Whenever I photograph a wedding, I love to see how a couple’s wedding day can be a reflection of who they are and what is important to them. When I first met Olivia and Dan several months ago, they described many of the unique ideas they had for their wedding and how they wanted it to be as much a celebration for their friends and family as it was for themselves. Stonewall Farm is one of my favorite local venues, and the many personal touches Olivia and Dan added to their wedding day made it a truly enjoyable wedding to photograph. I got to spend the whole day with them from getting ready right up until the last dance at 1 a.m., and it was a pleasure to work with such fun loving down to earth people.

We started with getting ready photos at the Holiday Inn Express in Keene before heading over to the Farm for portraits of Olivia & Dan before the ceremony. They did something I hadn’t seen at a wedding before by having a cocktail hour before the ceremony, which was a great way to honor and spend time with their friends and family. The ceremony itself couldn’t have been more beautiful, and the reception was as fun as they said it was going to be.

Olivia an Dan, thanks so much for the opportunity to be a part of your wedding day!

Olivia and her father at the beginning of the ceremony.

Beautiful late afternoon light, one of my favorite local venues, and lots of fun and laughter made for a wonderful engagement session with Diana and Jimmy this past weekend. They chose to have their session at Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH, and at Diana’s parents’ house across the street. Both locations had great photographic opportunities.

Fun is always part of the equation for engagement sessions, and while this was the first time I met Diana & Jimmy, we definitely had lots of fun. Here is a selection of my favorite images from the session.

 

We had beautiful late afternoon light for the photos at Diana’s parents’ house.

 

Great views of Monadnock made for a nice background for this portrait.

Kelsey and Andrew had a beautiful blue sky day for their wedding at Hidden Hills in Rindge, NH.

I photographed Kelsey and her bridesmaids getting ready at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Keene before heading to Hidden Hills. They had the ceremony and reception in the courtyard, which is such a nice setting for a wedding.

Their family and all of their friends were wonderful to work with, but one of my favorite parts of the day was the time I spent photographing just Kelsey and Andrew. The lighting was perfect, and it’s clear how much they love each other. It is such a great job to be able to photograph such joy and celebration!

Here are a few highlights from the day.

Megan and Alan had a small and intimate wedding this past Saturday on Kingsbury Hill in Walpole, NH. There were beautiful 360° views from the top of the hill, and we fortunately missed the rain that we could see off in the distance to the north.

Both Megan and Alan’s parents were there, and it was a beautiful ceremony. Immediately after the ceremony, we took advantage of the great venue for some nice portraits. Here are a few of my favorites.

 

Wedding ceremony on Kingsbury Hill in Walpole, NH.

 

Just married.

 

We were fortunate with the weather, and you can see it raining off in the distance.

“What do we do if it rains?” is a common question I get from my wedding clients. “We can make beautiful photos in any weather,” is usually my optimistic response, and this was certainly true for Kelsey and Andrew’s engagement session in downtown Keene. The rain held off briefly for photos in the center of the roundabout, but when it did start raining lightly, we  made fun use of umbrellas and the shelter we found. I love the light and saturation of colors you can get in this type of weather. This positive and fun couple made for a great rainy day engagement session.

Covered bridges, fall foliage, beautiful late afternoon light and a fun couple in love all made for a great engagement session with Alyssa & Kyle. They liked the idea of including some of their favorite New Hampshire bridges in some of their photos, and two of the covered bridges in Swanzey and the areas around them were great locations for an engagement session.

Engagement sessions are always a great chance to get to know a couple before a wedding, and I can tell we’re going to have a lot of fun together on their wedding day next September. There ceremony will be at St. Bernards church in Keene with the reception at the Courtyard Marriott.

Under the Sawyer’s Crossing covered bridge in Swanzey.

There was amazing light under the next covered bridge.

Here are a few favorites from Danielle and Brian’s engagement session at Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, NH. We had a beautiful October fall day and had a wonderful time exploring the many great photo opportunities at Alyson’s. Danielle and Brian will have their reception at Alyson’s Orchard later this fall, and I’m definitely looking forward to being a part of their day.

Cindy and Steve had a beautiful day for their wedding in Franconia, NH. It was a small intimate wedding with close friends and family at a wonderful log home with amazing views of the White Mountains.

We took advantage of the mountain views for a few portraits outside and then headed in right around sunset for a very nice ceremony and reception. Cindy and Steve are so happy together, and I appreciated being able to be a part of their celebration.

Here’s a preview from Briana and Adam’s beautiful wedding at the Riverside Hotel in Chesterfield, NH. This was the first wedding I had photographed at the Riverside, and I was impressed with the hotel and the nice private site they had right along the Connecticut River. Briana & Adam had a gorgeous day for their wedding, and I had such a wonderful time photographing it.

They had a very nice ceremony right by the river, great locations for portraits between the ceremony and reception, and amazing details and touching moments during the reception. It was definitely a very happy day!

The rings.

Briana’s father walks her down the back steps of the Riverside Hotel.

The Connecticut River was a beautiful backdrop for their wedding ceremony.

Briana and her mother at the beginning of the ceremony.

The blue of the river and the hint of fall color were so nice.

Exchanging Vows

The newly weds kissing on the dock with the Connecticut River in the background.

I had fun with just the bride the groom for a few portraits after the ceremony.

By the oak trees overlooking the river.

Walking down the road by the Riverside.

There was beautiful golden foliage on this section of road with warm afternoon sun weaving its way through the trees.

The details at the reception were wonderful with some very nice personal touches.

Briana, Adam and their families after making their entrance to the reception.

Briana’s cousins sang at the reception.

Briana’s father gave one of the most touching toasts I have ever heard.

A happy and emotional moment for the bride.

One last photo of the happy couple on the deck of the Riverside Hotel as the sun set over Vermont.

A beautiful couple, blue skies, mountain views and friends & family ready to celebrate all made for the perfect day for Courtney and Dan’s wedding in Jaffrey, NH. There were so many great moments to photograph on this wedding day, and all of the wonderful people that were a part of the day made it such a joy to capture it all. Thank you, Courtney & Dan, for the opportunity to be a part of your wedding. It was truly an honor and a pleasure to photograph your day.

Early September is such a great time of year for a wedding.

Dan and Courtney got ready for their wedding in Jaffrey at the Monadnock Inn.

Wedding Bouquets

Corsages

Bridesmaids’ dresses. I love the choice of blue.

Courtney’s Dress

Courtney’s sister helping her get ready.

Dan getting ready.

Courtney had a great idea for a photo on the decks of the inn, which was a fun way to get a photo with both the bride and the groom in it before the ceremony while making sure they didn’t see each other.

They had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Shattuck with Mt. Monadnock in the background.

Courtney’s father and brother walking her down the aisle.

Happy bride at the beginning of her wedding ceremony.

Dan sees Courtney walking down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony.

The stone terrace at the Shattuck is such a beautiful and dramatic site.

Exchanging vows.

They had a beautiful sand ceremony where they mixed sand from different important places symbolizing the joining of their lives.

Exchanging rings.

Just married.

The wedding party expressing their excitement for the day.

We headed out onto the golf course for a few portraits of Courtney and Dan right after the ceremony.

A nice portrait with Mt. Monadnock in the background.

The Shattuck did an excellent job with the reception. Each table represented a place significant to Courtney and Dan’s relationship.

Denise Wright of Tastefully Wright made this amazing cake.

About to make their entrance to the reception.

Courtney and Dan entering the reception.

Courtney’s sister makes a toast as a slide show of photos from their childhood plays in the background.

Courtney listening to her sister’s wonderful toast.

First dance.