Megan + Tony's Wedding at the Hawk Inn!

The completely wonderful Megan + Tony tied the knot on July 5th down at the The Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort in Plymouth, Vermont. This couple is head over heels in love and are blessed with wonderful friends and family who traveled far and wide to be with them for their big day. Oh, and they have the cutest dogs too...Dasher and Layla. You'll meet Layla in a moment.
On with the show...

Megan and her girls prepared for the day at a lakeside bungalo, so I went with the camp theme for her dress and other details...
the hair...
the makeup...
The dashing groom and his boys were at the inn...
I swear this dog is smiling!
getting dressed...
I'm not exactly sure what Megan's mom is doing, but it made for a fun moment!
the gorgeous bride!
Megan's color choices were so pretty! The bouquets and arrangements were made by the always smiling Alison with FLORAL ARTISTRY.
Megan and her dad walk down the aisle...
Tony spies his bride...
some sweet ceremony moments...



Husband and wife!!

Some quiet time with the kids (Layla and Dasher)
Layla is irresistible!!
What a ham!
fun with the group
More fun details! The cutie cupcakes were made by Donna's Custom Cakes.
Megan and Tony were so worried that they weren't photogenic. Well these two love birds can have one less worry! Our photo session with them was so fun and relaxing since they built extra time into the cocktail hour.





so romantic!

Happily ever after...


M + T: We had SO MUCH fun with you on your wedding day. You were an absolute dream to work with and I wish you lived in Vermont!! xoxo

Sarah & Aaron's Wedding at the Bates!!

Sarah and Aaron were married in a beautiful flower garden before their closest friends and dearest families and Cody (who you'll meet in a moment) at the Bates Mansion in Cavendish, Vermont. The rain this summer has been a challenge to work around, but fortunately, the skies waited to open up until just after the ceremony finished. Very lucky!
This extra special couple and their guests could have cared less about the weather; they enjoyed every minute of the joyous celebration!!

The estate is so beautiful and was the perfect spot to host their guests for a fantastic Vermont wedding weekend.

Sarah started her day with some pampering at The Castle Resort & Spa in Cavendish, just down the road from the Bates Mansion.
Andy met up with Aaron and the boys for their pre-wedding adventures.
sweet details were everywhere.
the gorgeous gown...
Sarah's mom gives the veil a spin as she passes it on to her daughter.
Sarah and Aaron jetted off to Italy after their wedding. That Andy is too clever!
The completely adorable Cody gets a little snuggle time while Talia from Signature Style Salon works on Sarah's hair.
Aaron prepares for the day.
The groomsmen wore these fab ties!
Cody hangs with the girls.
Stunning!
cute.
Sarah is escorted by her parents down the aisle.
can you stand it??
Cody wastes no time getting the rings to the alter!
Sealed with a kiss!
Congratulations Sarah and Aaron!!
this must be one amazing photo!!
Sarah receives some help with the bustling.
I adore peony bouquets! The flowers were arranged by the very talented Blomma Flicka Flowers.
Ooh la lovely buttons!
We took advantage of the slight break from the storm to do some relaxed portraits.


The gorgeous girls!
We snapped a few photos of the boys in their very dapper seersucker suits as the rain started up again, then it was off to the reception.
How could I not include a French girl twirling in a polka-dotted dress!
The first dance...
One of my favorites for last...


S + A (+ C) we adore you and loved every second of your spectacular day!!
xxoo

Robyn + Keith's Wedding Day!

Robyn and Keith were blissfully married in a cute, little white church in Waitsfield in September. After a champagne toast, the newlyweds drove off in a vintage black Chevy for their grand celebration at the beautiful Round Barn Farm It was a perfect day in every way and Andy and I were so honored to be a part of it!
Enjoy some of my favorites!

The beautiful bride-to-be!
part of "team bride"...
Fun with the boys!!

the rings
the handsome groom

Robyn's eyes are AMAZING!!
preparing for departure...
Andy captures the action of Robyn arriving at the church.
The newlyweds!!
Chevy love
some romantic photos...



Introducing Robyn and Keith!
the beautiful cake!
some quiet time...

Presenting Mr. + Mrs. Onion!

If I could hand out an award for the most enthusiastic bride of all times it would be presented to Lindsey! Lindsey is a blogger on a very cool website for brides called weddingbee.com. She has helped countless brides with decisions on every aspect of their weddings from invitations, to picking out dresses, to boudoir sessions. She is the best resource imaginable, and she does it in her honest and thoughtful style.
Anyway, we were so fortunate to be her photographers because she has been the biggest cheerleader since their engagement session. It has been a complete blast working with her and ultimately photographing all of the fantastic people and details that made her wedding so special.
And it was amazing! She had dreamed of having an Italian-style dinner party and chose the perfect spot for it at Adrianas on the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington. While photographing her reception I couldn't help but feel overjoyed when the sounds of laughter and conversation filled the room and I realized that her dream was fulfilled.
It was an honor to be a part of Lindsey and Nate's amazing celebration! They are the perfect pair! :-)

Lindsey and Nate prepare for their big day...







Dana at Fresh Studio did another amazing job with the flowers!! I love the colors of the bridesmaid's bouquets...
how darling is this flowergirl!
We had fun running around at University of Vermont to do their photos. I adored Lindsey's dress, it's so fabulous and retro!



I wish I could remember what was so funny!
I love the way Nate is looking at Lindsey here...
Husband and wife!
Lindsey and Nate led their guests from the church to Adrianas for the cocktail hour and reception. It was awesome!
Just a few of the fabulous details...



Nate and Lindsey took a quick break from the cocktail hour to watch this crazy clown on Church Street.
I wonder if you find this as amusing as I do.
so pretty!
As the evening was winding down, the happy couple strolled over to Ben & Jerry's for some ice cream. So fun!

don't you just love happy endings?

Heidi + Ave e-session!

I met up with Heidi and Ave at Shelburne Farms recently for a fantastic engagement session. They're getting married next weekend and we're so thrilled to be photographing their wedding!

Andy took the liberty to add fine art textures to a couple of their photos and I love the results!

To watch their beautiful engagement session slideshow, **click here!**












p.s. You did great, Ave!! see you two soon! xo

Jessica + Peter's Lucky Day!

Jessica & Peter officially became one of the near 40,000 couples to get married on the most popular wedding date ever, July 7, 2007!!

We began the day in Woodstock at the gorgeous Lauren Inn with beautiful Jessica and all the girls, then we headed out for the cermony at the Murphy Farm, a property owned by the classic Quechee Club, where we ended up for the rest of the night for a fun-filled reception!

The two newlyweds were even so lucky that it rained right across the other side of the lake while the ceremony at Murphy Farm stayed dry! The two of them planned a romantic revisit of some of the locations where we photographed their e-session, so we had a blast cruising around downtown Quechee by the river, waterfall and covered bridge.

And for us? We were lucky to photograph such a fantastic couple for this magical day!

We wish them a life full of happiness and good fortune!

the gorgeous gown...
the finishing touches...
Peter and his groomsmen having some pre-wedding fun...
heading off for some portraits before the ceremony...
one of the prettiest bouquets I've seen...
Jessica and her darling flowergirls think they smell pretty too...
just beautiful!
uber cute!
so handsome!
I love this moment when Jessica was looking out to see everyone gathering for the ceremony.
true love!
This is a really fun portrait, because when we were at this spot last summer during their e-session, Jessica and Peter were only dreaming about this day!
cheers!
Jessica's grandparents danced together after she honored them with the most heartfelt speech. It was so sweet!
A little romance under Quechee's covered bridge...

Kelly + Josh e-session

I met up with super adorable Kelly and Josh in Burlington recently for their engagement session. We had a blast running around near Battery Park, which overlooks Lake Champlain. It was really fun getting to know them and hearing about their wedding at one of the most beautiful places to be married in Vermont, The Round Barn Farm.

They'll be tying the knot on August 3rd and Andy and I are so excited to photograph their wedding festivities!

See you two soon!
xo

Kristy + Jason's perfect wedding day

Kristy and Jason were married on one of the most beautiful days of the summer: a crisp blue sky, big puffy clouds, not too hot, kind of day. The marriage and celebration happened at The Ponds, a great new spot at Bolton Valley ski area. The building and setting are so beautiful and private and it's only 20 minutes to Burlington. And one of the perks of having a wedding there is working with Vivien because she is awesome!

Kristy and Jason are crazy in love and were so easy and fun to photograph. Their day was just perfect in every way! As Andy and I drove home we couldn't stop talking about how lucky we are to be wedding photographers!!

Kristy just sparkles. I love this moment as she's getting ready. Kind of Marilyn Monroe-ish...

I love this...in lieu of favors, Kristy and Jason made a donation to the Vermont Cancer Center in honor of Jason's father.
Kristy and her cousin/best gal, Elise, have some pre-wedding fun...
the gorgeous bride and her beautiful mom, Sue, just moments before they walk down the aisle...
Kristy's parents, Sue and Tony, did the sweetest thing...look how they held hands behind Kristy as they walked her down the aisle...
a sweet moment during the ceremony...
The flower girl was too cute for words...and if you are wondering who made this adorable flower basket, it was the super sweet Alison with Floral Artistry...
Nope, you're not seeing double...it's the handsome groom and his identical twin brother, Shawn. Thankfully, Jason wore a blue tie so I didn't mistake them...
we didn't have to walk far to find some great backdrops for Kristy and Jason's relaxed portraits...


a fun cake cutting moment...
the end of a perfect day...

Up, Up, and Away!

On Saturday I woke up before the roosters to watch the balloons launch at the Vermont Balloon and Music Festival, one of the cool events that my buddy Steve Mease organizes for the Champlain Valley Exposition.

I spied Steve cruising around with a cup of coffee and after chatting for a moment he asked me if I wanted to take a ride on Piko, my favorite balloon. Yahoo! I know Piko well because I rode on him 2 years ago when I covered the festival for Vermont Magazine. Piko is from Quebec and his owners organize a giant balloon festival up north called the International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

I am so lucky to have a friend like Steve. :-) You can check out some of the awesome events Steve is involved with and see some of his great photography HERE!

Enjoy the photos from my beautiful balloon ride...

Preparing Piko for the flight...
Here's Steve!
Steve took these next 2 photos of me and he very generously let me take them for the blog...
Can you see me up there snapping away?



Captain Denis...

Isn't Piko adorable?
Packing up quickly in the rain...
spectators...
how cute is this little guy?
Part of the tradition of landing is to share some bubbly with the land owners (at right) and the balloon passengers. Don't worry...it's sparkling cider.
Marie is part of Piko's flight crew. She chases Piko around to rescue him from fields. Here she is with the post flight bubbly...
Thanks again Steve!

Moira & Brigg's Wedding Day

Moira and Briggs were happily married at the 1st Congregational Church in Manchester, Vermont on Sunday. It was a fabulous day and every detail was perfect from the flower arrangements by Julane with Flowers Flowers to the monogrammed cake!

Fortunately the skies waited to open up until just after the bagpiper, the newlyweds and their wedding guests paraded from the church back to the Equinox Resort. There was a little break from the rain so we were able to get out for a few photos and the light was glorious. I believe that rain on a wedding day is good luck and the priest confirmed it, so now I know it's true. :-)

Congratulations, Moira and Briggs, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day!

xo daria

Moira was stunning...
A kiss from Dad...
The dashing groom and his brother...
A little touch-up...

Going to the chapel...
The newlyweds...
Moira and her sister...




The first dance...
My favorite image from the day was taken by Andy...

This Weather is for the Birds (and other goodies)...

We're supposed to be getting spring any day now...well at least that's what we keep telling ourselves. We just got whalloped by the big Nor'Easter you probably read about. We received minimal damage such as broken tree limbs and a few toppled trees. However, our friends, the Shinns, down in Rutland said their street won't have power for days because there are hundreds of downed trees and the wind was so severe that it knocked down their big play structure. yikes! They are headed to our home tomorrow to shower and get warmed up again. The only thing that is keeping us smiling about the weather is knowing that we'll be off to Disney World next Sunday!

Andy snapped this photo of a lonely turkey eating crab apples in our yard.


Back in July, I blogged about this incredibly cool kids clothing store called Zutano and a photo shoot that Baxter did for the Spring 2007 collection. The spring catalog just came out and, once again, you can see how amazingly cute all the Zutano clothes are! If you want to see him in action click HERE and HERE and my fav (!) HERE !




ONE MORE THING...

I was recently nominated for the Bloggers Choice Award "best photography blog".
I certainly don't expect to win, but it is cool to be on the list.
I only have 3 votes so far (one is from Andy and one is from me), so it would be great to get a few more, hint, hint...

Click RIGHT HERE to vote for me.

(It takes just a second to start an account and I would really appreciate it!)
Thank you! :-)

Viva Las Vegas!

I am home and trying to recover from all of the excitement at WPPI! I packed in so much learning, met so many new friends, connected with old friends and had a total blast. How did I cram so much in just a few days? I think my combined total of sleeping hours was the equivalent of a single night's sleep.

Here are some highlights from my Vegas experience...


I ran around the strip with some old and new photography friends on Sunday night: (from left) Nate Williams, Barrie Fisher, John Williams, Michael Riddell, moi, Robin Langsdorf and Kevin Focht.

Robin, Barrie and me in front of the Eiffel Tower at our hotel, Paris.

Did you ever think that shopping at Dolce & Gabbana could be this much fun?

Barrie wore the spikiest high-heeled shoes and somehow managed to walk for hours in them. She made me try them on and I lasted about 2 minutes. ouch!

Here's that sassy Barrie in those shoes outside her favorite store.

Robin in Armani.

More fun on Monday night with Robin, John and Mike.



On Tuesday night I attended the Becker's [B]Party at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay. I've never been in such a small space packed with so much talent (and so much heat)and I was very honored to be there.

Here's me and my pals Mike Colon and Ray Santana having some fun and wishing Terry Clark were with us!


Here is the [b]est host in the universe! Thanks for the fun and the red vines,
Becker!

I was thrilled to meet the uber creative Jules Bianchi and her equally adorable twin sister, Joy.

One of the coolest couples I met were the talented Nick and Signe Adams from Utah.

Here is the famous Pepper Nix and the genius behind the Simple Photo Minute Dane Sanders at the Pictage Party.

Here I am with my new sister Tabitha Sherrell at the Pictage party. Someone had just told me I look like the actress Catherine Keener and a second later I met Tabitha who I think looks even more like her.
Here is a photo of the real Catherine Keener. Do you think there's a little similarity there??

Me Ra Koh is amazing! I am impressed with her ability to gracefully juggle a booming career with motherhood and life so well. Here she is presenting with the very famous David Jay at the Pictage lounge.

I saw many wonderful speakers, but was the most inspired by Matthew Jordan Smith . His presentation was full of energy and I was buzzing for hours afterwards. Definitely check out his work!

I had a mentor session with the one of my favorite photographers on the planet Jessica Claire and learned a ton! I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from this super sweet and amazingly talented gal.

Amanda Harris is an up-and-coming photographer and I'll be photographing her cousin's fabulous wedding this summer.

I was so excited to meet Anne Ruthmann! She is one of my inspirations in the field and super-duper sweet too!

Joe Buissink is one of the world's greatest wedding photographers and one of the world's nicest guys. I adore him!

News flash!

The Burlington Free Press has been keeping me very busy lately. I thought it would be fun to share some highlights from recent assignments.

Let me know if you have a favorite!

The father-daughter Valentine’s Day Dance in South Burlington was too sweet for words!



A large group of folks with disabilities met up for an adaptive ski clinic at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center recently. Most of them had never cross-country skied before and everyone seemed to enjoy the challenge. Click here to read about it.

When I’m 88 years old I would like to be healthy enough to be teaching yoga classes. Carol is my hero! You can read about her here.




In Vermont we specialize in winter sports, so here is a small collection from various assignments from the Cochran’s Ski Area and Catamount Outdoor Family Center.





I was photographing the Williston recreation 3rd and 4th grader’s basketball league and they were so awesome. I kind of forgot how little they were until I captured the coach tying the shoes of one of his players. Bright red Converse high-tops nonetheless.

For the cover of the weekend section I was sent out to photograph some ice skaters. How cool it was to find a toddler with her dad and a few minutes later capture her skating on her own for the very first time.


The Essex children’s choir performed in the chapel at St. Michael’s College and their voices were so beautiful it gave me goose bumps.


Would you jump into 32 degree water for a good cause? Hundreds of crazy people in Burlington don costumes and swimsuits each year to participate in the Penguin Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics. It is an absolute blast to watch, but I was chilly enough laying on the ice snapping photographs without needing to experience that type of torture.





And finally, the funniest assignment I have ever covered...

A group of brave individuals went under the hypnotic spell of Marko the Magician in front of an auditorium packed with an appreciative audience. I wouldn’t have believed it to be true unless I witnessed it for myself. It was so funny that at times I couldn’t hold my camera still due to the giggles!
My neighbor, Kathy, thinks she is playing her favorite instrument for martians.
This woman thinks she is her favorite zoo animal. I'm guessing it's a monkey.