Amy and Dan: A Long Road
2020 wedding couples had to deal with more than their fair share of turmoil and none more than Amy and Dan. Check out this spectacular wedding they put together in a matter of weeks after their plans fell through.
This is a long one but there’s a good pay off.
Working in the wedding industry is unique because we work with our clients for a longer period of time than, say, a family portrait photographer. Eight or nine months is probably the minimum amount of time I work with my wedding clients. During this time there is a lot of communication and back-and-forth, engagement sessions and brainstorming. For a photographer like me who is really into documentary photography this is super important. The rapport that I build with my couples lets all of us feel a bit more comfortable around each other and lets me capture an authentic story.
Amy and Dan have been my clients for a while. I was trying to remember when Amy and Dan booked me and I had to dig in my closet to find their contract because it was long enough ago that my filing system had changed. Being a responsible business owner I re-organized my old filing system by putting it in the back of my closet. 10/25/2018 was our contract signing and their wedding on 9/12/2020. They booked me with my wife, SiEun, as a second photographer because it was important for them that we captured the story in a way that’s not really possible for a solo photographer. They pretty much had all of the big parts planned with their big day happening at MAJOR MA VENUE. I’m intentionally vague there- a post-wedding blog wouldn’t be this long if there wasn’t a good story.
Fun fact- Amy and Dan met in a wedding tent at an event they were both working. They told me this at our first meeting at Starbucks. You can actually see them tell their love story as part of Worcester Wares (an awesome local business) by clicking here.
Shortly after our contract signing I photographed their extended family at the Farm at Summit Wynds, a local farm that sells all sorts of great stuff, has been raising show horses since the mid-60’s, and is extremely photographer friendly with fields of lavender, sunflowers and other beautiful things. Remember this place- it becomes important later.
I’m not going to lie- I was a little bit nervous for this family session. I’m confident in my skills but you always want to make a great impression on people that you know you will be working with again. It was all great, though. Amy’s family was awesome and it was fun to see four generations who were pumped to be together. It’s also relatively rare that I meet that many of the big players before the big day, so we all got a few bonus points in the way of comfort.
A lot of time went by and the next summer brought Amy and Dan’s engagement session at Scarborough Beach in Narragansett, RI. This is their go-to beach so it was both a beautiful place for photos as well as meaningful to their relationship. We spent an hour or so climbing over rocks, sitting in the sand, and eventually (them) going all in and letting the surf crash over them. It was fun. What’s the point, otherwise? I mean that. All jobs can be difficult but it’s important to have moments when you can smile and forget you’re on the clock.
That was late summer, 2019. Everything was all lined up and my wife and I were all ready to go!
Then 2020 hit the fan.
Man oh man. Industries all across the board took a beating. Those of us in the wedding industry took huge hits during what should have been our busiest season. Most of my clients opted to postpone. Several adapted to smaller celebrations. Every last one of my clients was open about their plans and worries and we all did our best to keep up with guidelines. We were really all in this together. Amy and Dan’s plans changed and their guest-list, like everybody else’s, shrank but they were determined to see it through.
For the most part, wedding industry folks were doing their best to help their clients, follow regulations, and go out of their way to keep others afloat. Almost everyone was looking out for everyone else except for a select few who must have missed about a thousand memos. About a month before Amy and Dan’s wedding I saw the first post.
“Did you guys here what happened at MAJOR MA VENUE?”
Soon enough it was all over the news.
“MAJOR MA VENUE hosts hundreds of guests at weekend weddings in the middle of a pandemic, violating all the guidelines.”
I remember sitting on my couch, facepalming and saying, “oh sh*t.”
The fallout was huge. Wedding industry folks who had been following health guidelines and were barely making ends meet were livid at a venue that ignored it all knowing the impact it could have. As expected, what happened at this venue was cited as one of the reasons why the governor of MA added even more restrictive rules to events and venues.
All couples getting married after this incident had extra stress to deal with. Couples like Amy and Dan who were supposed to get married AT the place got extra stress. While most (including me) would have shut down in despair, Amy and Dan said “f*&^ it, let just plan another wedding.”
So, a week or so later Amy, Dan, SiEun and I met for a drink at the Seven Saws Brewing Co. in Holden to go over the plan that was beginning to hatch. Amy and Dan had hit the ground running and by the time their big day came everything was falling into place to such a ridiculous degree that you would be forgiven for thinking the original wedding was a decoy.
We started off at Amy’s parents’ beautiful house in Holden. Now, I love doing prep photos at houses because that’s where people are comfortable. I stuck with Amy for most of the time and SiEun was hanging with the guys. One of the things issues you run into with photographing at houses is lighting is sometimes not great. Well, this is not the case when the house belongs to Marie who happens to owns Window Designs Etc. Lighting became a non-issue. Side-story: at one point I was struggling to close a blind and while my self-esteem plummeted Marie said, “Wait a minute, Tom. Watch this.” She then opened her phone and closed the blind with an app.
From there SiEun and I headed out to the first look spot. Amy and Dan wanted somewhere local and beautiful and conveniently they knew just the place. Fun fact- the Farm at Summit Wynds lets you rent areas of their farm for photoshoots. This includes their massive sunflower field. In a way it felt really appropriate that we were doing their first look photos in the place where we all first did photos together.
From here we headed back to Amy’s parent’s house for the ceremony. It was smaller than they had planned but it was beautifully arranged. Their backyard was level, green, and played the part of wedding ceremony venue exceptionally well. It was a beautiful ceremony and to finally see that after a pretty intense journey made me - their wedding photographer - very happy. I can only imagine that was the case ten times over for their families.
After this, SiEun headed over to the reception venue while I stayed and photographed the now traditional Wedding Car Parade. I actually really like this- I hope some form of it stays a a thing even after all of this is over.
Finally, we all drove to Amy’s sister’s house where there was a huge tent (I think I mentioned Amy and Dan spent a lot of time together in the event industry?) killer cheese spreads, and a traveling brick oven pizza truck that made some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. The DJ was great and those who chose to dance had a blast while others spent time hovering around a roaring fire. You can see their wedding video- made by Nicole Paquette Photography - by clicking here.
Amy and Dan’s wedding was a huge success on a lot of levels. They pulled off an A level wedding in less than a month. I mean, who does that? It had a meaningful ceremony and everyone seemed to have an awesome time right up until that last song. It hit all the benchmarks of a professionally planned wedding but more than that it was definitely an effort of love. Throughout the entire process I saw Amy and Dan’s family and friends all around them giving love, lending backyards, and just doing their best to make this day happen. Amy and Dan and everybody else really rolled with the punches and I was really proud to be a part of this- thus the 10 page blog post.
Check out some of my favorites from this one:
Amy and Dan had awesome vendors and I loved working with them. Amy’s parents probably won’t be renting out their house for bridal prep but check out Window Designs Etc. by Marie Mouradian if you’re looking to update your window fixtures. Click the links to learn more about the other vendors at Amy and Dan’s wedding.
First Look Venue: The Farm at Summit Wynds in Jefferson, MA
Hair: Vanessa Freitas Hair & Beauty in Worcester, MA
Make-Up Artist: Beauty by Carson Elaine
Videography: Nicole Paquette Photography (Note- Nicole isn’t offering wedding videography anymore but she is still offering photography)
Day-of Coordinator: Feathered Events in Barre, MA
Amy’s Dress: Designed by Justin Alexander, from Elizabeth Ann’s Bridal Boutique in North Auburn, MA
Alterations: Holden Tailors and Alterations in Holden, MA
Dan’s Suit: Rocco’s Gentlemen’s Clothing in Worcester, MA
Floral: Berg Florist in Worcester, MA
Music: Tc’s Disc Jockey svc. in West Springfield, MA
Tent and Rentals: Michael’s Party Rentals in Palmer, MA
Pizza: Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizza in Northborough, MA (holy $*@& this was good)
Cheese Spread: Pecorino Cheese Shop in Grafton, MA
Cakes and Pies: The Bean Counter Bakery Café in Worcester + Shrewsbury, MA
If you’re getting married and love roller coasters of emotion I’d love to hear from you! Fill out the form below and I will send you some info.
Small Weddings and Why They Rock
Weddings have been trending towards smaller, more intimate celebrations for a while. The pandemic has made this necessary. If you’re on the fence about a small wedding then check out some of the benefits from a New England wedding photographer’s point of view.
Planning a wedding can be stressful. This is particularly true here in New England where most people get married during the summer and fall. Add in the need to adhere to pandemic regulations and the phrase “stressful AF,” might be an understatement. This is one of the reasons why the popularity of smaller weddings like elopements, backyard weddings, intimate weddings, and micro-weddings have become immensely popular. If you are reading this, then there’s a good chance that you are thinking about celebrating your love with a smaller wedding. Now, this might be something that you have always known you wanted but it could also be something that the pandemic has forced on you. Either way, there are some huge benefits to having a smaller wedding celebration - pandemic or no pandemic.
Less planning means significantly less stress
Weddings are heavy in logistics that take a lot of time to figure out. You could definitely (and probably should) hire a wedding planner to help you out but regardless, there is a lot to plan. And you know what? There is still a lot to plan with a small wedding - it just won’t have quite as many moving parts that have to be balanced against other moving parts. It is a lot easier to have the people who mean the most to you in your backyard under the stars, in a park pavilion, or at your favorite restaurant after a city hall wedding ceremony than it is to try to factor in the driving time between a ceremony location and the reception. Planning on a smaller scale helps keep that overwhelming wave that comes with big weddings at bay. It makes everything from space concerns to seating charts a little more doable which makes the whole wedding process a lot more fun for you.
Less of a financial gut punch
Weddings are not cheap. Like, at all. If you think of them from a logical financial point of view they are actually terrible investments- and this is coming from somebody in the industry. It just doesn’t make a ton of sense to spend such a large amount of money on something that is over in a few hours- especially for a young couple just starting out in life. Of course we don’t look at weddings from the eyes of an investor, we look at them through the eyes of the in-love, their families and friends. They are the splurges of our lives and we all deserve to splurge sometimes. Smaller weddings are also a splurge but they will give you less of a spending hangover (possibly more of a real hangover-depending on your friends and the bonfire situation). Take a backyard wedding. With sites like Pinterest and DIY being huge now, it is absolutely possible to pull off a dream wedding with a little bit of space and a lot of motivation. Some of the coolest weddings I have been to involve a brick oven pizza food truck, string lights, and a big tent full of friends in the back of somebody’s house.
You will be more present
This one is huge. In fact, if money isn’t an issue and even if you love the idea of planning a huge event, this might still be enough to bring you around to the idea of a smaller wedding. I shoot weddings all over New England. Each season I have weddings of all sizes- from small elopements at Worcester City Hall to huge events at the resorts in Vermont. I love them all but there is a huge difference between them that is super apparent in the time between the wedding ceremony and the reception. After the ceremony is typically the time where the couple stands in one spot for a while and family and friends gather around them for formal group portraits. These are important but in all of my years I have never heard anybody say “Wow, Tom. This is just great. Definitely the highlight of the day.” It’s something that is necessary but rarely anybody’s favorite part of a wedding. This almost always takes place at the same time as cocktail hour and is usually followed by formal couple portraits. This usually culminates with missing the entirety of cocktail hour and then arriving just in time to be announced into the room and into first dances, parent dances, toasts and everything else. Before and after dinner is when most couples make their rounds to all of the tables to say hellos and thank their guests for coming - possible with a photo at each table. I’ve seen people pass out before they even got to dinner.
This isn’t really a thing at intimate weddings because you all are really just together for most of - if not all of - the time. There are formal group photos but there are fewer of them and they tend to be more casual because you are more comfortable with them and there are fewer people looking at you. There are still couple photos but there is usually less of a rush because the timeline is more relaxed. Table photos - which are my least favorite part of a wedding- are usually not necessary because you will be up close with everyone while you dance, party and celebrate. You will be able to spend real, authentic time with the people present. I mean, isn’t that ideal?
This brings me to photography
Photographers come in a lot of flavors. Some have their personalities cranked to 11 and say things like “I’ll be busting moves with you on the dancefloor by the end of the night,” while others (like me) are a cool 7 and barely busted a move at their own wedding. At our core, though, we are all just storytellers. Photographing weddings brings me satisfaction because each one is a story I get to see and bring out into one very long photo-essay. The thing about smaller weddings is that the stories are closer to the surface. There is less formality to cut through and more genuine interaction. Being with a tighter knit group of people brings the belly laughs and tears of joy out a lot easier. Having a smaller cast allows me to capture a much more authentic experience and for couples who gravitate towards documentary photography styles that is really important.
If you are planning on eloping or having a backyard wedding, intimate wedding, micro-wedding in New England and are looking for candid-heavy documentary wedding photography then I would love to hear from you. I am based in Worcester, MA but provide wedding photography all over New England. Click here to see photography from smaller / DIY weddings. If you want to receive more info, including pricing, then fill out the form below and I will send you my FREE PDF GUIDE to intimate wedding celebrations.
Catherine and Tim: A Wedding at the Farmstead at Appleton Farms in Ipswich
Check out some of the photos from this laidback, intimate wedding ceremony and reception in Ipswich, MA. The Farmstead at Ipswich Farms is a fantastic option for a secluded wedding with sunny fields for days.
One of the cool things about being a wedding photographer is having couples that are friends with your other couples. It’s almost like tracing lineage. This is extra cool because people tend to hang out with likeminded people. By the time Catherine and Tim’s wedding finally rolled around I had already spent some time with them at Brianna and Zach’s wedding and Jane and Aline’s wedding in addition to their engagement session.
Fun fact: I always offer couples the option of a sunrise engagement session and nobody ever goes for it. It’s almost a bluff at this point but Catherine, Tim, and I were definitely at Moore State Park in Paxton before the crack of dawn. If I remember correctly we basically had to wait a bit before there was even enough light to shoot.
Anyway, like a lot of couples their original plans were hit pretty hard by Corona and they were forced to adapt. They were actually my first couple that had to drastically change their plans and essentially plan another wedding. They did well though. They ended up getting married in a quiet space at the Farmstead at Appleton Farms in Ipswich, MA.
Appleton Farms was a cool place. We basically followed an access road to a secluded corner next to a field. It was scenic to say the least. The ceremony in the clearing was awesome and we were free to explore a bit for our couple photos.
Here’s a behind the scenes story. While we were shooting at a really pretty part of the forest we put the bouquet down, immediately forgot about it and moved on to the next spot. We were close to the exit so I told Catherine and Tim to head out to the reception house while I got the bouquet. Well, I got all turned around on the dirt access roads and stuck behind a tractor at one point. Once I realized my mistake and headed to the right part of the farm I was driving about as fast as I was willing to and hit a dip and nearly went airborne. Imagine a very lame episode of the Dukes of Hazard but with an old Pt Cruiser.
The reception was at Tim’s parents’ house. They did a fantastic job setting it up for a small wedding reception- complete with space for a first dance. They also had the single most professional table setting that I have ever seen outside of a restaurant. Serious props. Their dinner table was set up on the back deck and was surrounded by string lights and lowers- a definite oasis in a crazy world.
Check out Appleton Farms by clicking here.
Liz and Brett: The Ultimate Backyard Wedding
Summer weddings can get hot. Some couples opt for fans while others have totally different ideas. Check out this awesome wedding that really embraced the crazy times and the crazy heat.
Liz and Brett’s wedding was dynamic. When Liz first contacted me a couple months ago- she was really looking to just have some bridal party photos done because, like most couples, their original plans were tossed around by the pandemic. As time went on their portrait session evolved into something that was really cool and unique.
The plan was to have a small wedding ceremony at the venue that more or less connected to their backyard. After a short ceremony, a couple dances, cake cuttings, and group photos, the celebration would move back to their house- complete with an in-ground pool, giant inflatable water slide, bouncy house, and food vendors.
It was fun to spend time with a group of people who seemed to totally be at home with each other. Everyone was joking around and having a blast. Shortly after I moved back to the states from Korea, I landed a freelance reporting gig covering local government. The Maid of Honor had a very familiar voice and I recognized her as the former school committee chair from one of the towns I covered. I had heard her speak a million times but usually about budgets or bus companies- it was fun to see her outside of an official meeting. That’s one of the things I like about weddings- people come back from whatever role they play in society and are back to being just family or friends.
It was a great way to spend a few hours and I love covering these smaller, less formal wedding celebrations. It was all fun but there was something that really put it on another level. Liz and Brett, under their own freewill, jumped into their pool in full wedding clothing. I mean, as a photographer you really can’t ask for anything better than something like that. It also speaks to them as people. Anybody who is willing to do that is cool as hell in my book.
Congrats Liz and Brett!
A Backyard Wedding in Andover: Sharon and Bill
Backyard weddings are making a comeback- especially with event rules up in the air due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Gone are the days when backyard weddings always meant casual dress and coolers of six packs. I’ve been fortunate to photograph a number of awesome backyard weddings in New England and Sharon and Bill’s backyard wedding reception in Andover was definitely one of them.
Sharon and Bill know how to throw a party. I met them at their house in Andover, where they would be hosting their wedding reception, a day or so before their wedding with my wife, SiEun. SiEun would be shooting with me for their big day and I always feel a lot more comfortable taking photos if we can all meet up before hand. While we would be photographing a backyard wedding in Andover, it’s important to note that Sharon and Bill have one hell of a backyard. There were tents, facilities, linens, tables- the whole works.
I sometimes feel like backyard weddings get a little bit of a bad rap. I have photographed TONS of backyard weddings and they have never been anything but awesome. There’s an added level of comfort that comes with the familliarity but there’s always so much effort that goes into decorating and planning.
With the current health situation and large events being a no-go for who knows how long, I expect to see more backyard weddings. Whether those are really intimate ceremonies with only a few people or hybrid weddings with a formal ceremony at another location and the party coming back home doesn’t really matter to me- I love photographing these!
As I mentioned to Sharon and Bill, I also love real estate photography. One of my first thoughts while revisiting this wedding through their photos was, again, “wow, what a great livingroom!”
Check out some of my favorites!
If you are planning on a backyard, front yard, or vacant lot wedding I would love to hear from you!
Kayla and Daniel: A Backyard Wedding
I pride myself in being an adaptable photographer. In a given season I shoot elaborate Indian weddings and intimate ceremonies with the same passion and enjoyment. Sometimes, though, I get to shoot a wedding on a homegrown disc golf course and that just rules!
Occasionally, I photograph weddings for a couple wedding agencies. Agencies are helpful because they help fill dates when you are first starting out. I relied on agencies for my first couple years as a wedding photographer when I came back from Korea. One of the tricky things about them, though, is that photographers often go into weddings with little information about the event or the couple. THis can be stressful for everybody. Most of the time this is fine. Sometimes the groom shows up two hours late. Regardless, as business got better I told the agency I would shoot one last wedding for them. That wedding was Kayla and Daniel’s.
I made it a point to say all of this because Kayla and Daniel were genuinely friggen awesome. One of the reasons why I liked them so much was that I could 100 percent see myself hanging out with them outside of the wedding environment. They were hosting their wedding in their expansive yard that had several disc golf holes. Disc golf is a sport I have participated in for almost twenty years and have incredibly not improved at in the slightest. I felt at ease and free to really explore and photograph. I genuinely enjoyed hanging out with Kayla and Daniel but I also enjoyed talking to their families and friends. One thing that was totally unique was that after the ceremony they fired up multiple grills and started cranking out burgers, hot dogs, and other summer essentials.
Any wedding where the bride is surrounded by grill smoke while flipping burgers is awesome in my book. Check out some of my faves from their awesome wedding.
Tom’s Blog:
Pictures are worth a thousand words but check out what goes on behind the scenes during my sessions.