He did it! My 17 year old brother, Michael, put in all of the hard work and dedication necessary to earn his Eagle Scout badge.

So I loaded up Luke and Melanie, along with Wexler baby 1 3/4 (who seems to go with us everywhere now), and flew the friendly JetBlue skies down to my native town: the redneck paradise of Ocala, Florida.

It was great to see all of my family again. In addition to my Mom and Michael, my middle brother, Stephen, and his wife, Lisa, still live in Ocala as well. Joining us from MA was my Aunt Susan.

What a cool thing the Eagle Scout award is. I’ve heard of it, but I never realized what a big achievement it really is. Seems like everyone in the local, state, and national government was lining up to congratulate Michael. He received letters and certificates from the current and past Presidents’ Bush, congressman, and government agencies like the FBI and USDA, the armed forces, etc. There was a full album of them by the time I arrived. At the official ceremony, which took place at Grace Presbyterian Church, there were representatives from the city government, city police, sherrif’s department, fire department, school board and a few local civic clubs, all of whom spoke their congratulations and give Michael more plaques, certificates, proclamations, and awards. By the end of all of the celebration, I’ll bet he could cover every wall in his room with all of the items he was awarded. It was a very cool experience.

Then we vegged.

~Jamie Wexler
www.jamisonwexler.com

This weekend I had the privilege of capturing the multi-state wedding celebration of Becca and Sean.

We started in Norton, MA, at Becca’s parents home, where Becca’s natural beauty was accentuated with the help of makeup artist, Kristi Martin. Once Becca was dressed and ready, we stepped into the back yard to take a few photos. After a quick walk around, I found a cool green shed that Becca’s grandfather had built years ago, and decided to make it the backdrop for a few bridal portraits.

After the photos were done, we moved on to the Trinitarian Congregational Church of Norton, for a beautiful ceremony. Then it was into the cars for a drive to Lincoln, RI, where we all met up again at the Kirkbrae Country Club. During the cocktail hour, while all of the guests were warmly nestled in the country club, Becca and Sean’s family and wedding party braved the chilly evening temperatures for the sake of the photos. Even after their family and friends had gone inside, Becca and Sean, endured the elements to take advantage of the awesome outdoor locations that Kirkbrae offered.

We got them inside soon enough, though, and the rest of the evening was one giant party!

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

Ceremony: Trinitarian Congregational Church
Reception: Kirkbrae Country Club
Makeup: Kristi Martin
Flowers: Designs by Anne
Entertainment: DJ Kupah from Urban KINETIKS

Also, a special thanks to Michael Umansky from Reflections Photography in northern New Jersey for making the trek all the way up to help me out this weekend.

This weekend marked the season opener for my 2008 wedding season with Jennifer and John’s wedding at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, MA . I’ve been looking forward to Jennifer and John’s wedding ever since we did their engagement photos in Worcester this winter. They’re such a fun, laid-back couple…and talented to boot. Jennifer planned every detail of the wedding, and made most of the gorgeous decorations that festooned the ballroom, the ceremony room, and the grounds of the country club.

The day started in the bridal suite at the country club, with Jennifer getting her hair and makeup done with her mom. We then moved downstairs to the hardwood paneled Music Room for the intimate sunset ceremony. After the ceremony we rushed outside to take advantage of the waning light on the grounds. I gotta give a lot of credit to Jennifer for hiking over the muddy paths in her heels to get to the locations I selected for the portraits! After the photos, we headed in for the reception, eating a delicious dinner and dancing the night away. I even got to share the fun with Stacey Doyle, a good friend and one of my favorite photographers, who joined me for the day. It was a great start to the season!

Chick here to see a few more photos: http://www.pbase.com/jamisonwexlerphoto/jenniferjohn

Ceremony/Reception: Cyprian Keyes Golf Club
Makeup: Vicki & Ilana from Hey Good Look’n Salon
Flowers: Skaff Floral Creations
Entertainment: DJ Dave Wiley

–Jamie Wexler

When my friend (and awesome photographer) Stacey Doyle invited the StootStyle group to photograph the girls at a dance school, I jumped at the chance…well not literally - I REALLY can’t dance!

The girls of Carolyn Dutra Dance Studio (in Warwick RI) were amazing though.  Ranging in ages from 4-16, they were all so much fun to work with.  Their enthusiasm was contagious, and their natural grace made it really easy to create beautiful images.  Carolyn was a very gracious hostess, not only organizing all of the girls, but also opening up the costume room to us.  And Jenny DiMucci made the girls all look like movie stars with her mad make-up skills.

I was joined by ShootStyle photographers Stacey Doyle, Alicia Williams, and Michelle Turner, and, as always, their enthusiasm and the sense of fun they brought to the shoot made it that much more enjoyable.  None of us had photographed dancers before so challenge of doing something new added to the excitement.

Thanks to the dancers, the photogs, Jenny, Carolyn and Juliette (who introduced us to the studio, where she also teaches).

Here are a few of my images from the day:

…or at least we like to think we are ;).

A couple of years ago I started to get to know a few local wedding photographers through online forums and local get togethers. They seemed like a decent bunch, and were super helpful to someone who was just entering their arena. So when a friend of mine volunteered to pose in her wedding dress, with a shotgun, in front of an old, burned out mansion, I asked a few of them to come along. We had a blast (but not a literally), and started to look for opportunities to get together to learn from one another, share our tips and techniques, and drink beer.

Fast forward a few years and several more fun shoots later, and we have decided to make our escapades a little more public, and a lot more official like.

So today I’m pleased to announce ShootStyle, a collaborative effort between 6 top New England photographers, who have different styles but the same goal: to create kick ass images! I’m joined in this endeavor by Earl Christie of Earl Christie Photography, Stacey Doyle of Stacey Doyle Photography, Jeff Newcum of Jeff Newcum Photography, Joe Ciarcia of Symphony Photography, Alicia Williams of Cordele Photography, and Michelle Williams of Michelle Williams Photography. You can see some of the projects we have completed together at the new ShootStyle website: http://www.shootstyle.com.

Aside from my excitement at being included among such a distinguished list of really great photographers, why am I sharing this here? I’m glad you asked! ShootStyle gives me a bunch of advantages that I can pass on to my clients:

First off, these guys are my primary backup. If I break my leg the day before your wedding, these are the folks that I will call first to help me out. So you can be assured that my replacement will be a top shelf shooter who’s also fun to drink beer with (not that they would be consuming any at your wedding). We also assist each other on occasion when one of us has a weekend free, so you may end up with more than one ShootStylist at your wedding!

Second, when we get together we all learn stuff from one another. So ShootStyle is making me a better photographer - which means that I will be even better equipped to take awesome photographs at your wedding!

Third, when I am aready booked for a wedding, I have a built in group of talented photographers, any one of whom I would have loved to have had shoot my wedding, to send prospects to. So rather than having to send a rejection letter, I can send a recommendation letter.

Anyway, that’s the scoop on ShootStyle, stay tuned for more of our goings on throughout the year!

One of the great things about the off season is being able to spend weekends with my family doing fun things like trying out a new playground. This one was at Green Hill Park in Worcester. At first Luke wasn’t sure about the swinging bridge, but with a little reassurance from Mom, he was on his way!

Click here for a few more from the playground: http://www.pbase.com/jamisonwexlerphoto/luke0308

–Jamie Wexler
www.jamisonwexler.com

I would love to be able to host a gala open house event in the new office, with champagne, caviar, and a rock band, but it is a bit cozy for that.  So I am hosting a virtual open house for the month of March.  Anyone who meets with me in the new office and books their wedding with me by March 31 will receive a complimentary 10-page album upgrade.  That means the album you receive with your package will have 10 more pages than is standard with the package.

For example, “The Classic” package inclues a 20 page album.  Meet with me in the new office and book your wedding by March 31 and you will get 10 more pages in the album, for a total of 30 pages.  This deal applies to all packages that include 8 or more hours of coverge.

Contact me at info@jamisonwexler.com to schedule your meeting.

OK - so when you think office, you think desk, computers, drudgery…well I’ve set mine up a bit differently! With the new addition to our family on the way, our home is no longer big enough to house my business and my family. Plus it’s pretty far for everyone east of 495 to drive to meet me (which is most of my clients). I was fortunate to find a space in Framingham, MA, that cuts the travel from the east in half, and ensures that Melanie and Luke don’t have to be banished to the top floor when clients come to visit. I hope to meet you there soon!

A special thanks to Mike Greene of Greene & Sons for getting the place move-in worthy with new paint and carpet. Here’s a little before and after video:

Before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp56C7oaSA4
After: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3tiBy1E64A

You may have noticed, but the color scheme on my blog has changed slightly. (What, it’s the same for you? Hit the refresh key!). The new color coincides with the official release of my new website. Check it out at: www.jamisonwexler.com.

The new site is the first of many exciting changes happening this week, so be sure to visit again for the updates!

–JAMIE
www.jamisonwexler.com

In an attempt to beat my family to their cries of “you don’t post enough photos of Luke”, here are a few from a conversation I had with him at the dinner table this evening. If I remember correctly, we were discusing the merits of the apple he was munching. The crunching coming from his mouth was too loud, so he had to block his ears…

–JAMIE
www.jamisonwexler.com