Alyssa and Carlos {Crane Estate Wedding, Ipswich, MA}

Alyssa and Carlos were married on a golden October day, in the most charming of locations. The ceremomy took place in Alyssa's hometown of Lynnfield--which also happens to be my own beloved little town! It was a pleasure getting to know Alyssa's wonderful family as everyone got ready at their home, surrounded by beautiful original art pieces everywhere you looked (heavenly). Alyssa's Marie-Antoniette inspired gown, with it's exquisite lace, fit her tiny body like a glove. GORGEOUS. With her golden hair in a artful knot at her nape and her vintage fur stole, she was transformed into a glamorous throwback starlit! The day was rich in beauty and sentiment, from the full house of friends and family bustling around (and Alyssa's dad practicing his swanky dance moves), to the Rolls Royce pulling up in front of the house against a dreamy backdrop of glittering fall colors, to the sound of bagpipes serenading Alyssa as she made her way into the church she had attended for her whole life, to Carlos' face when she walked toward him....And it only got better after the ceremony, when my fabulous assistant Felicia and I found ourselves climbing the windy roads to the reception venue, the magnificent gem on a hill that is the Crane Estate in Ipswich. The rooms of the mansion were stunning in the late afternoon light, the open doors letting the ocean breeze sail straight through and into the gallery, and the tables elegantly adorned with gorgeous floral creations by Gregory's Flower Shop. Uplighting added romance to the room as night fell, and everyone moved into the Ballroom for a dance party led by the classy James from Allstar Entertainment and Uplighting. When she was a little girl, Alyssa declared that she would one day get married at the Crane Estate, and this crystal clear autumn day couldn't have been a more perfect setting for that dream to come true. We had fun making use of the gardens and the grand view of rolling hills sweeping toward the sea for which the Crane Estate is known. It was against this backdrop that Alyssa and Carlos had the first dance, encircled by friends and family as the sun set over the ocean. Talk about a dream coming true! It was also a dream to photograph, and I am so happy to share the this story at long last...     To see more of the day's sweet moments, check out their slideshow.

Kyla and Chad: {Boston Seaport World Trade Center Wedding}

It is about time that I post some loveliness from the gorgeous Boston wedding of Kyla and Chad! I had kind of an "at first sight" love affair with this wedding--and with all of the people involved: the warm, welcoming families, the sweetest-ever bridesmaids, the adorable batch of groomsmen, and most importantly, the most sincere, effortlessly wonderful bride and groom. It was a perfect, crisp November day to report for duty in the Seaport Disctrict, and when I found myself in Kyla's suite, I was immediately surrounded by a wonderful chaos of friends and family members, makeup and hair preparations in every corner, and an air of laughter and closeness, clutter and excitement--the best kind of environment to kick off a wedding day. Both Kyla's mom and dad pulled her in for an affectionate squeeze within my first half hour there (at separate times), and this, along with how obviously adored Kyla is by her friends just said so much about Kyla's circle of support, and most importantly, about the couple they were there to honor. Kyla has a quiet, graceful nature, and she was so considerate, bringing me into the conversation, and making me feel welcome (I can't say enough how much this means to me). Hence, the warm fuzzies set in right away, and that feeling was with me for the rest of the day. I was lucky to be able to hop into the limo with the girls, and look out the window and watch my alma mater (B.U.) and many familiar spots pass we drove through the heart of the city and into Brookline on the way to the church. The ceremony at the beautiful St. Mary's of the Assumption was officiated by Kyla's uncle, a fact which added to the sentiment of the day. After stopping on the way back along Memorial Drive for some photos along the Charles, we made it back to the Seaport World Trade Center Boston, for the rest of the festivities. First we took advantage of the many interesting locations outside World Trade Center for photos, like the bridge over-looking the city skyline and the many stone archways of the historic Trade Center building itelf. Then it was into the hotel for the reception festivities; the warm fuzzies were still with me deep into the night, as Chad swept his bride into his arms and around the dance floor that was packed all night. It was just one of those satisfying days; Chad and Kyla and their guests stole my heart (seriously, Kyla, you had the sweetest, friendliest, most darling bridesmaids ever!). Thank you for making me feel so welcome, K & C; it was a wonderful honor, and I hope the photos help to bring it all rushing back. For more where these came from, take a peek at their slideshow.