Tea for Two

I was so excited for Kathleen and Peter's wedding. They asked me to photograph their "east coast reception" - the fourth and final part of their coast-to-coast celebration.

We met at Taste of China in New Haven, and started with a bunch of posed photos with all their guests. Despite the iffy weather, we found a great spot in the restaurant to set up groups.

Then it was time for the main event - a wedding tea ceremony where Peter and Kathleen prepared tea and presented it to their family elders, who in turn presented them with gifts in red envelopes and blessings.

Before I left, there was time for a few couple's photos. I will admit, I was skeptical when Kathleen's Maid of Honor suggested the nearby alley as a photo spot, but it did not disappoint!

A really fun day and a new experience for me! Thanks for having me, Kathleen and Peter. And congratulations!

A Storybook Wedding

Heather and Bryan had a great theme for their wedding, inspired by the library setting for the reception. It ran straight through from their save-the-dates to the table decorations at the reception.

The day started with prep at Heather's house where she and the girls got hair and makeup done by some of the ladies from Allure Traveling Beauty. 

(The star of the show, though, was their cat, Cooper.)

The ceremony was held at St. Mary's Church in Newington, a beautiful church and meaningful to the couple.

We stopped at the nearby Newington Library for posed photos.

We also took more when we got to the reception venue, The Library in Wallingford. It's a really cool venue in a converted old library, and very photogenic!

I was a little worried there wouldn't be much dancing - small venue, almost no dance floor, a kind of sedate crowd. But I was wrong - after dinner, they shoved back a couple tables and people really went to town!

Congratulations, Heather and Bryan!

A Beautiful View

I met Emily and her girls, including her simply adorable flower girl, for hair and make-up.

From there we moved to St. Francis Xavier Church, where the guys obliged for some photos before the wonderful ceremony.

The ceremony included a funny moment, when Joe went in for the kiss a little early, but Emily was not having it!

Till a moment later, when they shared a beautiful kiss.

The reception was held at La Bella Vista, and began with posed photos - pretty easy with such a good looking couple!

The night was full of dancing, food, and even some impromptu karaoke!

Congratulations, Emily and Joe!

Back to the Barn

Last summer I photographed my first wedding at Webb Dean Barn in Wethersfield. It was a great time, so I was very excited with Kaitlyn and Adam told me their wedding would be in the same spot!

However, the day started at Strandz Salon, where Kaitlyn, her bridesmaids, and her mom got their hair done.

After a quick stop at the hotel for the dress, we made our way to the barn where the guests were already seated for the ceremony. They wrote their own vows that got laughs from everyone .

Webb Barn's gardens were in full bloom, so of course we had to get lots of couple's photos.

After cocktails, we moved inside the barn for the remaining festivities.

It was a relatively short night, but they packed in lots of excitement and lots of great music.

And to end the night they had a visit from an ice cream truck!

What a fun night! Congratulations, Kaitlyn and Adam!

Merlot on the Water

"Merlot on the Water" was the venue for Maria and Shawn's wedding, but also tells you a lot about the tone for the night - wine and music in a beautiful lakeside setting. 

I met Maria, her mother, and maid of honor in the bridal suite for prep.

Then we headed to the nearby Connecticut Trolley Museum for a first look and some posed photos. It was an awesome place to take photos and I definitely want to go back just to check out the exhibits.

We returned to Merlot for an outdoor ceremony overlooking the lake. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.

After cocktails, Maria and Shawn were introduced with a wonderful choreographed first dance.

The rest of the night was full of good music, food, and dancing, with an elegant twist - many of Maria's family are ballroom dancers.

Congratulations, Maria and Shawn!

Palm Trees in Connecticut

When I posted a quick instagram photo from Kristen and James's wedding, a bunch of my friends thought I'd flown down south for a destination wedding!

Actually, it was just at the lovely Anthony's Ocean View in New Haven, a perfect spot for this beachy, fun wedding.

The weather was perfect as they said their vows next to the water, and there was tons of amazing food and drinks during cocktail hour and dinner.

There were speeches from friends, parent dances, and lots of great music to keep people out on the dance floor all night.

Congratulations, Kristen and James!

In Simsbury Inn

I met Anna and Stan at the Simsbury Inn to get photos of them getting ready with their friends and family.

They had a first look in the lobby, and then we piled into a few cars and went to the Pinchot Sycamore and the Flower Bridge, local photo hotspots, for some posed photos.

The ceremony was held on the patio, officiated by a friend and blessed with beautiful weather.

Their reception was a ton of fun! Great dances, traditional music, tasty food, and wedding games.

Congratulations, Anna and Stan!

"I Do" At The Zoo

Jenny and Joe only had to tell me one thing to convince me I had to do their wedding: it was going to be at Beardsley Zoo. I didn't even know you could get married at the zoo!

The day started elsewhere, though. Specifically Lucious & Co., where Jenny and her bridesmaids got hair and makeup done. The folks there did an amazing job!

Next we moved to the zoo, where the guys and the girls were getting dressed in the Hansen Building.

We went to the rainforest building for the first look. Joe and I were kept company by adorable little monkeys while waiting for the bride to walk in. When she did, though, Joe only had eyes for her.

Before doing more posed photos, we stopped to say high to the Howler Monkeys, who were really interested in Jenny (or maybe just wanted to eat her bouquet).

Their ceremony was officiated by Joe's dad, a talented speaker who added an amazing, personal touch and a great sense of humor.

Afterward, there was time for people to hit up the food truck and explore the zoo, which was empty except for wedding guests. (At the risk of sounding crotchety, a zoo with no kids? Amazing.)

The reception proper started with a big announcement from the couple - after years of snakes, geckos, and other little pets, this animal loving couple had adopted their first dog just days before the wedding. Geronimo was a little nervous about all the people and excitement, but so so cute!

After that was the first dance...

...and then a trip to the carousel.

The rest of the night was dessert, dancing, and hanging out with friends and family. And one quick late-night portrait session, because I can't let a good set of arches go to waste.

Congratulations, Jenny, Joe, and Geronimo!