I’m hearing from clients and friends who are in the midst of planning their weddings and I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t make me a little anxious (ok, it makes me VERY anxious). I’m not the party-planning type. I know that if  were the bride, I’d constantly be worried about picking just the right color scheme, the right table settings, the right floral arrangements, providing the right music, etc. I’d be worried about guests being entertained, about people enjoying the food, about the day running smoothly. So worried that I’d probably forget to enjoy myself!

I’m always a little nervous when a couple books me for their wedding without having met me in person. Sure, we’ve had a phone chat or two and can get an idea of what the other party is like and that we get along, but there’s that simple confirmation when meeting someone in person that is just comforting in a way I can’t describe. I felt that exact comfort after I met up with Richard and Alex for the first time a few weekends ago for their engagement shoot. All I can say is that they are just so warm and easy-going.  And easy-going is hard to come by in their case because they are crazy busy in the middle of moving from New York to California and simultaneously trying to plan their wedding up here in Massachusetts! I’m sure a lot of people would be stressed out in a situation like this, but they seem to just be going with the flow (or perhaps they are just hiding it very well). :)

They wanted an interesting backdrop for their engagement and our original intentions were to start at the Institute of Contemporary Art and head over to the Liberty Hotel if time allowed. I had grand plans to get reflective images off the ICA’s exterior and against the art wall exhibit in the front lobby, but the day we chose for the session turned out to be one of the coldest of the season AND the art wall had been taken down for renovations! Just our luck! So after we made a fleeting attempt to get a few captures outside of the museum we decided it was WAY TOO COLD to continue and quickly hopped in the car to the Liberty Hotel.

Boy was I glad we ended up shooting there instead! For those of you unfamiliar with the Liberty, it used to be a prison and was only very recently converted into a hotel space. In renovating it, the designers preserved the historical feel and kept the brick walls and wrought-iron details while revamping it with contemporary chairs and artwork.  The interior really lends itself to many photo ops, as you’ll see below.

After the session indoors, we bundled up and caught some quick images outside before the sun had completely gone down. Like I said, it was COLD and Richard and Alex handled it well!

Again, it was wonderful to finally meet you, Richard and Alex, and I’m beyond excited to shoot your wedding this June!

I’m currently in a quiet period where I won’t be shooting anything big until my first wedding of the year next month–don’t worry, this lull doesn’t mean I won’t have other gigs or other images to share!–but just thinking about all of the events I will get to photograph this year is keeping my head spinning.  I currently have over a dozen booked, with more in the works, and am crazy excited to get rolling!

Some of what will be coming up for me (and coming up on the blog): cozy guest counts of 30 people to larger parties of 200+; events taking place between Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire but the majority clustered in/around Boston; venues ranging from an intimate, backyard tent  to events at the elegant State Room; celebrations with quirky, personal touches to those with the more traditional wedding flair; the majority with western style ceremonies but also a couple Chinese tea ceremonies mixed in; vintage inspired dress to more modern-style attire; and while each wedding will be unique to each couple, all will share in the union of two incredible people promising commitment and openly dedicating their lives to each other, with their families and closest friends supporting, celebrating, and cheering them on.  And I’ll get to be there to document it all!  What a gift.

I’m already getting emails from brides whose weddings are a few months down who already have a countdown going until their big day. The excitement is definitely contagious…I can’t wait!

I’m editing through Richard and Alex’s engagement session from this past weekend at the Liberty Hotel in Boston and just want to share one image for now. In hindsight, I am thankful for the freezing-our-bums-off weather that forced us indoors  to what turned out to be an awesome location for an engagement shoot (and thanks to Richard, for suggesting it!).  I can’t wait to post more, as there are a bunch that are catching my eye.  More to come, soon!

Back when I did some delicious light shooting with Melissa, she caught some images of me as well, including this photo above. Notice how even when I’m in front of someone else’s camera I still prefer to hide behind mine?

Something else I want to work on this year is getting in front of the lens more, without a camera in front of my face! I normally cringe at photos of myself and try to avoid being the focus of anyone’s camera but hope to change that. Maybe this will mean doing more informal shoots with friends, or possibly doing more self-portrait work, or maybe even gifting myself a real portrait session with another professional photographer. Whatever it means, I hope the result is that I get a better understanding of what my clients experience being on the other side and that I can better communicate with them during our shoots.  And, hey, bonus points if I get more comfortable in my own skin in the process. :)