Rebecca and Sean: A Granite Rose Wedding
Rebecca and Sean’s wedding at the Granite Rose in New Hampshire was full love and golden New England foliage. Check out some of my favorite photos from my last wedding of the 2020 season.
Rebecca and Sean were my last wedding of the extremely eventful 2020 wedding season. Their wedding was at the beautiful Granite Rose in Hampstead, NH and was the perfect note to end the year on.
I am always advocating that people hire wedding photographers that they can get along with. A long time ago, I would seek out any client that would hire me regardless of personality. Everyone goes through that phase in anything that they do- hungry for experience and unwilling to turn anything down out of fear that you won’t get another opportunity. As I got more experienced and became comfortable in my own shoes as a photographer, I realized that it’s just better for everybody if you work with clients that you would like even outside of the wedding environment. As a result, most of my business comes from referrals from past awesome clients or from people who see my extremely specific ads on Facebook. Rebecca and Sean were pointed in my direction by their friends Kayla and Daniel and I am so happy that they were because they are exactly the sort of people that I like working with.
The first time that I met Rebecca and Sean was during their engagement session in New Hampshire. There are ALWAYS nerves when you meet people for the first time- particularly when that entails telling them to kiss on command in front of a camera - but it became clear real early on that we all had a similar laidback vibe. We were all go-with-the-flow people and I think that kind of attitude really helped us come up with some great photos as we wandered around space we were shooting at and the lake across the street.
They took this same vibe to their wedding at the Granite Rose. There were the usual masks, space, and precautions but for the most part it was easy to forget about the outside world for a while. I spent the first part of the day bouncing between Rebecca’s prep with her friends and family and Sean’s prep with his groomsmen. Everybody was energetic and ready to go. Their ceremony was lovely and I truly had a blast spending some time with Rebecca and Sean taking photos all over the Granite Rose property. Just like their engagement session, we basically hit gold in terms of New England fall foliage. After an awesome session I headed home happy to have finished the wedding season on a really high note.
Weddings are team efforts. Check out some of the vendors that made this wedding rock! Click their names to visit their sites.
Venue: The Granite Rose by Wedgewood Weddings located in Hampstead, NH. Packages include food, ceremonies and receptions.
Dress Alterations: J Mason Design located in Windham, NH.
DJ: Justin from Main Event Entertainment in Londonderry, NH. Justin killed it and was a blast to work with from a photographer’s standpoint.
If you’re a laid-back couple looking for a laid-back wedding photographer I would love to chat! Fill out the form below and I will send you some info!
Brittany and Ben: The Old Stone Church
Fall weddings in New England are beautiful. You don’t really need more than a nice place with awesome people. Check out some photos from this wedding at the Old Stone Church in West Boylston, MA.
Brittany’s sister reached out to me a couple weeks before Brittany and Ben’s wedding to see if I would be available. Like a lot of people, Brittany and Ben’s plans had changed and they decided to get married at a small ceremony outdoors followed by a nice dinner celebration afterwards surrounded by the people they love.
Their wedding took place at the Old Stone Church in West Boylston in the middle of the fall. The colors were beautiful. I have shot here a million times but this was actually my first wedding here. We had a nice layer of clouds to kill any harsh light coming directly onto us.
Brittany and Ben, along with their families, were awesome. I enjoyed talking to everyone before Brittany arrived and this continued through their ceremony and onto their dinner at O’Connor’s Restaurant in Worcester- a place that I always love.
Everything was relaxed and simple and I think it’s really obvious that weddings in New England don’t have to be complicated to be beautiful.
If you are planning an intimate wedding celebration at the Old Stone Church, O’Connor’s, or any other place then I would love to hear from you!
Holly and Joshua: A Country Wedding
One of the great things about getting married in New England is the sheer diversity when it comes to venues and vibes. Holly and Joshua got married on a working farm in MA and the wedding was distinctively them… and awesome! Check out some photos from their wedding at historic Elm Hill Farm in Brookfield, MA.
Holly and Joshua might be two of the most easy-going and cooperative couples that I have worked with. They were always game to do something a little bit different and most of the time it was their idea to do so. On the day of their engagement session, there was this really intense fog and I was worried that it might be a little less rustic-country and a bit more horror movie than they wanted but they were game. I think by embracing the weather we were able to capture some awesome colors and set a vibe that really fit them well.
So, they’re adaptable. That was key because their wedding fell right, smackdab in the middle of the pandemic. They had to improvise quite a bit but in the end their wedding day was a huge success. It also seemed to be very much THEM.
The prep / ceremony took place at Elm Hill Farm in Brookfield, MA. This is a place that means something to them and that they spend a lot of time at. It is rustic and photogenic but also a working farm. One of the highlights of my walkthrough a couple days before the wedding was talking to the owner when somebody brought up the farm’s Facebook page.
“We have a Facebook page?!”
I love rustic stuff and historical places. I shoot at a lot of barns-turned-venues but you really can’t beat the real thing. Holly and Joshua got ready in an old farmhouse on the property that didn’t really look like it had been changed much over the last 100 or so years. It was really awesome to have this place as a backdrop. I also didn’t see any ghosts, which is always a plus.
Their wedding ceremony took place in front of a huge barn and we got to wander around taking photos afterwards. Their reception took place at their house underneath tents with a ton of food and space to dance with a roaring fire to keep everybody warm and happy after dinner.
Check out some of my favorites!
If you’re a horse person, check out Elm Hill Farm on Facebook by clicking here.
Getting married somewhere unique? I’d LOVE to hear from you!
Brianna and Zach: A wedding at the Allrose Farm
Life might have gotten all wonky over the past several months but love carries on. Relive the warmth of summer with some fun photos from Brianna and Zach’s rustic wedding at the Allrose Farm in Greenfield, NH.
It’s mid-November. The busy season is over and it’s time to reflect on what happened this past wedding season. The 2020 wedding season was, frankly, a s*#^ show. If nothing else, it is comforting to know that 2020 was pretty much the same for everyone. There’s comfort in numbers, right?
It did have it’s moments, though. For every wedding of mine that got canceled there was another wedding that adapted and overcame. Having to pare down guest lists and build events around health guidelines was a challenge for everyone in the industry, particularly brides and grooms. Brianna and Zach, chose to embrace the changes that had to happen and carry on. They were one of this year’s highlights.
I met Brianna and Zach through one of my first couples, Jane and Aline. It’s always a lot less stressful when you know a couple hires you based on liking your style and actually seeing you work previously. Their engagement session was at Hampton Beach.
Their wedding was at the Allrose Farm in Greenfield, NH. The Allrose is one of those rustic, quintessentially New England venues that I love photographing at. The grounds were expansive enough to give us a ton of options but also small enough to move from spot to spot without taking up too much time.
One of the things that I loved about this wedding was that everyone was really, really laid back. It was really fun watching everyone dance but I was pumped to hear the occasional pop-punk anthem add a little spice to the playlist- as somebody who stuck a little Piebald into my wedding playlist I can appreciate that. They also had one of those weddings where people were really free to do what they wanted. Guests meandered around the barn where most of the action was but also spent time getting some fresh air and watching the sunset or just taking in a New England evening.
This was definitely one of the bright spots in a really weird year.
Great weddings, and I would DEFINITELY rank this as a great wedding are team efforts. Click the links below to learn more about the vendors who helped make this wedding great.
Venue: Allrose Farm in Greenfield, NH
Event Coordinator: Angela Marie Weddings in Deerfield, NH
Catering and Bartending: B&M Catering in Pawtucket, RI
Make-up Artist: Katie Walsh at KW Salon in Portsmouth, NH
Hair: Kelsey Kozak at Kels10hair in Plainville, MA
Dress: Stella Grace Bridal in Salem, NH
Alterations: Pins and Needles in Danvers, MA
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!
Rebecca and Jason: Love in the Time of Corona
The Corona virus pandemic has forced us to accommodate strict health guidelines in our lives- including our weddings. Just because our weddings are smaller, quieter, and, well, different doesn’t meant they aren’t full of love and celebration. Check out some photos from this socially distant wedding in Worcester, MA with a portrait session at Elm Park.
So much of the past few months has been about coping with the situation that we are all in. If I were to go back 6 months ago and tell my past self that the wedding season, spring portrait season, headshots, event photography and basically every other part of my business would be at a standstill for months, I wouldn’t have believed myself. To think of how much our lives have changed since spring is so utterly bizarre that I sometimes have trouble walking through everything that happened. Sure- life is different but love still calls us to get married. Weddings certainly look different but the meaning and the impact is still there- maybe more so. This was definitely true for Rebecca and Jason’s socially distanced wedding in Worcester.
Rebecca shot me an email a couple weeks before their wedding. Like many other couples, their big dream wedding was sidelined by the pandemic. They decided on an intimate church ceremony with just immediate family present. I feel for all of the couples who have seen their dream weddings necessarily altered, I really do, but Rebecca and Jason’s wedding is proof that you can have a wedding that is just as special without a ton of extras.
Rebecca and Jason’s wedding photographer canceled shortly before their wedding. They reached out to me and luckily I had the day free. This is really not a shocker- most of my days are free. I go on and on whenever given too much space to write about how I love the storytelling aspect of photography. Every wedding is a story but its not super often that I get to tell a wedding story that is on a level of intimacy that this level was on. Within a few minutes I knew pretty much everyone involved and I felt that I was able to spend at least tome time with everybody. It’s easier to see how people fit together when things are a bit simpler. It was also great to see their ceremony being live-streamed straight from the church.
Afterwards, we headed to Elm Park in Worcester where we grabbed some quintessential photos on the bridge (you know the bridge) and attracted a lot of attention.
Check out some of my favorites!
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!
Janet and Jason: A Castle Wedding
St. Clements Castle in Portland, CT, is a ton of fun for a wedding photographer. There was an awesome variety of backdrops and we took advantage of as many as possible. Check out Janet and Jason’s wedding!
I loved Janet and Jason’s wedding. There was just something about the colors that Janet and Jason picked for their wedding and how they played into their venue at St. Clements Castle in Portland, CT, and this great fall day that really make it stick out in my memory. If you haven’t been to St. Clements Castle, I definitely recommend checking it out. It’s exactly what it sounds like- a castle. Weddings at St. Clements Castle are fun to photograph because it really is on a sprawling property with tons of little secret spots to pop out for a private photo or two.
This is Janet and Jason.
I shot their engagement session at Moore State Park in Paxton. I didn’t really think about it at the time but picking Moore State Park for engagement photos was the perfect contrast to their wedding venue. Moore State Park is so rustic and and quiet while St. Clements is really elegant.
One of the fun things about Janet and Jason’s wedding was how they included traditional Korean elements, like bowing and Korean songs into their wedding celebration. It’s always nice to see special traditions brought into a ceremony. Here are a few of my favorites from Janet and Jason’s wedding!
Click for more info
Hair: Esme de Mello Hair
Makeup: Boston Beauty by Angella
Venue: St. Clements Castle in Portland, CT
If you are getting married in a castle, in a cave, or on a boat, 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.
Charles and Evy: Short and Sweet
A few months ago I got to shoot Evy and Charles’ wedding ceremony at their home church in Framingham Massachusetts. While a lot of my weddings are all day affairs, I was only with Evy and Charles for a few hours in Framingham and then a few minutes in Boston.
A few months ago I got to shoot Evy and Charles’ wedding ceremony at their home church in Framingham Massachusetts. While a lot of my weddings are all day affairs, I was only with Evy and Charles for a few hours in Framingham and then a few minutes in Boston. The couple, along with a whole ton of friends and family were going to spend the night on one of the Boston Harbor cruises. I have shot a few weddings on these cruises and they are a blast- if you’re looking for a fun reception that is a little different- definitely check out the cruise options.
I really lucked out with this wedding. The church was huge and it was full of really great light. I asked ahead of time if it was okay to use flash and they were absolutely fine with it (this is not always the case) but I turned it on only once or twice. The people in charge of the ceremony were kind and welcoming and Evy, Charles, and the rest of their guests were so warm and welcoming. I think this wedding really goes to show that don’t need to have a huge event with lots of set pieces and the longest photo package possible to come away with a great wedding story.
Check out some of my favorite photos from this Framingham wedding:
If you like what you saw and are planning your wedding- whether its a two hour elopement at Worcester City Hall or an all-day affair in Manchester, VT- email me or reach out with the contact form below!
Jackie and Rehan: A Worcester Art Museum Wedding
Earlier this summer I photographed Jackie and Rehan's wedding at the Worcester Art Muesum. As a wedding venue, the museum was awesome. From a photography standpoint it was pretty much everything I dreamed about.
It was a ton of fun to photograph Jackie and Rehan’s wedding at the Worcester Art Museum. For one thing- the Worcester Art Museum rocks. I have shot there before and it’s almost hard to take a bad picture. Even if Jackie and Rehan weren’t super cool people I would have loved spending most of the night in the museum but Jackie and Rehan were awesome.
Jacke and Rehan were kind enough to let my wife SiEun help out as a second photographer. SiEun has quite a bit of experience in commercial and street photography and we had been talking about adding her into my business a second photographer. It made a lot of sense because she was experienced, we work well together, and we both kind-of like each-other. I wanted to give it a dry-run before we made it official and Jackie and Rehan allowed that to happen.
The Worcester Art Museum was a great place to take advantage of two wedding photographers. For one thing- it’s beautiful. There is too much to photograph for one person. Every where you turn there is some priceless painting or a suit of armor- all of it lit perfectly for a wedding. Another thing is that Jackie and Rehan’s wedding ceremony took place on the grand staircase in front of a classic moasic. SiEun was able to grab some awesome shots from above the action that really showed the big picture while I was on ground-level. This just wouldn’t have been possible with a solo photographer. Also, I had this preconception going in that a wedding at the Worcester Art Museum might be pretty subdued but I could not have been more wrong- the DJ was awesome and these people brought it all to the dance floor.
Check out some of my favorites from Jackie and Rehan’s wedding at the Worcester Art Museum!
Click the links to learn more about the vendors that made this wedding possible:
Venue: Worcester Art Museum
Hair: Shaylin Sidoti- Facebook / Instagram
Make-up: Beauty Lush by Sarah
Catering: Struck Catering (There are no food pics in this but the food was great)
Dessert: Bean Counter coming in for the win as usual.
As always- if you like what you see and want to talk about photography for your wedding, whether it is at an internationally renowned art museum or your favorite brewery, just shoot me a message.
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Pictures are worth a thousand words but check out what goes on behind the scenes during my sessions.