It was a year of adventures, traveling and fun. Of the 26 weddings that I photographed, 8 of them were out of state and I found myself in places as far as Oregon, Boston and Vermont. I enjoyed the travel for each of those weddings as well as the opportunity to stay close to home and work in New York. I grew as I challenged myself with a busy summer and fall schedule and balancing teaching a class. There were times this year that I felt I was doing everything right, and times when I doubted where I was at… and through it all I’ve learned so much. I wouldn’t have made it with out the great support of family and friends, my first intern – Hannah, and those that choose to put their trust in me as their photographer. It was a great year, and each couple that I worked with had their own take on the wedding day and I enjoyed being there for all of them: here’s a look back at each day. I can’t wait to see what 2012 looks like, and wish all of you the best as we jump ship from 2011 and dive in to the new year!

The leaves are changing, the sky is cloudy and rain pitter-patters outside on the pavement. It’s decidedly fall and perfect weather for soup. It’s a shame that Matt doesn’t like soup as much as I do, but it’s probably a good thing since I am not amazing at making it. I’m good, not amazing. I like to try different recipes + combinations when it comes to soup, but he makes the best soup in our house, and one of my absolute favorites: chicken noodle (with homemade noodles). Now that soup is the ultimate comfort food, sure to cheer me up out of any bad mood and especially delicious on a cold winter day.

I went a little crazy last year with pumpkin, carrot, and squash varieties of soup and had a few winning recipes out of the bunch but of course I didn’t write them down so I have no idea what I used and what worked. I made the first soup of the fall (I backed off a bit this year thinking of Matt) and it was a roasted red pepper and corn chowder. It was based mainly off of this recipe, and I give my version an A- in my book. What saved it was the red chili powder I threw in courtesy of my cousin Joanna (thanks Joanna) but the lower grade was due to the effect it had on me – maybe I ate too much of it at once. Of course once again I didn’t write down my exact variation so I encourage you to read the recipe and adjust as needed to make up your own. Now the homemade bagels Matt made the very same Sunday afternoon were the perfect accompaniment to my soup. We have made bagels before – but never from the highly recommended recipe on the sophisticated gourmet. They came out well, and since you already know I fall in love easily with anything made from scratch, they were a hit in my book. I don’t think ours look quite as good as tsg’s but matt shaped the bagels and no offense, but I think I can do a better job. I will have to try and find out!

We worked side by side in the kitchen and spent some time together which these days is somewhat rare. I have started to wind down from my busiest season but of course that is when Matt has the most going on. We love to enjoy good food together, and since we live in the country we have been forced cook our own since there aren’t options to go out to. In other cooking news this year we are going to host Thanksgiving so it’s time to start recipe planning! I’d love to hear your favorite Thanksgiving dishes + especially your best soups for this season. Until then have a great weekend + if you’re feeling ambitious try making some bagels, I highly recommend them.

Just a several months earlier Dan had surprised her with a date to the Memorial Art Gallery after work. They loved to enjoy what Rochester had to offer and after spending time in the gallery they saw a special area sectioned of set up for a party or dinner. Indulging their mischievous sides, they decided to sneak over and check out the space to see what was going on. To Alaina’s surprise, it was set up for her and moments later Dan asked her to marry him. Rather than draw out their engagement they decided to wait months instead of years and began to plan. I can appreciate a short engagement and despite the thought that extra time is necessary it’s completely possible to pull off (I did it too!).

Alaina slipped in to her wedding dress and the back was carefully laced while gasps of awe and excitement could be heard. She was a bride, and a beautiful one. The boys were dashing in gray and suspenders with navy ties and playful colors that added just the right amount of personality. It was a day when you tossed all your cares aside and joined in the party. A day of happiness. It was one of those occasions that I was completely welcomed in to be a part of the day and felt just as much there for the wedding as I was there to photograph it. I have been able to get to know Alaina’s family for several years and while I love all of them I don’t know what I would do without her sister, Sarah, who is one of my best friends. I also had the absolute privilege of photographing the weddings of Alaina’s three best friends and am sad that I will be ending a chapter in their history, but grateful to have been a part of it. So with out further ado let’s celebrate Dan + Alaina and the celebration that started their lives as husband and wife!

This is why you take photos during getting ready. For lots of different moments, but especially the one above. Kingsley looked dapper in his bowtie +tuxedo shirt onesie, even if it was only for a few hours :) Below, the infamous portraits of all four sisters – it’s hard to tell them apart at that age, but I can pass the test of who is who in case you were wondering.

congrats again Dan + Alaina and hope you all enjoy!

Nestled into the foothills of Pennsylvania is a well kept secret: Gray’s Run. A hunting club established in 1918 it has kept it’s rustic charm and unspoiled landscape and continues to be a member’s only retreat. The site holds a select number of weddings each year, and for Lindsay and Andy it was an obvious choice when wedding planning. Lindsay grew up going to the club with family so besides being a beautiful location, it was a meaningful one.

I have been looking forward to Lindsay and Andy’s wedding ever since I met with them in New York City to talk wedding plans and look over inspiration boards. I had a great time documenting their wedding on Saturday and it was a day unlike any other. I look forward to sharing more with you + congratulations again you the newlyweds!

Of course, that won’t stop us from telling all of the stories; reveling in the fortune of the proposals gone right and enjoying the twists and turns that lead to proposing in those that don’t go as planned. Today I have a couple whose story will keep all of us trying for that perfect proposal where everything falls in to place. It takes place in Scotland, where Bobby is from and where he and Becca spent Christmas with his family last year. Early one morning before sunrise Bobby came in to Becca’s room with breakfast he had made and invited her to go on a walk. They headed down the road to the castle ruins in St. Andrew’s which was a quick walk from Bobby’s house and together enjoyed the quiet moments before sunrise, reading their Bibles and taking time to pray together. Warm light began to spill over the sea as the sun started to rise and they moved down to the waters edge to enjoy the view. There, on the rocky shore of Scotland Bobby got down on one knee and asked Becca to marry him.

I love the idea of a whole day to spend together enjoying your newly engaged status and I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t love to have this story for my own. We all know that Bobby had an unfair advantage right from the start since he’s already from Scotland but I only gave him a small penalty which places Becca + Bobby’s engagement in my top five proposal stories.

For their engagement session it was Becca’s turn to plan something and she had been dreaming up a tea party session long before we were able to actually shoot it. As I mentioned in the preview post, we had discussed Pride + Prejudice as inspiration for the session and the time of day we wanted to shoot in order to get soft dreamy light. We met at Knox Farm, outside of Buffalo and it was such a perfect spot I know I’ll be back again to shoot. I loved collaborating with Becca and with just a few weeks until their wedding you can look forward to seeing more of this couple soon. I hope you enjoy and can’t wait to hear what you think!

It was sixth grade when I met Maureen, or Moe as I called her. We became friends quickly, playing clarinet together in band and sharing fruity lip gloss while talking about what boys we liked at our lockers. When it came time to start high school we both ran cross – country and track and spent many hours together on runs besides the time we spent watching snl, toilet papering houses and going shopping. It was a tight knit group, that high school team of runners and I’m happy to say we’ve kept in touch through the years following. So, when Moe let me know that she and Dustin were engaged I couldn’t have been happier for her. All of the nights we spent talking about boys had become worth it.

Dustin entered the picture once Moe graduated from Michigan State and was working at the U of M Children’s hospital as a nurse. They became friends quickly, enjoying nights out in Ann Arbor, getting away on a weekend trip, and growing closer. Soon they realized they were falling in love. When in came time to decide what they would be doing in future, they decided to approach it together. It was a gorgeous Michigan day when Dustin surprised Maureen on the beach with a song – written just for her – and then asked her to marry him. I’m not sure if it gets more romantic than that.

When I was in Michigan over Easter I met up with Maureen and Dustin in Ann Arbor to take their engagement photos. We started at the U of M arboretum and while it seemed like the weather drew everyone outside we found the perfect quiet spot to shoot in. After that we headed over to the law quad for a more formal and architectural setting. I love the mix of images captured and while I’ve been to the Michigan campus this is my first time shooting in the area. I would gladly go back but do I even want to try and top these photos? You tell me!

so happy together. I really can’t wait for your wedding and am so excited to document it. I’d love to hear what you think of the session so leave a comment or head over to my facebook page to join the conversation there!

It’s satisfying to hang a finished piece of art on your wall. The amount of time to go from creation to completion is often vast and many pieces spend years in purgatory on their way there. Having left this piece above (an original by Jillian Sokso) in an ill-fitting and inexpensive frame we already had (generally the first mistake) for 3 years I decided to get it professionally framed. I took it, along with two other pieces of art to my neighborhood framer, Eva Heaney. She is also a small business owner and runs The Frame-Up from her home in Belfast. Not only do I enjoy being able to support other small businesses, but I appreciate her customer service and the fact that I don’t have to go in to Michael’s.

When I went to Eva’s to decide on the specifics for the framing job I selected the color of the mat, the color of the frame and the size of the overall piece. Since this piece is large to begin with we gave it enough room to breath around the sides and floated it in the middle since the edge of the paper is a crucial part of the piece. I knew it was going to be a statement in our merlot colored dining room and the color scheme was a perfect match, as you can see.

As I continue to create art while documenting people’s lives, I know many of the images I take will sit tucked away in a box or on a disc. However, my hope is that a few of them will find their way in a place of honor. A place where people will see them. Where people can look and remember that day and perhaps appreciate the beauty of the image.

…are not fun to stand in.

This weekend I experienced gusting winds, rainy downpours and all around stormy skies along with the rest of the coaches and athletes in attendance at the AMC meet. You quickly remember the value of being dry and I was happy to have grabbed my trusty silver rain boots at the last minute. I probably would have been 100 times more miserable had I forgotten them, I hate to say it. As always it was a good weekend spent with our team and if you follow me on instagr.am (you have to download the app to do so) you can see the image updates I posted over the weekend.

…cancel photo shoots.

You know I’ve shot in the rain and am not afraid to… but sometimes it’s worth avoiding. Today I had an engagement shoot scheduled for the afternoon but with rain and snow in the forecast it seemed fitting to cancel. Tis the season for engagement sessions and most have a rain backup plan built in just in case we encounter it. The image above from Liz + Matt’s shoot reminds me that color and life will soon come back to the landscape here in New York and today I need that.

…drain my energy.

If I’m going to be honest lately I’ve done an average if not bad job keeping up with training for the triathlon I’m doing this summer. A cold rainy day rarely seems inviting to going running (forget about biking) in and I’m sitting here writing this post knowing that when I’m done I’m going to have to go out in it. The cloudy sky makes me want to curl up by the fire and take a nap like my dogs are doing right now… but after taking yesterday off I have no excuse to not get out there. I should stop putting it off so I’m going to end this post and go for a run. :)

Megan and Brian sitting in a tree.

If you saw my post I most definitely did get a flat tire on my way to their shoot. I was several miles out and hit a huge rock in the road – think chunk of cement from construction or something – and in slow motion I saw it coming as I could do nothing to avoid it. I owe it all to Gary, a stranger that stopped to help me change my flat and speed up the process so that I wasn’t out there alone. Thanks, Gary.

I called Megan and Brian to let them know I would be a few minutes late and it was perfect timing for them. Megan was busy washing off her makeup and reapplying to her liking- she had her makeup done at a salon as a trial for her wedding and it was not what she was looking for. (Amen to trials for hair + makeup, since it’s good to know what you’re getting before hand)

We met in Highland Park and honestly guys, you were naturals. Before I took the first picture they warned me about being camera shy… but I don’t know what they were talking about. You’ll see what I mean. Until then is that not the best climbing tree you have seen?