E-Session: Katie + McKew

Once upon a time... two strangers were doing their laundry and passing the time with a little reading. Katie: Great Expectations and McKew: The NY Times. At some point between the washing, drying and folding the magic happened. They exchanged phone numbers, went on a date and they lived happily ever after. Well, there is a lot more to it than that...but you get the idea.
We thought it would be really fun to meet up at the same laundromat where they first met to start off their session. Next it was off to Church Street in Burlington where the Discover Jazz Festival was underway. We ended up roaming around downtown and had SO MUCH FUN!!!
Andy and I are really looking forward to their wedding this summer at Shelburne Farms.
Enjoy a few of my favorite photos and then be sure to watch their slideshow at the end of the post!!
























Here is their super fun slideshow!!

xoxo

Courtney + Ryan's Woodstock Wedding!

Hair + Make-up: First Impressions
Ceremony: Our Lady of The Snows Roman Catholic Church
Horse + Carriage: Friesians of Majesty
Reception/Catering/Cake: The Woodstock Inn
Flowers: Snapdragons Floral and Event Design
D.J.: Peak Entertainment

You may remember the completely adorable and animated Courtney + Ryan from their fun e-session in Barre last fall. Their wedding date finally rolled around recently and it was everything we had anticipated and more! We were SO lucky as it rained in the morning and during the ceremony, but it was perfectly lovely the rest of the day. Good thing because we took full advantage of the amazing Woodstock backdrops for their photos.
Without further ado...my favorite photos....

I must start with the dress...
This was no ordinary dress. It was so big and impressive that Courtney told me the dress shop wanted her to transport it by truck to the wedding. I'm not sure how they actually got it to Woodstock, but it was indeed that impressive. I think it weighed like 40 pounds. I was a little obsessed with it, as you will soon discover by the number of walking away images I posted. In case you are curious...it was designed by Austin Scarlett for Kenneth Poole.
Andy caught this moment of Ryan reading a love note from his bride-to-be.
The handsome groom gets ready...
Meet the ...
Getting Courtney zipped into her dress was a process, but sooo worth the effort!
Andy took this sweet ring shot....
Courtney is quite sassy!
I loved the vibrant pinks in Court's color scheme.
This little guy won my heart immediately.
The carriage awaits.
This moment with Court and her dad before the ceremony chokes me up! I wish I could take credit for it...but that goes to Andy.
Time to get married. Andy took this fun image with the fish-eye lens.
Sealed with a kiss!
I grabbed this one as they were leaving the church.
We followed the horse and buggy to Billings Farm to capture some fabulous Court + Ry moments.

I adore this one!
Cute!!
What is going on here? :)
When in Woodstock you must take advantage of the covered bridge.

The dapper groom.
More fabulousness of Court + Ry...

I warned you that I was obsessed with her dress.
I have to chalk up this first dance as one of the most creative of all times...It started off like any other and then suddenly the music changed and Ryan did this crazy head spin, break dance move. It was hilarious!!

Ta da!!
Courtney and her Dad danced (and whistled) to "Always Look at the Bright Side of Life". It was the cutest!!
I love it when couples incorporate images from their e-session into their wedding day.
Fun party moments...

A handful of fun reception details....
We snuck out for a few minutes at sunset for a few more...




xoxo

E-Session: Laura + Miles

I met up with lovebirds Laura + Miles in Middlebury recently for their e-session. We had so much fun bebopping around town and found some whimsical backdrops...as you will soon see. They'll be getting married this fall at the beautiful Hildene in Manchester and I know it will be a fabulous day!!
Here is a small selection of my very favorites...






Do you think Laura looks a bit like Kate Winslet?














In case you didn't get enough...click on their beautiful slideshow !!

Fun School Trip to D.C.

A group of about 100 students and their parents and teachers from Summer's 5th through 8th grade class at school took a trip to Washington D.C. last week. In order for the students to take part they had to pick a topic related to D.C. and do a project on it. The students then finished up their project by visiting the place related to the subject they focused on. Summer chose to study the Holocaust, so we visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum the day before we left for home. The teachers arranged for the students who focused on this topic to listen to a Holocaust survivor at the museum. We were so fortunate to have this powerful and unforgettable experience!
Obviously, Summer's topic was very intense, but we had plenty of fun while there as well. We walked for miles and miles, visited a couple of the Smithsonian Museums, the Spy Museum, the National Zoo, saw Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian at the IMAX theater, and loved hanging out with our amazing group of people from school. I must admit that spending so much time with Summer was my very favorite part of the trip!!
Enjoy some of the highlights from our 5 days in D.C.

We left at the crack of dawn and traveled all day in style in a couple of Mercedes busses. We arrived at the George Washington University dorms with plenty of time to unpack, dine on pizzas and take a big walking tour of the monuments in the evening.
Our little suite.
This poster for the H1N1 virus at the Pan American Health Organization building was like 10 stories tall.
Our fun little group in front of the Lincoln Memorial at sun down.We found Vermont at the World War II Memorial.
Having some shadow fun at the Washington Memorial.
I can't decide which photo I liked better between the next two.Any preference?
We were fortunate to be able to take a tour of our wonderful President's home on Wednesday. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip! No cameras allowed inside, unfortunately.
Summer and I spent a lot of time at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. There is simply too much to see at the museums. They are incredible!! We loved the live butterfly exhibit and hit this first, before the lines formed.
Summer monkeys around. : )

Did you know that koalas have 2 thumbs??
This one cracks me up!
Summer in the jaws of a great white...
I don't even know what to say about this...
Wake-up Sleepy...Snow White is looking for you!
On our way to the Capitol for a school group photo with Senator Patrick Leahy.
Double Dutch
This is about the spot that Andy and I stood to watch the Inauguration in January.
Some musical entertainment while we waited for the Senator.
Waiting...
My friend Marcy and me.
Someone volunteered to take a photo with Summer and me in it and they did a nice job!
still waiting...
Finally, the man of the hour, and one of my heroes, Senator Patrick Leahy. The student pictured with him rushed up to give him a big hug...it was adorable!
Julie Longchamp, a teacher, our extraordinary and fearless leader and chief organizer for the trip, listens to the Senator.
Some parents listen in too.
Summer and I enjoyed the National Museum of American History too. Do you recognize these slippers?
My favorite frog.
We happen to have a famous relative on my mother's side, George Armstrong Custer. This is the jacket he wore during his last stand...complete with blood stains.
The Old Post Office was our daily lunch/meeting spot.
On our way to the National Zoo on Thursday morning.
Wild things!
Funny otters.
Sometimes I thought our group needed a rope too. ; )
Panda's breakfast.
This baby elephant took a dirt bath...so cute!
The Cheetahs put on an amazing show for us!

Holocaust survivor Marcel Drimer. You can read his amazing story of survival HERE!
Seeing this pile of shoes that belonged to Holocaust victims was very impactful.
This is our group that visited the Holocaust Museum. Summer's new teacher, Miss Johnson, is on the far right.
Finally home again!!

Becky + Greg's Wedding in Woodstock + Quechee!

Girl's Getting Ready Location: Apple Hill Inn, Woodstock
Guy's Getting Ready Location: The Woodstock Inn
Flowers: Pepperberries in Woodstock
Cermony: St. James Episcopal Church, Woodstock
Reception/Catering: The Quechee Club, Quechee
Cake: Irene's Cakes by Design
D.J.: Peak Entertainment
Fire Department: Town of Hartford, Vermont : )

Once in a while we have a couple that we don't have an opportunity to meet before their big day. This was the case with Becky and Greg. But from the moment I met Becky at the Apple Hill Inn I adored her!! The morning of a wedding can be a bit stressful, but she was so calm and gracious and full of smiles and enthusiasm for her marriage to Greg. I was so excited to meet Greg for their first look and he was completely wonderful too! Combined with their awesome wedding party, loving families, fun guests and gorgeous weather it was a spectacular day. I am thrilled to share photos from their day!!

Becky had the most beautiful smile!!
A few things blue. (the garter was Becky's mom's!)

Becky's dad loves photography and was told by the family to just relax and not worry about taking photos, but I caught him in action several times. I can completely relate!
Almost ready.
The dashing groom gets ready to meet his bride-to-be.
The first look.
Next it was time for some photos with the B+G and their wedding party.
This one is so sassy!!
Pure bliss!
Simply stunning!
Greg and his dudes.
Fun with the girls.

A peaceful moment before heading for the church.
Beautiful Becky.
Almost to the church.
Greg looked nice and relaxed just before the ceremony.

The ceremony was lovely.
Andy captured this sweet moment.
There are so many great spots for photos in Woodstock. We found this one next to the church.
And of course we had to take some fun shots by the covered bridge.
We finally made our way to the reception for some more fun photos. I love this moment of the kids signing the guest book.
Awwwwww...
The toasts were touching and sometimes very funny!
Some fun wedding details...
Seriously yummy! The cake is a Scandinavian tradition and the AH-MAZING caramel apples were hand-made by Greg's mom.
During the reception there a couple little quirky interuptions...the fire alarms went off and everyone had to evacuate the building. We had to document it with this fun photo....


xoxo

E-Session: Erin + Lee

I met up with Erin + Lee at the Shelburne Orchards recently for their engagement session. Erin + Lee were so fun and giggly and the blossoms were so pretty it made for a wonderful session.
They will be tying the knot at the Grand Isle Lake House this summer and we'll be looking forward to it!!


















I had too many favorites to choose for the blog, so you might just want to watch their slideshow....*CLICK HERE*

Vermont Life Magazine

Last year I was given a dream assignment from the editors of Vermont Life Magazine. I got to choose 4 or 5 agricultural fairs around the state and tell the story of each one with my camera. The first challenge was in deciding which fairs to cover because there were so many to choose from. To finalize my list I went online to the state's official website and found the fairs with the most unique activities/traditions (i.e. a pie eating contest, arm wrestling matches, and sawing competition) and then asked a few photojournalist friends for their suggestions as well. I also had to find fairs that fit around my crazy summer wedding schedule.
The fairs that I ended up visiting were: The Addison County Fair & Field Days, the Orleans County Fair in Barton (the family came with me on this one!), The Champlain Valley Fair, The Deerfield Valley Fair and The Tunbridge World's Fair. I loved each and every one of them and easily took a couple thousand images. The biggest challenge was narrowing them down!!
Below are small versions of the pages within the magazine. To see the cover and see them larger, go to the Vermont Life website. On the site under "view web extras" you will find a slideshow with even more photos.
And while you are out + about...GO BUY THE MAGAZINE!! It's even better in real life. : ) You can find it pretty much anywhere in Vermont and in some major booksellers, like Barnes + Noble, around the states.








The second feature I worked on in this issue was a blast too. The writer, Michelle Edelbaum, and I discovered this darling little shop, Red Sky Trading, while we were touring aroung the Northeast Kingdom for a Burlington Free Press story called "Kingdom Gems" a couple falls ago. The owners are some of the most delightful people imaginable and the shop is adorable!! Definitely worth visiting while in Vermont.

Michelle + Greg's Stowe Mountain Lodge Wedding

Hair + Make-up: The Spa at Stowe Mountain Lodge
Cermony: Blessed Sacrament Church
Ceremony Music: The Classic Consort
Reception/Catering: Stowe Mountain Lodge
cupcakes: The Harvest Market
Flowers: Wildflower Designs
D.J.: Greg Capozzi of C-Zone Music in Boston

I recently posted a fun e-session with the fabulous Michelle + Greg and I am very excited to share some of my favorite photos from their beautiful Stowe wedding!!

Their wedding day COULD NOT have been any more perfect!!
I met up with Michelle and her wedding party at the Stowe Mountain Lodge's spa.
Andy found Greg pumping iron at the Lodge's gym. I only wish I could be that dedicated to staying healthy! : )
Michelle didn't need much help to look completely stunning.
The gown was so elegant.
Michelle is so stylish!! I couldn't decide which shoes I loved more...the furry wedding boots or the Jimmy Choo shoes.
Michelle + Greg wanted a "first look" before the ceremony. Here she is peeking over the railing to see her soon-to-be hubby and the wedding party waiting for her.
The first kiss.

There is something about this image I really like. I took it just before the wedding party walked down the aisle.
A kiss from Dad.
Michelle and her parents walk down the aisle.
Sweet ceremony moments....


The newlyweds!!
Could the sky be any bluer?
I love shadows.
We found a beautiful spot for some fun/casual portraits. Michelle and Greg are naturals in front of the camera.







We met the wedding party back at The Lodge for the group portraits. We started with these beauties!

Andy rocked this ring shot.
Lovely details....
cute.
the boys.
This one is so romantic!
And how adorable is this one?


xoxo

Tulum, Mexico--part tres

We had planned to spend part of our last full day on vacation in Tulum, but after learning, the night before, the shocking news that Summer's teacher had died, we didn't really know what to do. We all decided to honor Mr. Al Myers by going to the ancient Mayan ruins because he was a big history buff. It was such an emotional day, but we were so happy that we went because it was so interesting and so beautiful! We don't have photos of it, but we finished our visit with a swim in the warm, sparkling, turquoise ocean just below the ruins.



As we were touring around the ruins, Andy suddenly said, "Look up!" and so we all did and saw this amazing sight! We're pretty sure it was a gift from Mr. Myers.





Andy snapped this photo out the bus window on our way back to the resort. The highway had a very strong military presence with several check points along the route.


Next up: Michelle + Greg's fabulous wedding at the Stowe Mountain Lodge!

Xcaret in Mexico--part dos

Before traveling to Mexico everyone warned us not to get sucked into a timeshare sales pitch and so we were totally prepared to say no if approached. It happened so quickly we didn't even see it coming...right after we collected our luggage in the Cancun airport!! We were headed out the airport door and this very official tourist guide was so generously helping us with where to go and what to do and the next thing we knew we had signed up for a timeshare presentation. Can you believe it?!? But the prize for sitting through it was too good of an offer to refuse....4 tickets to Xcaret for the family including transportation, valued at over $400. So we sat through the 2 hour presentation with an uber friendly woman named June. Interestingly, our daughter observed that her eyes were as cold as steel and we all noticed that she suddenly wasn't so friendly after we declined the timeshare offer. However, we did get our tickets and we were all thrilled to spend the day at Xcaret!! Here are some of my favorite images from the day...

How could you not smile when looking at this logo? I shot it through the window of the van on the way to the park.
The wildlife at the park was beautiful!!
Andy + Summer.

There were 2 cave swimming opportunities at the park. Our family did one, which was very fun, but a little chilly.

The park had a wonderful butterfly enclosure, but we had to rush through it to get to my extra special date!!
Swimming with dolphins was A DREAM COME TRUE!! Andy was able to take some photos through the fence, but I ended up buying a cd of photos, so I'll have to do a separate post from that magical experience.
Baxter makes friends every where he goes.
The next several photos are from a building I was a little obsessed with. It housed the check-in area for our cave swim and bathrooms/showers.
Such a cool way to wash hands!!
The showers were outside and the bathroom stalls were above.
Here's the building from farther away....oh, and Baxter too! : )

We ate dinner at a buffet with an abundance of delicious Mexican food and suddenly had front row seats to a big colorful show. Such a treat!

This guy had some serious talent with the lasso!



We finished off our evening with a spectacular show that ended with live parrots flying overhead and party streamers cascading down from the ceilings.

Riviera Maya, Mexico-part uno

Buenos Dias! I have had a very rough couple of weeks, with the death of my daughter's teacher and then the passing of my Grandfather Otto on Sunday. But the losses have been a great reminder to embrace life and enjoy it to the fullest!

And speaking of enjoying life...I thought it would be the perfect time to blog about our very fun family vacation. We traveled to the Riviera Maya in Mexico and stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Beach during spring break. It was the perfect family-friendly resort and we loved that it was all-inclusive, so we could eat way too much food and Summer and Baxter could order as many banana daquiris and pina coladas "with no alcohol, please" as their little hearts desired.
This first round of photos were all taken at our resort and were taken by Andy and me.
Enjoy!

The resort grounds were filled with colorful plants and flowers.
My beautiful Summer girl.
And Baxter my cheeky monkey!
Vacation is tiring.
We loved the colors at our place!
Pass the sunscreen, will you? I think this bird is a Great Curassow.
Our resort had crazy pool games each day. Here's Baxter showing off his stuff.
The pools went on forever!
Here's our favorite resort friend, Josh. Or shall I say, Josh's twin sister?
Baxter grew some new freckles on our trip.





Happy kids...

This amazing bar was in the Iberostar hotel next to ours.
I couldn't resist snapping this one...I just love weddings!



Our beach was beautiful and the waves were fun, but a swimmer got caught up in a rip tide one day and the lifeguard pulled him to safety.
Another spot news moment. This wasn't at our resort, but one nearby...
This last sequence of photos cracks me up! Fortunately I had my camera ready to capture it...



Andy caught this sunrise on the last morning.
I apologize in advance for this photo (skip it if you are easily offended). The shirt on the left has got to be THE TACKIEST I've ever seen! Of course I had to share it with you. Don't you love the spelling too?