We met up at Hampton State Park — one of my favorite beach locations on our tiny NH coastline.   It has a very Nantucket sort of feel and these 3 matched that feel perfectly.

 Ella was a perfect model in her blue and white china pattern dress.  And the toes.  I love the little criss-crossed cutie toes!!

 The whole family joined in the fun.

 What a gorgeous crew!

 Seriously?  Quintessential precociousness!

 I believe she’s saying to me — why do you need to take my picture again?!  I told her because she was so cute I couldn’t stop!  It’s more than obvious how much she’s adored.

 And then — this happened  I’m not sure what catalog she came out of, but I’ll take one!  I would also make these a giant double canvas set!

 The bird behaved, but every time a wave was going to crash, Ella would turn around and look at it. LOL.  I still love it.

 It’s spectacular when parents have fun with their kids.  Thanks for being such good sports guys!!

 Dad with his sons & his wonderful wife

 And grandparents doing what they do best — whispering surprises in little one’s ears.  Even great-grandmother got in on the act!

 I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my time with this special family.  Generations are huge to me.  I have a photo of my Great-Grandmother (who’s name happened to be Ella!) holding my son, her great-great-grandson.  And I have vivid memories (and photos to back them up) of me and my great-great-grandfather.  The photos are so important to me because it helps me remember it happened — that it wasn’t just a story someone told me — -

How many generations are in your story?

Hi Chris! Hi Heather!

This dynamic duo was referred to me by another duo of the same caliber: Jenn & Jason.  After a myriad of emails, we decided on a summer evening engagement session in “Salisburyport.”  Mother Nature pretended she was going to do us in, but we chose to ignore the reports and trudge on ever stalwartly. (Actually what I said was “I laugh in the face of 25% chance of isolated showers.  We can call the delay whenever you think you need, but I’m gangbusters to go for it — - If it starts to look more sure of crappy later, I can start earlier if you can/want —  But my meteorological skills (2 predictions & some witch dr) currently say we’ll be fine.”  And we were.  [woot!]

We were more than fine.  These two have all the qualities one should strive for in a relationship.

Trust & Comfort

 Silliness & Romance

 Creativity & Tenderness

 and a healthy dose of “You’re not a suave as you think you are” <3

 Did I mention they’re committed to bringing sexy back?

 all the way back.

 I think the best adjective of the ones so far though is comfortable.  They’re just a perfect fit.

 We finished up in the first part of Saliburyport and headed over to the second part of our adventure.

 We kept willing the sun to come out and play and give us some happy light, but it only listened for 90 seconds or so.

Their one request was to incorporate this awesome mural. check and mark.

I have a thing for arches, and the sun complied for another few minutes.

blingity bling!

 After we finished up shooting, they invited me to join them for dinner at the Grog.  We had a great time laughing and talking and chowing down.  I think i got the Sweet Potato Burrito: Spicy mashed sweet potatoes and black beans wrapped in a tomato tortilla. Topped with melted jack cheese and salsa .. and if I didn’t I should have, it’s my favorite thing there.  And if I did, it’s been a long time and I could go for another one. Photoshoot in Newburyport anyone!?

Just short of six months until I get to hang out with these two again.  I can’t wait!

]]> http://melissakoren.com/2012/01/27/chris-heather-engaged-07-25-11-newburyport-engagement-photos/feed/ 0 http://melissakoren.com/2012/01/25/laurie-beth-nickmarried-07-23-11-zorvino-vineyards-wedding/ http://melissakoren.com/2012/01/25/laurie-beth-nickmarried-07-23-11-zorvino-vineyards-wedding/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:37:49 +0000 melissakoren http://melissakoren.com/?p=5231 Remember that weekend in July when we were all going to melt?  96 degrees and 85% humidity?

Well, that’s the day that Laurie Beth (LB!) and Nick got married.  A heat wave never looked so good.  It was nearly impossible for me to narrow down the shots for this post.  I wanted to share them all!

I arrived at Zorvino Vineyards and was greeted by these adorable custom signs!

 Then it was up to the bridal suite to find the girls. The stunning, gorgeous, fantastic girls.  I’m 100% sure LB could have a career as a Cover Girl model should her whole “being a lawyer” thing not pan out.

Trying to stay ahead of the heat wave!

 This little guy was so good all day. Even when he was frustrated and not interested in wearing that adorable tuxedo, he was still a trooper.

 If you do one thing for your wedding, I urge you to order or make a sweet hanger for your attire.  Etsy has a ton of them, starting in the $10–15 range, or you can make your own! (if you google DIY wedding hanger there are tons of results)

 LB — you take my breath away.  GORGEOUS!!!!

A card from her father left everyone in tears.

 LB & Nick chose to do a first look.  I’m so in love with this action — it’s full of jitters and anticipation — with instant gratification of being able to embrace each other immediately and tell the one you love exactly how you’re feeling with out having to wait out the duration of the ceremony.  Never once have I seen it lessen the look of awe and enchantment on each other’s faces the approach to the aisle/officiant commences after.

 Nick was so sweet though — and refused to kiss her on the lips until the ceremony.  The perfect combination of first look/not first look if you ask me!

 This quiet few minutes together gave them peace of mind and time to really take each other in before the craziness of the day began.

 And allowed us to get some of the “formalities” out of the way too — more time to party later!

 Here’s the whole gang– cutie patootie included.  He had no interest in standing and promptly plopped himself down on the ground.  I love it!  Kids have their own agendas and forcing them to do “the right thing” can just cause undue stress for everyone involved.  Let them march to their own drummer a little bit and the results can be adorable!   — Oh, and have I mentioned how hot it was?  Nick’s brother Alex was at the ready to keep his brother picture perfect all afternoon

 The other great thing about the first look was that we all had time to duck back inside Zorvino and cool down and hydrate.  I must say the staff there is always fantastic, but they were especially good about making sure everyone, myself included, had access to water!!

After a cool down it was time to get down to the business of marrying.

 Nick is Greek (you know, in case the hanger saying “Mrs. Pliakos” didn’t give it away)  They incorporated some Greek traditions in to the ceremony, including the Crowning Ceremony, performed by his Uncle (I think, sorry if I’m wrong guys!) and his brother.

 s|w|a|k!

 After the ceremony we took a few moments to wander the grounds at the vineyard and take some newly wedded photos!

These two should be catalog models. For real.

 This is probably one of my top ten memorable wedding happenings.  The day before the wedding I get an email from LB.. “OH and another thing– my little sister is 8, and she is the biggest tomboy ever, so she’s wearing a dress for the ceremony and then I got her a tux to change into for the reception, and she is SO excited. Can you try to get a couple cute pictures of her in it? That would be awesome ”  And photos we got!  And let me tell you, she rocked that tux all.night.long!

 The reception started off like most, entrance right into first dance surrounded by love and friends and family–

 I headed up to the balcony to get the bird’s eye view, and when I looked down, I saw all the love and friends and family — and the couple being showered with money!

 Like I said,I have a hard time narrowing down my favorites in this wedding, but this is definitely one of them.

 The cutest part?  Anytime there was money thrown at the couple, the kids had to run around and collect it for them.  My next wedding will be a Greek Wedding.. I mean, my name is Greek, so that’s close enough right?  (oh yes, Melissa Koren.. it means “honey bee, little girl” … thanks mom & dad)

A wedding’s not a wedding until Bumblebee & Optimus Prime show up.  True? True.  Plus, in order to get a picture of this handsome face, I had to give the Transformers their  closeups.

 I loved the simple, colorful centerpieces!

 And the vineyard themed cake!

 s|w|a|k (and frosting this time too!)

 And then the dancing began.

I love when other cultures are infused into “American” weddings. LOVE IT.  And with that, I have make a confession .. I can’t possible write this whole post without admitting how much I loved the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”.  How I want to fix everything with Windex. And how this is also probably one of the top ten dance moments for me.  *dork much?* yes, yes I am.

 LB and Nick monopolized the dance floor all night long.  I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I can’t tell you how much I love it when the couple actually gets down at their wedding!

And speaking of getting down — remember how I said Julie rocked out in her tux?  Well she not only rocked out, but she threw down the dance gauntlet repeatedly. And won time after time!  Show ‘em how it’s done girl!

 Just before I was about to leave we tried to find a quiet corner to sign the marriage license.  Alex procured a makeshift desktop from out of nowhere!  He’s magic that one!

With the sun gone to bed for the evening, the air had cooled down a bit.  We snuck outside for a few final photos and I bid LB & Nick a fond farewell leaving them to their happily ever after and taking with me another chapter of phenomenal characters in the m|k|p story.

 LB & Nick took a moment to review me on WeddingWire.  And for that I am honored and humbled!  Thank you so much!

When we chose Melissa to be our wedding photographer, we had no idea that we would also be getting a seamstress/medic/extra bridesmaid extraordinaire! She was WONDERFUL and literally saved the day about 8 times. Example: when someone stepped on my gown and broke my bustle during the reception, she dropped her camera, whipped out a sewing kit, and sewed me a new bustle in 2 minutes flat. AMAZING. Throughout the day, she was calm, relaxed, and professional, but at the same time, she kept everything moving so that we could get inside and enjoy our reception. 

On top of being just all around awesome, Melissa took incredible photos; we literally sat at the computer crying and laughing out loud as we looked through them. Bottom line– anyone can take a picture, but it takes an artist to capture a moment, and Melissa does just that. We highly recommend her!

]]> http://melissakoren.com/2012/01/25/laurie-beth-nickmarried-07-23-11-zorvino-vineyards-wedding/feed/ 1 http://melissakoren.com/2012/01/19/noah-six-months-old-07-18-11-new-hampshire-childrens-photographer/ http://melissakoren.com/2012/01/19/noah-six-months-old-07-18-11-new-hampshire-childrens-photographer/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:26:47 +0000 melissakoren http://melissakoren.com/?p=5180 Noah’s one of the sweetest, cutest, pudgiest babies ever.  10 perfect fingers. 10 perfect toes. (I love baby hand dimples!!)

So handsome — and with some of the best expressions I’ve ever seen on an infant!

Mmm — snacktime. *nom.nom.nom*

It’s easy to see how he got to be so gorgeous — just look at his stunning mama.

Thank you Julie & Noah for having me over on a summer afternoon!

Though the weather threatened to give us a run for our money, we took the risk and ended up with a beautiful evening.

The Girls & And The Boys!

Such a beautiful family!

Lorin looks amazing for having 4 kids!  fourteen &  ten

Chevelle & Brodie are sweet as pie.  After their engagement session in Prescott Park last summer, I was sure that their wedding was going to be so.much.fun — and was it ever!

I arrived at Chevelle’s parents house to find this splendid setup — and all those hangers? Chevelle MADE them.  I think she should probably open her own shop on etsy; or at least open a MKP Prop shop for me!  Love them.

 I love the getting ready shots.  Everyone doing their own thing, all dolled up, usually in t-shirts and all working toward the common goal of getting the bride married!

This was the first time (but not the last time) I saw this new way of making sure your dress stays lined up — having your seamstress add velcro to your undergarments.  Just make sure it’s done well or it can backfire, but this was the crowning touch on making Chevelle’s dress fit like a glove!

 Mum helping her daughters with their final touches — included de-lipsticking the teeth!

 And dad… ready to fight a duel?  Watch out Brodie!

 I got to ride in the limo with the girls which is always SO much fun.  The subtle champagne & peach color scheme was so beautiful.

 When we arrived the girls hung out in the limo and I went in to check on Brodie.  He and his brother were holed up at the back of the church; trying to keep entertained.

 Then, it was time to get married!

 It was a wonderful ceremony full of light & love & foreverness.

 And FINALLY!  Married!

 There was such an timeless old-fashioned feel to their wedding.  It was all I could do to not post process the whole thing in black and white because I loved the story so much.   Thank goodness for digital though — best of both worlds! The gorgeous colors and the magical black and white!

 Remember what I just said about that ..timeless, old fashioned feeling?  Chevelle was going for that too, which is exactly why she booked the stretch hummer limo.  NOT!  There was a snafu with the limo company and this was all they had to send along for the day.  While she was a tiny bit put-off at first, we certainly laughed and made the best of it and had fun. We HAD to take a photo with it!!

 The grounds at The Oaks are gorgeous!

Then it was inside to start the party!  A delicate first dance.

 Adoring toasts by Chevelle’s sister and Brodie’s brother.

 priceless children full of personality and hilarity.

 And a surprise XBOX360 cake for Brodie!

 If you’d asked me to place a wager before hand I would have bet that there would be at least a little bit of cake flying about during cake cutting, but they were very delicate with each other.  (I’m pretty sure I heard Chevelle threaten to pummel him should he be anything less than gentle!)

 It’s readily evident that Chevelle & Brodie have amazing relationships with their families — who have amazing relationships with each other.  It was an honor to witness.

 love.is.sweet! and so are my favorite candies. pink starburst. YUM!

 I love how grownups charge the candy station more than the kids do!

This bunch were wild dancers.  I love.love.love when the bride and groom tear up the dance floor all night and these two had many a guest by their side!

 Brodie’s dad and brother had a show down.  It was a good fight.

 But I think Brodie’s brother gets the props for his mad skills.

 After what I can only describe as a fairy tale perfect event, the new Mr & Mrs Bazo headed off to their honeymoon a waft  in iridescent bubble beauty!

 My thanks to you both for having me be privy to your special day.  And many thanks for your kind words on WeddingWire!

Melissa is the best photographer EVER!!!! Not only is she talented, which can be seen through her BEAUTIFUL photographs, but she has such a great personality! She rode in the limo with us, danced with us, and still managed to take pictures at the same time! She was incredibly helpful with everything, including helping with my bustle and taking my veils out of my hair! I just can’t believe how great she is! 

She makes formals go by quickly and smoothly, and she made sure we got all of our must-have photos as well! I just can’t say enough good things about Melissa. She is the nicest and most talented photographer out there!!!! I am so glad we used her for our wedding!

Happy (almost) 5 month anniversary!!

Kitty wanted in too

The L. L. Bean bag was sitting by the chair and I thought — hey, lets do it.  We filled it with blankets and I soothed her to sleep.  I love this photo. I loved it so much I used it as my facebook sneak peek that day and for the heck of it tagged L.L. Bean.

Imagine my surprise when the next day I see MY PHOTO in THEIR facebook stream!  It was like I’d one the lottery, as silly as it is, and I thoroughly enjoyed my “15 minutes of fame”

 But back to the real star, Madelyn <3  I love the smooshy face, little diaper cover and toosh in the air!

Being as warm as it was we decided to take her outside and let her be diaperless in the breeze.  She seemed to like it

Or at least, she seemed to sleep right through it!

I can’t wait to photograph her again soon! My little m.l.e. (I swore to Hallie I would call her Emily, if only by accident at least once!)

Sleep well sweet face!  And thank you Hallie & Shaun for letting me meet your beautiful little girl!

]]> http://melissakoren.com/2011/10/12/madelyn-lori-3-weeks-old-07-12-11-seacoast-newborn-photography/feed/ 0 http://melissakoren.com/2011/10/12/lauren-kate-married-07-09-11-manchester-nh-wedding-photography/ http://melissakoren.com/2011/10/12/lauren-kate-married-07-09-11-manchester-nh-wedding-photography/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:01:05 +0000 melissakoren http://melissakoren.com/?p=4707 Slowly keeping up my ‘only 3 months behind’ blogging pace — I’m excited to tell you about Lauren & Kate’s wedding.

After our initial meeting where their enthusiasm and love for each other, and musicals, won me over immediately — we had a fantastic rendezvous shooting their engagement photos.  As July approached I got more and more excited for their rendition of a mid-summer’s afternoon wedding.

The event was held at the NH Institute of Art in Manchester, NH (Manchvegas for those of you who are local) and the details of their day were beyond spectacular.  From the playbill & centerpieces to the leather bound journal holding their ceremony and fantastic wire bouquet — everything, including the building, suited them to a T.

When I arrived they were finishing up hair and other readying things.

And after they were perfected, they split up to dress separately and stay apart until the ceremony.

Lauren’s mother helped her girls with their bobbles,

While Kate and her mother got her into her spectacular gown.

Lauren’s gown was equally spectacular, but a little more intricate in the doing up — her MOH however did a fantastically speedy & skillful job at it!

Love notes.

And then, it was time for the ceremony — I found the officiant waiting in the wings, who knew stacked chairs could be so awesome.  Or maybe it’s the fantastic mask and crown..

The girls entered with their fathers simultaneously from each side, each preceded by a set of “bubble kids”! (LOVE IT!)

Their readings were, as everything else, heartfelt and representative of them as a couple, including Nat’s fabulous reading of A Lovely Love Story.  “Together they stand on the hill, telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs. And that, my friends, is how it is with love.” –Edward Monkton

The stage/hall at NHIA is phenomenal — -

But no where near as phenomenal as Lauren & Kate’s “we’re married” curtsy & rock star action!

If I were to try and narrate this series, I would do it no justice!

And then — it was time to PARTY!

So many lovely things to say about these two amazing women.

Who listened intently, humbled and full of love.

Now here’s where I was really jealous.. They surprised their guests by performing a duet — I fantastic rendition of Rent’s I’ll Cover You.  It made me teary eyed!  I KNEW I should have performed at my wedding!

I really enjoyed how they did things at the same time, not putting one before the other, including the father daughter dance.  It signified so much equality and unity but didn’t lessen the importance or emotion.

I though my cheer & grumpy care-bear cake toppers were well suited to Nichole & I … but here we have Kate & Lauren’s Disney princess doppelgangers!

knife. sword. whatever.

And now, for some of the most amazing centerpieces I’ve ever (and I would wager, will ever) see(n).  Expertly executed by the Alyssa & crew at Apotheca Flowers — I’m in awe of them.  I’m also aching to get over to Goffstown and experience this tea/flower shoppe first hand!

I’ve come to learn, any wedding where they play the timewarp is awesome.  And this top right picture, is perhaps my most favorite, at least my favorite since Robyn & Chris’ timewarp! http://bit.ly/o4GMoF (hmm, they also used a sword to cut the cake!)

~Reach for the moon — even if you miss you’ll land among the stars~

Bouquet toss? Nay. — golden apple toss! hurray!

It was the perfect dream of an afternoon!

Thank you both for finding me and having me at such a great affair!

When I arrived to my play date, Jakobi was all about showing me the photos from their recent petting zoo visit — horsies! horsies! do YOU like horsies!?

 Once the slideshow portion of the afternoon was over, we moved on to book club.  We read, we chatted.  The only thing missing were the brownies

 Jakobi just became a big brother!  Miss Juniper was an absolute peach and snoozed away the whole time.

I’m completely enamored with this photo.  I couldn’t really tell you why, but between the artwork, the lilt, and the pinky finger it just melts my heart every time.

 Juniper!

We’d hoped to get a few of the two of them together, but Jakobi’s version of being gentle and loving on her looked eerily similar to smothering her and poking her in the eye.

And so we took our playdate outside to the backyard where I got a complete tour of the swing set.

This is their sweet family dog. Such a love. My brain however, spat the name out and won’t let me recall it.  Still deserves some blog lovin’ though!

Jacque is an excellent mother.  She reminds me of the perfect 1st grade teacher — just sweet and calming, full of patience and love.  She makes it look easy.

We played some baseball.  We talked about the red sox (they were worth talking about then) and we counted one, two. one, two.

a toe-headed, striped-button-down wearing, blue-eyed, little boy in crocs playing in the dirt.  what could be better?

patty cake patty cake, baker’s man, make me a carrot, as fast as you can!

Once the dirt was introduced I was quickly replaced.  Mom snuck in there though and played trucks with him in the dirt.  This may be on of my favorite ‘boy’ shots ever.

Thank you Jakobi for such a wonderful playdate! I enjoyed meeting your mum, and Juni & gran (who was there helping out) — and I’m so thrilled your dad loved his surprise! .. Sorry about the Red Sox, Tim.  Maybe next year!

 Hi Melissa! I just wanted to let you know that we celebrated Tim’s birthday a little early and he’s seen the pictures. He said it was the best birthday present he’s ever been given! ALL of the pictures are amazing and beautiful…we’re going to have a REALLY hard time choosing which ones we want to purchase. I’ve sent the link to our family members, so they will be ordering pictures, too. I just wanted to let you know how amazing you are and how thankful I am to have worked with you. I’m sure we’ll be in touch soon with questions about ordering. ~ Jacque

I hope to see you all again, real soon!

much love <3

]]> http://melissakoren.com/2011/10/04/jakobi-juniper-07-01-11-nh-childrens-photographer/feed/ 0 http://melissakoren.com/2011/09/23/niki-jamie-married-06-25-11-lake-opechee-wedding-photographer/ http://melissakoren.com/2011/09/23/niki-jamie-married-06-25-11-lake-opechee-wedding-photographer/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:41:46 +0000 melissakoren http://melissakoren.com/?p=4705 Niki booked me sight unseen after a referral from a few of her friends (Thank Lizz & Sarah!)  A few weeks before the wedding we got together for a drink and some wedding chatting.  She brought her MOH Everly and I couldn’t have imagined a more fun duo if I tried.

We chatted the evening away and parted ways excited for her wedding, and also sushi (but Chinese food for me!)

I arrived that the Lake Opechee Inn and found Niki in the final stages of getting ready.  She totally reminds me of a mix of Lauren Graham & Marissa Tomei — when I told her that at our meet-up she said — A lot of times people tell me I look like that drunken singer who used to beat her husband… you know..um,.. oh yeah, Liza Minnelli!  I laughed so hard I almost fell off the stool.   I much more prefer to think of her as Lorelei Gilmore

Niki & Everly! So much fun!

We went into another room to get dressed and she paused and said — I need pliers to get into my dress, this should be fun!

I’m not sure if fun is the word she meant.  Turns out, the pull on her zipper was so tiny and the zipper so poorly installed, they’d been getting her into it by using some pliers to hold the pull and zip her up.

 Worked like a charm — all the other times — this time, not so much.  After various attempts from everyone, the zipper went up! We’d made it past the rough spot and were an inch away from the top! Then, it busted open, from the top down. And then, while trying to get it to go back down and try again, the pull came off the zipper.  After a millisecond of silence where we in the back all silently gasped, we all la la la’d and said it’s awesome!  No worries!  I’ll just get something from my bag I say. My sewing kit. And then I sewed her right in to that dress and reinforced it with safety pins from behind. (I was more than relieved when I heard it stayed so well all night, her bridesmaid had to request scissors from the front desk to cut the stitching out at the end of the night!)

One of the bridesmaids decided that would be the perfect time to take my photo.  Thanks.

Problem solved! [Yet another benefit of planning for a first look/photos before hand– This process took a little bit, but we had scads of extra time because Niki had planned a good buffer of time for first look and photos.  We had all the time in the world to handle the unexpected and still rock out and look gorgeous before the ceremony!]

A few finishing touches from her mother and some loving from her daddy..

..and it was time for the first look.

Pure adoration, and yet, both of them with their hands in their pockets!  I called them out on it and they laughed and quickly embraced each other.

And then it was time for some of that looking gorgeous we still had time for  Niki told me she had two teenagers and I didn’t believe her, she didn’t look NEARLY old enough — and yet, here are these two beautiful children calling her mom!

Jamie was really hoping to get a shot in front of the lake. Even if we had to traipse through sloshy goose poop to to do it. Good call Jamie — I love this shot! You two are so bada$$.

Honestly this location was a dream — there was such a mix of grunge and grace all in the same place.  One side of the walkway was picturesque lake views, the other side was urban fantasticalness like these shots.

you two are STUNNING!

Then it was marrying time!

They incorporated so many personal, well thought out details into their reception.  Including the blessing of the rings by all their guests.  Placed in a small bag together, the rings are passed through the rows and everyone is asked to silently pass on their love, support and well wishes to these tangible symbols of marriage.  The ceremony continues, and after making the rounds, the newly blessed rings are exchanged.  Even though you keep the ceremony going, it really adds a moment for you to stop and look around your wedding — I thought it was a great touch.

They also partook in the wine box ceremony, which I LOVE.  Here’s an excerpt I found on weddingbee from an officiant, explaining the ceremony to the guests.

I have asked you as a couple, to find a strong wooden box that will hold one bottle of wine, and two wine glasses. In addition, I have asked each of you to write a letter to one another, expressing your thoughts about the good qualities that you have found in your future partner, as well as, your reasons for falling in love with each other. I requested that under no condition were you to read each other’s letter, and that you were to seal them in individual envelopes and put them in the box with the wine and glasses.

Should you ever find your marriage enduring serious difficulties, I am asking that before you make any irrational decisions, that you both, as a couple, open the box, drink some wine together, and then venture off into separates rooms to read the letters that you wrote to one another when you were united as a couple. By reading these love letters, you will reflect upon the reasons that you fell in love with each other in the first place. The hope here is, that there will never be a reason for you to open this box, unless of course, it is for your 10th year anniversary!”

I now ask that each of you take a nail, one at a time, and hammer the box shut.

Niki & Jamie asked each of their attendants to hammer a nail in, bolstering the box with their love and friendship as they do their relationship.

After the exchange of rings, Jamie made his own vows to Niki’s children.  There was not a dry eye in the house.

Then the kids were excused from front and center because it was time for the kiss!

We escaped outside for a few more fun, newly wed shots while the guests settled into the reception.

Details!  Table designation envelopes, with drink tickets inside.  Tears of joy tissue packets.  Guestbook Frame.  Niki left no detailed stone unturned!

And this. This I love.  Shortly before her wedding, on the MKPeeps facebook wall, I linked to Offbeat Brides “Unplugged Wedding”. The concept is simple.  Allow your photographer to take the photos and ask your guests to be present in the moment with you.  This is especially true at the ceremony.  It’s an amazing thing to take a moment and not see the world through and LCD screen and what better place to take that moment then in a declaration of love.  Niki loved the idea and implemented it right away, it worked like a charm!

They make each other laugh with their whole hearts. It’s what love should look like.

Jamie’s mum passed away some time ago — they honored her with a candle and photo in the reception and it was a lovely tribute.  Sometime later, I turned around to find Niki in tears.  Turns out, Jamie’s sister had gifted Niki with one of their mother’s rings as a ‘welcome to the family’ present.  I still get choked up thinking about it.

Toasted!

Oh Pam.  Pam was the jackie of all trades.  She’s picture above helping Niki with her hair, she’s a bridesmaid extraordinaire, and she made all.these.cupcakes. (all these amazingly tasty cupcakes mind you!)

I’m a daddy’s girl.  I didn’t quite catch the intensity of this shutter click until I was home and it came up on my computer screen.  Then I burst into tears. <3

Folks, let’s talk a minute about ‘up lighting’ — if your DJ offers it, and you have the means, DO.IT.  It adds such an amazing layer of dimension to inside & tented receptions.

I’m also a fan of fun colored dance floor action!

I was so sad to see my time with Niki & Jamie and their amazing crew come to an end.  Thank you both for permitting me to be part of your grand scheme!

Niki was sweet enough to gush about me on weddingwire.  Her review left me blushing!

Simply AMAZING!! When planning my wedding, booking my photographer was one of the most important pieces to me. I wanted to look at photos of people I didn’t know and feel the emotion of the moment, Melissa’s photos did that for me. When contacting her she was always prompt and helpful. She really makes booking her easy! Then the day of every brides worst nightmare… my zipper on my dress breaks. No worries with Melissa, she just breaks out her sewing kit, (complete with band-aids and shout wipes) and just sewed me right in all the while keeping me cool so I wouldn’t freak out! She did such a good job one of my bridesmaids had to get scissors from the front desk at our venue to cut me out! Not only this but she paid attention to every detail, she corralled our rowdy bunch and made our photos fun and fast. You are really getting way more than you pay for with Melissa! If you are smart you will book her now!

Much love m’dears! <3

Raina & I knew of each other in High School — that was a lot of years ago, and aside from the occasional friend of a friend ‘friending’ her on facebook, we’ve had no connection since.  Now, I can’t remember if she said she was AT Sam & Josh’s wedding or just saw the photos after and loved them, but either way, she emailed me about taking photos of her little boy, who has the same birthday as my (very not so little) boy!  There’s only 10 years between them! whatever, I’m not old

I was thrilled when she wanted to come back to Exeter for the shoot — I really do love my little town <3

They’re just the sweetest family!  Owen is a miracle baby, and he certainly knows how to play up the cuteness angle!

Walking and smiling at the same time!  Even I have trouble with that sometimes

Raina brought his birthday outfit including this custom felted crown, which I adored.  This one reminds me of “where the wild things are”

Let the wild rumpus begin!

Also, my secret confession is that I hate pictures of myself and I do not feel like I am very photogenic ever. I’m always the one deleting pictures of myself on other people’s cameras and hate when I see someone taking pictures. I’m just never happy with them and that can make picture taking very stressful. Somehow, magically, you made me feel very relaxed and took pictures that I love and am so proud of. I can’t say enough, I’m just incredibly happy with them and so glad that we found you. Is it too soon to hire you now for the rest of our family pictures in the years to come??

Thank you Raina for seeking me out and allowing me to meet your wonderful family!  I look forward to photographing you all for years to come!

The girls got ready together that morning, it was so sweet to watch them share in their nerves and preparations.

The Ash Street was so beautifully quaint — I loved the stained glass and the sitting rooms.

And their perfectly coordinated front porch!

It was just a short drive to the Currier Museum, where they were having their ceremony.  Amanda helped her brother with his flower -

Then her dad helped her with her tie — probably one of my most favorite moments, ever.

I loved how much relaxed time these two had for “portraits” and we took full advantage of the amazing museum!

Then it was time for the ceremony.  The girls were separated, if only for a moment, and Amanda came in with her father to take center stage

while waiting for Mandy to make her grand entrance across the balcony and down the beautiful staircase.

Even though they’d seen each other, gotten ready together, laughed together and loved each other already that day — the sanctity of that moment was still overwhelming and  sweet tears of amazement welled up in Amanda’s eyes. <3

I [heart] symmetry!

When two become one.  (I don’t know if it’s because my son has started middle school or if it’s just because I’m off my rocker, but I can’t help it with all these obscure references from that time of my life (cue dirty dancing))

After their intimate ceremony, we were allowed to take photos with a few of the exhibits in the gallery.  I was dumbstruck. — like a 4 year old in a candy store — oh. my. gosh.

And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better — we went OUTSIDE!  So amazing.  And these girls worked it out!

We headed to the Mills for their Fratello’s dinner — but not before taking advantage of the picture windows & fantabulous architecture!

Mandy & Amanda invited their guests to join them for a relaxed, TASTY private dinner.  A few toasts, some scrumptious Jacques cupcakes, and beautifully thought out details rounded out their cherished evening with their closest friends and family.

The bag sums it up — as it should be — it was all about love.

Thank you girls for asking me to witness your love first hand!

Let me tell you folks, it has been one stupendous event after another here at MKP and I’m so thrilled and privileged to be able to share these stories.  I just wish there were more hours in the day to document them for you!

And with that, back to Nicole & Shawn!

I met up with the girls as they were getting dressed and Nicole made a grand entrance into her beautiful gown.

Nicole, her 2 sisters, and her mum are full of personality and hilarity, but this particular moment while Casey pinned on her corsage, I think mum found herself reflecting on how her three little girls had grown into such amazing women.

I love the trend of  little personal touches being added to the bouquets — broaches, lockets, memories of loved ones you can hold on tight to!

We all took a school bus to the ceremony on the beach.  It was all fun and games until we got a little closer and the actuality of the day strated to set in. I don’t think Nicole expected to get quite so emotional <3

 The setting was absolutely picture perfect.

 And Shawn looked rightfully in awe when he at last saw Nicole making her way from the gazebo.

 one ringy dingy, two ringy dingy… S.W.A.K! (omg, do you remember that from middle school?!)

 And then this happened.  And it was awesome.

 I loved the subtle yellow of their dresses and Shawn’s snappy navy jacket!

 sweet faced girly!

 And then it was time for everyone to get back on the bus and head to the party!

 I wonder if they coordinated the color to the bus or if that was just coincidence Also — they get the award for best snarky favor ever: “Nicole & Shawn got married and all i got was this damn koozie” I got one and it lives on my desk in my office and holds my drinks as I edit photos.  I love it.

 After the ‘team’ signed the game ball -

 They made their grand entrance!

 And cheered on the newlyweds as they shared their first dance.

 And then THIS happened. And I laughed out loud — I have an almost identical wedding picture of my Nichole & I doing the same thing during OUR first dance.  It’s the 7th grade dance all over again!

 Then came the parent dances. Nicole and her dad had all of us, including themselves, in tears.

 And Shawn danced with his beautiful mother.

 If you haven’t figured it out by now, these two love to have fun, and love to just be silly.  It made for some fantastic photo ops

I really thought this one was going to be a smasher — but they were incredibly sweet with each other

 And then they danced the night away, hardcore.

 As I was photographing the dancing, someone came up to me and said, you know there’s a cake eating contest going on in the back corner, right?  Um, NO!? Thanks for the heads up!  I arrived to a table divided, each contestant with a piece of cake, in a down to the last crumb relay!

Who’s that? None other than Sarah & Jason!  Sarah was kind enough to refer me to her cousin, Nicole (and going back through their blog entry, I spied Casey on their dance floor)

 Basketball team is right — Nicole caught some serious air here!

 I’m 100% positive this crew partied into the middle of the night and probably for a few days more.

 Thank you to two for having me along for this fantastic ride.  I wish you all the best!

She wasn’t quite in love with the photos they provided her at graduation so she asked if we could rock out a few in town one evening and when the scheduling gods finally allowed, we did just that.

And then we had ice cream. Yum!

We had some awesome magic hour sunlight!  Simply gorgeous!

Congratulations, Sue!  I know for a fact that all your hard work has paid off and wish you continued success for years to come!

much love,

After meeting with Sara & Jordan for engagement photos last fall I knew that we were all going to have a wonderful time at their wedding.   What I didn’t quite expect was how much I was going to fall in love with the two of them during the day and how sad I would be to say goodbye that night.

Warm, welcoming, inviting, amazing, energetic, soulful, beautiful — these words don’t even begin to fully describe the loveliness that is Sara & Jordan as a individuals, and as a couple.

After an uneventful damp drive up to the Mountain View Grand I found the boys in their room putting the final touches on their stylish suits.  A loose button was no problem for Dad the Hero!

Sara & company were up in the salon, but I arrived at their room to find these treasures.  I have no idea what the story behind the alligator is (but I’d love to know!) The glass however says “I’m getting Married Bitches!”

Once they were all ready they were escorted through the back halls of the hotel to their secret stowaway place.  This face just sums it up. Let’s do this thing!

When I turned around and saw this look on Jordan’s face it was all I could do remember to keep shooting and not just melt into a pile of swooning for how much he loves her.

The grand ballroom there is so stunning; the rain may have kept them inside but this is certainly no shabby setup!

One of the groomsmen came up to put his drink down beside the others I’d placed while shooting this shot from up the top of the slope. When he stood up to go back to his place, he promptly started sliding down the hill in those fancy tux shoes.  Let me tell you — it was hilarious.  And he executed the whole slope with style not falling once!

So many stories, so little time

Reception!

So many amazing moments in this day — and their first dance was nothing short of breathtaking.  Not that it was choreographed or a spectacle, they were just so gentle to each other.

And then you see them with their parents and you know where they get it from

They opted to not do any sort of ceremonial caking; but when they saw me near as they were about to indulge in their decadence, they had some fun with it.   Sara has one of the most animated and fun expressive faces ever. I LOVE IT!

There was so much fun dancing!

It wasn’t originally the plan for me to hang around until the end. However, I was staying the next room over and we were all having so much fun, we decided I should stay. Now, I’ll be the first to say there’s no need for a photographer all the way through the last dance. It’s easier on the budget to let me go earlier. But I do love when I stay and then witness something AWESOME, like this.

Sara + Jordan, you have stolen a piece of my heart and run away with it.  You’re the sort of people they write fairy tales about and I hope for you both to live your “happily ever after”

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