Just wanted to say happy holidays to all our friends, family and clients this year!  We've had a wonderful year personally and professionally and are looking forward to 2009!  Our New Year's Resolution is to blog more so forgive us if we catch up in January with fall portraits and Halloween!  We're spending the holidays in Florida with family and are only shooting with $13.99 underwater disposable cameras … side note…it's interesting how approachable people are with that kind of camera…so, maybe we'll have something to share when we get back after we get our Kodak discs back from CVS!  We'll be back the week of 12/29…looking forward to seeing everyone in the new year!

We had a great time Friday night at the opening reception for the women's photography show that I'm participating in called Love: Interpreted.  Thanks to our friends and family who came out!

The display is at the MAC 650 Artspace in downtown Middletown at 650 Main Street thru January 3rd.  It's just across the street from Eli Cannon's, a great pub to check out.

Here's some fun shots from Jo Kaplan Lee of Allegro Photography…with me second from the right…thanks Jo!:

It's been a year since I've photographed Amanda and Michael's family and I can't believe how much the kids have grown … wow!  I loved the light at their shoot … we shot about an hour before sunset and when it gets low on the horizon it can be just beautiful!

 It was very nice meeting Tamara's family to shoot their two lovely girls and their huge dog in Elizabeth Park.  Here are some of my favprites:

Well we just finished a frenzy of fall photos over the last month and a half!  I was so happy to be reunited with Jen and Tom, whose wedding we shot a few years back, to see how their family has grown!

Here are some faves:

It was such a pleasure to get to know Brian and Leslie and meet all of their wonderful friends and family – photographers and travelers included!  

Brian and Leslie got married at Trinity Episcopal church in Southport, CT:

The ladies all had unique dresses in navy and custom hats which were lovely to photograph! 

Brian and Leslie decided to see each other before the wedding:

Leslie's sister:

We did  a 5-minute run to the waterfront in Southport and I'm so glad we fit it in for a special few moments and pictures pre-wedding:

We had the pleasure of meeting Brian's sister, Abbie Flynn, who is a great wedding photojournalist out of Houston and I hope we will meet again!

The reception was held at the Fairfield Hunt Club  in Westport, CT.  The flowers were amazing and were done by Elegant Effects in Floral Design:

The hats came off as the dancing started:

 

The band was Eight To The Bar and there were some amazing swing dancers including Leslie's sister…I have never seen a couple dance so fast:

The Hunt Club has a cool vintage bar in the back:

Who did that…

Thanks so much for having us and thank you for sharing so much of yourselves with us…we loved capturing and being a part of your story!

The BRIDES Magazine | WPJA photo contest winners were announced this week..and three winning pictures were from Neil and Kelly's wedding at the Astors' Beechwood in Newport!

BRIDES magazine along with the  Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) conduct the contest.

Neil and Kelly's Newport wedding in the summer of 2007 was beautiful and so intimate and fun, which I think the photos capture.

The winning photos are below and at Brides.com…check out the bridal party on the lawn at Astors' Beechwood ,  Kelly and her Father,  and Neil and Kelly dancing!

You can view more pictures from Neil and Kelly's wedding –(go to Wedding Stories and select the Neil and Kelly, Newport gallery).

SECOND PLACE: Photo by Jane Shauck / Connecticut

CONTEST: 2008, BRIDES 2008, Q2 2008, Q1 2007, Q4 2007, Q3 2007, BRIDES 2007, Q2 2007, Q1 2006, Winter 2006, Fall 2006, Summer 2006, Spring 2005, Winter 2005, Fall 2005, Summer 2005, Spring 2004, Winter 2004, Fall 2004, Summer 2004, Spring 2003, Winter 2003, Summer 2002, Winter   CATEGORY: Bride Bridal Party Culture/Religious Customs Ceremony Getting Ready Kids Dancing Send Off/Departure Bride and Groom Parents CONTEST JUDGES

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THIRD PLACE: Photo by Jane Shauck / Connecticut

CONTEST: 2008, BRIDES 2008, Q2 2008, Q1 2007, Q4 2007, Q3 2007, BRIDES 2007, Q2 2007, Q1 2006, Winter 2006, Fall 2006, Summer 2006, Spring 2005, Winter 2005, Fall 2005, Summer 2005, Spring 2004, Winter 2004, Fall 2004, Summer 2004, Spring 2003, Winter 2003, Summer 2002, Winter   CATEGORY: Bride Bridal Party Culture/Religious Customs Ceremony Getting Ready Kids Dancing Send Off/Departure Bride and Groom Parents CONTEST JUDGES

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TENTH PLACE: Photo by Jane Shauck / Connecticut

CONTEST: 2008, BRIDES 2008, Q2 2008, Q1 2007, Q4 2007, Q3 2007, BRIDES 2007, Q2 2007, Q1 2006, Winter 2006, Fall 2006, Summer 2006, Spring 2005, Winter 2005, Fall 2005, Summer 2005, Spring 2004, Winter 2004, Fall 2004, Summer 2004, Spring 2003, Winter 2003, Summer 2002, Winter   CATEGORY: Bride Bridal Party Culture/Religious Customs Ceremony Getting Ready Kids Dancing Send Off/Departure Bride and Groom Parents CONTEST JUDGES

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There was so much happiness and love at this wedding…we were so honored to be there .  Susan got ready at her childhood home in West Hartford with her sisters, her mom and family.  I loved seeing the bedroom she grew up in…the bed was so small and it seemed so sweet that she slept in it the night before her wedding.

I loved how Susan's eyes filled with light in this picture: 

The dogs got to experience at least part of the day! 

Shannon and his dog:

Mike shot Shannon's family at his home where he got ready:

The ceremony and reception were at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford:

Shannon wanted to get married on the 18th hole and having it happen at sunset was beautiful light:

I love this shot that Mike took of Susan stepping out to walk down the aisle…

The flowers by The Flower District in Glastonbury were so beautifully done and fresh that I kept smelling them as I walked around.  The tables were done in silver.

Shannon's father gave the blessing:

Thank you for having us…

I love how every wedding has a different feel and Jessica and James' wedding was so wonderful to photograph…their artistic backgrounds showed throughout the entire day.

Jessica got ready at the Farmington Inn with friends and family:

Jessica got her hairpiece from Etsy.com … I don't know if you've checked this site out, but it has a lot of handmade, unique items for brides but also for all sorts of different products created by artists…I got my sons little handmade travel art totes.

Jessica then went to the Hill-Stead pre-ceremony:

We found the cake waiting in the kitchen!

The guys got ready at the Hartford-Farmington Marriott:

The ceremony had many special moments designed by Jessica and James including passing the rings throughout the guests.  The ceremony was in the barn at the Hill-Stead.

The tables were decorated with pumpkins, cloches, and James' art:

James' mom:

Jessica's mom had the great idea of shooting each guest's portrait at the end of the receiving line.   James' brother gave us one of the more interesting poses!

A huge highlight was the bride singing Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man":

This family band calls themselves "The Vanderettes" and included Jessica's dad:

Jessica then sang a song she wrote and published with her girlfriends:

…and James played harmonica.

Thank you guys…great time and great meeting your friends and family!

What a great wedding on Martha's Vineyard with Heather and Chris…thank you so much for welcoming us to spend the day with you and your families!

Heather grew up coming to the Vineyard and got ready at her parents' home in Oak Bluffs:

Chris' mom just before the ceremony which was at Trinity Church, right off Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs:

I love Heather's mom getting a kick out of the ring bearer:

Heather and her brother during the receiving line:

I don't know why but I love this photo…maybe the colors of Heather's grandmother's hat with the Ocean Park Gazebo…

We took Heather and Chris' formal photos at the Ocean Park Gazebo and I loved the inside of the roof and the shakes with the formal wedding clothes:

Then it was out to Menemsha for the reception at the stunning Beach Plum Inn with all the tables set in navy and silver:

A favorite shot from Mike.  The cocktail party was in a tent:

The dinner was held inside the Beach Plum Inn with an attached tent to allow for maximum seating.  Heather and Chris picked the Beach Plum specifically for the view and light at sunset.  So, as dinner started, the sun started to go down.  This shot of the blessing looks totally photoshopped to me but it's barely touched…the light looked this amazing all through dinner and just made for a beautiful, beautiful setting.  The other thing I want to point out is that in the attached tent, they had swagged a striped yellow and white fabric on the underside of the tent, making for a beautiful tent ceiling:

The light, the setting, the cake at sunset…amazing!

 Then, everyone headed down to the lower tent for a great night of dancing!

and a little bonfire!!!!!

Thank you guys for a lovely experience!