A Storybook Wedding

Heather and Bryan had a great theme for their wedding, inspired by the library setting for the reception. It ran straight through from their save-the-dates to the table decorations at the reception.

The day started with prep at Heather's house where she and the girls got hair and makeup done by some of the ladies from Allure Traveling Beauty. 

(The star of the show, though, was their cat, Cooper.)

The ceremony was held at St. Mary's Church in Newington, a beautiful church and meaningful to the couple.

We stopped at the nearby Newington Library for posed photos.

We also took more when we got to the reception venue, The Library in Wallingford. It's a really cool venue in a converted old library, and very photogenic!

I was a little worried there wouldn't be much dancing - small venue, almost no dance floor, a kind of sedate crowd. But I was wrong - after dinner, they shoved back a couple tables and people really went to town!

Congratulations, Heather and Bryan!

Family and the Falls

For the third year running I met up with Karyn, Bob, and their son Henry for family photos. Henry's gotten so big! And has been working on his poses.

We met at Wadsworth Falls State Park, a beautiful spot that I'll definitely be bringing more clients to. 

Henry was very cooperative, and we got to have fun playing with the leaves.

It was a really fun time, and I totally agreed with Henry when he asked if we could do it again the next day! 

See you guys next year!

A Beautiful View

I met Emily and her girls, including her simply adorable flower girl, for hair and make-up.

From there we moved to St. Francis Xavier Church, where the guys obliged for some photos before the wonderful ceremony.

The ceremony included a funny moment, when Joe went in for the kiss a little early, but Emily was not having it!

Till a moment later, when they shared a beautiful kiss.

The reception was held at La Bella Vista, and began with posed photos - pretty easy with such a good looking couple!

The night was full of dancing, food, and even some impromptu karaoke!

Congratulations, Emily and Joe!

Back to the Barn

Last summer I photographed my first wedding at Webb Dean Barn in Wethersfield. It was a great time, so I was very excited with Kaitlyn and Adam told me their wedding would be in the same spot!

However, the day started at Strandz Salon, where Kaitlyn, her bridesmaids, and her mom got their hair done.

After a quick stop at the hotel for the dress, we made our way to the barn where the guests were already seated for the ceremony. They wrote their own vows that got laughs from everyone .

Webb Barn's gardens were in full bloom, so of course we had to get lots of couple's photos.

After cocktails, we moved inside the barn for the remaining festivities.

It was a relatively short night, but they packed in lots of excitement and lots of great music.

And to end the night they had a visit from an ice cream truck!

What a fun night! Congratulations, Kaitlyn and Adam!

Till Death

I'm so excited to finally be able to share these! Skoobah and Nate are college friends of mine, so they asked me not to share their engagement photos till they could surprise everyone with their save the dates... which they appropriately timed to arrive for Halloween!

As soon as Skoobah told me they were planning on doing skull face paint I knew the perfect spot - a local trail where I've taken other couples, but which is also home to a bunch of creepy hidden gems.

Skoobah and Nate were great! They were having so much fun, it was easy to get amazing photos.

I love these photos so much, they've actually changed the way I do engagement photos a bit - I'm trying to encourage couples more to find something unique to them as a theme for their engagement session.

I can't wait for the wedding!

Merlot on the Water

"Merlot on the Water" was the venue for Maria and Shawn's wedding, but also tells you a lot about the tone for the night - wine and music in a beautiful lakeside setting. 

I met Maria, her mother, and maid of honor in the bridal suite for prep.

Then we headed to the nearby Connecticut Trolley Museum for a first look and some posed photos. It was an awesome place to take photos and I definitely want to go back just to check out the exhibits.

We returned to Merlot for an outdoor ceremony overlooking the lake. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.

After cocktails, Maria and Shawn were introduced with a wonderful choreographed first dance.

The rest of the night was full of good music, food, and dancing, with an elegant twist - many of Maria's family are ballroom dancers.

Congratulations, Maria and Shawn!

Palm Trees in Connecticut

When I posted a quick instagram photo from Kristen and James's wedding, a bunch of my friends thought I'd flown down south for a destination wedding!

Actually, it was just at the lovely Anthony's Ocean View in New Haven, a perfect spot for this beachy, fun wedding.

The weather was perfect as they said their vows next to the water, and there was tons of amazing food and drinks during cocktail hour and dinner.

There were speeches from friends, parent dances, and lots of great music to keep people out on the dance floor all night.

Congratulations, Kristen and James!

Get Pumped for the Wedding!

I was so excited when Paige contacted me about her engagement shoot - she and her fiance, Jay, wanted to do the photos in one of their favorite places, Snap Fitness.

I love a flower-filled park as much as the next photographer, but it also puts a smile on my face to do a shoot that is truly unique to the couple - and this was definitely a first for me!

The shoot itself was pretty straightforward - Paige and Jay arrive ready to exert themselves and with a variety of poses and favorite exercises in mind.

I could tell they were more relaxed and having more fun than most because they were in their element. I know these two are going to have a fun wedding too!

Congratulations, Paige and Jay!