Heather and Kyle got married in a Falmouth backyard. I loved showing up and seeing family and friends all helping to put the finishing touches on the spaces. I also loved seeing Blue Ribbon BBQ roll up with a hog sweating in a smoker. A beautiful spot, good food, and great company made this wedding feel extremely comfortable and laid back. It was also great to see Evan and Kate again. Congratulations, Heather and Kyle! Thank you so much for including me in a such a beautiful celebration.
Kate took a gamble. When she met up with Andrew for the first time on their wedding day she came with a new guitar her groom has long coveted. Would Andrew’s focus be rendered useless on this sacred day? Or would his conviction to spend the rest of his life with Kate become even stronger? Both may have happened, but after the first few minutes of genuine shock and surprise I never saw further evidence that Andrew’s mind was anywhere else than with Kate on their wedding way. The Emerson Inn in Rockport made a beautiful backdrop for this beautiful celebration. The weather cooperated, and there were a ton of donuts. I’ve gotten to know Kate over the past several years while doing work for her at Harvard Medical School. It was such an honor to be there for her and Andrew on their wedding day to capture the people and moments most dear to them. Congratulations, Kate and Andrew!
Last month Brooke, Ellis and I headed up to the Mount Washington Resort for my mother’s 70th birthday. My sister’s family loves the spot so we went to bask in the family-centered activities that make four grandchildren feel they are in the most amazing place on earth. This in turn makes their grandparents feel the same way. My unit came up a day late: Ellis was imprisoned in his home with TWO parents simultaneously processing a stomach bug while his cousins were swimming, playing bingo, going to story time and seeing bears sneak into the trash without him. He handled the poor stroke of luck well . . . except when he wasn’t. The only thing worse than waiting out a stomach bug is being yelled at by a heart-broken four-year-old while you do it. But we eventually made it, and the family experience was as good as advertised. Also, it dawned on me transporting family-time-quality-togetherness to a neutral location without expectations embedded in the paint did wonders for family bonding. Everyone was on their best behavior. Adults and children alike. What a great present. Happy Birthday, mama!
Brett and I became friends when we both started out as staff photographers 13 years ago. We only worked together for about a year, but I’ve considered him one of my best friends since. When he started dating Sommer I was happy for Brett but a little worried about Sommer. After all, I had lived with the man for a spell. I liked Sommer as soon as I met her and wondered if she deserved more in a roommate. Clearly it worked out. They eloped last year and had one other small ceremony for the two families before inviting the wider village to a picnic shelter in Carrollton, Kentucky for a pig pickin’. I had heard a lot about Brett’s family over the years (his mom’s name is tattooed on the inside of his bicep), but this was the first time I got to meet them. It was also great to meet Sommer’s family and hear about their New England connections. Stephanie and Stephen created a human being so it was also great to run into them 5 years after their wedding and meet Whit. Sommer and Brett didn’t call this gathering a wedding even though in spirit that’s exactly what it was. The best parts of a wedding were certainly included: friends, family and a whole bunch of food. They told me not to take any pictures, but I do what I want.
As I look forward to working with all my 2018 couples (and as I grow in desperate need of warm weather!) I always like to look back on the previous summer to reflect on the great people I met and the special moments I witnessed. There are so many favorites not included here, but below is a little sample of what made 2017 such a great year. Thank you to all the wonderful couples, families and other wedding vendors that make my job so rewarding.
Ben took this photo of me four weeks after a lapse in surfing protocol (always cover your head) left me with a concussion. We had just ordered surf helmets, and I needed a break from concentrating. Previous to my own, I thought a concussion meant a headache and avoiding NFL linebackers for a few weeks. Twenty-four hours passed without symptoms, and it took four days for them to peak. Ten total weeks would pass before returning to work, and I spent most of that away from reading, TV, radio, and driving. Regularly telling my energetic four-year-old “Daddy needs to go rest now” was the hardest part. If I didn’t use my brain I wasn’t in discomfort, so the suffering stemmed from isolation and wondering if I would be in the two-week recovery window or the three-month.
Surprisingly, only one person has asked if I plan to give up surfing. It was a fluke accident that probably wouldn’t happen again if I surfed 100 more years, but I’d like to mitigate the burden I put on my clients and family. A helmet now protects my head. My poor wife spent her busy season doing all school drop-off/pick up, cooking, cleaning and parenting. The 2018 concussion was more of a strain on her than me. There are lots of times I feel like I don’t deserve Brooke. One of them is when she expresses excitement for me to get back in the water. Can you believe that? A common refrain around the house these days is “YOBLO”: You Only Briefly Live Once.
Chris and Greg got married at the JFK Museum. The museum just started doing weddings this year, and the venue promptly became one of my favorites in Boston. And since meeting them, Chris and Greg have become one of my favorite couples from this year. They closed my wedding season out on a high note. They both were extremely down to earth and very good-natured about wedding planning and making sure everything remained relaxed and fun. The wonderful work of Gabrielle Stone and her staff helped to carry out that theme. I loved so much about this wedding and am really excited to share some of the images here. Thank you, Chris and Greg, for including me. Congratulations!
Keirsa and Steve got married at the Wychmere Beach Club. I loved working with these two. The beautiful setting took a backseat to Keirsa and Steve’s outward connection to each other and the people around them. Joyful tears and laughter were abundant. I loved so many moments from this wedding and am excited to share them. Thank you, Keirsa and Steve. And congratulations!
Marcy and Andy got married at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester. When Marcy and Andy came into meet with me we thought it was a funny coincidence they saw their friends Sahil and Kelsey in my photos. Then the mind-boggling coincidence came at Marcy and Andy’s rehearsal dinner when I saw Kavi and Elizabeth. They live in Iowa. I shot their wedding in Wisconsin in 2009. Andy was at that wedding, but he didn’t put together that I was there, too, until after he and Marcy hired me. I didn’t find that out until I was staring Kavi in the face trying to make sense of why he was at Marcy and Andy’s rehearsal dinner. Anyways, the universe put me on a collision course with Marcy and Andy, and I’m so grateful for that. They were both so charming and easy to work with and I feel lucky to have been a part of their wedding. Congratulations, guys!
Kate and Evan got married at Shelburne Vineyard outside Burlington, VT. I loved their approach to the wedding day. They got ready together in a big house where both families were hanging out. A taco truck catered the reception. And I loved that Kate was monitoring the dance floor playlist at the end of the night. They set the tone for an extremely laid back and very fun wedding. Congratulations, Kate and Evan!
by Channing