Spring Wedding Reception at Saint Clements Castle and Marina in Portland, CT :: The Church of Saint Dominic in Southington, CT Wedding Ceremony :: Sneak Peek :: Holly and Mike

Saturday was supposed to be cold and rainy. We had a plan in place for the rain, you should always have that rain plan in place, and Holly wasn't the least bit shaken the day before when we had to discuss the lousy weather predicted. She clearly wasn't going to stress about something she couldn't control and I think she knew ultimately it would be an incredible day no matter the weather.. she was going to be marrying the man she loves. And on Saturday, despite the predictions, we got blue skies, sunshine, and a fiery magenta sunset as our backdrop. That sun streamed in through the stained glass at the church right behind Holly and Mike as they said 'I do' at the alter. It was at full power as Holly and Mike made their exit from the church, all of their friends and family blowing bubbles as they made their way through with huge smiles and laughs! It lit up the gardens at Saint Clement's Castle as we took photos of family and friends. It highlighted Holly's veil as the wind caught it as they walked around the gardens together. It gave us a beautiful sunset at the end of the day. And even though the weather was spectacular.. it wasn't the most beautiful thing about that day.

The most beautiful thing about Saturday was the love between Holly and Mike. Holly and Mike are two of the sweetest, most caring people. They're the kind of people that you're glad found each other and you hear others say the same.. they belong together. Throughout the day you could see the love between them. It was in the little looks that Holly would give Mike during their ceremony. It was the small little squeeze of the hands that you could see just after they exchanged rings. It was the excitement Mike had in giving Holly a gift he made for her, a wooden jewelry box that had so much thought and love put into it. The way they held on to each other for their first dance together and the way that they laughed together as the music sped up and the glow stick necklaces and glasses were passed around and worn! That was the most beautiful part of Holly and Mike's wedding on Saturday.

..plus they both looked amazing too! Which you don't have to take my word for, just check out the sneak peek photos below. 

Wedding Ceremony at The Church of Saint Dominic in Southington, CT
Wedding Reception at Saint Clements Castle and Marina in Portland, CT in the Prince Edward Ballroom
Floral Arrangements by Flower Illusions
Cake Artist by Chimirri's Italian Pastry Shop
Makeup by Courtney Chute Chenkus
Hair by Caseys Classic Cuts
Wedding Gown and Bridesmaid's Dresses by Alfred Angelo
Wedding Bands by Anderson Jewelers

Holly and Mike's Engagement Session :: Hubbard Park in Meriden, CT

Almost a year ago today, I got to photograph Holly and Mike's engagement session in Hubbard Park in Meriden, CT. The same park that Mike proposed to Holly at. And today, these two are getting married. Congratulations Holly and Mike! I'm so excited to photograph and be a part of this beautiful day with you and your family and friends.

Quonquont Farms Intimate Spring Wedding :: Apple Orchard Ceremony :: Barn Reception :: Laura and Evan

I asked Laura some questions about her rustic Spring wedding last year at QuonQuont Farms, below are her responses including her advice for other couples who are int he mist of wedding planning. We hope that some of it is helpful to you if you're working on your own wedding and that you enjoy checking out the photos from Laura and Evan's beautiful wedding day!

What were your top three favorite or most memorable moments from your wedding day?
1. The first look. Even though we had seen each other just a few hours beforehand, I was still nervous and excited for the moment!
2. My brother playing us a song on his guitar during the ceremony.
3. Dancing with all of our family and friends at the reception! 

Did anything go wrong or not as expected? 
Definitely! It was raining all morning, a box of essentials didn't make it to the bridal suite when it was supposed to, the pre-wedding picture time for my family got messed up somehow (sorry Michelle!), but none of these things were insurmountable, and I honestly didn't even stress about them. I knew that we'd figure out how to fix what could be fixed, and what couldn't be fixed (like the weather) would not ruin the wedding.

Knowing what you do now, would you have done anything differently?
Yes. I would not have worried so much about hotels and transportation leading up to the wedding. This was one of our biggest headaches, since our wedding day fell the day after Mass graduation and on Northampton Pride Parade day... hotels were sold out in the area 6 months ahead of time, and we struggled to find accommodations near our venue. We then felt compelled to offer transportation. It turns out that lots of our gets went the airBnB route to find rooms nearby, and few ended up using the transportation we had setup between a couple hotels and the venue. 

What were your favorite details?
Some of the small, personal touches were my favorites. We had hops entwined in my bouquet and Evan's boutonniere, since we both enjoy craft beer. Most people didn't notice them since they blended in well with the flowers. It felt like almost a secret symbol just for us, which was really nice. Other favorites: each of our siblings having a special role in the ceremony, using my grandmother's etched wine glasses for our dinner, using flowers that had some family significance on both sides, and obviously having donuts from the Donut Dip at the end!

Did any of your vendors go above and beyond for you? 
We had such an awesome team, we feel like everyone was invested in making sure we had an amazing day and didn't worry about a thing! I will say that on top of having delicious food, Seth Mias Catering made absolutely sure we were taken care of the whole reception. They brought us a platter of food and drinks while we did the receiving line, and continually checked in on us to make sure we had what we needed. I've heard stories of people not eating at their own weddings - Seth Mias staff made sure that didn't happen to us.

What was the biggest surprise on your wedding day?
The biggest surprise was how carefree I actually was on the day. I thought I would be more nervous or stressed, but I was in a cloud of happy the whole day!

Do you have any tips for couples currently planning their wedding?
If you and your partner don't enjoy planning events, it is SO worth it to make room in your budget for a wedding planner. Our planner was a lifesaver, not as expensive as we had anticipated, and definitely worth every penny.

Why did you choose Michelle to be your wedding photographer?
One of the best pieces of advice that I got from a friend - who knows that I don't like getting my picture taken - was to find a wedding photographer that we felt comfortable with. We were drawn to Michelle's photography style, and when we met her in person, it felt like we were hanging out with a friend! It was the perfect combination & definitely paid off - the shoots were fun and our photos are amazing!

What is the best advice that you feel you could give to another couple getting married?
Make the wedding you want as a couple, and expect that not everyone will be happy with the decisions you make. We wanted to have a small, immediate family-only ceremony with a larger reception, but were worried that some family and friends would feel 'excluded' from the ceremony. The best advice we got on this issue was to enlist our parents and siblings to help spread the word well ahead of time, so that by the time the wedding invitations went out, no one (hopefully) was surprised at only being invited to the reception. I'm so happy we did our tiny ceremony/large reception.

Getting to know Laura and Evan throughout their whole wedding planning process was nothing short of fun. Laura and I immediately bonded over a mutual love of a particular shoe brand (Teeks are so comfortable and so cute!). We've all met up for drinks and talked beer. Jeff even joined us, he is quite a beer lover. The energy from the start was like picking up a conversation with friends you saw just last month. So after getting to know these two and photographing their wedding, I felt so honored by the review that Laura recently left for me and I wanted to share it with you here as well. Thank you Laura and Evan! 

"My husband and I were initially drawn to Michelle’s work because of the artistry and uniquely personal quality of her photos, but it was her warm, fun and outgoing personality that completely sealed the deal for us. Neither of us is very comfortable in front of the camera, so it was important to find a photographer who we really clicked with to help us relax and drop our guards – and from the first minute with Michelle, we were at ease. We met in person several times to plan both the engagement session and the wedding day. During the actual shoots, we were relaxed and laughing and felt like we were just hanging around with a good friend… who also happened to be taking pictures of us. Don’t get me wrong, Michelle is a professional and was continuously directing us in order to stage the photos, change our positions or movements, and change locations, while laughing along with us and enjoying the time. And the pictures are absolutely gorgeous!

The wedding photos especially are beyond what I had hoped for – there are so many amazing shots that evoke the feeling of the day, from getting ready to the ceremony and the reception. On our wedding day, Michelle and her team were all a pleasure to work with. My husband was a little nervous for his getting-ready pictures with the second photographer whom we had not met previously, but we shouldn’t have worried – Michelle’s ‘second shooter’ and her assistant were a great fit for us. Michelle and her team moved discreetly throughout the reception to capture pictures of the festivities. When we got to the cake cutting and realized that we didn’t actually know what to do, Michelle saved us by whispering instructions while she captured the moment! Since the pictures became available for guests to view, I have received so many compliments on how beautiful they are. Michelle was absolutely worth the investment, both for the quality of her work AND for the joy she brought to our wedding experience!"

Wedding Venue: Quonquont Farms in Whately MA
Wedding Planner: Events by Jackie M
Floral Arrangements by Forget Me Not Florist
Cake by Henion Bakery
DJ: Thom Sliney of TJ Productions
Catering by Seth Mias
Hair by Barbara Paulo of Shear XTreme
Makeup by Crystal Vazquez & Company
Wedding Gown by Morilee from Marry & Tux Bridal
Wedding Shoes: Tieks
Groom's Suit by Joseph Abboud from Men's Wearhouse
Bridesmaid dresses from David's Bridal
Wedding Rings from Leber Jeweler
Donuts (for dessert) from Donut Dip!

Seven Hills Inn Fall Wedding in the Berkshires :: Lenox, Ma :: Julie and Kyle

Julie and Kyle had the most beautiful Fall wedding last year, complete with so many fun, whimsical details that truly spoke to who they are. Julie is an author and her new book, Mice of the Round Table #1: A Tail of Camelot, hit the shelves this Fall. (You should check it out!) To speak to that huge part of their lives, their escort cards were bookmarks arranged in a display of books and their guestbook was a typewriter setup for their guests to write out words and wishes for the couple that could be opened at different times, like one month after being married. These two also love games, both board games and fantasy games, so they put out tabletop games in the parlor and had a Dungeons & Dragons wedding cake topper. They also added framed photos around the inn of their families, such an important part of their lives. We even recreated a meaningful photo of them based on one of those family heirlooms. 

Every detail that was chosen, highlighted who they are and added even more personality to their celebration. And it was quite a celebration! There were heartfelt toasts, so many smiles and hugs, and such touching vows that they wrote for each other. There was a dance floor that didn't stop, especially when they did the Time Warp! There was so much love for these two. And so much love between them.. they are clearly Ringbearers for life.

Wedding Venue: Seven Hills Inn in Lenox, Ma
Florist: Cassandra Redel
DJ: Bob Heck Entertainment
Caterer: Castle Street Cafe
Wedding Gown from BHLDN
Bride's Hairpiece by Avigail Adams