Amber + Marc’s Wedding 10/27/18

Amber and Marc picked an end of October day up in the northern white mountains of New Hampshire to say I do and what an adventure it was! Amber made a joke a while before about how it always rains when she plans things and sure enough it rained out their engagement session date several times and then snowed on their wedding day. This has got to be the ultimate good luck symbol for their marriage since they say rain on your wedding day brings good luck.

Throughout everything their venue was accommodating (The Wentworth in Jackson, NH) and their spirits were high. As their family and friends filled the room there was so much warmth. It ended up being a day of laughter, beautiful memories and a few surprises. We are so honored to have been allowed to share in the start of Amber and Marc’s life as husband and wife and had the best time celebrating not only their wedding but the Red Sox being in the world series and winning the next day (which we will say was in their honor).

 

We got married!

Our official photos haven’t come back yet, but we did take some photos ourselves! We wanted to share a little about our experience with you from planning the big day to the after party, so here it is!

Matt and I have seen each other almost everyday since we met 4 years ago. We have been living together for 2 years and honestly, our relationship has always been more of a permanent thing than not. We started to grow a business together in 2015 despite our families and friends thinking we were crazy, but we both knew early on where we were headed. When we started to plan our wedding in early 2017 we listed out a dozen ideas, the one thing that stuck for the first few months was the word ADVENTURE! We knew that if we were going to get married, we had to do it our way. Our families were mostly supportive and very confused when we announced everything to them and started to be open about our plans. My parents were far more bummed out than Matt’s.

Soon after, we learned what was needed to do a National Park wedding and started to plan. We chose Acadia for a few reasons. It is the closest National Park to our home, we took our first trip together there and it is a place we want to go back to for years to come that will always be special to us. The obstacle with a wedding without a venue was figuring out was who to invite, how to not exclude people who are important to us and how to keep it intimate.

Neither Matt or I have any siblings making our immediate families very small so we started there. We had thought about hand selecting people to also be invited to attend, but ended up going with just our parents, aunts and uncles that we saw regularly, Matt’s grandpa and a few very close friends. We had about 20 people attend. We all stayed at the same hotel and car pooled to the weekends activities.

A lunch was planned at a vintage themed restaurant for before the wedding, the ceremony was in the park surround by mountains, a pond and our loved ones, the next morning we took everyone on a harbor cruise to see the park from the sea and then most of our guests ended up going home. Matt and I took 6 days in total to do some hiking and enjoy some time together and honestly, that couldn’t have been more perfect.

The next weekend we had a huge BBQ with our whole families invited and a bunch of friends we have made along the way. We played mini golf and tossed a football and ate way too much food. It was fantastic.

Something we learned while planning our own wedding was that no matter what people expect from you, thinking about what is important and what means something to both of you should take priority. Always plan the event that you would want to attend and focus on what your reason for getting married is in the first place.  Matt and I are together because we both enjoy being active and photography.  We found every way we could to include those two things in our party and our actual wedding.  Instead of being separate for getting ready, we were in the same room.  We kept our looks simple and were able to get dressed and do our own photos in about an hour and that gave us more time to focus on what matters most to us, making memories, because in the end that is what this event is about.  Creating a life together, making memories and being surrounded by loved ones.

Elope anywhere…

 

When I was a little girl I always thought that eloping meant going to Vegas or city hall and getting married without any family knowing, but now that I am several years in the wedding scene and getting married myself (pretty much eloping) I realized that your wedding day can literally be anything that you want it to be.

A year ago my friend from high school got engaged. I was honored to be asked to do her engagement photos and that day we started to talk about her wedding. Time passed and this big elaborate celebration transformed into a long road trip to two beautiful places with many pit stops in between and ended at a gorgeous lighthouse where these two people promised to love each other no matter what for as long as they live.

We found an officiant (Wendy Harrison-Lee) who was excited to be a part of this and travel out to the location and with lots of thoughtful planning done we took off for the day. We spent about 7-8 hours in the car throughout the day and just made something so beautiful, unique and truly special.

From the golden sunrise to the mid day harsher light to a soft sunset, it couldn’t have been more perfect day and more about them and their love. In a way the cold air and snow flurries were a metaphor for what a marriage is and they just held hands and smiled through it all. It is a love like that, that will last a lifetime.

Congratulations D and J.

PT 3. I’m Engaged, now what? | 17 Inside Tips for Planning Your Dream Wedding

11. Caterer

For venues that come with a caterer, this one is an easy choice! But if you get to bring in your own vendors this is exciting! There are food trucks and pig roasts and smores / fire pits or ice cream buffets! In the end, it is your day, what are your favorite foods? Our advice is to pick something that you enjoy and taste as many as you can!

12. Florist

Don’t worry if you aren’t a flower expert! That’s why you are hiring a florist. Just be prepared to talk about your personal style and how that may or may not relate to pieces of the vision you have for your day. I always encourage our couples to save images and bits of fabric and other inspirations and to trust the natural flow. Over time because a pattern will reveal itself and your flower style will blossom! It’s your florists job to help you make sense of what you like and why.

99% of the time we deliver the flower the day of. For larger events we transport loose flowers 1 to 2 days prior to the event and design on site. I will
always recommend personal delivery by your florist over customer pickup—damage can easily occur on transport and it is an added stress you should avoid if possible! If you love the florist booking 9 months to a year in advance is best! Good vendors will fill dates quickly.

Tip from Alyssa from Apotheca Flower and Tea Shoppe http://apothecaflowershoppe.com/

 

13. HMUAMake up trials are absolute – comfortable with the stylist everyone’s hair is different, trial run. Make sure you aren’t allergic to any of the products. Believe it or not, not every hair style and make up style matches the venue or dress you picked. Book as soon as you have your dress and venue, most book up to 2 years out.Tip from Caitlin from CaitlinMurphyStylist.com
14. CAKE!When really looking into the wedding cake and talking to a few bakers, this article came up a few times. Instead of reading my words on this, check out the article!https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-cake-dos-and-donts

 

15. Traditions to keep or toss

The details have been thought through and your DJ and photographers are working on the timeline for the evening and now you need to decide on the traditional elements of your wedding. Are you going to do the first look? First dances? Cake cutting? Bouquet toss? Garter? Do any of these things mean anything to you?

We always get asked what do we think, but our opinion doesn’t even matter on this. This isn’t our wedding. It is our job as your wedding professionals to help you come up with the answers on your own.

Our best advice is to think about when you are holding your photo album or watching your wedding video, would it feel complete without some of these things? Do you think you will feel like you missed out if you did or didn’t do some? What is the wedding about for you? Are these traditions going to make the wedding better or give you a sense of complete? If yes than absolutely include them. Weddings are changing because times change, doing what is right for you is the new normal.

16. Quality vs Cost

So now that you have looked into your vendors and you have your original budget, how do they compare? If you are able to do everything exactly as it is, great! In most cases this won’t be true though. Now it is time to separate the wants and needs. Keep in mind, all services have their cost for a reason and what is worth the price is a personal choice. What your best friend who got married last year thinks is most important doesn’t always mean it is the most important to you.

17. Have fun!So, what should you take from this? It is YOUR wedding day. It should be done how YOU and YOUR soon to be spouse want it to be done. Where YOU and YOUR soon to be spouse want it happen and captured by someone that you trust and like. The details should match how YOU and YOUR soon to be spouses style and really reflect your personalities more than anything. You should think about everything that is involved make your own list to organize what is most important to you to help allocate your budget appropriately, but in every aspect that cost is involved, you generally get what you pay for. You can’t go to a fast food restaurant and expect a gourmet meal. Budgets are real and realistically you can’t do everything you want to do, so a list will help prioritize what is important to you. Happy wedding planning and don’t be afraid to ask your wedding professionals for help. Everyone you hire is a part of your team and you are not alone!

PT 2. I’m Engaged, now what? | 17 Inside Tips for Planning Your Dream Wedding

6. Photographer

This one was an easy decision for us. There are so many talented photographers in the area and honestly, around the world, but it isn’t just about talent, right? You spend so much time with your photographer between talking to them, an engagement session and the wedding day that you should actually like your photographer. Getting to know them and the photographer getting to know you can help with so many stress related things.

Being photographers ourselves, this is the one thing that Matt and I didn’t want to skimp out on. We ended up hiring someone from Missouri because he and his wife like to hike, photograph adventurous elopements and when it comes down to it, that is what we are doing for our wedding. For us having someone there who would enjoy what we are doing means so much. We loved his work and friended him online about 2 years before we were even engaged. At this point we chatted and got to know him. When we got engaged I already trusted him from seeing his posts and brief conversations and loved his style. I’m not saying that you should know prior to even being engaged, but I am saying that you really should trust and enjoy the person who you are hiring. If you can’t talk to them without being bored or if you just don’t like them, then that can affect your photos because stress and a disconnect to your photographer shows in photos.  My best advice for this is to leave an open budget, within reason, and to pick one early so that you can have time to get to know them and build a relationship with them. After the wedding the only things that you get to keep are the photos, video, dried out flowers and 20 center pieces that no one took off the tables.

 

7. VideographerVideography is important. Like photography, this is something that you get to keep for years to come. We definitely recommend looking into hiring a videographer as it is another way to have your day documented and those few minute reels of clips throughout the day can be so well put together and really get a plethora of emotions going. I know every time we have seen the 2 minute clip video played at the beginning of reception it has stirred up emotions in everyone, not just the bride and groom. If you are looking for recommendations for hiring a videographer talk to your wedding professionals!

 

7. Officiant

After you have chosen your date and venue, it is time to look for an officiant.  An officiant acts as the central person to make the marriage legal for you by performing a special ceremony for the couple.  Finding the best person to solemnize your marriage is based on what type of style you are looking for.  Some want the traditional route where the vows and ceremony are laid out in full detail, therefore making the ceremony long and while other couples choose the non-traditional approach and want “quick and painless”, it all comes down for personal preference.  I would suggest finding an officiant that offers rehearsals for you and the bridal party.  That way, everyone will feel at ease when it comes to the big day.  Looking for your officiant can also be fun.  I recommend finding someone that matches your style and whom you can connect with.  You need to find a person that is very well spoken and seems to mesh with both of you. Meeting beforehand can help with planning and to see if you and the officiant are a good fit.

A good time frame to book an officiant is a year out from the date, but I have booked wedding ceremonies as close to 2 days before.  So, I would think wisely and choose someone that seems to offer something for both of you to make your day something to remember.

Tip from Pete Donovan – Wedding officiant and DJ peterdonov@gmail.com

 

9. DJ or Band?

Entertainment is a huge part of the second half of the wedding experience. Usually there is a DJ or a live band. We have seen some quiet DJ’s and some loud ones, ones who are on the mic interacting with the crowd and ones who let the crowd come to them and keep up with the requests. Not every DJ is the same.

For bands, the amount of energy that a live band can create is insane! If you are thinking about having one, check out https://www.silverarrowband.com/ because they really know how to get a crowd moving.

We can’t recommend talking to your potential DJ or Band prior to booking them enough to make sure that they fit the personality that you want.

 

10. Engagement/Save the date sessions

These sessions are becoming increasingly popular, as they should be. This is often the first time that you have been in front of a camera since your senior portraits and we know it can be a little intimidating for some and uncomfortable for others, but that’s why you should do it. Getting to know the photographer you hired is huge and even if your photographer doesn’t offer this as a complimentary service, you should consider hiring them for it. It is a great way to get to know each other and to start building trust and communication. Considerate a sneak peak of what your wedding day will be like and how your photos will come out.

PT 1. I’m Engaged, now what? | 17 Inside Tips for Planning Your Dream Wedding

 

Congratulations on your engagement and welcome to the world of wedding planning! Don’t get overwhelmed and enjoy this time because you just found the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with! It’s time to plan a celebration. Let’s start with some basic wedding planning decisions like the venue, a date, guest list, your wedding party and a planner!

1. Venue

Venue first, not date! Although, most couples have their ideal wedding date in mind, start your planning process by finding a venue that you both can’t help but dream of saying “I DO” at! Amenities should also be a determining factor when choosing a venue. Think tables, chairs, linens, place settings, heat, A/C, and on-site wedding coordinators, because these factors play a crucial role in eliminating stress during your planning as well as your guest experience.

Tip from Becca from Bellevue Barn at Carlisle Place in Jefferson, NH
http://www.bellevuebarnatcarlisleplace.net/

 

2. Setting the date

If you set your exact date first you limit where you can get married, having a few dates in mind is always a great idea though! Your date helps decide the entire style of your wedding. If you want to plan a winter wonderland you need to think about when snow typically falls or if you want a casual beach wedding you most likely don’t want the middle of January to be your date (unless you are traveling for it and in that case, take us with you!).  Think about what is important to you, places that mean something, or just the overall style that fits your personalities and that should help you narrow down some months that will work.

 

3. Guest List

This is the part where you have to decide if you want a large or small wedding. I’m sure you already have had some thoughts about this and your venue has some size restrictions so that definitely will help decide a maximum, but how do you decide who gets to come?
For us it was very hard. (Matt and I are getting married in May.) We talked for weeks about the size of our wedding as we looked at venues. What we came to the conclusion of is that for us, getting married meant that we could show the world what we had felt to be true for years now. We decided to keep it small and intimate, about 20 people, and to go to a place that means a lot to us which meant getting a permit, not a venue. We are crossing the boundaries between eloping and a wedding.  Having been involved with almost 50 weddings we were struggling to find something that fit both our personalities and our relationship in the way that we wanted our wedding to be. This directly affected our guest list as having 200 people travel 5 hours away isn’t really an option.
Don’t be afraid to talk to some of your wedding professionals, your venue, planner, photographer if you are between things. Everyone in this industry has a lot of experience with different types of weddings. Making a guest list can be stressful, but when you think about what you really want, it will all make sense!

 

4. The wedding party

Think before you ask someone and don’t ask someone just because they asked you are two of the things that come to our minds right away. This article from the knot makes so much sense!

https://www.theknot.com/content/tips-for-who-to-pick-as-bridesmaids

 

5. Planners

Many people ask the question, do I really need a wedding planner? And my answer is yes. Why? Because you should 100% be present for your wedding day. Everyone deserves that one day where everything they have planned for and dreamt about becomes a reality and does so without causing them any stress. From the moment you wake up you should be free from any tasks and your biggest concern should be which shade of lipstick will pop the most in your photo’s. Having someone that you trust to set your space and keep the timeline running smoothly will make the biggest difference in the way you feel not only the day of, but also in the months leading up to that day.
Finding a planner that clicks with you is so important! You want someone that you feel really gets you. They see your vision, they can offer ideas on how to make that a reality and they are so excited to make this happen for you. Personally, I am a lover of the outdoors and find that all my couples are too. (I also have yet to work with a couple that doesn’t love dogs as much as I do either!) I cannot tell you how many of my meetings run well over 2 hours. Once we start talking about details, the creative juices start to flow, and the pure excitement is shining. When you click instantly, you know they are the right fit for you. Not everyone clicks, and that’s OK! You will find someone that does, and you will know when you do. Look for someone that embodies your style. Someone that can be the calm during the storm of emotions and tasks that is wedding planning.
When should you hire someone? That is going to be different for everyone. The main reason I suggest reaching out early in your planning process is this. Vendor recommendations. Every planner is going to have a list of some amazing vendors that they can vouch for. No one would recommend someone that isn’t flawless at their craft. A well working team can make all the difference in the overall flow and vibe of your day. Plus, some vendors will even extend a discount when working with a planner! Who doesn’t love a good deal? With that being said, the thought may not even cross your mind that you need some coordination help on the day of. But when it does, and it will, start doing some research! You may have everything knocked off of your long to-do list, but you are starting to wonder how it will all come together on the day of. I strongly believe that every couple should have someone there at least the day of. We all have wonderful friends and family that always ask how they can help, but with your special day leave it to the professionals and allow your guests to be just that. Your guests.
In the end, it will be a decision you will be so happy that you made. Think of it as your own wedding personal assistant there to help you navigate the ins and the outs of such an important day.
Happy Planning and Cheers to a Happy Marriage!

Tip from Megan of Willow Tree Events in Londonderry, NH
http://www.willow-tree-events.com/

 

Brittnee and Alec’s wedding 1/20/18

Our wedding season started early with Brittnee and Alec on a beautiful and relatively warm January evening. We first met this adorable couple in July of 2017 and instantly loved how much they loved each other. Their chemistry was undeniable. (Still is, clearly!) This blog post has over 100 images and it was so hard to narrow it to down to even that. The whole wedding was just so beautiful. It was a traditional Jewish wedding, our first one, and man was it fun! The traditions were beautiful and even more interesting in person than we had read and heard about from our couple. We feel so blessed to have been chosen to capture these sweet memories.

Enjoy!

Photography – MCAG Photography

Venues – Beauport Hotel Gloucester and Cruiseport Gloucester
Hair – Shannon Guillemette, Escape Salon

Make up – Taryn Dempsey, Sirena Skin Studio

Cake – Cakes For Occasions

Caterers – Vinwood Catering

Flowers – Celia’s Flower Studio

Dress  – Essence of Australia

 

 

How to stay warm during a winter adventure session.

 

Nobody enjoys extreme cold or cold mixed with wind, but we live in New England so we deal with it. You do have a few choices though – hide inside all winter, embrace it and prepare for it or buy a second home somewhere warm and invite Matt and I to escape for a week at a time. (I’m voting for options 2 or 3 by the way.)

New Hampshire and New England in general is a gorgeous area which offers different scenery all year round with many roads that do not close in winter. So why not make the most of the weather we have and do something you will never forget. Our winter adventure sessions are unique for several reasons. First, we live a couple hours away from the ocean, lighthouses and mountains. Some incredible vistas are roadside and others are a 10 minute walk and a few take 30 minutes to get to but we can pick a spot based on your interests and ability so this shouldn’t scare you away, we never push our couples or families to do anything that they aren’t comfortable with. Secondly, nothing in nature ever looks exactly the same the second time you see it. Third, we are avid hikers so we know so many beautiful locations that we have been to that would be a dream backdrop for any type of session.

Your body naturally builds up heat as you move and usually after 10 minutes you feel quite warm, the trick is to try to not sweat. Sweating is your bodies natural way to cool down, but in the winter, it isn’t good. The air temperature cools you down in a matter of minutes and when you are sweaty you get cold, really fast. The key here is to know when to take a break and to stop frequently and carrying your extra layers vs. wearing everything you brought from the start. You may start out cold, but it never lasts more than a few minutes. Once you stop have your layers ready to throw on. Loose layers or a blanket work so well for a quick warm up.

Part of our success during these shoots belongs to the planning and communication of plans with all of the couples involved. We picked locations based on weather and their abilities/interests, if we had a water crossing or knew we would be on ice over water we checked to see if the ice was thick enough before standing on it and we were aware of the weather conditions in the area for a week prior to the shoot. We had ropes nearby and did our best to keep jackets close and gloves warm while shooting. Not too mention the obnoxious amount of hand and feet warmers everyone had.

So, I guess all of this translates to easy steps:

1. Have a plan for safety
2. Make sure your extra clothes are easy to get on in case of an emergency
3. Don’t overdress and overheat, but have layers ready for when you need them
4. Prepare for the worst and have measures in place for the just in case of emergency situations
5. Understand the environment in which you will be
6. Communication is so important to teamwork
7. Hand warmers in your pockets are amazing

 

Are all prints equal?

Absolutely not!

I could easily end this here because it really is a black and white answer, but I am sure some of you need proof. Here is your proof.

Example number 1: Fast food hamburger vs gourmet hamburger from a steak house.

There is no way that if you weren’t on a budget you wouldn’t spring for the thick, juicy, perfectly cooked steak house burger.

Example number 2: I hate to say it, but cheap terrible 1 ply rough toilet paper vs that soft almost tissue like double ply toilet paper.

Let’s be real here. Can you even compare?

Example number 3: Sunglasses – a pair from a value store vs a high quality polarized UV protection pair.

You can have a pair for a couple dollars or less that offer no real protection and actually don’t do much or a real pair that enhance colors and actually protect your eyes.

If this hasn’t proved anything to you let’s talk about paper and ink for a second. Have you ever looked online or gone to the store to purchase photo paper? If you have you would find out that there are a lot of kinds. Pretty much every store uses a different brand. This is just like the hamburger, toilet paper and sunglasses. Same goes for ink.

Have you ever gone to a store to print and asked the person who works at the register for help and they admit that they don’t know much about the machine you are using? This doesn’t happen at a professional print lab. It is so much less frustrating and in the end you end up with a much better product and experience. Imagine, going to print and being successful with beautiful results the first time. This sounded like a fairy tale up until 6 years ago for us and now that we found that perfect print lab, we get it! We want you to get it too. Prints matter.

A couple decades ago we used floppy discs, then cd/dvd’s and now flash drives. Technology changes so fast and your photos are your memories. Your photos are what you get to pass on to the next generation. They document your life, your world and preserve it. Photographs are special and precious and to be honest, if you’re paying for a service why wouldn’t you want to keep them forever and be able to physically pass them down to the next generation?

Below I included some prints we made:

The top left is store A, over saturated and has abnormally bright colors.

The top right is store B, dark and flat with no tones in the blacks.

The bottom is our print lab for photo books and fairly similar to the print lab we use for large prints. It has natural color tones, keeps skin tones natural and shows what we consider to be the perfect amount of pop (contrast).

Ugly location challenge

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Over the weekend my cousin and her college roommate came over to help me do the increasingly popular “Ugly location challenge” that I have seen a ton of photographers do recently. My initial thoughts were how hard could it be? People went into Target, Ikea and Lowes and took photos in seemingly boring or less photogenic locations and made them into art. Turns out what is hard is not getting caught in the stores trying to take photos.

We switched gears and turned to outdoor locations in parking lots of major shopping centers in Nashua where I live and I have to say, I am loving the results. Playing with middle of the day light is always a challenge, but this forced me to think differently and really try to find the beauty of even small slabs of land that I would usually walk past without giving a second thought to.

I think the biggest thing that I learned from doing this challenge is that you can do a session anywhere! You don’t need a fancy location or perfect conditions, just a little patience and the ability to really look at the area that you have available.