Sarah & Evan – Tower Hill Botanical Garden Wedding | Boylston, MA Wedding Photographer

It may have been the hottest day of the year, but Sarah & Evan’s wedding at the Tower Hill Botanic garden was nothing short of stunning! Tower Hill Botanic Garden may be one of the prettiest venues I’ve had the pleasure of shooting. It’s amazing that they open it up to events. The gardens are beautiful and full of so many flowers and so much color. The reception area is all glass, which creates an amazing atmosphere no matter the time of day. I can’t wait to shoot there again!

Ipswich Country Club Wedding – Ipswich, MA | Jamie & John

I always love working local, and the Ipswich Country Club is no exception! Only a few minutes from where I live, the Ipswich Country Club is set inside a private community on beautiful grounds. If you’re looking for a place to have a private, intimate ceremony, look no further!

Jamie & John blended their family with John’s son, surrounded by family and friends on a beautiful spring day. I love the spring because all of the flowers and colors are starting to pop after a long, gray winter. It’s also just before the weather gets hot! After a sweet ceremony, we headed inside where the party never stopped. It’s always a good time when your bride and groom are both law enforcement and walk into their party handcuffed together 😉

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Melissa & Josh – Groveland Fairways Wedding – August 2015

Groveland Fairways is quickly becoming another one of my favorite venues! Not only is it a close location for me, it’s absolutely beautiful, with lots of options for photo spots, indoor and out. This also means ceremony spaces indoor and out, so if its winter, or you have bad weather and need to move inside, you’re all set! Luckily the weddings I had there this summer were both outside in their gorgeous ceremony space. It’s a bit off-set to the back of the property, so it’s nice and private for the ceremony while preparations are made for the reception inside, even if you can hear the baby goats next door 🙂 Cocktail hour can be held out back on the patio as well in nicer weather.

Now about the couple, the main part of the day! Melissa & Josh were awesome throughout the entire process of planning through day of. They are both so laid back and they had a super fun wedding! They are also very sentimental and had a lot of heirlooms included in their big day, the most special one being the diamond in Melissa’s engagement ring. One of my favorite parts was the Horah Dance at the reception. I’d never shot one, and was excited when we got some great shots of it, even if Melissa preferred to stay closer to the ground 🙂 It was another wedding where I felt like part of the family. And now I’ve heard they are expecting their first little one soon! Congratulations!

Boston Park Plaza & Boston Public Garden Wedding – Tara & John – August 2015

Shooting a wedding at the Boston Public Garden has always been a dream of mine. It’s one of my favorite spots in the city, especially on a perfect summer day. I was super excited to find out that Tara & John’s ceremony and photos would be held on the Boston Public Garden, with their reception following at the Boston Park Plaza hotel. Since landscape photos are one of my non-wedding passions, I was able to incorporate some into their wedding photos to really showcase the location, as well as their wedding. The weather was beyond perfect, with just a few clouds to make their photos really pop!

Tara & John were blending their family, with his 2 little girls, and their brand new baby daughter. Surrounded by family and friends, they exchanged their vows on the Public Garden, overlooking the pond. They had the sweetest ceremony, and we shot their family photos and bridal portraits in the garden. With the bridge, pond, and so many other natural backdrops, I could have spent the rest of the day there! Sadly, that was not an option, but they did stop at the ice cream truck at the back of the garden for a couple of ice cream cones on the way back to the Boston Park Plaza hotel for their reception!

A wedding ceremony on the Boston Public Garden, and a reception at the Boston Park Plaza hotel, a wedding day couldn’t be more Boston themed, and I loved it!

Harding Allen Estate Wedding – Erica & Dave – August 2015

The Harding Allen estate may be one of my new favorite venues (to add to my ever-growing list of venues I love…) One benefit of my job is that I get to travel around to different parts of the New England area and see new places. It’s no secret that I love castle and estate style venues, and the Harding Allen Estate is no exception! It’s on beautiful grounds, with everything a couple needs right on site. It’s also no secret that I love weddings that are completely on site in one location. Not only does it make my day easier, but it’s easier for the couple and the guests as well!

The gorgeous outdoor ceremony space is very private and quiet, and looks stunning with the large arbor and columns, surrounded by beautiful greenery and landscaping. There’s also a garden with a fountain, and the grounds out front are very grande. It was the perfect setting for Erica & Dave’s whimsical and sweet ceremony & reception. We had tons of fun taking photos and almost lost track of time! Erica & Dave were really into candid style photos, which is the main part of the 617 Weddings style. We like to let the night happen with no interference so our couples can enjoy their day 🙂 They also wanted to have some fun, such as the groomsmen staging a mock fight. After photos and the usual introductions and other formalities (as well as a very tasty dinner!), everyone danced the night away! But, I was also able to steal the couple away for a few night photos. Lucky for me, Erica & Dave were very willing to let me try a few new ideas.

I already have another wedding booked for the Harding Allen Estate for this coming summer, and I cannot wait to go back!

The Margate Wedding – Lake Winnipesaukee, NH – Madison & Zack

Ever since we had so much fun at Madison & Zack’s Salem Willows engagement session, I couldn’t wait for their June wedding at The Margate Resort on Lake Winnipesaukee. Destination weddings are always fun, they’re like mini vacations for me, so I was excited to have a weekend away and shoot a great wedding in the process!

The whole day was so much fun, full of family and friends, lots of laughs and an overall great time. Madison is a very detail-oriented bride and it showed. Everything was set up, planned out and decorated to perfection. One of my favorite details was the aisle runner she made with their timeline starting from when they met and going all the way until the wedding day. It was so creative and sweet! But my absolute favorite part of the ceremony were the tortoise ring bearers. They own 2 tortoises which we had planned to have them in the engagement session but it didn’t work out. I was so excited to see them at the wedding! Madison made a special ring bearer pillow to fit over the larger one’s shell and they were pulled in a blue wagon by their nephews.

After we had some fun with photos on beaches and boats, and even included me wading into the lake to get a shot, it was time to party! They danced the night away and had a great time. I definitely hope to shoot at the Margate again soon!

Stevens Estate Wedding – North Andover, MA – Erica and Albie

My next event was Erica & Albie’s Stevens Estate Wedding. It was held over Memorial Day weekend in North Andover, MA. Erica & Albie were one of my first consults, and my very first booking when I joined the wonderful 617 Weddings! May seemed so far away when we booked last August, but it seemed to come so quickly 🙂 I love estate wedding venues, so I was excited to see the Steven’s Estate. The bridal suite was big, beautifully decorated, and full of gorgeous, natural light. We even had a few moments to shoot a few bridal photos before heading to the ceremony. Erica was stunning in her beaded lace dress and the bridesmaids were in different shades of my favorite color, purple, with accents of yellow.

The day was filled with lots of family and personal touches. The ceremony was officiated by Erica’s brother, and their wedding party was filled with family, such as Albie’s father as his best man, and other great friends by their side. It was a day filled with lots of love and emotion, and you could see how excited they were to be getting married, surrounded by family and friends. It was such a beautiful day and I hope to shoot at the Stevens Estate again soon!

Erin & Jerry – Stone Mountain Arts Center Wedding – Brownfield, Maine

Erin & Jerry were my first referral clients after I rebooted my business this year. Their wedding seemed so far away in January, but August 30th seemed to come and go so fast! I had made a trip up to their venue at the Stone Mountain Arts Center in May since I knew I’d need to see it beforehand. It also made it easier to meet with them and the wedding coordinator to finalize everything. I also got lucky and was able to crash at my uncle’s ski cabin near North Conway for the weekend of the wedding. It made travel a lot easier to go up the night before and not have to drive 3 hours home the night of!

Their wedding day was beautiful. The weather was perfect. Erin & Jerry decided to do a first look so they could get some of their family formals out of the way before the wedding. I love first looks, and my favorite part is the Groom’s reaction to seeing his bride for the first time 🙂 It was one of the most easy and relaxed weddings I’ve ever shot too! We got so much done before, that we were able to just do some bridal photos after the ceremony. Then Erin & Jerry were announced into their cocktail hour to enjoy some food and mingle with their guests before dinner. The food was amazing, a huge buffet, and some of the best wedding food I’ve ever had! I will say one of the perks of the job is getting to eat lots of awesome food and cake!