one afternoon this week, i photographed sohini & jeremy at the arnold arboretum. the weather was perfect. they were very interested in shooting at the arboretum as they have a fondness for the lilacs and even attend the lilac weekend event held at the park. we explored much of the grounds allowing a variety of natural surroundings to create interesting backdrops for photographing a couple.
this is a shot from sandra & tim’s engagement photography session from last year. this spring, we had discussed some of the details of their zoo wedding. though i was familiar with other unique animal-inspired wedding locations such as the new england aquarium, the shedd aquarium and the new york aquarium, i had not previously photographed a wedding at a zoo. i knew this shoot would provide for an interesting journey. the day started by documenting the bride, her mother, and her bridesmaids getting ready at her house before i jumped in the limo with them. we headed to a city called oak park for the wedding ceremony. this is a popular chicago suburb with tourists who venture out to see the homes designed by world-famous architect frank lloyd wright. the wedding ceremony took place at st. catherine of siena, a catholic church. following the ceremony, we headed to the brookfield zoo, where we took some formal photographs, then took a golf cart with the bride and groom for a private tour and photography session amongst the animals, after hours. guests took the trams to the giraffe exhibit for “cocktails with the naimals,” and the dinner reception was at the zoo’s own bocaditos restaurant. a large bank of windows surrounds the venue where i was able to capture a reflection of the couple during their first dance.
perhaps the most notable tradition of all in regards to a new orleans wedding is the second line parade. just about all weddings in new orleans have some form of a second line. everyone including the bride, groom and wedding guests dance in a line through the french quarter, led by a second line brass band. if you would like to hear what a second line band sounds like, click here.
the bride generally carries a parasol, or “second line umbrella” as guests twirl handkerchiefs. the french quarter is a festive location filled with great energy throughout the year. the parades usually lead the guests from the church to the reception location.
new orleans’ famous st. louis cathedral in jackson square is the oldest catholic cathedral in continual use in the US. its a great piece of architecture inside and out, day or night.
if you are ever in new orleans, you will undoubtedly notice the unique architecture showing the city’s multicultural heritage. you’ll see everything from creole cottages, to the more iconographic balconies of the french quarter.
whenever i find myself in new orleans, i always stop at the 24-hour cafe du monde, the french market cafe for some beignets.
if you head outside the french quarter (and i strongly recommend doing so) down st. charles and on to prytania, you will see magnificent historic mansions, many of which are popular locations for weddings.
there are still many areas of the city that have yet to be restored after hurricane katrina.
when i am in town, i can’t help but notice how friendly everyone is, and the cheerful mood that encompasses the city, even after everything the city has gone through. on my left hand, i have tattoo of the fleur de lis, the symbol of new olreans and it reminds me how great the city truly is.
i met with matt & karen for an engagement shoot last night. they chose to have an abandoned elevated track as the location for the shoot. we had a great time exploring the area the tracks ran above, and later went to shoot near some great public art. in addition to photographing matt and karen’s wedding later this month, i will be photographing karen’s good friend’s wedding this saturday. gotta love referrals! the remainder of matt and karen’s shoot can be viewed here.
my cousin lives in gloucester, and spends every moment he can trying to catch a wave on his surfboard. its an awesome little city with so much character. unofficially an island, gloucester is connected to mainland massachusetts only by a couple of bridges. though the shore is dotted with mansions, its still a true fisherman’s town. when i was selected to photograph another gloucester wedding, i was thrilled. i love the seaside in all seasons. i expected gloucester in april to be raw, windy and grey, but this past saturday i headed up to photograph on the most gorgeous day of the year yet. not every bride is lucky enough to have an 80°F sunny wedding in april. especially on cape ann. the bride and groom had a perfect ceremony with clear blue skies. seagulls flew over the waves in the distance, and joggers passed by with smiles enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. the bride and groom were brave and ventured out onto some shoreline rocks to get some great shots.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/4478141]
my photography was recently featured on rock-n-roll bride.
jen & grant were such fun clients to work with. when i first heard that they wanted to have me photograph them at a mcdonalds, i probably raised an eyebrow. after we corresponded a few times, i knew this shoot was going to be an interesting one. they really brought creativity to the shoot, arriving in colors that complimented the scene. i had a red umbrella lying around the house and thought it would be a nice addition as well. this is a true example how something that might seem completely ridiculous can turn out amazing. i look forward to photographing their wedding at the hampshire house in downtown boston this summer. from the client:
Heather,
The pictures are BEAUTIFUL! I have already shared them everywhere possible. Everyone says they can’t wait to see the wedding photos! (Although, I’m not going to lie, they wont be as fun as these!)
Jen
i will be photographing lea and mark’s wedding in cohasset, massachusetts and we were lucky to be able to meet this week in chicago and do an engagement shoot. from the client:
Heather,
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It was such an unexpected surprise to receive the link to our photos yesterday. On the way home, I said to Mark that I’d be satisfied if we ended up with a half dozen that I liked “okay.” Instead, we have over fifty that I LOVE!
Truly, I couldn’t be more happy with the photos you took. I can’t believe that while I was feeling like a giant dork with my hair in my face, you were seeing and capturing such beautiful things. I guess I have one more reason to look forward to the wedding– the photos! Our moms loved them, and the ladies at school today were all ooh-in and ahh-ing! I think they really capture who we are, too, if that makes any sense. The one that made me laugh out loud was the one of our kiss with Derby between us, her looking completely and utterly disgusted with the whole thing!
Again, thanks SO VERY much. If you can do this with an hour, I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with eight!!
Lea
The bride and groom share a kiss at the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. The number one city in the world to get married in is Las Vegas, where more than 115,000 weddings are performed every year.
