We love winter weddings! I have a good one for you today – its Lauren & David’s Boston wedding, which was on the first of December. The day started at Boston Park Plaza, the perfect place to kick off an elegant black tie wedding.
Beautiful Lauren referred to the wedding day at “picture day” – after all, its not every day you have your own personal photog squad! Her ladies were ready to celebrate…a quick picture turned into laughs and stories and hugs.
Now to David & the guys, just a couple of floors down at Boston Park Plaza.
The guys were calm and ready. I love this picture of David, relaxing with his buds before the first look with his bride.
Lauren had the most beautiful attire – from her lace Pronovia’s gown to her Manolo Blahniks…and her rings! I’ve never seen a ring like her wedding band by Tristori. Diamonds all around but flexible, almost like platinum netting. Her beautiful mama and cousin helped her with final preparations.
I’m obsessed with the birds on a wire above! THE CUTEST little butter balls.
Let’s talk about the wedding day for a second. You’ve always heard it goes by so quickly, right? One way to maximize the day is with a first look, which starts the “together” part of the day sooner. One other thing that helps? Really enjoying EACH part of the day. You’ve taken care of all the planning. Now live it in a way that’s totally you.
Lauren & David love to scare each other. So what better opportunity than when his back is turned for their first look?! I told him she’d be out in a minute, while she literally waited behind him. She got him! Hehehe I’m still laughing about it.
Cheers to this incredible wedding party, willing to troop to the Boston Public Garden in the freezing cold for their favorite bride & groom.
Wedding preparations at Boston Park Plaza, check. Wedding pictures at Boston Public Garden, check. Now to Granite Links to get married! Just outside of the city, Granite Links has incredible views, the most accommodating staff and a gorgeous ballroom.
We photograph a good number of Jewish weddings in Boston each year, and one of my favorite parts is the Ketubah signing. Each is so unique and always such a personal, warm celebration of their commitment to one another.
Lauren & David (or Butter & Drey) wrote the most beautiful vows to one another. Promises to be there for one another, committed to laughing together and loving for always.
Mazel Tov!
The Grand Ballroom looked incredible thanks to the hard work by Granite Links (Michelle & team!), Petals & Design Light Co. Montilla’s Bakery provided the beautiful cake, and Hip Pocket Orchestra was already playing, ready to welcome everyone in as the doors opened.
The dance floor exploded QUICK after a short first dance – on to the Horah!
When a dozen of your favorite people are on standby for a Vanity Fair-esque portrait…
Dancing with your love, with a quick break for smore-in-a-cup. That’s my idea of a perfect ending to a perfect night. Well done, Butter & Drey. Picture day was a good one.
Our 2018 wedding season has officially started with Kayleigh & Zach at Harrington Farm in Princeton MA! If you aren’t familiar with it, Harrington Farm is a sweet farm wedding venue on the back of Wachusett Mountain, surrounded by farmland and winding country roads. It’s coziness makes it a fantastic choice for a winter wedding.
We met Kayleigh through Sophia, who’s wedding we photographed 2 years ago at Charter Oak in Hudson. These ladies are the sweetest and I loved photographing both of their weddings. Before you meet Kayleigh, I want to tell you one of my favorite wedding trends I’ve seen lately – two gowns! How gorgeous are these two dresses, both with beading and lace but so incredibly different. Glam for the important parts and comfortable for the dance floor!
Kayleigh’s 3 sisters were her MOH & bridesmaids. They helped her into her gown and all four of them (and mom!) were on top of everything so much that we were early!
Zach is about as laid-back as they come. He and Kayleigh met when they were 18, and she knew she’d marry him that very first day.
They were married by Zach’s uncle and we braved the piercing winds for some portraits outside just after the ceremony…totally worth it!
The night was filled with dinner and dancing, laughs and love. Their love is silly and sweet and honest, and it was such a pleasure to capture it all~
There’s a special intimacy to winter weddings, like Kara & Adam’s Red Barn at Hampshire College wedding in Amherst MA. Maybe its the cold outside that make winter weddings feel that much cozier inside, or maybe its knowing that everyone there loves you enough to brave single degree temperatures to celebrate the day you married the one you love.
Kara planned a rustic wine theme for their wedding and there were so many details that came together, perfectly complementing the elegant rustic feel of the Red Barn. And their flowers! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such beautiful flower arrangements.
The day was incredibly beautiful, meaningful and fun. Here’s a glimpse into their beautiful rustic barn wedding.
Kara & her girls were calm and happy when we arrived…I love when the day starts relaxed!
You’ll see lots of their flowers in this post. I can’t get over how beautiful & unique everything was…and I love that they even incorporated the rustic wine theme into Adam’s bout!
For their first look at Lord Jeffrey Inn, Adam waited on the grand staircase but couldn’t wait to see Kara. He turned to face the doorway, so he could see her approach. When their eyes met, they lit up. It was almost time to get married!
As Kara climbed out of the limo, the driver told her there was still time to change her mind, and he’d take her anywhere. Haha! I love her reaction.
They make each other laugh so easily…we had just a few minutes before we started their formals and that’s all we needed. 🙂
I LOVED their “welcome tree,” adorned with mini flower arrangements in mini vases. I’ve never seen anything like it!
As Adam stepped forward to the front of the room, he squeezed their officiant’s hand in the sweetest gesture. He was ready.
This picture, to me, represents how their wedding ceremony felt, bathed in sunlight and happiness…
I absolutely love the rustic charm of the Red Barn at Hampshire College. It’s such a hidden gem perfect for couples looking for a unique, rustic venue for their wedding. And Samantha and her team are the best!
Their eyes stayed locked throughout most of their vows, so totally engrossed in each other and the meaning behind the words they were saying.
Ok, so you’re about to see a LOT more of their wine-themed details, from the sign-a-cork guest “book” to messages in a bottle, with bottles that will be opened and read at each appropriate anniversary. The table numbers were refinished wine bottles, custom-designed to include the table number on the front and the dinner menu on the back. The centerpieces were contained in hand-made wooden boxes, and their favors were chalkboard-bottom wine glasses complete with chalk so their guests could write their names. They had burlap signs throughout, and burlap and lace table runners. All of it was so well-planned and it came together perfectly. Kara, all of your hard work was so worth it!
The rest of the night was filled with dancing, good food and time with good company.
I heard on the news the other day that this winter is officially the coldest winter in Boston in over 150 years, and that certainly felt like the case at Ashley & Rob’s Harrington Farm wedding. But their Valentine’s wedding had such a warm vibe thanks to their fantastically fun family and friends, and their irresistably cozy wedding venue. We’ve photographed weddings at Harrington Farm during every season, and winter might be my favorite.
Here are some of my favorite moments and details of Ashley & Rob’s beautiful Valentine’s-inspired winter wedding.
Ashley is so totally calm, and beautiful inside and out. I love this portrait of her.
After an impromtu first look, they snuck away at Harrington Farm for a few quiet minutes with each other while we created gently-crafted portraits of the two of them. I think temperatures were in the single digits, but they braved the cold with the help of some “warm thoughts” just long enough to capture the beautiful front-porch portrait of the two of them that makes my heart sing…and then her veil was whisked away (FAR away) by the wind. Rob saved the day, and we moved inside for the rest of the pictures. I don’t think anyone was upset by this decision but boy, the “one outside picture” as it is now coined, was completely worth all of it.
This next image is one of my favorites of the day, as Ashley adjusts her beautiful gown.
Rob & Ashley were married at Edward the Confessor in Westminster.
I adore their tuxes – Rob & best man Bob looking handsome and happy as Ashley comes down the aisle.
Back at Harrington Farm, it was time to celebrate Ashley & Rob. They hired the very talented band, Rare Form, to help get everybody grooving, starting with their first dance during which they invited their guests to join them on the dance floor.
Congratulations Ashley & Rob! Your wedding was an absolutely wonderful way to start of Valentine’s Weekend.
I can hear Ben already…”Rika, I saw Danielle & Pat’s wedding highlight today. It was TOO LONG.” But I can’t help it. There’s too much goodness to share. I am in love with winter weddings, and Danielle, Pat and all of their favorite people, and the Beechwood Hotel wedding venue in Worcester MA. Their wedding was too much fun, and so completely beautiful.
Danielle & Pat have a great story too…they’ve been together since high school (Shrewsbury High, what whaaat), and stayed together through Pat’s active duty with the Marines, and a short move to South Carolina. Now Pat is a police officer for Shrewsbury. So they were appropriately married in town at St Mary’s Parish in Shrewsbury, and celebrated just down the road at the magnificent Beechwood Hotel, the absolute best hotel wedding venue in the Central Mass area. Everything about it is modern, high-end perfection, from the room where Danielle got ready, to the food, to the ambiance throughout the hotel and the beautiful ballroom.
Danielle & the girls had some of the most gorgeous bouquets I’ve ever seen – Jeff French is a genius!
I’ve never seen this before, but Pat’s wedding band was a DuckBand and has their town and wedding date engraved. Danielle surprised him with coordinated duck cufflinks from cufflinks.com. For the record, Pat didn’t wear his boots to the wedding…I wish I could deny being part of the “you should totally wear them after the ceremony” peer pressure. He resisted though 🙂
Just stunning, isn’t she?
I love that she wore her veil down over her face.
And their portraits are why I love love love winter weddings. The light is soft and beautiful in the middle of the afternoon, and she had on the most adorable shrug.
These ladies are so freakin pretty, and FUN. Check out the reception the cake guy from Gerardo’s got…pretty sure this doesn’t happen every day.
The guys aren’t so bad themselves!
Ladies! And the best best man ever – Keith was ready to carry D’s gown, and help me with my lights, and anything else anyone needed throughout the day.
Love.
I just can’t say enough how beautiful the ballroom was, and these shots also show the importance of uplighting.
The Inn at Erlowest in Lake George is an amazing venue for a winter wedding. It is beautiful inside and out, overlooking the Lake, and the staff was absolutely wonderful – friendly, accommodating, attentive. Here’s Kerry & Jason’s Inn at Erlowest wedding preview!
Kerry and Jason wanted to get ready privately…So I got to hang with the junior bridesmaids and their moms as they got ready. This might be my new favorite. It was such a blast…the girls (and Quinn!) were awesome – braids, selfies and the perfect lip were a few of my favorite moments with these lovely ladies. And how handsome is Q?!
Kerry and Jason’s #1 priority was spending time with their family, but we were able to sneak out for a few minutes and take some beautiful pictures of the two of them before the ceremony…can you guess which is their signature pose? I think they called it the “Huggy-bear”.
Are you kidding me? I hope this ends up as a giant canvas in their home…otherwise, it may end up as a giant canvas in mine!
And then it was time to get married…Jason waits patiently for his bride.
Jason’s grandfather married them in front of 30 of their favorite people.
And then it was time to celebrate. And eat. Ahhhmazing food.
I loved the dining room. Perfectly set for 30, including a setting for myself and Ben. How thoughtful of them to invite us to join in their celebration!
They had the best signature drink – the Vesper, in honor of James Bond. For anyone who likes gin, but not tonic, this is a must-try.
Once everyone was seated for dinner, there were lots of conversation, laughs and toasts. As the newbies to the family, we got to hear their stories, and I was struck by the love stories. Jason’s grandparents met when they were 13 & 16. And his brother and sister-in-law started dating in middle school! It was pretty remarkable.
And the food. Ohhhh the food. It was as delicious as it was beautiful.
And while the sun went down on Lake George, the 5-course dinner came to an end and the dance party began! Some of the moves featured below: “punch it out” and “the matrix”
Jason cut the BIGGEST slice of wedding cake I’ve ever seen.
I love this moment between the two of them. Its as if there’s no one else in the room.
There will be more, you don’t want to miss the day-after Outhouse Race on the Lake! But before that, I have to send a sincere thank you to Erin, Kerry’s sister. She runs The Stevens Estate in Andover (a beautiful Massachusetts estate wedding venue!) and is an absolutely wonderful person. I’m so thrilled that she called me about photographing her sister’s wedding. There’s no other way I’d rather have started 2014. And to Jason & Kerry, thank you for inviting us in. We were honored to be a part of your day.
It was a fantastic weekend with a phenomenal group of people.
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