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It’s amazing to me how every wedding is different and this was no exception — this was a fantastic wedding with a great party and a lot of heart throughout the day – thanks for inviting us to share it with you and welcome back from your Mediterranean cruise – very jealous!

The girls started at the Hilton Garden Inn in Windsor.  I had to laugh as Leslie was coming through this huge dress at me!

After doing Leslie and Aaron’s engagement shoot I knew Leslie was up for anything, so we did a little variation of "typical" bridal shots on the hotel bed (don’t worry, we still got the standards! :)):

Have I gone too far with the next one???  Not sure, but I like it…those are rose petals that the hotel had sprinkled all over the room…

The guys got ready at Aaron’s home-Mike second shot and got some great candids – NICE:

A million flashes went off at the church during the kiss which I really like the look of:

Aaron’s parents reaction as they announce Leslie and Aaron at the church:

We took some family groups outside the church and found an old swing:

The bridal party then went on the party bus to  Hartford City Hall for their photos.  I had never shot there but there was some pretty cool architecture:

The lower level ceiling reiminds me of the Oyster Bar at Grand Central – love it!

My favorite portrait of Leslie and Aaron:

and then it was off to the Farmington Club to celebrate.  The audio to this shot is Leslie yelling "don’t leave the bride behind" (she’s in the middle back)!

The first-dance dip:

Aaron’s brother and best man telling us just a couple of stories about Aaron! 

The little girls who never stopped dancing!!!

A really touching father-daughter dance:

Aaron’s amazing mom who wrote and read a great poem earlier in the evening about Aaron:

Leslie threw her bouquet to her friend off to the side:

Now the dancing started going strong – great music, great dancing with Leslie often leading the party!  For starters, "Greased Lightning" was fully reenacted by all:

Aaron and his nephew on the dancefloor:

I don’t know why, but I really like this shot…

A great spontaneous moment at the end of the night:

I

"I  like you.  I like this wedding.  High-five!"   — Thanks guys!

What a beautiful night we had for Dan and Sarah’s urban engagement session on the streets of Hartford.  Dan and Sarah love Pratt Street so we chose that as our starting point and their favorite Irish pub Vaughn’s which I am told is very authentic!

Thank you Michelle and Ed for including us on your wedding day!  It was truly lovely, you and your families were wonderful to meet and work with — and of course, the smoking car added some excitement and now makes for a great story!   Thank you for being up for anything photography-wise too – I LOVED our late night shoot on the settee.

The day started at Michelle’s parents’ home.  We shot the details while Michelle was having her hair done:

Michelle and the girls all got their make-up done at the house:

I loved both of these shots…Michelle’s mom helping her get ready…

…and I thought her sister Becca looked really beautiful here:

Meanwhile, the guys were having a toast at Grants with second shooter Caroline:

Some window portraits of Michelle:

 

Michelle’s mom and dad helping her into the antique car:

Michelle’s dad saving her from the now smoking antique car on the side of the road!  Luckily the girls’ limo was not far behind and Michelle and her dad hitched a ride to the church!

The ceremony was at St. James Episcopal in West Hartford.  This is why I love to use a second shooter (and to have them shoot from the choir loft if there is one!)–thanks Caroline!:

The church portrait:

Bride, Groom and Best Man laughing on their way to the reception:

The cocktail party started at The Bond  and meanwhile we went on our urban/nature/Capitol walk-a-bout photography session with Ed and Michelle and the bridal party:

 

What are the chances…

and back to The Bond to start the party with the first dance. 

Ed’s dance with his mom:

The tables were decorated with wedding cake cookies:

It was a pleasure to work with Marcin and his wife again from Digital Ink Wedding Videography – nicest guys to work with and also are into a contemporary and creative look.  The DJ was Boppers DJs and they were great – professional, fun, in the moment:

If I haven’t raved about The Bond enough for it’s lighting, please take note of how the natural light changes throughout the reception – it’s really beautiful – and the views of the capitol building and the skyline at night are fantastic!

The girls at dinner at sunset:

Both the cookies and the cake were done by Creative Cakes by Donna .  The cake with it’s amazing fondant:

Downtown Hartford skyline:

 

I really liked the off-camera flash lighting on this picture done by second-shooter Caroline – it feels like a dark fashion shoot to me…

One word for my experimentation:  Lens Baby!

I’ll just say that only a few know what was going on in the ladies room that night (including MOB) but it’s my job as the photographer to document and expose it! 

Back to the dance floor, I loved this moment between Michelle and Ed:

My favorite shot of the day from our late night 10-minute portrait session:

Goodnight between father and daughter:

Off for a little nightcap in Hartford:

There is a reason Michelle is being kissed by Mayor Mike but only the bridal party knows!

Thanks guys for a really great wedding and for being so enjoyable to work with!