Summer & Pete ~ May 11, 2012

SUMMER! PETE!

What an incredible start to the season I've been waiting for.  I feel like the universe sent Summer and Pete to me for complete reassurance that I'm on the right track. A dream couple, focused on the reality of how fantastic love is.  All perfectly giddy and overflowing with joy.  When you see them look at each other, you can almost feel the butterflies in your own stomach.  Summer told me while she was getting ready that during the weeks before the wedding, she and Pete felt like their relationship was brand new. At a time when stress and chaos are at their peak, Summer and Pete managed to remain head over heels.  A week or so before the wedding Summer wrote me an email that made me cry. I cry easy so forget that. She wrote me an email that changed my view, brought me back, redefined my mission. For that, I will always be thankful. Thank you so much Summer and Pete. Thank you for being so wonderful to me, for being so incredibly, visibly in love, for the moment after moment, for filling the room and the jersey shoreline with emotion, and making my job not only so easy but so enjoyable. 

Gavin

This baby really exists. This beautiful, awesome, brand new human, completely packed with personality at just one week old... is real. I generally love babies but Gavin is different, way cooler than the average baby. It makes sense though because Alana and Travis are way cooler than the average grown up. Thanks guys for letting me be there to hang out with such a magnificent little person. 

This is personal...

I have always been creatively disorganized. I like to have 7 projects going at once and thought it would be easy to apply that approach to my business. Truth is, it's impossible for me, but for years I've still attempted, repeatedly hitting invisible walls face first. Album design, edits, facebook, website, purchases, new tools, new software. Not to mention the fact that recently my love of photographic art finally resurfaced and for the first time since college an array of personal projects are rocking my mind. I saw today that my last blog post was from September and before that, June. For shame. There should have been 30 posts in between but my head is spinning. I feel busy when I'm not, I never feel caught up, I feel like I'm letting my brides down by not having designs out fast enough. So now, thanks to a good friend (and groom), Mike Federici, I am going to have a brand new office. An organizational mecca of design and creativity. Everything in it's place and a really good stereo for dance breaks. I am reinventing myself but I'm sure clarity will only increase creativity, not stifle it and I haven't been this excited about work in so long.

I went through a divorce this year. A good one, not quite Demi and Bruce, but close. Still the task of designing wedding albums while waiting for my court date was a little daunting. I fell behind, I hid my left hand when I met with brides, I referred to him as my husband even though he didn't live here anymore. I was ashamed, loving marriage and commitment and weddings as much as I always have, I still couldn't make it work. I worried that I would become permanently jaded, that I would no longer find value in marriage, that couples would not feel comfortable involving me in their weddings.  That's not what happened. Instead, I respect marriage even more. I appreciate the gamble we take, putting ourselves out there, never certain of the outcome, but filled with faith. I think what most people really want is to just share the massive amounts of love stored in our chests, right? Weddings, marriage, vows, are outward celebrations that make that affection tangible. It's such an incredible feeling to adore someone, to feel adored, that's something that should be shared.  I am deliriously in love. Restored. Renewed. Thankful. Grateful. Overjoyed.

I am ready for this season. Here's to doing it right!

With Love.

Rosa, Matt and Joe Canal

We just needed one photo for Rosa and Matt's save the dates. Matt isn't the worlds biggest fan of getting his photo taken but has fallen madly in love with Rosa who is crazy about photos of the two of them together and would cover their home with them if she could. That's the kind of bride I love and the kind of groom I want to convert to a photo lover! Because of time and crappy weather looming, we quickly changed locations. I have been wanting to photograph a couple on the side of a very classy location (canal's liquor store) ever since they painted their side wall a ridiculously bright yellow a few months ago. We met in the parking lot, spent just about 10 minutes photographing the two of them and put together an awesome save the date with plenty of time to spare. I had no doubts about Rosa but Matt was surprisingly magnificent! I can't wait for this wedding! Thank you guys! We are going to have so much fun!

Jul & Nik

I have pages to write about these two but I'll save it for the wedding. I had so much fun with Julie and Nik in Philly this past weekend and I can't wait to spend their wedding day with them, their family and their fire escape climbing bridal party. If this day was any indicator of how the wedding day is going to go, holy smokes, I am going to flip my lid! Rock well guys! I'm counting down the days ... 246. 

Lexy & Kyle ~ June 26, 2011

This is now the 8th time I started this post. I don't know exactly what to write because Kyle and Lexy are an exceptional couple. They met in 6th grade, went to the 8th grade dance together, started dating as children and I got to photograph their wedding. They look so young but their history is greater than some couples 10 years older. They grew up together and now, as strong and mature adults, they promise to spend the rest of their lives together and I can't think of anything more exciting than that. I just read an article about how marriage can be the greatest institution in the world if only we were better at choosing the right partner. I think Lexy and Kyle should teach a class! 

Thank you so much Lexy and Kyle for choosing me to photograph your wedding. It was wonderful working with you, your family and friends. I've looked forward to working with the Azevedo family again for years and I hope to help illustrate many more happy chapters. I wish you all the very best of love! 

Kate & Bartley ~ June 18, 2011

One year, around St. Patrick's Day, my daughter asked me if she was Irish. I told her she was about half, she asked if she'd be all Irish when she grew up. For some reason, my daughter and I are drawn to Irish people. I just love them, so does she,  stereotypically speaking of course. 

We moved into our house over 4 years ago and stepped into a pot of gold with the best neighbors you could ever imagine, Lynne, Rich, Emma and Isabelle. We spent so much time together that a 2 year friendship felt like a lifetime. With these neighbors came this magical family, the Flaherty's. The kind of family that makes you feel like your being hugged from the second you walk in the room. The kind of family that makes it impossible for you to be anything but genuine because you know they are genuine with you. 

So, the youngest Flaherty, Kate married Bartley Concannon who is equally Irish and just as much fun. What a day! 

Sometimes I have trouble with adjectives, I want to say something specific but can't find the right word, not this time. Kate looked absolutely angelic and the best part was that the bridesmaids made it clear.  They took a moment to step back and take Kate in and let her know how beautiful she looked instead of getting too caught up in the busyness. The day was peaceful, no extreme rushing, no scrambling, just peaceful. Watching Kate and Bartley's family and friends look at them with such pride and support was incredible. Watching their parents, who have been married for so many years, dance and smile at each other at their children's wedding was inspiring. Watching Kate and Bartley so gentle and relaxed with each other was just right. Just right sums it up. Thank you Kate and Bartley for including me in this day. Thank you to your family and friends for helping me preserve so many memories for you. I wish you all the very best of love and luck. Do you need to wish Irish people luck or is that a given?