I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Shantelle and Al's families are full of big personalities, and when they celebrate, they don't do it halfway.

We met them in Rhode Island for prep photos. The guys, as usual, had it easier, but the girls were on schedule and a really fun group to hang out with.

From there we headed to Blissful Meadows in Massachusetts for the ceremony and reception.

Their ceremony was right up my alley - short, personal, and funny. It was also hot, but considering there was an 80% chance of rain forcast, and we had beautiful blue skies, no one complained too much. I especially liked one detail of their wedding: five white roses, for loved ones who had passed away, carried down the aisle by their flower girls. Or, I should say, flower grandmas.

Then there was the reception. The DJ's practically had to herd people back to their tables for dinner, or else everyone would have just kept on dancing. It's a ton of fun when a wedding has so much energy that it literally shakes the building.

Parabéns no seu casamento, Shantelle and Al!

Destination: Florida... MA.

I haven't done a ton of destination weddings, but I jump at the chance whenever I get the opportunity. They always turn into fun, extended trips and often produce some of my favorite photos. I've been to Montana, North Carolina, and this past Fourth of July, I went to Florida.

The town in northwest Massachusetts, that is.

I was there to photograph a wedding for a good friend's sister. It was also a chance to give my girlfriend some second shooter experience. (She's previously filmed wedding videos with me, but this was her first run at photos - she knocked it out of the park.)

And, this was my first army wedding! Besides the dapper uniforms, army weddings come with a bunch of great traditions, and it's great to see the bonds between servicemen.

Heather and I were exhausted, but we took advantage of the local sights on Sunday. It took us something like five hours to drive the 30 miles from Florida to Interstate 91. It's an interesting part of Massachusetts that I've never really explored before: The scenic Deerfield River, a handful of Native American-themed tourist traps, Glacial Potholes, and the awesome Bridge of Flowers.

Good way to spend the Fourth, I reckon.