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Lily and Marc’s Portland, Maine engagement shoot

Thursday, September 9, 2010

I met Marc through my work for Lindblad Expeditions. In May we were both in Washington, D.C. for a meeting and he mentioned that he was getting married to Lily, a lovely young woman from Maine. Fast forward a few months, and now I’m going to be shooting their wedding next July. And from what they’ve told me so far, their reception on Peaks Island is going to be a blast!

But before a wedding always comes the engagement shoot, right? I met Marc and Lily on Labor Day in Portland to work through the pre-wedding photography jitters. And since I’d never met Lily, it was a great opportunity for me to get to know her too. We hit a few new spots around town, including the floating docks down on the DeMillo’s wharf, since Marc works for a cruise company, we definitely needed a few boats in the shots. I can’t wait for their wedding next year, not only are they going to make a gorgeous couple, but they’re a lot of fun too.

Posted in Engagement Shoots

Jenn and Ben’s wedding at the Spruce Point Inn, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

It wasn’t just a wedding, but a entire wedding weekend for me over Labor Day in Boothbay Harbor. Saturday started with a short photo session for Jenn and Ben. Jenn’s parents happen to own an inn in Boothbay Harbor, so we had the whole place to ourselves, and the grounds are amazing! Great landscaping, beautiful flowers and small paths through the woods.  I’d never met them in person, since they live in North Carolina, so it was a nice way to become acquainted, and for me to give them a few pointers about their upcoming wedding photography. A fabulous rehearsal dinner (lobster!) on the porch was next, followed by a humongous bonfire and party.  It was a great way to kick-off the weekend for everyone who traveled to Maine for the wedding festivities. Jenn and Ben both graduated from my alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), so I had a lot of fun talking with all the alumni that were at the dinner.

Sunday came quickly, and their ceremony on the pool deck at the Spruce Point Inn was so beautiful! Hurricane Earl passed by on Friday so the skies were clear (but breezy!) with no rain in sight.  Jenn and Ben’s dog Sadi was even in attendance, as the Spruce Point Inn is pet-friendly!

We managed to get the entire wedding party down to the town dock to take a quick trip around the harbor on Jen’s uncle’s lobster boat the Sea Swallow. From that point on the party didn’t stop; lots of food, an amazing wedding cake, and then the dance floor at the inn was rocking. A true celebration for sure!

Thank so much Jenn and Ben, all my best, and enjoy the Outer Banks!

Posted in Weddings

Gabrielle and Ron wed on Peaks Island at Harbor View, Jones Landing

Friday, September 3, 2010

After meeting Ron and Gabrielle for the first time, I just knew that I was going to love their wedding. It was laid-back, yet sophisticated, and elegantly simple. I also have to admit, that this is the first wedding where the ceremony reading was from a Massachusetts supreme court decision, and not 1 Corinthians! (For those who are curious, the reading was from Goodridge vs. The Department of Public Health). And it was just so appropriate given that Ron is a professor of political science, in addition to possessing a razor sharp wit!

To say that Gabrielle has an eye for detail would be an understatement. She crafted many of her own accessories (including the amazing feather hair piece, and adorable flowered shoe clips), and what she didn’t make, she put great thought into. The little ceramic ring-bearer’s bowl was stamped with their wedding date and bought on Etsy. It is a lovely keepsake that can be kept and used for years (unlike the typical ring-bearer pillows from David’s Bridal). Many brides seem to have found Etsy lately, if you haven’t heard of it you must check it out. Not only are the goods generally affordable, but you’re supporting independent artisans, and you can often have pieces custom made to your own colors, theme and tastes. I especially like the custom made maps I’ve seen to be included with wedding invitations, because unless you’re a graphic designer, how do you make a good looking map? I wouldn’t know where to start!

Suffice it to say, it was a lovely day, perfect weather (again!), and the most amazing light fell on the beach at sunset for our portrait session. Gabrielle has to be one of the most timeless brides I’ve ever photographed. I can just see the portrait of her under the pier on the cover of a magazine, it’s just so classic Maine: rustic, elegant and understated.

 

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Posted in Weddings

by Alexandra

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Alicia Williams-Pedersen - What a great idea for the ring bearer! Thanks for posting this, Alex. I am checking out Etsy right now for our wedding in October!September 7, 2010 – 2:38 pm

Jennifer Nightingale - So touching. So Sweet!September 4, 2010 – 12:39 am

Jennifer Nightingale - What a classic photo! Gosh Gordon looks so grown up and sophisticated.September 4, 2010 – 12:38 am

Courtney and Mark’s Camp Ellis engagement shoot

Monday, August 30, 2010

Camp Ellis is the beach-front portion of my little adopted hometown of Saco. Only a couple of miles down the beach from the craziness of Old Orchard, it’s a quiet, almost time-forgotten gem. Yesterday was a perfect beach day at about 90 degrees, and even in mid-afternoon there was plenty of parking in the public lot on the fishing pier. I probably should stop now, since I never want to see Camp Ellis change, it’s perfect the way it is, and leads me to another something perfect: Courtney and Mark!

Courtney and Mark both went to college in Maine, and are just so cute together. They are also both very sweet, and were very good sports about shooting in the sun and heat. They may not look like they’re melting in the photos, but we all were! That said, they were up for whatever I asked of them. We spent much of the shoot going from one patch of shade to the next in an attempt to stay a bit cooler. And it’s no surprise that by the end we all ended up with our feet in the ocean!

Their wedding is in Massachusetts next year, and I’m so glad they thought to look outside of the state for a photographer, from what they’ve told me about their friends it should be a super fun wedding day celebration!

Posted in Engagement Shoots

by Alexandra

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Jenny - Beautiful pictures – I cannot wait until the big event!October 1, 2010 – 3:51 pm

Kelly and Mike’s Old Port engagement shoot

Monday, August 30, 2010

The weekend was a busy one for me; a wedding, and two engagement shoots. Suffice to say, it’s the busiest time of year for a wedding photographer! But shooting is what I love to do, so it doesn’t really feel like work. The post-production work all week however is a necessary evil that’s hard to keep up with when the weather is so beautiful!

To start off what is sure to be a flurry of blog-posts, here are Kelly and Mike! Aren’t they adorable? And so natural in front of the camera too. We spent Sunday morning together strolling around Portland having fun and taking pictures. I shoot in Portland a lot, so I tried out a few new locations, including the tiny ‘secret passageway’ between Exchange Street and Fox Court. If you’ve ever been to Kilkenny in Ireland this passageway might remind you of the ‘Butter Slip’, one of many medieval corridors (slips) in Kilkenny  connecting the old streets. It does me at least!

Kelly and Mike’s  wedding is just about a year away, so it will be awhile before we see each other again, but I’m really looking forward to seeing them again as bride and groom!

Posted in Engagement Shoots

Nikki and Joe’s wedding celebration at Laudholm Farm in Wells, Maine

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

It was another perfect weekend in Maine, we have been so lucky this summer! Nikki and Joe were married in York Beach at the Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Their reception was held at Laudholm Farm in Wells, it was the first time I’d shot at Laudholm Farm and I can highly recommend it to brides looking for reception locations. It is simply perfect in every way.

York Beach is near and dear to my heart since that’s where I was married eight years ago. It is the quintessential Maine beach town, it looks like it’s straight out of a movie (in fact, I think a Stephen King movie was filmed there many years ago). The Star of the Sea Church is gorgeous (love the dark wood beams in the ceiling!), and unlike a lot of churches has great light. I had a lot of fun shooting there.

You may notice a lot of portraits in the slideshow, something I don’t always get a chance to do due to the frenetic pace of most weddings. Nikki and Joe made it clear to me that photography was very important to them, and they really made  time for photos. By taking time in between their ceremony and reception we had a chance to take some fun and relaxed shots of them and their very large wedding party. We hit three separate locations too.  In addition, by making time in between the ceremony and reception they were able to enjoy their cocktail hour! Time is such a luxury for me at weddings, and I appreciated the opportunity that Nikki and Joe gave me to get creative. Plus, they’re a beautiful couple who was up for anything, even if it meant getting Nikki’s fabulous dress dirty in the fields at Laudholm Farm.

Have fun in Fiji you two, it sounds so relaxing!

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by Alexandra

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Nikki - Alex – thank you so much for doing such an amazing job at our wedding! We are just back from our honeymoon (and yes, it was relaxing!) and we delayed the gratification of sifting through photos. What fun! You and Danielle were incredible to work with and we are beyond thankful for your professionalism, skill, and fabulously fun attitude! Thanks again! Nikki and JoeSeptember 8, 2010 – 9:05 am

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