jessica & brian: wedded bliss

remember jess and brian...? you should...they're just one post below this one. the two lovely people with the GORGEOUS blue peepers? (fyi: it's late, and i just typed "GORGEOUS blue peppers"...i'm not sure what gorgeous blue peppers look like, but if you know, please enlighten me.)

anyway, they just got married on 1/19 at the bedford village inn in bedford, nh. and it was a FANTASTIC party! their family made me feel SOOOO welcome and included in the festivities; they were absolutely lovely. i mean...jess's (jess'...? how do apostrophes work for words ending in s? i feel like there shouldn't be one there, but it doesn't look right w/o the extra s. ANYWAY.) brother-in-law stopped me on the stairs before i'd even gotten to her room, introduced himself, and told me how much he enjoyed their engagement photos. knowing my work is appreciated makes me feel GREAT and totally free to "do my THANG" at the wedding. (not to mention that jill at the inn was professional and so accommodating to my strange questions.)

when i meet with new brides, i get a range of responses to, "would you like me to capture the getting ready process?" some people don't care about it at all...but i really enjoy getting to catalog the transformation into "bride". something happens when a woman has been pampered all day, is wearing the prettiest dress she has probably owned to date, and most importantly...knows that the man waiting at the end of that aisle is waiting to tell her he's going to love her wholeheartedly until his last breath. there's a reason women are always told, "you're glowing!" on their wedding day.









(and may i just say...guys have it much easier! i mean...seriously:)



aaaaandddd...he's ready!


her two gorgeous sisters watching brian wait for his bride at the end of the aisle.


(side note: did you see "27 dresses"? i don't consider myself a terribly discriminating movie goer...and, admittedly, i quite like cheesy romantic comedies...this one was rather painful, though...anyway, as a member of the "wedding industry"...i can confirm that one of the best parts of a wedding is watching the groom watch his bride come to meet him. the look on brian's face here says it all. i can't wait till it's my turn to see that look on someone's face as i walk toward him. but this isn't about me, is it...)

it was very much a family affair. jess's aunt performed the ceremony. brian's sister and her husband held the huppa (which was lovingly crafted by jess's younger sister), many family members lit candles during the ceremony, and all four parents walked out elbows entwined.







i can't tell you what my secrets are--but i do have them!--for getting such FUN family photos...but if you hire me, i'll make sure your family looks like it was having this much fun at your wedding, too. the group shots don't have to be painful and stiff! i promise!



**i should just tell you right now, that instead of putting way too many photos in this post, i'll add a few extra words, and then give you a slideshow link. so that you don't have to scroll for 100 years to see everything.**

i was GOING to post photos of guest candids, because i got some of my all time favourites at this wedding...instead...i'll suggest you watch the slideshow.

also...i was GOING to tell you about how i had 15 minutes with the bride and groom...outside...in the snow...after it was dark...and how we managed to get some awesome and moody images anyway (which involved me laying on the salt-covered ground and stone-cold (yeah, there's a REASON for that phrase) stone benches...but instead...i'm just going to point you to the slideshow.

i could also tell you how they had their entire (HUGE) extended family come into one little fireside room for a group photo and that i got one (yes, ONE!) shot where i managed to fit everyone in the frame...and that was lucky because i was holding my camera over my head), but instead...yes, you guessed it...watch the slideshow!

and lastly, i might have mentioned how much i enjoy jewish weddings because they have the hora...and come on now...a big group of people doing the grapevine around other people who are being lifted on chairs and held together by a napkin and there's always that suspenseful collective held-breath---are they going to make it back to solid ground before they tip over? but, i hope you'll see that enjoyment in...the slideshow.

without further ado: