weddings
Sooooo…..there are more stories about this wedding to come. I can’t tell them all now. But this image was SO fantastic, we had to tell its story right away!!!
It was the wee hours of the morning at Allegria Hotel and Spa on Long Island. A tired but very happy wedding party and I rolled out of bed to catch the early morning light. And we all got in the water. Yes…I stood in the ocean with all of my gear. With the tide coming in!! And…well….
It was so worth it. ::grin::
In that long, hectic and seemingly endless stretch of time between when a couple starts planning their wedding and the actual wedding day, one of the things I love the most is to watch all the little details for my couple’s weddings come together and see how the day as a whole takes shape. And I LOVE when my brides get so excited about the things they are planning that they email me or call me, or show up for a meeting bursting at the seems to share their vision! I absolutely love to be involved!!! When my brides are passionate about something, I’m passionate about it as well, and it is all those affectionately chosen or crafted details that make each wedding as unique and as personal as each individual couple.
Every bride’s favorite deets vary. Sometimes they are invitations and placeholders, sometimes they are favors or flowers or the cake. For Julianne it was COLOR! (in particular this brilliant, happy color green. I say “happy” because it’s virtually impossible to look at without smiling)…and her accessories.
Everything she wore that day, from her dress…
…to her shoes…
…to her bracelet….
…every piece was carefully and lovingly chosen, to express herself and her and Eric’s intimate and fun relationship (she was so excited about them that she sent me color samples and a link to photos of the bracelet way before the wedding!) and the final result was a wedding day that was elegant and very playful at the same time!
Just like Julianne and Eric!!!
Personal details are by no means limited to decorations or dress.
When Julianne and I met to go over her schedule she told me about Eric’s famous Michael Jackson impression/dance. By the way her face lit up I could tell that this was something about her fiance (husband!) that she cherished, which speaks to that same sense of playfulness she was creating with their accessories. Sure enough, when MJ started playing during the reception, Eric couldn’t resist the urge to get out on the dance floor! And let me tell you, this groom has got some MOVES!
So whether it’s shoes or dance moves, don’t be afraid to get excited about your details! If you need someone to bounce ideas of off, give me a call and I’ll get fired up right along with you!!! And…most importantly…never ever be afraid to play.
I love first looks. There is something so intimate, so tender, so magical about a bride and groom seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day, quietly and (almost) alone. There is none of the pressure of standing in front of hundreds of friends and family, no particular time-line to get on with (so if the bride has to take a few minutes to bawl her eyes out and then get her makeup fixed, it’s okay!). But mostly there is the opportunity for them to hold their husband/wife-to-be and really soak in the beautiful enormity of what they are embarking on that day. In those moments nothing else exists. No details to finish up, no flowers, no color palettes, no menus, no guests lists, and…dare I say it?…no photographer…which is one of the things that I loved to watch most of all. There is no awareness of being in front of the camera at all. Everything – EVERYTHING – else melts away and it is just them and their love. It is very hard for me not to cry. Which, of course, is why I do. Every time.
When I first met Deb and Gary I was struck by the warmth and intense affection that they had for each other. It was truly wonderful to witness that again in their first look.
Deb and Gary worked closely together to design a wedding day that was so personal and full of details that really expressed them as a couple, from their artistic, quirky personalities to their cultural backgrounds and world views. They wanted their wedding, on a visual level, to reflect a kind of vintage/industrial feel (which they also incorporated into their engagement shoot, in downtown Buffalo), and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time for portraits that captured that look.
Thing is, there are added practical benefits to first looks as well. Since the bride and groom have already seen each other, it opens up the opportunity to do couple (and even family!) portraits before the ceremony even starts. This is especially a plus for weddings with later ceremonies (which get increasingly tricky as the summer winds down). Since Deb and Gary’s ceremony and reception were in the same room at Pearl Street Brewery in Buffalo, and they wanted to glide seemlessly between the two, we took advantage of the time and light before the ceremony and rocked out portraits!
The tenderness that these two shared overflowed to their friends and family, whom they brought into every aspect of their day. I never get enough of watching two people be so incredibly happy!!! It is absolutely one of the best parts of my job. From their first look to the end of the night both Deb and Gary literally glowed. I love watching days like that unfold.
In the days, weeks and months leading up to a wedding, I get to know my couples pretty darn well, and always look forward to the calls and emails from my brides. Seriously…when they have all their photos and married life is well underway, …I miss them. ::sigh::
Shannon and Kieran moved to Baltimore shortly after their wedding, and I love that Shannon sends me little updates, notes about how things are going and just generally to say “hi!”. I LOVED working with these two!!! I mean, how could you not?!?!
Adorable. Right?!?! And SO funny together!!!
So when Shannon started her own blog, Shananigan, it gave me the idea to have her “guest blog” for me about what it was like to be a Tammy bride. While I was thinking more of a eye-witness report of insanity and chaos, Shannon wrote such a sweet and amazing review. I don’t normally post testimonials, but this one was so touching and down to earth, that I had to put it up. So here is Shannon’s post in all of it’s un-cut awesomeness. And just for the record, I totally don’t remember saying anything about Kieran’s eyelashes haha!!!
Tammy is quite possibly the most amazing photographer in all the land. Seriously. This isn’t a joke. She could probably turn water into wine if she tried. I first met Tammy last Fall when we met for a consultation. Tammy immediately put us at ease and you could just tell she knew her stuff. Plus, she liked my fiance’s eyelashes, which was cute. Anyway, I wanted an urban theme for the photos, she picked the place, and the pictures were AHHHH MAAA ZIIING. These things were individual pieces of art. Plus the entire process, from setting up the initial consult to receiving the final photographs, was extremely smooth. Tammy and Jess were always available and promptly responded to anything I had questions about; whether it be when I would get my proofs to why phone books still exist in this digital age (though I’m not sure we came up with a great reason for that one).
Then come the wedding photos! All I can say is I have fallen in love with this woman (and her pictures are alright too). She is so extremely talented it is not funny. Plus she has the best sense of humor and personality. She created such a great rapport with me that I am really going to miss her!!!! I feel like I am losing an appendage and am honestly thinking about getting married again so I can have more pictures take. Ok, that may be a little over-exaggerated. But, she is great to work with and creates wonderful pieces of art. I recommend her to everyone, even if they need a passport photo. I mean, you want to look good when the customs guy in Aruba looks at your photo right!? She is amazingly talented, extremely personable, and just plain cool. Plus, she has Jess working for her too. Bonus.
Double bonus. (haha that was Jess interjecting. but…true. very true. ::grin::)
It was such a joy working with these two!!! They always made me laugh – still do! – and their wedding was so inspiring, such a gorgeous, elegant celebration of their incredible love.
So thank you, Shannon and Kieran!!! I can’t wait to see what adventures are coming next for you! And you’d better keep blogging about them. 
9.08.2010
gorgeous pic! can’t believe you stood in the water with your gear – definitely worth it!