In April, we got the chance to shoot their engagement session in Crawford Notch in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was a fitting location because Ben and Katie are accomplished hikers. They have both hiked all the 4,000 footers in NH… Katie, having started her mountaineering career as just a little girl. Clearly, the mountains are near and dear to their hearts and so their wedding was held at the gorgeous Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH. And it was perfect. Well, aside from the black fly apocalypse that was occurring outside, it was perfect. (Much thanks to the couple for enduring such things for the sake of photos!) Katie is a graphic designer and actually designed and made her own invitations, which were beautiful! A great detail, among many. Of course, they both looked wonderful and truly happy as they were surrounded by all the ones who loved them on a pretty June day. We want to thank Ben and Katie for the privilege of being a part of their day and wish them joy and love that grows so big they can hike up it someday. ;)

We want to thank them and Nicole’s family for warmly welcoming us. Can’t wait for their July 4th, 2012 wedding which will be held at the home as well, in the surrounding fields. It’s going to be stunning! Happy engagement guys… :)

Light snow started falling just as the ceremony began…so beautiful!

Kristin’s brother was the officiant, which made for a very special and clearly humorous ceremony.

Pretty fantastic guestbook idea! Guests used these vintage typewriters and telegrams to write their wishes for the bride and groom.

Best Man and Maid of Honor decided to trade speeches….resulting in some awkward references to memories of sleep-overs with the Bride!

The End <3     

Kristin and Chris, thank you for sharing your day with us. We had so much fun and we wish for you obscene amounts of happiness for all time!

Buttons were a running theme. Kristin made her cute button shoes and had her bouquet assembled using buttons, lace and pieces of antique jewelry from the ladies in her family. Absolutely flipping beautiful! (Button bouquets handmade down under by Liza at Letters4lilly. You can visit her Etsy shop here.)

One very cool feature of the Mt. Washington Hotel is The Cave, a tavern from the prohibition era that was built into the giant granite foundation stones of the grand hotel, so patrons of the day could enjoy some illegal “hooch” without great fear of getting hauled off. You can still tip a bottle here, though Taylor found it to be pretty much the coolest dress shot location we’ve seen.

The men sported button boutonnieres to keep the theme going. Best man Pat, showcasing one of said boutonnieres.

Kristin and Chris decided to do a First Look, which is when the B&G see each other before the ceremony. This allowed plenty of time for photos and also added time to enjoy themselves at the reception. We love when a couple chooses to do this. In addition to providing ample time for photos, it’s a quiet and more intimate setting for couples to see each other for the first time…so much fun!

With Mount Washington and the rest of the White Mountains as it’s backdrop, the Omni Resort’s Mt. Washington Hotel is nothing less than spectacular. What a privilege to photograph a wedding there. The history, the architecture, the impeccable grounds and period furniture & decor—perfection! …even in November.

A few portraits of the beautiful bride, who is as lovely inside as out.

And of the Groom…equally as lovely.

Stay tuned for Part II, coming soon to a browser near you :)

We were quite impressed with Jamieson’s calligraphic skills… he penned all the place cards!

Here’s a link to the last time took photos at the Darby Field Inn.

Um, wow. Well done Mr. and Mrs. Hanson!

I believe the following picture (of Dennis and his brother) is the antidote to sibling rivalry.

We rented the 24mm tilt-shift lens for the first time. So much fun…we may have to add one to the arsenal!

Lovin’ the swingset that day!

So there was a bit of a Beatles theme woven into the festivities, which we were very happy about, but the coolest “weave” was Dennis & Krista’s first dance. They chose Something, but not the recorded version. A friend played it on the guitar and guests were given a lyrics sheet so all could sing along…who knew everyone in attendance was a lead singer?! Such a neat idea!

We agree!

Fantastic job by Dutch Bloemen Winkel on flowers…so beautiful!

Have you ever beheld such loveliness? Wow.

The White Mountains’ showing that they too are deserving of Ansel Adams’ “Range of light” moniker. We’re guessing Ansel would’ve been runnin’ for his view camera on this evening…

We’d also like to thank Meg from Meg Simone Wedding Films. The consummate professional, she’s a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend her for creating beautiful wedding films.

Reason #1. We started our morning at Cathedral Ledge in North Conway with the gorgeous White Mountains so kindly arranged as our backdrop! “I…am always glad to touch the living rock again and dip my hand in the high mountain air.” – John Muir

Reason #2. Quite evident in the picture below…wow!

Reason #3. They were good sports and willing to do terrifying things like stand in the middle of the road for us! Shortly after this photo, Chris chivalrously removed Kristin from the path of oncoming cars. :)

Reason #4. Refer to Reason #2

Reason #5. Kerry, for convincing the sky to do this for him.

And finally, (AKA Reason #6.) We were able to get these shots before we were very politely asked to leave our favorite train station. Apparently, that day was Thomas the Train day and without tickets, we weren’t invited. :( I will say that the man who asked us to leave was very nice and we appreciated his gentle manner.

Thank you guys for such a fun day!

THE END

<edit>…not quite: view their wedding photos!

The reception was held at Lovett’s Inn, also in Franconia. It’s so cool when you can just feel the joy & love bubbling over at the reception, and Nate & Ang and their friends and family had such fun that night…so did we! Here’s our view of the day…

One of the things we enjoyed so much about this wedding is that it completely fit Nate & Ang…they had the wedding they wanted and it showed! Nate’s creativity was woven throughout, including the rings that he designed! So beautiful!

Nate & Angela decided to have a “first look,” bucking tradition to see each other before the ceremony, which is just as special as during the ceremony, but gives us time to capture this beautiful moment, and Nate & Ang more time to party later! Here we have Nate anxiously awaiting his beautiful bride…

Wait for it……………. YES!

We were SO pleased that they planned plenty of time (a good hour+!) to take advantage of the breathtaking scenery at Toad Hill, we think it was well worth it…thanks guys!

So as we’ve mentioned, Nate is an artist and graphic designer and he showed some skills hand-painting the table cards, each with a different flower, to match each guest’s seating card. So cool! Nice work Nate :) The floral arrangements were so beautiful and fit perfectly with both Nate & Ang and the venues…great job by Emily Herzig Floral Studio!

A great time was had by all!

venue (ceremony) :: Toad Hill Farm

venue (reception/catering) :: Lovett’s Inn

floral arrangements :: Emily Herzig Floral Studio

   Our view of being photographers is not, “We do photography,” but rather, “We are artists.” The last thing we want to do is sound like snobs, but with the invention of digital photography and processing, it has become very easy for almost anyone to buy a digital camera, download a copy of Photoshop and call themselves a photographer. Now, there are endless discussions online about when and for what reason you can call yourself a “photographer,” but ultimately, a person’s photography speaks for itself. We encourage anyone who feels a passion for photography, or even someone who just wants to take better photos to absolutely go for it. Give it your all. We would never deny anyone’s right to pursue their passion, their dream. For us personally, we set our own bar very high. Not only because we present ourselves as professional photographers, and people invest trust and dollars in us for that reason, but also because we pursue excellence in every image that we produce. It’s a matter of artistic integrity.

How Does it Work?

   We have adopted a process already in use by many premier photography studios around the world. It’s very simple, really. If you like our art and would like to commission us to photograph you and/or your family, get in touch and we’ll schedule a pre-consultation at your home. During this time, we’ll get to know each other, something that’s vital to capturing relaxed, natural images during the actual portrait session. We’ll answer questions and discuss what your expectations and goals are, as well as which of our products will best suit your decor, wall space and overall style. Of course we’ll also schedule your session and discuss location, wardrobe and any other questions or concerns you may have.

   Next, the photo shoot. We’ll meet you at our predetermined location, which might be your home, a park, playgound, grassy field, woodland trail, the beach or an urban landscape—places that hold special meaning for you and your family or simply compliment your unique personality. Sessions will typically last about 2 hours, but could be shorter or longer depending on which session you have chosen. Newborns and young children’s sessions will usually run longer. We’ll spend the first few minutes or more scouting out the location, getting our gear dialed in and shooting a few warm-ups to get us all in the groove. After that, we’ll take lots of shots of the interactions that highlight the special relationships and moments that make you and your family unique and beautiful. We’ll likely do some comfortable poses and perhaps some more traditional ones. We’re also always up for fun and unique ideas and we hope you are too, but whatever you’re comfortable with. For family portraits, it’s fun to plan an activity that you can all enjoy together; baking cookies, playing in the back yard, taking a walk, etc.

   The fun continues… after your portrait session we’ll schedule your viewing/ordering session. We’ll come to your home and you’ll get to enjoy your images in a larger-than-life slideshow set to music! Then, in the same format, you get to choose which images you’ll have made into prints, storyboard collages and gallery canvas wraps for your wall. There are lots of great new products that will showcase the beautiful art we’ve created together, complimenting and enhancing your home decor at the same time. During your viewing session we’ll guide you through what’s available and how it will best work with the images you’ve chosen and fit your home. You’ll receive your portrait art 2 to 4 weeks after placing your order.

   It’s important to us that people notice our deep commitment to producing photographic art that holds beauty far beyond any other artwork you could display in your home. How so? Because it’s art created from the most precious people in your life, your family. We want to thank you for taking the time to read through this information and we think you’ll enjoy viewing our new Website and our galleries. We’d love to hear from you and apply our creative process to you and your family’s history. We are centrally located between the White Mountains, Seacoast and Lakes Region of New Hampshire. We regularly visit and photograph in the communities of Wolfeboro, North Conway, Jackson, Meredith, Laconia, Gilford, Rochester, Dover, Portsmouth, Newington, Rye and Hampton, New Hampshire as well as Southern Maine. Visit our “Hello” Page and we’ll get started!