birchblazephotography.com » Lakes Region

Married! Thomas + Denaie

birch — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:41:32 +0000

As we anxiously await the spring-heralding shout-out of the peepers here in NH, we share a wedding from the other end of this winter, Thomas and Denaie. Their whole lovely day took place in Wolfeboro, NH at the Wolfeboro Inn. The weather huffed and puffed but ultimately, it held off and allowed for a beautiful outdoor ceremony. We are very happy to share it, especially with Thomas and Denaie. They were one of our most enthusiastic couples of last year, and we hope it brings back some great memories!! Here are some of our favs…

Jen & The Boys, Down on the Farm {family lifestyle photography}

birch — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:27:45 +0000

A few months back we had the pleasure of hanging out with Kevin, Jen, Tucker, Wyatt & Luke at their family farm here in the Lakes Region. I’ve known Jen since highschool and it’s so cool to reconnect with past memories and get a chance to photograph people you’ve known for years, documenting a slice of the life they’ve carved out for themselves. What an awesome family that is clearly pretty-much as close as a family can be and cherishing every minute they spend together as the nest starts to thin out a bit :) I’ve driven by the Full Moon Farm for years now, ever since moving to New Hampshire and every time I do it has something beautiful for my eyes whether it be a gorgeous sunset, an inviting sledding hill or even the, “wait-a-minute-was-that-what-I-think-it-was,” sight of an ostrich herd in NH, which they did indeed have a few years back. Thanks guys, for having us. We were so pleased to experience some down-on-the-farm living and preserve some of those swift-running memories for you…may they be at least as sweet as the Farm-brewed maple syrup you sent us home with!

Married (twice)! Keri + Mohan {Indian-American Wedding Photography}

birch — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:54:11 +0000

I don’t think one could truly convey the superlatively beautiful nature of a Hindu wedding ceremony! You kinda’ have to be there. And we were…and we’ll never forget it. Keri and Mo began their 12+ hour wedding festivities with a Hindu ceremony. Something we found really endearing was how “family-centric” it was. Everyone was up there, mothers and fathers and brothers and cousins and uncles…and everyone had a part. There were fires, coconuts, blessings and lots of rice throwing! Almost everything has symbolic significance and there is so much love, which we were happy to be in the midst of. :)

Following the morning’s ceremony was an Indian luncheon and then everyone regrouped for Part II! The evening ceremony was at the beautiful Castle in the Clouds in Moultonboro, NH. The weather was less than stellar but everyone seemed to take it well and remain in good spirits. Happily, the rain even broke long enough for us to sneak in some portraits before the ceremony!

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most visually stunning weddings we have witnessed but also so heartily comprised of good, happy, in love people! We never get sick of that. Keri and Mo, you are of the wonderfulest kind! Thank you for sharing your day with us. Thank you also for sharing your beautiful families and your Chicken Tikka Masala! We hope you enjoy the recap. ;)

*Many expressions of amazement to 1. Mindy Rossignol of Private Weddings and Events for the most beautiful execution and planning! Wow. 2. Emily Herzig Floral Studio. Probably the most incredible arrangements I’ve ever seen. If you’re in need of either, these women are amazing!

Married! Sean + Emily, Part II

birch — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:52:08 +0000

Part II of Sean & Emily’s woodland wedding adventure (Check out Part I here…) kicks in as they finish up their First Look couple’s portraits and get down to the business of getting married! The lakeside ceremony was beautiful with plenty of smiles, laughs and poignancy. The vintage summer camp vibe was carried out to perfection and the food was amazing (major kudos to Windy Fields Farm for their emphasis on local harvest foods)! Being a part of such a special day in the lives of 2 people in such an ‘organic’ locale was not lost on us. We loved it! We hope Part II completes the picture for you…

Married! Sean + Emily

birch — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:23:47 +0000

This is Emily and Sean’s magical and wondrous wedding day! So wondrous, in fact, that we couldn’t fit it all into one post. So, today we will share Part I. We are almost disturbingly excited about this.
Truly, Emily and Sean’s wedding was one of the most beautiful weddings we have been to. It was beautiful in its simplicity and its inclusion of natural things. Emily and Sean put together so many details by themselves and with the help of friends. We met up with them at the camp a couple weeks before the wedding to get familiar with the surroundings and get a feel for how the day would flow. I remember walking around with Emily and a distinct feeling of pure joy as she described her plans of mason jars and burlap (among many other lovely things). The land was so beautiful….ferns and tall pines and that great balsam smell. A good place to be married.
We’re very well aware what a gift it is to meet truly good folks like E&S and that’s what they are. They’re like presents in the form of people and I’m sure all of their friends and family feel that way. It was a privilege to share their day with them! And lastly, I would like to say a little something about Sean and Emily’s green sofa, which I will continue to covet. Way to go guys. ;)

Part I…..

Married! Kristin + Fraser {creative nh wedding photography}

birch — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:29:25 +0000

Of all things that could be considered a close call, sneaking a wedding in before an impending hurricane is up there. Whatever fortuitous circumstances led to it, Fraser and Kristin decided to have their wedding, which was held at the lovely Church Landing in Meredith, NH on a Friday…thus narrowly escaping the winds of Irene. Actually, here in the NH, we didn’t experience as much wrath as others but for the sake of the story and to further emphasize Fraser and Kristin’s impeccable timing, we’re going with complete, cows-in-the-trees destruction. Whew…good call guys! ;)

We had been looking forward to their wedding for a long time and were so excited to be working with such interesting and great people! They are both deeply committed to the environment and sustainability and have chosen careers that put them in the front lines. Very admirable indeed. And they’re pretty cute, too. The wedding was, of course, beautiful and we were so impressed by all the details and hard work contributed by all involved. We were also enamored with all their friends and family which reminded us that it’s not a bad gig, being in the company of such fine and friendly people all the time. We hope that we were able to tell their story well through the following photographs and convey even a microcosm of the great love that day. There is a line in an Ani DiFranco song that goes: “It took me too long to realize that I don’t take good pictures ’cause I have the kind of beauty that moves.” Though I’m sure we could all agree that Kristin and Fraser are quite photogenic, I do believe it’s hard to capture the real life beauty of anything and we’re just happy we got to witness it. Congratulations guys and I’m sorry, but I hope your love has a ridiculously huge footprint! ;)

Engaged! Kristin + Todd {nh engagement photos}

birch — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:18:53 +0000

When we’re waist deep in weddings, we always enjoy breaking it a up a little with some fun engagement sessions. We love getting to know the couples who have entrusted the biggest day of their lives to us and having ample time to make fun pictures of them! This is what we got to do with Kristin and Todd and we had an especially good day with them! The setting was Kristin’s parent’s place in Belmont, NH. 50(ish) acres of rolling fields, apple orchards, ponds, a brook and more woods than you could shake a stick at (ha!). So beautiful! And this is where their wedding will be next August, which we’re very excited for!

As their happy, shiny faces betray, these guys are very much in love and so much fun! We had a fantastic time with them…and their little dog too! ;)

Married! Bobby + Nicole {Winnipesaukee wedding photography}

birch — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:20:45 +0000

One of the things we love about what we do is experiencing the unique personality of each wedding. Bobby & Nicole’s Lake Winnipesaukee wedding at Church Landing in Meredith, New Hampshire, featured a giant dancing fireman along with real dancing firemen (though not suited up as was their inflatable cohort), which was great because it was so nice to see the men that protect us from all kinds of peril having a fun time together! Other elements included a cool vintage Mercedes Benz and some images snapped on a fancy boat at the invitation of some friendly strangers. It was also a gorgeous day for two people to share the ultimate expression of love and commitment and friends and family were there in full force to complete an epic day for our couple. Here’s how we saw it…

A Walk Down the Aisle (a Father’s Perspective)

birch — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:04:37 +0000

As a photographer, I have documented many walks down the aisle and otherwise have walked back up “the aisle” twice in my lifetime. When I found out last year that my own Daughter was going to be getting married, my first thought was, “Wow, my Daughter’s getting married… I’m WAY too young for that to be happening!” Turns out I guess I’m not. Besides not having seen Lindsey a ton the past 2 or 3 years due to her increasingly hectic life, the wedding was a long way off. So while I knew it was coming, it wasn’t hugely impactful. Yet. What I did finally realize, about 2 weeks out, was that the day had been coming for me, all along. Like an unstoppable zombie army, marching unceasingly toward its inevitable mission, it was coming. So, being the emotional guy that I am (I got teary-eyed during Toy Story III, I’m not kidding) I started to worry about my duties. Not worried if I could competently perform them or not, but rather, could I competently perform them without melting into a gelatinous puddle of blubber on the floor. Ah yes, the Father-Daughter dance, the FOB (Father-Of-the-Bride) speech, and yes, the most important Fatherly duty of all, walking my little girl down the aisle. Now it was finally hitting me… “WOW, MY DAUGHTER’S GETTING MARRIED!!!!!”

So the next thing I know, I find myself at the rehearsal. It’s at the gorgeous Moody Mountain Farm on the Wolfeboro/Ossipee, NH town line. We’re standing inside what I’m guessing was once a livestock corral—you can supply your own jokes about being led to the slaughter—the fencing being a 3 foot thick stone wall probably dating back to the 1800′s. It’s now lined with yellow lilies along with other various wild flowers in full bloom and is where the ceremony will take place. I’m watching my little girl… Lindsey, listening to Jalum (her Fiancé) and their officiant, Jason, discuss some final details and it happens. You know that commercial, the one where the father is talking to his daughter, sitting in the car, about all the safety precautions she needs to take whilst taking his car out for a drive? Yep, that one. They show the Father’s view of his Daughter and she looks to be about 6 years old…even though she’s really 16 or 17. I studied my Daughter there, saw her furrowed brow squinting out the sunlight, the quizzical look on her face, wondering what would be said next… I was sucked back in time and saw, not a 20+ year old woman standing there, no, it was my 6 year old little Lindsey. And you know what? Her facial expressions were exactly the same!

Two days later, still worried about not losing it during my duties, I walked into the farmhouse where my girl was waiting for me to take her on the walk of her life. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what I was about to encounter. I knew she would be beautiful, but my oh my, she was STUNNING! As soon as I entered the room there was the most amazing atmospheric transformation. The air was replaced with pure emotion. Lindsey, sitting in a pudgy living room chair, started frantically waving her hands and chanting, “Oh, no…no,no!” in an effort to will away the anticipated tears threatening her make up. I looked at her…I tried, I really tried. But that was it. Lost it. There she was, my little girl, looking SO amazingly beautiful. I had no choice but to lose it. A milestone. A moment in time I will never forget. It’s quite sobering. It’s like standing in the surf, watching a wave come towards you….your grandparents, your parents, you. The wave buoys you up, only for a moment, then continues on without you….your children, your grandchildren. It’s part of life though, so what else to do but embrace it? Relish it. The payoff of course, besides the memories, is an ever-expanding family and love. Lots of love. Welcome to my Family Jalum :)

The rest of the day was cake (pun intended). The trepidation of scattered showers dissipated into glorious sun and blue sky. As Jason gave his finest wedding talk, I just took it all in. To all you parents and parents-to-be out there yet to experience the wedding day of a child, I’ll repeat the advice I received from the MOB from one of the weddings we photographed last season. She said, “Just take it all in…it will be glorious!” She was right. The warm summer breezes stroking the fields of wild flowers, the mountains, the diving swallows, a soaring red-tailed hawk. Perfection. Lindsey was truly giddy with happiness and love as she repeated her vows. We ate, we laughed, we danced. It was a good day.

Of course, this was just my perspective that I’m offering you here on our blog. There are many others. We are so grateful to our dear friends, Kevin & Heidi (Kevin is Lindsey’s cousin) of Sweet Pea Photography for coming up from Pennsylvania to photograph and be a part of Lindsey & Jalum’s wedding, allowing me to just be “Dad” (you’ll ‘meet’ them in the second-to-last photo). They’re the ones to blame for Taylor and I becoming wedding photographers ;) and we can’t wait to see their perspective! (we’ll keep ya posted on that) The love of my life, Taylor, looked SO gorgeous this day and I terribly regret not taking a photo of her (K&H are you listening? :) but I thank her for taking most of the lovely images you’ll see below. We begin however, with a series of images I snapped with just my girl and I—no one else in the room (did I mention she was giddy?)—just before our walk down the aisle…

And lastly (above), the hard core crew (AZ representin’!) that stayed till the end. What great time we all had! Thanks to everyone that had a hand in making this an amazing event. And the wave rides on…

View Lindsey & Jalum’s Boston engagement session (with Tay and I at the helm) here. Oh, and thanks to the amazing vintage clothing store, Bobby From Boston for supplying my killer vintage seersucker suit!

Baby Grant!

birch — Sat, 07 May 2011 03:33:45 +0000

This is Grant. A new and lovely addition to the planet. We know he won’t remember us when he grows up but we’re happy we got to meet him. Before we met him, he used to hang out here.