Shae & Jeff ~ A Salisbury Beach Engagement!

“Being with her, I never laughed so hard or had so much fun as when we are together… I knew by our second date I wanted to share the rest of my life with her.” ~Jeff

When I met Shae and Jeff a few months ago, I could instantly feel the love that they had for each other spread through the room and make any other couple sitting by envious. I throughly enjoyed getting to know the both of them and hearing their stories. Such a sweet and fun couple, they had me laughing all night.  Together they have such a fun and charismatic lifestyle that truly embraces each other and their families.

We planned their engagement shoot for the beach between Seabrook, NH and Salisbury, MA. Just a normal day at the beach doing their favorite things; walking, talking, playing scrabble and the day would not have been complete without their just as enthusiastic labrador Jackson joining us!

 

I do believe Jackson is stealing the show in the images below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After playing on the beach we walked over to a sandy area and threw out a blanket. Shae popped out their favorite game, and they just sat and played for awhile.
To watch these two interact is pure joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The two of you are so fun and refreshing to be around! I can not wait for your wedding next November!

 

Janine & Matt ~ An Electrifying Engagement!

 

Today we’re kicking it up a notch, or a few!
Matt and Janine contacted me awhile back and as we chat over a plummy bottle of Malbec, I knew instantly how much fun they were going to be!
Matt and Janine may be polar opposites on many levels, but Oh Wow! When the two of them are together sparks fly!

We started out their engagement shoot in a small park in Boston under the Zakim Bridge. There were two spots where the light was all warm and buttery and
I couldn’t resist all that yummy light streaming right across the two.

 

You may have noticed the Museum of Science in the Background a few images back.
How could we not include an image of their favorite place to go? In fact they are even members!

So we grabbed our tickets and ventured in! 1st Stop the Butterfly Garden!

 

Matt is fantastic with all the puzzles all over the wall, he kept hopping anxiously from one to the next – it was difficult to keep up with him until I suggested they have a seat!

 

 

Then we came around the corner and the Exhibit was all about LIGHT!!!
Did I just die and go to heaven? My inner geek squealed and it was time to play! Yes, they were just as excited as I was! Wicked Awesome, and it just got even better!
I can’t really tell who had more fun with this shoot. It might be a toss up, but I certainly loved it! We have lights, reflections, mirrors, shiny things, and a gorgeous couple.
They even indulged me and let me play for a few minutes in the Photography Exhibit!

Fun. Fun. Fun!

 

I love this sequence. I saw the red lights below and I could see it happening before me so I just stood back and let them do their own thing.

 

And then something Magical happened…

Matt and Janine, Congratulations!
The two of you are so incredibly much fun and complimentary to each other in every way!
I seriously can not wait until your wedding next month!

Jessica & John ~ Love on an Escalator! A Downtown Boston Engagement Session

There are so many firsts in life.  The first time you take a step.  Your first best friend.  Your first boyfriend or girlfriend.
The first time you flew in an airplane and your very first place.

Then there are the epic firsts.  The first time you fall in love.  The first time you look into the eyes of your newborn.
The first time you step inside the walls of a Sephora retail store…

Okay.  Maybe not epic but, Ladies, I know you know what I’m talking about!

It was about a year ago, at the urging of friend and fellow obsessive, that I even ventured into the store. I stood there one foot in the Sephora at the Natick Collection in pure amazement!  I could barely move and within seconds I began to hit it off with an amazing make-up artist, Gina.  We talked make-up and skincare, color, photography & weddings.  She inspired and taught me the magical wonders of the “smoky eye”. She is quite the amazing artist. For me, it was a revelation!
My eyes were opened to a whole new world!

Everyday I’m thankful I followed my friend’s recommendation, for without that trip I never would have made that connection with Gina.
And without that connection, I may never had the pleasure of meeting Jessica and John, a truly beautiful couple!

The first time I met Jessica & John was at a restuarant in the Worcester area.  The atmosphere was funky, the wine was great and the apps were tasty!  Almost immediately I sensed something different about this couple.  There is a life and richness to their love.  You can see it in the way their eyes meet and the way their faces light up when they tell a story, especially their story.

For their engagment session, Jessica & John chose to spend the day meandering about Boston’s Back Bay.  We made full use of the gorgeous Summer afternoon, beautiful landscapes and architecture, as well as all the spontaneous opportunities the city never fails to provide.  Not forgetting to mention, of course, the more subtle locations that gave us the opportunity to linger slightly longer than usual.  It’s in those lingering moments where the magic happens!  Magic like in what happens when you recreate one of their firsts…

A ride on an escalator and their first kiss!

No excursion in Boston would be complete without a visit to the Public Gardens…

and then strolling down back bay it was hard not to dip our feet in…

Then we continued our stroll down Newbury Street, complete with sidewalk performances and dancing!

As self-proclaimed Foodies, this couple loves a great meal.
What better way to cool off from the Summer heat than with a glass of Sangria at the fabulous Tapeo, one of their favorite spots.

While the idea was to take a quick break and cool off, things just kept heating up!

Jessica & John -
Congratulations on your Engagment!  I cannot wait for the Big Day!

Ariele & Ivan ~ A North Shore Engagement

It has always amazed me the way people come in and out of your life.  The way life always comes back full circle.
Each time I look at the images of Ariele and Ivan I’m reminded of this and it warms my heart.

I’ve known Ariele since she was a little girl.  My Parent’s bought the house next to her’s when I was MUCH younger.  I remember being so excited that I would have a neighbor, albeit a few years younger than I, to run around the neighborhood with and have great adventures.  We both grew and I had the immense pleasure of spending time with Ariele and her younger sister, Bailey, as I babysat.  Time continued to pass.  I graduated high school and moved away to college, met my husband and started a family.  Now it’s Ariele’s turn and, once again, she & her family have entrusted me with such an important aspect
of their life – capturing the love and marriage of their eldest daughter!

Ariele and Ivan, both research scientists, met at the laboratory where they both work – first meeting in Ariele’s interview with the company.  Over time they got to know each other and, eventually, Ivan garnered the courage to ask Ariele out to dinner.  Although I was reassured this was not a date as they were just friends, this did not stop them from closing the restaurant down over a night of  talking and laughter. Their friendship continued to blossom and grew into love.

For their engagement shoot, Ariele and Ivan chose to have their pictures taken on the grounds of the Lab where they work.  It is a GORGEOUS location with outdoor sculptures, amazing architecture and impeccable landscaping.  It was challenging to settle on where to begin the shoot!

One of the things I love most about Ariele & Ivan is how at ease and natural they are together.  They move as one cohesive unit, falling into each other like two perfectly matched puzzle pieces.  It is such a beautiful thing to witness.

The main building on the Lab’s campus is Mostly Hall, housing all the Administrative offices for the company.
It is impossible to keep from falling in love with this building! Ivan had such a charming manner and distinguished features, we chose the Library for his close-up.

 I have to admit, I’m a wee bit jealous that they work in such a location with exquisite pieces of art and lush vegetation.
Even the interiors glow with the colors of the outdoors bouncing and reflecting off the rustic dark wood.

While Ivan, being the perfect gentleman, took a break to get refreshments for Ariele and her awesome sister Bailey, who was there for moral & fashion support, we roamed the Hall looking for the perfect spot for Ariele’s close-up.  Nestled next to the library, the receiving room, complete with an antique crystal chandelier & velvet chaise, was perfect!

The room in all its elegance and soft light only served to accentuate Ariele’s beautiful features and light blue eyes!

Just as we were about to venture back outside, I saw this beautiful painting hanging in the music room.
It was impossible to resist! I love it when life imitates art!

This is one of my favorite images from the day.

This water sculpture was amazing!  The ornate detail and geometric patterns create such an intriguing mood.
I love the way the two of you compliment each other so well!

Ariele & Ivan -
Thank you for being the amazing couple that you are!  Congratulations on your engagement!

I can’t wait to see you at the wedding next spring! It’s going to be remarkable.

Kate & Jon ~ Bring some heat to the Engagement Shoot!

What is more exciting than a spontaneous couple that will go to the ends of the earth to get great images that are all about them!
When I met Kate & Jon, I didn’t let first appearances fool me. Kate appeared as a sweet sophisticated woman with a glowing personality, but I could see fire in her eyes. How ironic that her soulmate Jon happens to be an EMT and Firefighter! I knew they were going to be so much fun, that we chatted hours about their outdoor adventures from their first date rollerblading downhill with eyes closed in rollerblades that were four sizes to big, to their love for Hockey – really this couple has goals- to see every hockey rink in the US & Canada with their favorite teams! It came as no surprise for me when Kate mentioned she wanted her engagement shoot to begin in Purgatory! Rock on.

So here we are in Purgatory!!!
(According to the most recent research, the Chasm was created when glacial meltwater from a burst ice dam ripped out blocks of bedrock at the end of the last Ice Age (14,000 years ago). How cool is that!

We got to crawl through the rocks and scale sides of the chasm while the two held hands and climbed away. We stopped a few times as we had a special companion in attendance. Rocky aka. Sir Rocks-a-lot! Rocky has to be the coolest cocker spaniel I have ever met.
He had no problem hiking through the boulder caves with us and even joined us for a few portraits.

After a little while of climbing and scaling and watching Kate and Jon exude happy energy, I couldn’t help but notice the sunlight catch her beautiful Auburn hair as it framed her flawless face. We were losing light in the park and that means one thing to me…time to find a gorgeous sunset!

We found a walking trail down by the river in hopes at the end to get a glimpse of the sun setting among the trees along the riverbed.

Rocky was definitely a fan of this!

And there I watched it unfold right before my eyes…
Now we have to remember a few weeks back we had so much rain when the sun finally peeked out we had updates on our facebook and twitter feeds with shouts of joy and relief for gorgeous sunshine. This shoot was the 1st day after the rains so I knew we were going to get the dramatic skies as a photographer I long for.
So here we are  with the gorgeous sunset and Kate and Jon glowing even brighter!

Jon being a the biggest fan of the Washington Capitols and Kate, a big fan of the Calgary Flames, we had to get some Jersey shots!

Erin and Michael City Engagement Shoot

Erin and Michael are one of those laid-back couples that have an uncanny way of complementing each other.
I was struck by the magnetic chemistry they share the first time we met!

Michael is like one of those men straight out of a romance novel! I’m not talking about the long-haired, cheesy, Fabio-esque type of man!
I’m talking about the rugged, tough skinned type of guy that shows his sweet side in the presence of the woman he loves.
Erin is the perfect heroine with her bright smile and sparkling blue eyes.
Her sweet disposition and warm-hearted demeanor are a perfect complement to Michael’s tough exterior.

It’s clearly apparent that these two bring out the absolute best in eachother, having a fantastic time in the process!

Check back soon for the images from Erin & Michael’s upcoming nuptials!

Congratulations to both of You! I can’t wait to capture your special day!