Wadsworth Mansion Portrait Session :: Middletown CT :: Danielle and Stephen

Danielle and Stephen are two people I'm so lucky to call my friends. They are that great mix of fun, goofy, sarcastic, pun-ny (if you know Stephen, he sure does enjoy a good pun!), sweet, and so easy to be around. Plus they are incredibly cute together! At the end of Fall last year we all met up for some photo time. Stephen (a talented, usually bowtie wearing, photographer) took photos of Jeff and I together first. Being on the other side of the camera as a part of a couple was a strange, new experience. I could not stop laughing! Stephen suggested that Jeff and I kiss, and I immediately started giggling. It gave me an additional layer of respect for all of the couples I've worked with who have rocked it in front of my camera! After that, I photographed Danielle and Stephen together. They have such an ease with each other and have fun with pretty much everything they do. This led to some photos of them that I loved and needed to share!

An extra fun part of this session was getting to play with this GIANT lens! It's so big that it needs a monopod to balance on because it's pretty impossible to handhold. Jeff took this photo of me as I was photographing Stephen and Danielle.

Intimate Wedding on the Cape :: Fall Clambake :: Pocasset Ma :: Martha and Josh

Everything about Martha and Josh's wedding day still makes me smile! And it's so nice to remember a sunny day on a beach looks like as it snows and rains outside! These two celebrated with an intimate group of friends and family at a private residence on the Cape in Pocasset, Mass. They actually found the place on Air B&B, which I wouldn't have ever thought to do and was clearly a great idea!

I'm still in love with the understated elegance of everything Martha and Josh chose. Martha's dress and hair look both classic and modern. Josh was stylin' with matching socks and handkerchief, as well as some really great acorn cuff links to celebrate the Fall. We setup a private 'Frist Look' for them near the house. Its was really sweet and beautifully emotional, just a few tears and a lot of kisses! After taking some time together and snapping some photos, they got ready to head to the beach.

Their wedding ceremony was officiated by Fiona, the bride's sister, right by the water with an ocean breeze, lots of sun, and a feeling of intimacy as everyone crowded close. After a sand pouring and saying 'I do' they walked and golf-carted (that's a verb, right?) back to the house they rented for a low key evening, including a delicious clambake, oysters, some watermelon/feta app I was a little obsessed with, chowder, and both apple and pumpkin pies. To make this wedding even more of a photography dream experience, Martha and Josh headed back to the beach with me just before sunset, braving the chilly winds that had kicked up, to create some extra photos. They even wandered into the nearby brush for a couple of my favorite photos (like the one above). We ended the evening with Martha and Josh lighting up a couple of sparklers (thank you Mom!) on the beach for a little more fun and romance!

Wedding Venue: A Private Residence on the Cape in Pocasset, Ma
Wedding Planner: lolagraceEVENTS
Wedding Photography: Michelle Girard Photography and Design
Bar & Beverage: Johns Liquors
Beauty: Head to Toe Salon & Spa
Pies from Petsi Pies
Catering by Clambakes Caterers
Florals by Whim Floral Design
Tent and Rentals by Taylor Rentals and Party Cape Cod
Transportation by South Shore Golf Cart

Oceanside Estate Wedding at Eolia Mansion :: Harkness Memorial Park Fall Wedding :: Caitlin and Charles

Caitlin and Charles had the most beautiful Fall wedding last year in late October. With how lush and gorgeous the grounds of the Eolia Mansion are you may not have even realized it wasn't a Summer wedding! I still smile when I think back to their wedding ceremony. It was so very them. There were some jokes, big laughs, quiet smiles, a couple of tears, and a few of those looks you exchange as a couple (you know the ones.. the looks that are like you're speaking your own private language with each other). There was an oathing stone, a special engraved rock that they both touched as they said their vows. A stone that will help serve as a reminder of that moment. And there was a kiss and applause and so much love as these two walked back down the aisle, officially husband and wife! 

Ceremony Venue: Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford CT
Wedding Photography: Michelle Girard Photography and Design
Officiant: Marie Wiley
DJ: Spin Enterprise
Florist: Flowers N Such
Caterer: Coastal Gourmet
Wedding Gown by Alfred Angelo
Grooms Suit by Vera Wang from Mens Warehouse

Making the Time to Photograph :: Portraits of Friends :: A Weekend in the Poconos

Lately, I find myself enamored with the photos that my fellow photographers and friends post. The images they create at weddings and in their businesses are obviously beautiful, though I'm referring to the photographs of their families, friends, travels, and personal projects. These photos are technically beautiful(they clearly know what they are doing with a camera!) but the real magic seems to come from the level of love and intimacy in them. It's in the connect they have to the people and the moment. And I love that they share this glimpse into their lives, their world that runs alongside the weddings, the portraits, and the commercial work. Knowing how attracted I am to those photos.. I'm trying to take my camera out more. I'm making time for personal projects. I'm resolving to finally edit those vacation images. And I'm photographing my family and friends when I have the opportunity.. when I make the opportunity.

So a week ago, I got to spend a couple of days in the Poconos with an incredible group of women that I've known since college. We did a little Air B&B rental, picked up some food at the supermarket, and just hung out in our most comfortable clothing. I have a lot of respect for these ladies. Each of them has such strength and talent. You would think I was incredible long winded if I started describing them each to you. Let's just say, this is a great group of supportive, beautiful people that I got to spend some time with. So I brought my camera. I put it out there that I wanted to take some photos of them, and a couple of these women, my friends, were game to step in front of it, braving the cold right around twilight for about five minutes before we darted back inside to get warm again!