Part two of my double header weekend brought me to Gloucester, MA, where a cool old marina, a cool old car, and a hot young couple got together to have a wedding!

I began the day with Courtney and her bridesmaids in an awesome little treehouse of a suite at the very top of the Cape Ann Marina Resort and Spa in Gloucester.  Makeup and dressing whirled by, and before we knew it, all of the girls were dressed and ready to go.  Just in time for Courtney’s dad to walk in the room for an emotional meeting with his daughter.  Next thing you know we were tromping down the stairs to the ground floor where a classic Mercedes convertible was waiting to whisk Courtney away to the Cruiseport.  But not before we took it over to the junky side of the marina for a little photo shoot!

Then it was down the road to The Cruiseport, where Adam awaited the arrival of his bride.  As the guests gathered in the downstairs room, Courtney smiled all they way down the aisle, and all the way through the ceremony.  Having said “I do”, we headed outside together, using the beautiful, sailboat filled harbor, and the industrial buildings as the background for their photo session. Quick as a flash we were done, and inside for the end of the cocktail hour.  The cocktail hour led to the reception where food was delicious and the music was thumping.  Amidst the dancing and revelry, we took some time to head outside to play with sparklers and explore the night!

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Friday’s wedding brought me to Boston where the wedding of Christine and Patrick felt like a bit of a family reunion for me.  Over the last couple of years, I have had the honor of photographing many of the weddings in Christine’s circle of friends, and it was great to see Christine again as well as two of my past brides who were standing in with Christine as her bridesmaids.  But this time, I didn’t start with the girls!  My day began a few blocks away with Patrick and his groomsmen as they got ready in a friend’s Charlestown apartment.  Guys are born with this gene that enables them to get ready in minutes flat, and it didn’t take long for Patrick to be fully dressed, complete with Tiffany’s cuff links (a gift from Christine).  The other thing about guys is that, if we can’t figure out how to do something, we turn to technology to teach us how.  When the bow tying hit a snag, it was YouTube on the iPhone that showed the way!

So it didn’t take long for me to make it to Christine and Patrick’s apartment, where the girls were demonstrating their “Wonder Twin” powers with the rings that Christine had given them.  Wonder twin powers indeed, as the dressing and preparations moved along like a well oiled machine.  Before I knew it, they were all ready, and the classic 1960’s vintage limo was awaiting downstairs.  So a few photos taking advantage of the great light in the apartment, and showing off Christine’s cooking skills :), we headed dlownstairs for the girls’ cover shoot with the car.  Cover shoot covered, I walked the two blocks down to St Mary’s Church in Charlestown to await the ceremony.

And what a perfect ceremony it was.  St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena in Charlestown is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever worked in.  Also one of the coolest, as was evidenced by the Labradore Retriever who oversaw the ceremony from the back of the sanctuary!  As Christine and Patrick became husband and wife, he signaled his approval by sleeping soundly.  Luckily the rest of the crowd had a more traditional way of showing their approval, cheering and clapping as Christine and Patrick walked back down the aisle hand in hand.  Back into the cool old Limo, we headed over to the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston where the city lights and cool bronze animals were waiting to star in their photos, and a night of dancing and celebration was waiting to break out!

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The Details
Ceremony: St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena, Charlestown
Reception: The International Hotel, Boston
Video: Rick Macomber of Macomber Productions
Entertainment: Night Shift

I really luck out with the best couples that a wedding photographer could wish for, and Mary and Bob are prime examples of that.  First, Mary asked for me to be creative…she said that she didn’t want the same wedding photographs that everyone else has.  Next they picked really cool photo locations, suggesting her Grandmother’s beautiful old Victorian house as a backdrop for the “formals”.  Finally they scheduled a LOT of time for photos.  It was the perfect recipe for fun photography!

I started the day at the Hawthorne Suites in Franklin MA, where Mary and her bridesmaids were having a grand old time finishing up their hair and makeup and donning their beautiful green bridesmaids dresses.  Mary was the last to get dressed in the elegant white gown that she chose for her wedding day.  On the way to Mary’s suite, I noticed that the hotel laundry was right across the hall.  It was the perfect location for Mary and her girls to pose for their fashion magazine cover shoot!   Then it was time for Mary and Bob to see each other for the first time, so we headed downstairs where the guys were waiting.  While Bob waited under a beautiful willow tree, Mary approached him from behind, calling his name when they were only a few paces apart, and the two enjoyed an emotional moment together while the wedding party and I watched from a distance.

With Mary and Bob united, they all jumped into a waiting limousine and headed over to Mary’s grandmother’s house in North Attleboro for the family photos.  Mary had picked this location because of the beautiful Victorian home and the lovely green backyard with a cool old red shed.  We took a few photos around the yard and ended up on the back porch of the home.  That’s when I noticed the BBQ grill and the old lawn chair and a spark of an idea started to form.  When a bridesmaid poked her head out of the back door, I noticed an old fireman’s hat hanging in the hall, and I new it had to make an appearance in the photos!

And the rest of the day just became more and more fun.  From the ceremony at the beautiful St Mary Parish in North Attleboro, to the 2nd round of Mary and Bob’s photo session at Lake Pearl Luciano’s in Wrentham, MA, to the amazing food and fun at the reception in Lake Pearl’s ballroom.  I could spend paragraphs writing about it all, but suffice it to say that it was fun and emotional and energetic, and…..perfect!

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The Details
Ceremony: St Mary Parish, North Attleboro
Reception: Lake Pearl Luciano’s, Wrentham
Flowers: Judy’s Village Flowers, Foxboro
Dress: Bridal and Gift at Sheer Style, Attleboro
Tuxedos: Carl Anthony Tuxedo, Cranston
Cake: Montilio’s Cake Shoppe, Brockton
Entertainment: DJ Sonny Entertainment, Stoughton

Sunday, I had the opportunity to drive up to Gloucester, MA, for the sunset family portrait session with Sally, Don, and Luke (with an appearance by Cooper, their 10 month old, 100 lb Labrador Retriever).

We began in the beautiful backyard of their waterfront home, walking down to the granite patio where the wrought iron furniture and the harbor behind provided the perfect backdrop.  With the tide out, we decided to wander down to the mud flats, using a cool old rowboat for our next scene.  Back up in the yard, Luke showed me how he made a wish in the fountain (he wished for Mickey), then we wrestled Cooper into a couple of photos before piling into our cars and bribing Luke with ice cream into a few more photos at Plum Cove Beach.  The beautiful sunset put the perfect ending to our session as Luke and family headed out for the promised ice cream!

The Barn at Gibbet Hill is one of my favorite venues.  I mean, c’mon, how cool is it to have your wedding reception in an old barn, on a farm with real cows in the fields!  So I was excited to head back up to Groton for Jen and Jason’s wedding this weekend.  I was also excited to have my good friend and awesome Maine wedding photographer, Andree Kehn along to help me out.

I met Jen and her bridesmaids at her brother’s beautiful home in Chelmsford, MA, where the big picture window in the den provided perfect light for makeup…and photos.  Soon all the ladies were made up, and dressed in their wedding finery, and we were ready to have Jason come over to see his bride for the first time.   Once the tears were dry, we headed outside for the family photos in the back yard.  Then we headed up a wooded trail to Jen’s parent’s house, where a “Harrington Lane” (the family name) sign greeted us, along with a huge rock that proved the perfect backdrop for the girls to pose for their “Vanity Fair” cover.   By the time we arrived back at the “staging” house, the limos were arriving to take the group over to St Mary Parish in Chelmsford, MA.

The ceremony was perfect, with Jen and Jason promising their lifelong love in front of an assembled crowd of their friends and family.  Newly married, they marched down the aisle to the waiting limo, and we headed off to Groton.  Next door to the Gibbet Hill Barn there are bunch of old buildings belonging to the Lawrence Academy, and it was here that we headed for their portrait session.  A quick lap around one of the buildings revealed the words “Home Sweet Home” scrawled in graffiti on a six foot concrete wall, and when inspiration struck, they were both willing to brave the narrow ledge and climb up on the wall! They made it off the wall without injury, and we headed off to the barn together to start the party.  The barn was busting at the seams when we arrived, and the guests were soon to raise the rafters with their dancing and celebration.

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The day wouldn’t have been as successful without the help of these fine folks:
Ceremony: St Mary Parish, Chelmsford, MA
Reception: The Barn at Gibbet Hill
Flowers: Flowers by Steve
Entertainment: DJ Bob Belanger

This weekend I got to travel to the great state of New Hampshire for the wedding of Lee Ann and Frank at the beautiful Zorvino’s Vineyard in Sandown, NH.

When I arrived, the Lee Ann was getting ready in the bridal suite with her family and bridesmaids.  As some of the girls took their turns in the makeup chairs, in the other room the steaming of the dresses, turned into an impromptu dance party as the bridesmaids showed off their moves.  Once the steaming and dancing concluded, it was time for the dressing and picture taking to start.  Since it was rainy outside, we took advantage of the great light in the bridal suite to capture the beautiful bride.  Then I headed downstairs to hang out with the guys as we waited for the ceremony to begin.

Soon, all of the guests had arrived and were seated.  When Lee Ann walked down the aisle, Frank shed a small tear of happiness, and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room for the rest of the ceremony.    With personalized vows they made their eternal love official, and walked down the aisle as husband and wife…heading straight up to the bridal suite for a couple of photos and a glass of champagne before we headed outside to take advantage of the beautiful vineyards and a quick break in the rain.  When we finished the photos, the party was ready to begin.  After a dinner with huge, delicious portions of food, and wine from the vineyard, the guests got to work it all off on the dance floor, where the DJ kept them all moving with music from polkas to pop hits.  In the midst of all the fun, I did manage to steal Lee Ann and Frank away for a quick photo with the cigar store indian in the men’s room :)!

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I love finding little treasures tucked away in unexpected places, and one of my favorites is the Massachusetts Audubon Habitat in Belmont MA.  Turns out it is a favorite spot of Margaret and Andy as well (Margaret attended camp there as a kid), making it the perfect location for their engagement portrait session.

We began in the beautifully manicured gardens that surround the big house, using the blooming flowers and cool little pathways with their wrought iron gates as the background for the photos.  It was here that I first learned about Andy’s tree climbing prowess!  Soon it was time for an outfit change, and a little exploring inside the house, where we discovered a really cool old mural painted in the grand hallway.  But we were saving the best for last.  After a quick outfit change, we headed down to the old abandoned greenhouse, where we quickly found out why they are called ‘greenhouses’ !  A nice stroll through the evening woods cooled us down, though.

You know it’s gonna be a cool wedding when you have to take a boat to get there!  On Saturday I got the chance to d0 just that…plus I got to eat lobster, and hang out with a bunch of really cool people playing volleyball, bocce ball, and cornhole, at the beach party themed, Boston Harbor Island wedding of Amanda and Tom.

My day began when I met Amanda and her bridesmaids at the Renaissance Hotel in Boston, where they were grabbing a quick bite of lunch while packing for their island adventure.  In no time at all, we were being whisked away by a cab to a South Boston wharf where the ferry was waiting to take us to Thompson Island.  Once on the Island, golf carts whisked us away to the cool old house where Amanda’s family was waiting.  Amanda took a few moments to get into her dress, and we headed outside for a few bridal portraits.  Not for long, though, as a summer shower rolled in forcing us to frantically run back into the house and close all the windows.  As summer showers go, though, this one didn’t last long, and before we knew it the guests were arriving and it was time for a wedding!

The ceremony took place on a bluff, in front of a gazebo, with a view of the Boston skyline in the background.    Once the guests were seated and the wedding party was in place, a golf cart delivered Amanda to the end of the aisle.  Since Tom’s father is a minister, he delivered the beautiful service, and Amanda and Tom were soon married.  As their friends and family cheered, they walked back up the aisle to the waiting golf cart.  I jumped into the “pace cart” and off we went for a photo tour of the island stopping at a cool old nautical shack, a weather station with a great view of the Boston Skyline, and great old brick building dating back to the turn of the century.  Our tour took us back to the tent…or should I say the “recreational complex”.  Surrounding the tent was a variety of outdoor games which their guests were enjoying fully!  In and out of the tent the evening was full of fun and games and dancing, with an amazing buffet featuring ribs, lobster, chicken, lasagna, steamers, and a whole lot more, providing the fuel for the dancing and the fun.  Too soon it seemed it was time to hop on the boat back to Boston…a boat filled with tired revelers!

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The day wouldn’t have been as successful without the help of these fine folks:
Ceremony/Reception: Thompson Island, Boston Harbor
Entertainment: DJ Kelly O

Part two of my double header wedding weekend had me traveling to Boston’s Logan Airport.  But I wasn’t there to catch a flight…I was there to catch Julie and Jim’s wedding at the Hyatt Harborside Hotel.  With one of the best views of the Boston skyline, the Hyatt Harborside was the perfect venue to host the elegant urban themed affair.

My day started as I met Julie and her bridesmaids in the suite where they were getting ready.  As they dressed for the event they were able to periodically check to see how everything was being set up from their 10th story vantage point.  With big, bright windows, and cool, contemporary furnishings, it was a no-brainer to use the suite for Julie’s bridal portraits while her dress was still spotless and her makeup still perfect.  Then I had a little time to hang out with the guys as the guests arrived, finding a cool red fence behind the tent to show off just how cool they were!

With the sun shining brightly over the sparkling blue water of Boston harbor, and the city silhouetted in the hazy afternoon, the ceremony had one of the most awesome backdrops that I have ever photographed.  Sailboats and afternoon strollers passed by in the background as Julie and Jim pledged their love in front of the gathered crowd.  They walked down the aisle as man and wife, and we just kept walking, Using the fun little nooks and crannies surrounding the hotel for their “Just Married” portrait session.  Yep, we used the skyline and the water as a background for photos, but we also found a cool broken chair in front of a concrete wall, and a cool “alley” between the tent and a red shipping container.  With our lap completed, we were ready to head into the reception.  Jim and Julie really knew how to make an entrance, with their first dance worthy of a ballroom dancing contest.  With the tone set for the evening, the dance floor was packed all night, spilling out onto the lawn at the end of the evening for Julie and Jim to enjoy a last dance lit by a sea of sparklers!

Click here to see a few more: http://www.pbase.com/jamisonwexlerphoto/juliejim

The day wouldn’t have been as successful without the help of these fine folks:
Ceremony/Reception: Hyatt Harborside, Boston MA
Video: BP Video
Florist: Milestone Flowers
Celebrant: Anna Bacall
Entertainment: Greg Capozzi, CZone music

Part one of my holiday weekend double header found me on Cape Cod at the ever awesome Brookside Club for the beautiful wedding of Keli and Kelly (and how awesome is it that the brides both had almost the same name)!

I arrived at the Brookside Club to find Keli and her Mom perusing the upstairs ballroom and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Kelly.  Though they’d had their hair done together in the morning, they had yet to see each other in the dresses they had each chosen.  Soon the Rolls Royce carrying Kelly arrived, and the soon-to-be-married couple were able to see each other in their wedding finery…and they both looked stunning!  After the emotional meeting we all headed out to the tent on the lovely lawn for the ceremony.  Under the perfect blue sky with the ocean sparkling in the distance they pledged their lifelong love for one another.

With such a nice day beckoning, we piled into the super cool Rolls Royce and headed down to the beach for a little trespassing and some awesome photos!  Then it was back to the Brookside Club for party.  And what a party it was, with great food, great company, and great music that kept the dance floor hopping the entire evening, punctuated by a double bouquet toss!

Click here to see a few more: http://www.pbase.com/jamisonwexlerphoto/kelikelly

The day wouldn’t have been as successful without the help of these fine folks:
Ceremony/Reception: The Brookside Club
Cake: Delicious Desserts
Flowers: Rhapsody in Bloom
Entertainment: DJ Chris Baker