Helen and Jason’s wedding celebration was nothing short of amazing. Their day was focused on not only their unquestionable love for each other, but also for their families. Their day was so rich in history and tradition. Their morning began with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony at the Commander’s Mansion. Helen helped dress Jason in traditional groom attire just before their Chinese tea ceremony (such a sweet moment!). Helen’s dress was passed down in the family from an Aunt, and Helen’s grandmother flew in from England to see her be married (this was even more special since this was the first grandchild where Helen’s grandmother was able to attend the wedding celebration!). The tea ceremony was filled with blessings and gifts from those closest to Helen and Jason; a very touching ritual to observe and document. Following their tea ceremony, they had an (extremely warm, but wonderful!) summer outdoor ceremony in the Arbor; filled with white and yellow wedding details and DIY elements. Helen and Jason’s dearest dog, Ozzy, was also able to join them for their outdoor ceremony in the Arbor at the Commander’s Mansion. You may remember Ozzy from their engagement session in Boston. He’s a big part of their family, and how could he not be… look at that face! We also spent some time photographing Helen and Jason’s wedding photos at the Boston Commons, as it’s a very sentimental place to them both. We found the bench where Jason asked Helen to be his wife. Aw. Next, they had their large Chinese wedding banquet at Hei La Moon restaurant in Chinatown, and was filled with traditional Chinese symbols special to the joining of their names and hearts. Helen’s Maid of Honor flew in all the way from Hong Kong to be a part of her wedding day as well! They promised each other 7 years ago that they would be there when the other was married. I love the photo of them hugging and crying together after her toast. What a great friend! It was so great seeing Helen and Jason surrounding by the people they care about. I also secretly love it when my couples ask me to take a photo with them at the end of their wedding night! Definitely a day to remember! Congratulations again, Helen and Jason!

Boston and Northampton Wedding Photographer: CYN PHOTO

Cake Artist: Konditor Meister in MA

Ceremony Venue: Commanders Mansion in Watertown MA

Event Coordinator: Jeni and Dane at Wedding Bits in Boston MA

Entertainment: DJ Boston Event Works in Medford MA

Florist: Sara Brown of Take a Whiff Wedding and Event Floral Design

Makeup and Hair: Grace Mahoney of Blushing Brides

Reception Venue: Hei La Moon Restaurant in downtown Boston Chinatown MA

Portrait Venue: Boston Commons in Boston MA

Videographer: Elena Coyne of In Focus Video and Photo in NH

Corey and Seth are highschool sweethearts. They’re playful, caring and fiery with each other…

and it’s so wonderful to see! Corey and Seth are both love nature, so we decided to photograph their outdoor summer engagement session at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain MA. We spent the afternoon laughing about inside jokes, and also picked flowers to design a unique sign on the ground for their “thank you” cards following their big day. Corey and Seth’s wedding at the Tewksbury Country Club is scheduled the beginning of September. As the sunset and we finished up their photo session, we talked about amazing restaurants in the area. I used to live in Jamaica Plain for a couple of years and recommended the best (in my opinion) Cuban restaurant nearby, El Oriental de Cuba. Corey mentioned they enjoyed dinner there that evening (they have the best plantains)! A great ending to a great afternoon.

How adorable and gorgeous are these two? Such a perfect match!

Myriam and Luis are 17 year-honeymooners!

A dear old friend and colleague of mine recently asked me to photograph family portraits for her while I was visiting in my hometown of Colorado Springs. Myriam and I worked together during my first career at Progressive (I was a Customer Service Manager there for 7 years). Myriam is amazing sweet, dedicated, considerate, and an all-around wonderful person. We’ve kept in touch through the years, and I was so excited and honored when she asked me to photograph her with her husband and two (adorable!) girls. You see, Myriam and her husband Luis have been married for 17 years (although strangers passing by might mistake them for honeymooners). They never had a traditional large wedding, and also never had photos taken of their wedding. Having family photos taken, as well as a couple portrait photo session of the two of them is a big deal. They’re all very active and love the outdoors, so we decided to spend our time hiking at the Garden of the Gods in Manitou Springs during their photo shoot. They know the park well, as they’ve spent a lot of time there since moving to Colorado from Texas, and they showed me a few new hiking spots with beautiful views of the Pikes Peak and Colorado mountain range. Their youngest daughter, Victoria, was quite the risk-taker when it came to hiking and was filled with energy and personality. It must run in the family, because I think they’ve found a secret to health and happiness. Love and laughter! We had such a fun time hiking, laughing, jumping, tickling, and playing games during our hike. So much so, that Myriam was surprised to hear her two girls say how much fun they had during the photo shoot (check out a couple of excerpts from Myriam’s thank you emails at the bottom). I had such a wonderful time with Myriam and her family, and it makes me so happy that I can help document their family together through photography.

Aw, sisterly love is the best!

I love receiving love notes like these! Here are a few lines taken from thank you emails Myriam wrote to me after their family photo session:

We all had a great time! I was surprised to hear the girls say it was fun for them to. Picture taking is normally boring and I have to beg. Im very excited and can’t wait to see the images. This means so much to me. So I was thinking… Do you think we can sign up with you 3 and 6 years in advance for our special events? Luis and I have our 20th anniversary and Victoria will turn 16 in 6 years. [...] We would love for you to be the one to help us record the memories with your beautiful work.

We just saw the slide show. We absolutely love it! I don’t even have words to express how I was feeling when I was seeing the slide show. As the girls say “I was a big cry baby pipi pants”

Gina and Matt’s wedding at the Independence Harbor in Assonet MA was filled with fresh, fun and stylish white and green wedding details; including modern twists on old fashioned traditions (such as their tiered cupcakes). More importantly than the delish eye candy at their wedding was the uncountable genuine moments shared. Matt began the day as a gentleman by sending his bride a dozen roses with a card that said “I can’t wait, Love Matt” (such a brilliantly understated and romantic idea!). With weather on their side, the rain held off just long enough for their beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony and portrait session as a newly married couple. Ok, so the wind wasn’t quite as cooperative during their candle lighting ceremony, but they had a playful faux candle lighting and it will surely make for a great story to their kids one day! Their reception was filled with so much energy; heartfelt toasts and epic dancing. I had such a great day with these two and their very warm family and friends (and I’m not surprised since we had so much fun during their North End and Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park engagement session). Take a look at some of Gina and Matt’s wedding photos to share in their memories.

Western Massachusetts and Assonet Wedding Photographer: CYN PHOTO with Ceremony & Reception Venue at: Independence Harbor in Assonet MA

You may remember Melissa and Scott from their recent engagement session at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain MA. It was amazing to see these two together on their wedding day; sharing love with each other and their close families, while being surrounded by the beautiful nature and greenery at Look Park in Northampton (which is near their hometown of Greenfield). The weather was perfect for their outdoor ceremony, and their reception at the Garden House was filled with laughter, tears, dancing, and unique details (such as their miniature champagne bottles with a photo from their engagement session as their guests name cards and a take-away gift).  Family is so important to both Melissa and Scott, and it was very touching to see them share their day with the ones they love (both present and recently passed). Congratulations again, Melissa and Scott!

Western Massachusetts and Northampton Wedding Photographer: CYN PHOTO

Ceremony Venue: Look Park in Northampton Massachusetts

Reception Venue: Garden House at Look Park in Northampton MA

Event Coordinator: Jill Larkin at Garden House and Look Park in Northampton MA

Cake Artist: Ellen Darobi of Northampton MA

Entertainment: DJ Rodney Herzig of Turner Falls MA

Florist: Fairview Gardens in Northfield MA

I was thrilled when my chiropractor, Dr Luke Piretti, asked me to photograph professional corporate headshots for his new business endeavor and website. I met Dr Piretti last year at Melman Chiropractic Group located in Back Bay, Boston MA. He recently acquired a long-standing Chiropractic office, Copley Square Chiropractic, in the South End and launched the opening of his business in June. A wonderful article was written by the South End News announcing these exciting changes at Copley Square Chiropractic:

“Piretti’s practice will treat normal chiropractic conditions, like back pain, neck pain, and carpal tunnel, but will also bring one of his signature programs – a weight-loss program. As a former personal trainer, Piretti brings a combination diet and exercise to his work.” - South End News

Dr Piretti has also written a book titled, Imagine a Healthier You, where he discusses people taking control of their lives and restoring their health. In my opinion (also shared by many others), Dr Luke Piretti is a wonderfully skilled chiropractor; extremely knowledgeable, approachable and personable. If you need relief from back pain, healing, encouragement, and are looking for a fantastic chiropractor – look no further.

Congratulations Luke on the opening of your new business, and thank you for trusting me to photograph your corporate headshots.

I recently photographed Jess and Joe’s Boston engagement session in the North End and Christopher Columbus Water Park, and was excited to finally photograph their wedding day! Jess and Joe’s Catholic ceremony was held at St John the Evangelist Church in Hopkinton Massachusetts. Jess is from Hopkinton originally, so they decided on having their wedding close to their roots and at their home church. Family is really important to both Jess and Joe, and throughout the day I couldn’t help but be touched by all of the sweet moments they shared with the closest people in their lives. Jess’ “something blue” was a pinned ribbon that has been passed down in her family; a very touching tradition. I think Jess and Joe must have luck on their side, because while it was raining on and off throughout the day, we managed to have beautiful weather at the perfect time which allowed us to take portraits at the open and lush Hopkinton State Park!Their soft and beautiful pink and white wedding details were by Judy Duffy of Judy’s Village Flowers in Foxborough Massachusetts, and their matching wedding cake was by artist Kristen Repa at Dessert Works in Westwood Massachusetts. Perfect light colors for a summer wedding! Jess and Joe’s reception at Hopkinton Country Club was mixed with heartfelt toasts and energetic train dances with florescent colored sunglasses! I couldn’t think of a more perfect wedding day celebration for these two love birds! Thank you for asking me to share it with you and congratulations again Jess and Joe!

Central Massachusetts and Hopkinton Wedding Photographer: CYN PHOTO

Ceremony Venue: St John the Evangelist Church in Hopkinton Massachusetts

Reception Venue: Hopkinton Country Club in Hopkinton Massachusetts

Event Coordinator: Jenna Lavery, Catering Sales Manager at Hopkinton Country Club

Cake Artist: Kristen Repa at Dessert Works in Westwood Massachusetts

Entertainment: DJ Adam O of White Label DJs in Waltham Massachusetts

Florist: Judy Duffy of Judy’s Village Flowers in Foxborough Massachusetts

A sneak peek… meet Catherine and Dan.

While planning their recent destination wedding, Catherine and Dan fell in love with the rustic barn and beautiful grounds at The Warren Conference Center and Inn in Ashland Massachusetts. They live on a farm in Virginia and are lovers of nature. More images and sweet details about C&D coming to the blog soon!

I’ve always considered myself a life-learner, and several times a year I invest in my craft by attending arts or photography-related workshops. Everyone has a “favorite” photographer, and recently mine has been Mexico-based destination wedding photographer, Fer Juaristi. A photographer friend randomly mentioned his blog, and when I saw his work I was instantly excited to see imagery that not only captured raw emotions (something that is deeply rooted in my passion for photographing weddings), but his work also has a strong cinematic or film still quality. He documents important moments of people’s lives, but also greatly considers the overall environment and documents the atmosphere with amazing use of natural light. I’m often reminded of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work and can see strong street photography influences in his photos.

Several months ago I began talking with Fer through Twitter and asked if he was planning a workshop in Boston anytime soon. He was so warm and open to the idea, and we began planning for him to give a presentation through the Boston Pictage User Group thanks to the help of Anne Ruthmann and LensProToGo. He also held a Boston Fershop the following day at Ad Hoc Boston in Jamaica Plain. I am blown away by how supportive our worldwide community of photographers are, and love that tools like Twitter and Facebook have made it possible for people to connect globally!

It’s always so fascinating to hear a photographer colleague speak about their photographic style and approach, and it was fantastic to see how he interprets light. We were able to work with a sweet local couple, Laura and Ryan, who are planning a February destination wedding at the Aventura Spa Palace Resort in Riviera Maya Mexico. It was an intense and amazing couple of days, and I had such a wonderful time connecting with new photographer friends and opening my mind. Fer is passionate, humble, hilarious, approachable, and beyond being an amazing photographer, he is a wonderful person.

Below are a few of my favorite photos that I created of Laura and Ryan during their engagement session and faux wedding photo session, as well as a couple of Fer in action. Thank you again Fer for flying across the world to share a few days with fellow photographers. I am still buzzing with inspiration!

I spent this past Saturday afternoon with Gina and Matt walking the streets in downtown Boston and the North End. They decided on photographing their engagement session at Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park (just outside Joe’s Bar & Grill), because they had their first few dates here. For those of you who’ve never been to Joe’s (like me), Gina and Matt both gave it glowing reviews for solid American cuisine! When I first met Gina and Matt I felt immediately comfortable around them. It only took a few minutes of being around them to see how much they care about each other, and to see they fit each others’ personalities perfectly. They’re both sharp, sarcastic, and warm-hearted (a brilliant combination in my opinion!). Even though they were familiar with the area, we discovered a few unique happenings such as: a traditional horse and carriage near Faneuil Hall, a merry-go-round near the Boston Harborwalk, brilliant colored walls and intimate alleys in the North End, and a sighting of a member from Run-D.M.C.! Their wedding will be near more water at the beautiful Independence Harbor in Assonet MA next month. I can’t wait to see these two again and photograph their wedding day, because I know it’s guaranteed to be a fun time!