halida & jeff AKA "the maine event"

i am SUCH a lucky girl. i love what i do...and i get to meet great new people every week. granted, as a single girl it's not really the best life strategy...ha!

i'm not sure if it's ok to have favourites among clients, but...i do. halida and jeff are the cutest, most fun couple i think i've ever met. i've already gushed about them, but this is going to be one big post of virtual cotton candy.

they got married on june 16 at the inn at peak's island in portland, me. the chic and organized liz @ cityside events kept everything running so smoothly. the entire day was perfect.

they started off w/ a chartered ferry ride around the harbour. they're both from the midwest and had lots of out-of-town guests that loved the chance to see maine at its most charming.




(she was really peeking out the window...her room overlooked the ceremony site.)


my favourite thing about this image is halida's face...she looks so happy and so, 'yes, my friends. blow me kisses...i deserve them,' (but in a completely non-bridezilla way, because she was the most laid-back bride i think i've ever encountered...and i've had some pretty relaxed brides!)


if i had a dollar for every photo i have of these two sharing a secret glance during the ceremony...i could probably fly to hawai'i.




i think this sums up halida perfectly.




she cares a lot about the environment, and asked for flowers that were both local and organic...


h&j with their WONDERFUL parents.


she did everything a little differently...rather than having a traditional bridal party, she had her girlfriends bring her flowers at the beginning of the ceremony to make up her entire bouquet.


the m-o-h...their friendship was so beautiful. at one point, she said, "i would do absolutely ANYTHING for halida, and i know she would for me, as well."


the mother of the groom and her best friend. h&j's family and friends were warm and welcoming...and after meeting them, it's clear how they became the wonderful people that they are.


from their first dance. this is my favourite from the day.



h&j, i know i've told you this multiple times, but i'm SOOO glad it worked out for me to be a part of your day. i'd better stop while i'm ahead...this whole thing is way gushier than i like to be. :-P

(see the rest of my favourites here.)

reviews

1. i watched "when a man loves a woman" (13 years after it came out...) last night, and OMG, it is SOOOO sad. i didn't cry, because i do not cry at movies. or weddings. or...very many things at all, but my eyes were slightly prickly. :-D

2. the harry potter book was tremendous. you should read it.

3. have you ever watched the series "i propose" on the style network? it is SOOOO cute. (though, most people who would find their way to this site are probably past that point. hehe.)

speaking of, a big CONGRATULATIONS to a fantastic photographer and my friend, rachel. she just got engaged in montreal.

today's dream

alternate title: proof that commercials really work!

i just saw a commercial for nova scotia...and it reminded me HOW MUCH i want to go to halifax and prince edward island.

i LOOOVVEE to travel. (i've been to viet nam, singapore (coolest airport ever!), bolivia, mexico, colombia, philippines, UK (x3), indonesia, new zealand (FAVOURITE! x3), australia (x2), ireland...and...that might be it. wait! i almost forgot...i spent the night sleeping on the lawn in front of the airport in tahiti once. tahiti does NOT have the coolest airport ever. i don't recommend overnight layovers at all.) in fact, 2006 was the first year since 1996 that i DIDN'T get a stamp in my passport. i tried valiantly to get my parents to go to nova scotia with me for christmas...it didn't work out. :(

SO...someone needs to fulfill their anne of green gables fantasy and have a beachside wedding on prince edward island...and that person needs to hire me to shoot that canadian atlantic destination wedding. i'll even give you a discount or something!

capturing moments.

when I was first starting out in wedding photography, a great friend and fellow photographer took me under her wing and gave me my start. she taught me sooo much, and I'll always be grateful to her. one of the things she told me that I've never forgotten was that the moments right after the ceremony are beautiful and priceless...

I love this series of Halida and Jeff right after they'd walked down the aisle. (stay tuned for my favourites from their entire day, but this series was too good not to share in its entirety...)







then they kind of change gears...but there are only about 6 seconds between the one just up /\ and this next one:













I just love that they had this special high-five, pinky-swear handshake thing...like, "whoo-hoo! we're married!"

holly and marc

on June 9th I traveled down to Gloucester, MA (location of "the Perfect Storm"...which, if you ask me, was a perfectly depressing movie. and a perfect waste of two nearly-perfect specimens like Mark Wahlberg and George Clooney...that's why I don't like "true story" movies...happy endings, Hollywood! Happy endings! That's what I'm paying you $9 per ticket for.) to second-shoot for the fabulous Rachel of Decent Urban Weddings.

Holly and Marc chose one of the coolest venues ever...the Ocean View Inn and Resort. I think Holly willed the rain to hold off so they could be married on the lawn just steps away from the dramatic rocky coast. and to that I say...way to go, Holly! The setting was truly spectacular and fostered good-will in everyone. (Right down to motivating a groomsman to give me my first marriage proposal at a wedding!! Um...I don't think it's going to work out. Ha!)







I've received emails from a few people who have stumbled upon this site and remarked on my sense of humor...that's one of the greatest compliments I could receive, so...thanks guys! I see funny stuff every single day, and at weddings/on the job is no exception. I go so far as to include a small set of "funny" images from every wedding. Photos that make me just crack up while I'm processing them. This one may be my favourite funny image to date:



I loved these guests...I called them "rockstars"...because they were so COOL.





See Rachel's favourites here, and the rest of mine here.

And then go get married on the coast and hire me to come photograph it! :-D

Sarah and David

I first met Sarah and David last December. We walked around Boston Common and the Gardens for some engagement photos...and boy were we lucky! It was warm enough to do a few shots without their coats. I think this is my favorite from that session.



Sarah is just sooo beautiful, and David loves her sooo much...Her response after our session was that they were able to have a few 'moments' they weren't expecting. These two could have 'moments' no matter where they are!

They were married on May 19th (I told you I was behind!) at the Hyatt Harborside. On a clear day, there would have been gorgeous views of the skyline, but I kind of liked the misty, moody cityscape we had instead.



but I'm getting ahead of myself...No kissing until AFTER the wedding! These two were somewhat traditional and chose not to see each other beforehand. (Incidentally...that one is my favorite from the day!)

Getting ready photos are some of my favorites. Always.



(I know she's crying...but I just think she looks so beautiful! She couldn't even THINK about David without tearing up.)


(sister of the bride learning how to bustle the skirt so she could boogie at the reception. I couldn't resist...it was too funny. How often do you have people having conversations under your skirt?)


I loved her hair and pretty tattoo.




the "I now pronounce you man and wife" kiss


the "whoo-hoo! we're MARRIED!" kiss






The best man's wife had these rockin' awesome shoes. I complimented her on them, and she proudly informed me that they are vegan.

Sarah and David...Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your day. Your friends and family were warm and loving...and man could they DANCE!* I hope someday I'm as happy as you two are.

*Clearly this was a priority for them, because they hired a COOL dj. Scott did a great job keeping that place hoppin'.

(See my other favorites here. See photos from second photographer...the fantastic Daniel Nagaj, here.)

accountability

so, I need some help! My to-do list is so unbelievably long...and that includes SIX weddings I need to post here. My goal is to post one wedding per day for the rest of the week...if I don't do it, harass me! gwynethcolleenphotography [at] yahoo [dot] com.

I had an amazing time in Indiana, and the 7.7.07 photos are...well, they're a treat. Definitely worth the wait. I've done a LOT of traveling; I love to travel. I started when I was still in high school, and my first few overseas trips I packed in my dad's seabag that he used to take on submarine trips. They're like giant green canvas tubes that are sewn up at one end...not really strategic for compartmentalizing things for easy access. After a couple years of that, I switched to a regular duffel bag. The year I lived in New Zealand, I figured I was technically "backpacking", so I bought a nice internal frame pack. At least it had pockets. I never once used a rolling suitcase...figured since I was doing the travel-on-a-budget, explore the unseen corners of the world type of travel, I should sort of "rough it" a bit.

I'm over that.

If rolling suitcases=air conditioned rooms with fluffy pillows and fruity mixed drinks out on the terrace...I'm soooo ready to be that kind of traveler. With an occasional side trip to the open air markets for street food. Being a photographer means that I cannot go anywhere without at least 5 bags hanging off of my two shoulders. People regularly ask me, "can I help you with that?" I always laugh, wave them off and say, "I do this every weekend!" And I do, but my shoulders/neck/back are starting to gently suggest, "you know, it wouldn't kill you to let them take the laptop."

All that to say--I may be looking for my first rolling suitcase this week. Once I can stand up straight again. And stay tuned for updates. I've got a lot of them up my sleeve.

wedding cake inventiveness

weddings are this huge industry...I cannot even fathom it, and I am part of the machine. My sister got married a few years ago, so I remember concern over costs...from the big stuff like meals and venues all the way to smaller stuff like favors.

I have been obsessed with this penny-pinching idea ever since I read about it on offbeatbride.com. One particular vendor appeals to budget conscious brides by allowing them to RENT a wedding cake. The cakes look beautiful and artistic; they're decorated to match whatever extravagant idea the bride has in her mind's eye... The secret element that allows them to go for the low, low* price of $150 is...they're not really real. They're styrofoam. The manufacturers even build in a special compartment where they'll hide an actual piece of cake so that traditional brides can still feed their grooms some butter-creamy confection. (I find this part extremely amusing/resourceful/ridiculous.)

*But...$150 to RENT some fondant covered styrofoam? Seriously? I mean, sure...you can get just-as-delicious sheet cakes from the bakery, and you're still saving money while maintaining appearances, but...$150 to RENT a "cake"? I suppose if you don't have a sister who went to culinary school and worked in a bakery frosting wedding cakes for a while, that might be your best option. Thankfully, someday when my prandsome hince** comes along, I will be calling said sister and letting her know it's time to go to Michael's and buy some pre-cut styrofoam rounds and the cheapest, nastiest frosting they make. :-D

**What? you haven't heard the age old tale of Rindercella and the Prandsome Hince?

Also, a real quick notification: I'm out of town/state until July 10/11-ish. I will be checking email as I get internet access, but as I'm sleeping on a different couch almost every night catching up with all my old college chums, I cannot guarantee that I'll be able to get back to you as quickly as I'd like. Please bear with me...and if you have my phone number, go ahead and give me a buzz!