Steaming September Wedding in Rhode Island
Most times when one thinks of September in New England, thoughts are milling around apples, colorful leaves and the crisp change of seasons. Sarah and Anthony’s wedding day was quite the contrary! It was 92f in my car when I pulled up to the church (built in 1806 with no air conditioning!) and I’m quite sure the humidity levels rivaled that of the deep south. The great part was that through the hot, steamy day they both kept their cool and as a result, had a fabulous wedding day!
The day started with the ladies getting ready at the father of the bride’s house. The tall ceilings and great light provided a few opportunities for detail photos before heading out the door. The limo whisked them off to the church and I arrived a few minutes before everyone, preparing to position the wedding party, give them their cues and then be there just as the bride arrived with her father. I could tell Sarah was so nervous, yet so excited at the same time. Anthony kept his cool and was grinning, almost as if to say “that’s ok, I’ll be right here”. The brief ceremony in the historic First Unitarian Church in Providence, RI ended with the traditional kiss and we all escaped to the outdoors for a bit of a breeze.
After the ceremony everyone made short drive to Warwick, RI to the Aldrich Mansion on the banks of Narragansett Bay. We captured more photos and then after cocktail hour, watched the first dances and an entertaining toast by the best man. After dinner Sarah and Anthony chose to have a private cake cutting with parents and grandparents in the dessert room. I’ll admit, I had no idea what I was in for with this “dessert room”. Wow. First, I snuck in for a preview and I was overwhelmed by the smell of buttery rum fragrance flowing through the air, almost like a little piece of heaven. My eyes started darting all over the room and soon, after I could focus, I saw the chef in the back corner making bananas foster. In front of me were countless other amazing desserts. Oh….right…. focus! :-)
The night ended with the DJ’s rocking it out with the crowd and fun dancing. It was still quite warm at the end of the night but I think by that point, everyone was having so much fun they forgot all about it. Huge congratulations to Sarah and Anthony!
New York, Oh How I Love Thee…
There really isn’t a city like New York City. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been there. There is a constant swell of energy in the air, even during the gloomiest of days. Whether you’re in the Financial District, Midtown, the Theater District or even the upper east side, you can still feel it. Perhaps that’s why Travis and Kathy chose to share their wedding vows there, in the midst of that energy. Whatever the reason, it turned into an amazing day for them!
The day started with a few last minute schedule changes and a missing veil. The beauty of photographing weddings is that you’re forced to be dynamic and flexible. Things change and part of my role is to ensure that the bride and groom are relaxed and not stressed about those last minute changes. We had changes in the start time, changes in wedding location (yes!) but in the end, it all worked out. The wedding was initially planned to be at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. However, pending rain and a hesitant officiant had the ceremony shifted to a small area at The Plaza Hotel. Yes, THE Plaza Hotel, where the bride and groom were staying during their time in the city. The hotel really is as stunning as you might imagine!
I arrived early and captured a photographs of the bride getting ready in her suite, accompanied by her mom and maid of honor. The ceremony was very classic with a twist of hand wrapping, signifying their bond and commitment to each other. There were just a few close family members present which made for a very intimate ceremony in the gorgeous wings of the Plaza. Thankfully, the weather held up and we made our way via horse and carriage to Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. The light wasn’t overly harsh and the fountain provided a beautiful backdrop for the newly wed couple. There is also a bridged area with beautiful artwork next to the fountain that we took advantage of. Afterward, Travis and Kathy took the carriage back to the hotel, waving to pedestrians on the street along the way, to join the rest of their family for a private dinner reception at the Boat House.
The magic of the city didn’t disappoint! Congratulations to Kathy and Travis!
The book that Travis used when he proposed to Kathy, which the maid of honor used to carry the rings in.
Waving to the pedestrians on the way back to the hotel – they received many congratulatory cheers from them!
Majestic Mount Washington
This past weekend I had a real treat with not only my parents in town from Florida, but also a ride up the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington! Mount Washington is stunning and the tallest peak in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. In fact, it’s the tallest peak in the entire northeast at 6,288 ft. It’s known to have “the world’s worst weather” and once recorded a wind gust of 231 mph!
Mount Washington also quite historic as it is home to the very first mountain climbing rack-and-pinion (Cog) railway in the world. It’s been in operation since 1869 and the design has been mimicked around the world. There is actually a sister Cog railroad on Pike’s Peak in Colorado that I road a few years ago. I wanted to treat my parents to a ride on the Cog and the beautiful views from Mount Washington while they were visiting. We nearly didn’t make it after a few wrong turns and missing our reservation, but we got lucky and found our way on another train. We boarded onto the small railcar that had a maximum capacity of 70 people and it was near capacity. The conductor provided a bit of history for us as we made our way up. He took time to boast that we were riding the second steepest track but by far the most dangerous – thankfully he shared that information after we made it past the risky “Jacob’s Ladder”!
Ok, yes, I went to Purdue and I have a thing for trains too. :-) I am a Boilermaker after all!
The views were amazing, from those behind us as we were riding up to those all around when we reached the summit. The clouds looked magical and the peaks in the distance almost looked like cartoons that were about to come to life. We were fortunate that the winds were relatively calm and we had the sun attempting to warm us which isn’t always the case. My parents even got “photo bombed” by a hiker that was determined to touch the summit marker!
I highly recommend a ride on the Cog at least once if you have the opportunity. You can also take the motor way up or enjoy a nice long hike! Check out more about the observatory and weather center at http://www.mountwashington.org.
Here are some photos from our adventures!
This is what happens when you fumble your camera while hitting your shutter release at the same time!
Mission Gratitude
Last week I had the honor and pleasure of volunteering my photography services for a fundraiser for Home Base called Mission Gratitude. For those that aren’t familiar with the organization, Home Base is a wonderful group that helps returning veterans and their families with the challenges they may struggle with when returning to civilian life after serving. Specifically, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mission Gratitude is one of their huge fundraisers for the year filled a star studded lineup and $1000+ seats at the Boston Symphony Hall. You can learn more about the Home Base program here: www.homebaseprogram.org. Also, specifically this event, Mission Gratitude here: www.missiongratitude.com. I encourage you to learn more and when possible, help support this organization. Personally, I can’t say thank you enough for what the men and women of our US military (and their families) do for our country.
The majority of my evening was actually spent photographing guests as they socialized before the event started with cocktails. There was also a fun opportunity for guests to have their photo taken with Tim Wakefield and Ray Bourque of which I did. Both were great sports as the guests were thrilled to shake their hands and have their photo taken with them. All of these photos were taken using a special tool by dwinQ (also a major sponsor of the event) that allowed the photos to immediately be transferred from my camera to their email in-box or Facebook page. Very cool technology!
After guests were seated, I grabbed my longer lens and snuck in for a few photos of the guest speakers and performers. There were several big name folks there, but the one that struck a chord with me was the Medal of Honor recipient, SSG Ty Carter. Wow. His story and acts of bravery amazed me, as well as his heartfelt honesty about his own challenges with PTSD. He is a true hero.
Below is a sample of photos from the evening. Don’t forget to check out http://www.homebaseprogram.org! ;-)
Katie and Jason
The big day FINALLY arrived for Katie and Jason! I had the honor of capturing the memories of the day in photos for them. I had an extra special second shooter too – my friend Kara, who flew over from Denver! Kara went with me to buy my very first SLR camera back in college many, many years ago and it was extra special having her by my side.
We hit the road early (by 8:00am!) and drove to Mt. Wachusett, which is about 85 miles from where I live. Thankfully, we arrived safely right on time and got to work with me capturing the ladies getting ready and Kara capturing the men. The champagne was flowing and it was a beautiful and bright sunny day. They did something very unique and actually met each other at the mountain top prior to the wedding ceremony. It was magical watching them see each other for the first time that day. The immediate wedding party joined at the mountain top and we were able to take many of the photos prior to the ceremony, which is a real perk for those that are familiar with how busy a photographer’s schedule can be right after the ceremony. The bride was escorted by her father and step-father and completed the walk down the aisle with her father. The look on Jason’s face was that of pure bliss as he watched her walk toward him. They were both so calm, so peaceful as if everything was simply right as they said their vows. It was one of the most emotional wedding ceremonies I’ve experienced and actually felt myself tearing up!
The cocktail hour immediately followed the ceremony which included chair lift rides to the mountain top for the guests. Jason and Katie took advantage of that time to sneak a few minutes to themselves as they overlooked the gorgeous landscape. After the guests were seated and the wedding party was introduced, Katie and Jason sang a song – yes, SANG! It was wonderful! Of course, the first dance followed later after dinner… but what a special treat to hear them sing! Speaking of special treats, there was a super yummy smores table out by the fire. So perfect for the setting, watching guests roast marshmallows as the sun set. No worries though, soon enough the dancing really took off! I’m sure there were a few guests with sore feet the next day. ;-) Kara and I were there for over 9 hours on our feet, but we weren’t in heels, thank goodness!
Really, I could go on and on about the day… but hopefully a small sample of the photographs captured that I shared below help show how special the day was. I wish Katie and Jason the very best as they start their lives together as husband and wife – congratulations!
