoshoot, I was nervous and unsure about what to expect. I spent the afternoon getting my hair and makeup looking wedding day glam and grabbed some props before heading out to meet up with Bethany.  She immediately helped to calm my nerves and quickly put me at ease. How could I not feel comfortable and calm after she casually zipped me into my wedding dress in the bathroom of a local Starbucks?!? She talked me through her ideas about where to go and what type of backgrounds she was looking for and I began to get excited. Walking around the bustling town of Newburyport on a Saturday afternoon, Bethany laughed with me as people congratulated me on my wedding day. We talked and she expertly distracted me from feeling nervous while we talked about life’s happenings. She started snapping the camera and before I knew it, she had me channeling my inner Tyra Banks and loving every minute of it! She gave great ideas and told me exactly what she wanted me to do, which I needed!!  Lots of compliments and positive encouragement were coming from Bethany, which made me feel beautiful and relaxed. When I saw a backdrop I liked, Bethany found a way to shoot it and make it look amazing. She came up with great ways to use the yoga mat, veil, flowers, and parasol I brought and didn’t bat an eye when I asked a passerby if I could grab her dog for a photo! In Bethany’s presence, I transformed from a shy self-conscious bride to a confident and sassy bride who was loving the photoshoot process. Wow, things I never thought I would say.  Bethany’s eye for detail, light, color, texture, and style totally makes the experience unique. It’s not a stuffy portrait session in a studio, its walking around to find places that caught our eye and then getting creative. Its highly personal and she used her knowledge about me and my lifestyle to guide the afternoon. It’s a fantastic experience that I think every bride deserves to experience. I understand ladies feeling self-conscious, awkward, insecure, etc – but it all melts away just as it does on your wedding day and Bethany makes the day incredibly special.

 

So now to lay it out, loud and clear. Here’s why you should do a bridal shoot with Bethany.

 

1) Every bride deserves to have a day all about them.Cause lets be honest, sometimes weddings are about you but also about your mom, your siblings, your family, your friends, your husband, and you. This day is JUST about you!  Where you dress up in a beautiful dress, have elegant makeup and hair, and have it captured on film to remember for the rest of your life. It’s your special day to dress up as the bride you always envisioned!

 

2) Your husband will love the photos!! Part of it is the element of surprise, I think. The fact that he isn’t there to see the shoot and all he gets is the final product totally wows him!

 

3) It makes your wedding day SO much easier! Without the pressure of fitting in tons of bridal shots on the wedding day, your time is freed up to get all those fun candid shots, formal family photos, and fun bridal party photos that you’ll treasure forever! And, all day long, you know that you’ll have another day with Bethany to get those bridal photos and then some!

 

4) you get to choose a totally different bridal look! if your wedding is romantic and classic, you can be totally retro and funky in your bridal session. if you did soft makeup for the wedding, try a bolder look for the shoot. get creative, its so fun! be daring! find inspiration around you and go with it, be something you thought you’d never try!

 

5) Accessories! You can change anything and everything! different earrings and a necklace totally change your look! Add a different veil or a headpiece. Change your hair! How about some bling with a sparkly hair pin. sky is the limit! and, you can change it up throughout the photo session. bethany is great at helping with that!

 

6) props!! there are so many cool props that you and Bethany can incorporate into the photos. things that reflect your personality, interests, or things you’ve seen on pintrest that you thought were totally cool but thought you couldn’t pull off on your real wedding day (birdcage veil? feathers? red lipstick? anything!!)

 

7) Change the scenery! not only is your look different, but the backdrop is totally different too! You can change the season (fall leaves!! oh my!) and the venue. If you got married in the country, try an urban look. Love the beach, incorporate that into your photo shoot!! it gives you two really different sets of photos.

 

8) Bethany makes it so fun! Seriously. Take it from someone who dislikes most of the things behind the idea of a bridal shoot, and I loved it. She makes you feel classy, beautiful, relaxed, and feminine all while keeping you laughing and taking fantastic photos.

 

9) You’ll have them forever! I can only imagine that in 10, 20, 30, 50 years I will look back on these pictures and think “what a wonderful experience. i’m so happy i have these!” Bethany captured me and my style and personality so well, that they are timeless pictures. and when i’m wrinkly and old, my husband and I will enjoy reminiscing!

 

10) you get to wear your dress again! how many times do you think, “it’s too bad i only get to wear that beautiful dress just one day.” well, if you do a bridal session, you get to wear your dress for a second time and re-experience all those warm fuzzy feelings you had on your wedding day.

 

11) Bethany is amazing. the photos will be the best photos of you that will ever exist. Facebook profile pics for days!

 

12) You get to be a model for a day. Channel your inner America’s Next Top Model, Go ahead, strike a pose. Have fun with it. It’s a once in a life time experience to be photographed by an amazing artist.

 

So do it. Splurge. Treat yourself. Book a session with Bethany. It will be one of the best parts of your wedding experience. I promise! Take it from a skeptic!

 

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Kelsey and Chad’s Beverly MA Engagement Session

It was less than a week from the day we officially become their wedding photographers that we shot their engagement session! Talk about getting right down to business right? We like that!

Kelsey and Chad had us over to her parents home in Beverly and we did the whole session simply in their yard, and a little sand beach just a stones throw away. With Griffin, thier huge loveable dog, and Bella, Kelsey’s precious bichon, we spent two hours just playing around! Chad serenaded Kelsey and they had glasses of sangria while we gushed about the light and the scenery. A little rain fell and we went inside and sat by a huge picture window and Chad just kept kissing her. Seriously… this guy LOVES this girl. He holds the record of one of my top statements ever said… “I didn’t give her this ring to be engaged to her, I gave her this ring so I could be married to her.”           **and we all faint together**

Their wedding next year is going to be love filled, gorgeous, and full of the greatness of Kelsey and Chad. We are obviously excited.
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Cristina and Jim’s Lodge wedding in New Hampshire

Color! Style! Laughter! Joy! …. and of course LOVE! Cristina and Jim married on another a few weeks ago, but it felt like they have been married for eons. Perhaps this is because they are middle school sweethearts. The word “finally” was mentioned more than once by pretty much everyone, the couple included. As you can see, Cristina is a fan of color from her shoes to her bouquet. The couple grew all the flowers for the wedding and arranged them all the day of. The decor was all DIY, made lovingly by friends and family. I loved the garden theme and ALL THE COLOR! Did I mention it was colorful? I haven’t even mentioned the awesome clothing choices this girl made. Check out those Kate Spade shoes and designer dress by Francesca Miranda. Swoon. O yeah… her wedding band/engagement ring will knock your socks off too. We loved being there to witness this wedding and share the day with everyone. It was one of a kind.

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Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Church   |   Reception Venue: Longlook Farm and Lodge   |   Catering: Curt’s Caterers   | Cake: Jacques Pastry

Hair and Makeup: Danielle Greenstein   |   DJ: Paul Natale   |   Band: Red Line   |   Gown: Francesca Miranda