This 5th of December certainly did not feel like the 5th of December. When I met with Claudia and Pat last summer I was excited about the idea of an outdoor winter wedding and even had my fingers crossed that there might be a nice little blanket of snow to make everything look clean and sparkly. When the December wedding day finally arrived I packed up my gear and headed south under clear, balmy, blue skies.

Claudia and Pat are an amazing couple. They are sweet and soft spoken but have a very clear idea of what they want out of life. They are two skilled, talented, hard working people who look forward to building a life together with their own hands. I respect that tremendously. 

The ceremony took place in a field that Claudia farms in the warmer months. It was peaceful and quiet; the only sounds coming from a hawk hunting along the treeline. A handful of family members sat facing a beautiful arch, hewn by the groom himself, while the stunning bride was escorted toward her waiting fiancé by her father.

The officiant, Irv Sideman, complimented the elegant simplicity of the setting with an eloquent and heartfelt ceremony. When Claudia and Pat had officially been pronounced husband and wife there were hugs all around and then a round of family photos. Eventually family trickled back to the warmth of the house and I had a few minutes alone with the bride and groom. As the fleeting winter sun began to sink behind the hill the light grew softer and softer. Summer has its' charms but winter in New England can be breathtakingly beautiful.

Cheers to Claudia and Pat as they build a life together.

My relationship with Lyndsay and WIll began on a soggy, wet "spring" day. We had worked hard to find a day to meet for their engagement session and to see their venue and when the day finally arrived I woke to the steady tap, tap, tap of rain outside my window. I checked the forecast and it didn't look like there would be much of a reprieve except for a brief window in the middle of the day. I headed out to the south western corner of VT and met Lyndsay and Will and their exuberant pooch Lucy at their beautiful home. We darted outside for photos whenever the downpour let up and ran for cover when the sky let loose another volley of fat, splashy raindrops. Lyndsay and Will were great sports through it all and, despite the weather, we managed to capture some beautiful, moody, misty images.

The fall is an amazing but tricky time to get married in Vermont. It can be sunny and warm or gray and rainy with the looming potential for an early snow.  I met Lyndsay and Will on their wedding day in late September. I had the pleasure of spending the entire day working with my wonderful husband and photographing the bride and groom from hair and makeup until the band bid their farewell and packed up for home.

It was a perfect, sunny, warm, fall day. The weather was on it's absolute best behavior and we spent an amazing morning photographing the bride and groom with their wedding party and family. After the first look and group photos we scooted up the the venue I was blown away. My previous visit took place on a gray, rainy, day. The whole world looked dark and dingy but Lyndsay assured me that behind the looming bank of fog, there was an amazing view. When we arrived we could see for miles across a vast expanse of mountains and valleys.

The view behind the bride and groom as they said their vows was unparallelled. The ceremony gave way to cocktail hour and cocktail hour gave way to the first dance, a welcome from the father of the bride, heartfelt speeches from the sister of the bride and brother of the groom and then dinner. As soon as the plates were cleared the band started things up and kept everyone laughing and dancing for the next few hours. 

Not only did Lyndsay and Will end up with perfect weather, they also happened to be married on the eve of the "supermoon". We snuck out just before the sunset to take advantage of the incredible view and the huge, full moon. 

The rest of the evening was a blur. There was dancing, laughter and lots of hugs. Before the night drew to a close I think Lyndsay had managed to dance or spend a moment with every single one of their guests. It was a magical night for a very sweet and deserving couple. Cheers to Lyndsay and Will!

Couples like Leila and Tim are the reason I love my job.

From the very first email, Leila was sweet, funny, and wonderful. We chatted about common interests, their hopes for the wedding, and of course, their pup, the magnificent Huckleberry. When I opened the next email from Leila, there was an adorable photo of the three of them. I knew, right then, that I wanted to work with them. 

Leila and Tim were everything I could ever hope for in a couple. We met in Dummerston, VT at Grandma's house to see the wedding site and take some engagement photos. The charming, old Vermont farmhouse, surrounded by rolling hills and tall conifers, brought back memories of my childhood and my grandparents' house. The house, such a significant part of Tim's childhood, had become a refuge for Tim and Leila; a quiet place away from the bustling city that they now call home. 

We caravanned around the area stopping to take photos at the river and the Grafton Cheese barn. We ended the day drinking wine on my lawn, chatting and laughing. The best days are days when work doesn't feel like work. 

In September I returned to Grandma's house. It was full of people and excitement. Friends and family from all over the world had converged at a farmhouse, in the middle of rural Vermont, to celebrate Leila and Tim. Amazing.

I entered the bridal suite to find Leila, already dressed and radiant, amidst of group of beautiful women, some family, some soon to be family, drinking champagne and laughing. After a lot more laughter and bunch of photos I ventured out to find the gents, drinking scotch and beer on the lawn, ready for the festivities to begin.

The ceremony was beautiful. A table, laden with symbolic Persian foods and traditions sat atop the hill behind the house. Leila and Tim stood together at the table and family circled around them. Vows were spoken, rings were exchanged and honey was eaten as part of a tradition symbolizing the sweetness of life.

During the reception, Leila and Tim's love of good food and beer took center stage as Chef Tristan and the Rigani catering team filled the table with grilled kabobs, persian rice and veggies. 

More photos with cousins, aunts, uncles and friends and then...epic dance party. One of my moments of the day was watching Tim's grandma and Leila's grandma sitting together, lovingly watching over their family and sharing the day like the best of old friends. I took my leave after the grandmas were called onto the dance floor, accepted the challenge and were affectionately swarmed by the entire group of family and friends. It was a beautiful day with a beautiful couple. 

Monica and Matt. Warm, sweet, funny and kind. In the grand scheme of life, these two are crushing it. They are amazing. The have a loving, supportive family, a group of friends who, seemingly, would do just about anything for them, and an extremely charismatic, hilarious, ten year old son.

After I dropped Mike off with the boys, I arrived at a large, beautiful house where the girls were staying. Monica greeted me, glowing, with a huge smile on her face. Her hair and makeup were already impeccable so we went upstairs to find the dress and the rings. The dress was gorgeous with a simple, classic silhouette, a beautiful sash, and, my favorite feature, pockets. After a few detail photos, Monica's ladies gathered while Maid of Honor and best friend Darlene helped Monica into her dress. There were laughs and a few tears as the zipper was zipped, the sash was tied and everyone stepped back to see their beautiful bride. From that point on, for the rest of the day, the smile did not leave Monica's face. After a quick dab with the favorite perfume, gifted by a lovely bridesmaid, and a lipgloss touch up, the ladies were ready to go.

Typically this is the point in the day when a switch is flipped and the ladies go from lazy mimosa drinking to warp speed, frantic rushing around to be ready in time so I asked Monica how she was feeling. With a serene look on her face she turned to me, smiled, and said "I'm ready to go meet my groom". 

A well planned first look can be a wonderful thing. It can be a few moments for just the bride and groom or an entire hour with the bride, groom, wedding party and family. This was the latter and it was awesome.

Monica and Matt chose a sweet little covered bridge for their meeting. It was off the beaten path with no traffic and lots of room for photos. The gents came down the road on one side and the ladies came down the road from the other side (think Sharks and Jets). Matt entered the bridge alone and turned toward the groomsmen as Monica approached from the other end. It was suspenseful, sweet and perfect. After the first look the bride and groom were enveloped by family and friends and we spent the next hour taking photos on the bridge, on a beautiful porch and then a quick but worthwhile stop at Bromley for a little mountain view photo op.

The ceremony was gorgeous and the cocktail hour and reception were perfect. The floral arrangements were absolute perfection and Monica put together the most amazing, hand-crafted, pinterest worthy decorations I have ever seen. 

I could write all day about this meticulously planned event and this amazing couple but I would rather leave room for the images. 

To Monica and Matt, I wish you a long and happy marriage. Thank you for being so gracious, easy going and fun to work with. Your love and friendship are inspiring and you are an incredible example for your very sweet son. You two are the real deal. 

Thanks to Lily of the Valley for the incredibly beautiful florals. You made the venue absolutely stunning! Thanks to the Perfect Wife Restaurant for the beautiful venue, friendly staff and delicious food!

Summer is finally winding down a little bit and I am desperately trying to catch up on my blog posts. There is just too much to write about these fabulous couples! So, here we go. Allison & Jonathan.

Allison and Jonathan were married in one of the most picturesque locations I have ever seen. There wedding was pure Vermont, from the little maple syrup favors to the cows looking on in the background while they said "I do". Family and friends stood to form an aisle for the wedding party to pass through and the ceremony took place under a large shade tree atop an expansive field with an amazing view.

Allison was a photographer's dream; effortlessly beautiful in a long, breezy dress with simple curls and a crown of flowers, her groom a perfect counterpart in a handsome gray suit. 

I met the girls at the house while they were getting ready. While they were hunkered down in the bathroom, doing hair and makeup, I photographed the dress, the rings, and Allison's riding boots. When the bride was done she threw on her dress, put on some lipgloss and we headed down the street to meet her groom at the stables for some first look photos.

The wedding was beautiful. I am always amazed when I see something completely different than I have ever seen before. In this case, the aisle created by guests in the middle of the field and the fact that everyone remained standing, surrounding and supporting the couple, was absolutely perfect. The hundred or so guests seemed like a much smaller and more intimate group.

The reception took place under and around a tent outside the new, beautiful barn. Kids and dogs bounded through the field while the adults talked, drank, laughed and danced. 

This wedding was the definition of "Vermont fancy". There were suits and suspenders, boots and bowties, kids, cows and tractors amidst mason jars full of flowers, torches lit at dusk and an incredible view. I think if Mike and I had been married in Vermont instead of Mexico, this would have been the wedding I wanted. It was perfect.

Lauren and Chance. There is just something about these two. It is hard to put into words. The best I can do is "cool". I'm talking James Dean, Marilyn Monroe kind of cool wrapped up in a Bogie and Bacall kind of romance. The ceremony was elegant and perfect. The cocktail hour was on a lovely, open lawn with a refreshing mountain view. The reception was F.U.N! This crew knows how to dance! The whole day was a perfect marriage of elegance and class and raucous, rowdy fun.

Lauren and Chance were married at the Red Fox Inn in Bondville VT; the same place where Chance's parents met. The Inn's proprietors and family friends, Cindy and Tom Logan, were on the move all day long. From the moment we arrived they were busy setting up, moving things around, manning the BBQ, giving toasts and greeting friends. They truly made Lauren and Chance's wedding extraordinary. 

While I photographed the stunning bride and her ladies getting ready, Mike was out and about, photographing tables, flowers and other details. The grounds were bustling with staff, friends and family moving chairs, arranging flowers, and locking down the final touches on the decorations. In just two hours, the entire scene had morphed into one of the most beautiful wedding venues I have ever seen.

The bride and groom, the guests and the wedding were all so photogenic I'm just going to let the photos tell the story. Cheers to the lovely, cool, suave, magnetic couple. Lauren and Chance are, first and foremost, an amazing team and I wish them a life-long, epic romance.

*Special thanks to Cindy and Tom Logan and the staff at the Red Fox Inn for their hard work, friendliness and general awesomeness. Thanks to the Bondville Bloomist for the floral arrangements, bouquets and boutineers. Their flowers were beautiful, fresh, and the arrangements were gorgeous! I highly recommend these ladies to anyone looking for flowers for any occasion whatsoever. A special shoutout also goes to the band The Shifters for their amazing talent. It would have been hard not to dance to this fun, upbeat, brass band.

This weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful wedding with an amazing couple at the picturesque West Mountain Inn.

I began chatting with Nicolette (Nicky) last November. Her emails were peppered with exclamation points and smiley faces and her enthusiasm, excitement and sincerity were palpable. When I finally met Nicky in person she was the absolute incarnation of the exuberant personality I was expecting. Her fiancé Tim was cool, calm, and collected but excited about the upcoming wedding and happy to chat about photography. They were both refreshingly open with thoughts and ideas and together we formed a plan to capture the images they wanted while allowing them to spend the maximum amount of time with their guests. 

The day began in the bridal suite. There was no official bridal party, just family. The room was beautiful, bright and open. It was quiet and peaceful and happy. I have never seen a bride so calm, relaxed and unrushed. We took a few photos in the room and then went to meet the groom for a "first look". There were smiles and hugs when Tim turned around and saw his beautiful bride for the first time. The two had a moment together and then went to meet family members for pre-ceremony photos. The group photos were quick and efficient thanks to Nicky's super organizational skills and we had plenty of time left for couples photos before the ceremony.

Nicky and Tim are two of the most photogenic people I have ever met. When they looked at each other they laughed or smiled and every single smile was genuine. Nicky was fearless in her wedding dress and we ventured from forest to field and then back to the barn. 

Nicky and Tim were married at the West Mountain Inn under a clear blue sky, surrounded by the mountains, the forest, their family and friends. They walked, together, into the center of a circle to exchange vows and rings with the love and support of those closest to them. The ceremony was personal and heartfelt.  It was the first time I have ever seen a circle like this and I hope it won't be the last. It powerfully symbolic of the neverending love and support a bride and groom promise to each other on their wedding day. No one had to move around for a better view or dart into the aisle for a photo. All eyes were on the bride and groom. It was absolutely perfect. 

The rest of the evening was a giant party. There was good local beer and cornhole boards. There was a wonderful solo guitarist for the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour and a fantastic DJ for the dance party inside the Inn's gorgeous barn. There were speeches and hugs, a delicious meal and a Ben & Jerry's cart, cigars on the lawn and the macarena.

At the end of the evening as the light was fading I snuck the bride and groom out for one last photo. It has quickly become one of my favorite images from the day. 

I wish Nicolette and Timothy a long and happy marriage from the bottom of my heart. They are an extraordinary couple with huge hearts and great smiles.

Special thanks to Terry and the West Mountain Inn staff for being so kind and working so hard to make Nicky and Tim's day perfect.  Thanks to guitarist Dayve Huckett for his talent, repertoire and for seamlessly transitioning from "Greensleeves" to "Led Zeppelin". That moment literally made my day. Thanks also to Jim Severance, the DJ who actually played music that made people get up and dance!

http://westmountaininn.com/ , http://www.dayvehuckett.net/ , http://www.partyvermont.com/

The past few weeks have been full of challenges and photographic diversity. While in the process of trying to get a bunch of little details buttoned up before wedding season ramps up, I received an inquiry from a former wedding client asking if I ever do real estate photography. I said sure. The very same week I received an inquiry from her daughter in law (a bride from last year) asking if I could do some cataloging for a gallery she works for. I said sure. 

A few weeks ago I was at Artemis Global Art in Woodstock, VT. It is a beautiful space inside an old New England style building. The space is bright and airy with gorgeous light wood floors and crisp white walls. The colorful pieces seem to glow in such a bright space and the zen like experience is only heightened by the option to appreciate the radiant art from strategically placed leather couches and chairs. 

I entered the gallery not fully knowing what to expect. My previous experience photographing art has been limited to smaller privately owned pieces. This was very different. The challenge came in three parts. Part 1, the gallery is full of beautiful, natural light. It looks amazing as you stand and experience the gallery as a whole but from a photographer's view window light = glare on glass, metal and even shiny paint. Challenge part 2, squishy corners. Some of the largest, most beautiful pieces are situated in stairwells and hallways no more than 3 feet wide. It is tricky to photograph a 5'x7' painting in a 3 foot hallway on the stairs. Part 3, white balance and color correction from 3 different light sources.

After two days of shooting from odd angles, setting up, breaking down, and setting up a screen to block the windows, balancing precariously on stairs and ladders, and taking small images for composites to later be pieced carefully together, the art on the walls had been photographed. Now, two weeks later I am in the process of editing. I returned to the gallery one more time to color check my images against the actual pieces with a little help from the gallery manager Jacqui, who has an amazing internal color detection system (more sensitive than most of us).  I also got some background info on the Dutch artists and the stories behind some of the individual pieces, which gave me a greater appreciation for their work. 

I love my job. I never know what is around the next corner. I love being challenged. I love doing something different every day. I love the people I get to meet and work with. 

I highly recommend a trip to the gallery. If you are in the mood for a little quality story time make sure you go when Jacqui is working. She is the best!

You can also check out www.artemisglobalart.com