Boston + New England Wedding Photographer » engagements

BOSTON WINTER ENGAGEMENT SESSION WITH SNOW: KENDALL + JEFF

Kate — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:40:57 +0000

Two weeks ago (wow!) I met up with Kendall and Jeff for their snow-filled winter engagement session in Boston’s North End … or the Italian Quarter as I like to call it. These guys have the most perfect apartment there, with an amazing roof terrace overlooking the Boston skyline, and it was cool getting a tour of the neighborhood from two experts.

We spent an hour and a half just wandering the streets, enjoying the soft, white snow, and getting some very cute pics.

Nothing makes me happier during an engagement session than real belly laughter.

How cute are these guys?! It’s ridiculous!

We made a little stop for some coffee and hot chocolate, then headed to a kids’ playground for some fun swing-set photos:

A couple of photos with their cats inside the apartment (that’s Sam on the right, and Stella on the left – love those kitties!)

Thank you both for a super fun afternoon, and your patience over the last two weeks. I hope you’ve enjoyed your teasers!

SOUTH END ENGAGEMENT SESSION: LEAH + JIM

Kate — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:56:00 +0000

Last weekend, I met up with Leah and Jim for their winter engagement session in Boston’s South End. We were still pre-snow at that point, and had the most beautifully sunny – but bitingly cold – afternoon for photos.

We started out at their gorgeous apartment where I was very happy to spend a few minutes taking photos of their doggy, Winnie. Winnie is one of the sweetest, easiest dogs I’ve ever photographed, and she’s SO good-looking too. There’s something almost regal about her.

I had Leah and Jim invite Winnie onto the couch for this little series – love it!

Jim and Leah live right on the Southwest Corridor, and it’s pretty much photo heaven all around there. We took a few photos at the Christian Science Plaza (and managed not to get chased off by guards, hurray!) I love the repeating lines here:

You didn’t think I was done with the photos of Winnie did you? Such a pretty girl …

We headed back to the tiny park next to Leah and Jim’s apartment for these next few. These two are pretty darn cute together.

And a couple of final favorites from across Huntington. Thank you both for a very fun afternoon and for letting me totally indulge my dog-loving nature. I can’t wait for your wedding in April!

BEST OF 2011: ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS

Kate — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:26:26 +0000

This is something I’ve been meaning to do for years … a “best of” post highlighting the past year in photos … and now that I’ve started I understand what an immense undertaking it is, choosing my favorite photos from each and every wedding and engagement session I’ve photographed over the last twelve months. After ending up with a ridiculous number of favorites, I decided to split them up into categories, starting with engagement sessions. This “best of” post includes Boston engagement sessions, two sessions in Portsmouth, NH, a New York City session and photos all around New England, from Rhode Island up to Maine. The locations have encompassed everything from slick city bars to windy beaches in the winter, private homes, the streets of New York, even a sun-soaked session in the British Virgin Islands where we snorkeled and drank Painkillers. There have been kisses and giggles, slurped oysters, and more glasses of Sauvignon Blanc than you might care to know, and more importantly than any of that, the feeling that friendships have been forged.

Thank you to my clients and friends: Julia + Anel, Sam + Stephen, Emily + Kerry, Amanda + Matt, Emily + Mike, Kat + Alex, Evelyn + John, Bung + Alex, Shana + Rob, Katie + Jon, Chrissy + Jason, Emilie + Alexei, Rowe + Dan, Jen + Morgan, Beth + Mike, Jess + Derek, Lara + Jessie, Jessica + Sarafina, Lynette + Chris.

CAMBRIDGE ENGAGEMENT SESSION: KATIE + JON

Kate — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:55:54 +0000

Katie + Jon are getting married next summer in the White Mountains in NH and I am beyond excited for their wedding. First of all, they’re ridiculously cute (see the evidence below) and second, they are super fun to hang out with. We spent a bright Sunday morning checking out some spots in their new home town of Cambridge (they moved up here from NYC in June this year). We started out at Katie’s dad’s place, an amazing historic building just east of Harvard Square. I don’t usually like photographing indoors for engagement sessions, but this place was amazing: whitewashed walls, tons of light, and some beautiful vintage furniture. Some of my favorite photos came from the cute kitchen:

And I also loved the blue couch in front of the window in this room:

The backyard was similarly awesome …

After a little while at the house, we decided to check out a few favorite spots in the neighborhood. We started out down by Charles – I love the little series of John chasing Katie back up the river path:

It was a little breezy out – can you tell?!

Our next stop was this cool sculpture at MIT. The numbers and letters made for some cool framing options:

Some fun shots against an old warehouse I spotted:

And time for some closer up photos. I LOVE the black and white shot below. Such utter cuteness!

Our final stop was The People’s Republik, a very cool pub on Mass Ave, for a quick beer. Yum! Thank you both for keeping me laughing throughout our session, and for being such naturals in front of the camera. Roll on August 2012!

CHARLESTOWN ENGAGEMENT SESSION: AMANDA + MATT

Kate — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:22:34 +0000

Late fall is engagement season around here – and for good reason; it’s freakin’ beautiful in Boston right now! Well, on the non-rainy days, that is … One weekend afternoon in the non-too-distant past, I met up with Matt and Amanda for part two of their engagement session (part one was up in Maine over the summer – you can check out those pics here). They wanted some photos in their neighborhood, Charlestown, and I was excited to discover a whole new part of the city that I hadn’t seen before. My previous explorations of Charlestown have included only the Bunker Hill area. I like new places!

We started just down the street from their apartment, next to the water:

These two are fully versed in the “get in and snuggle” mantra by now. And they know how to rock it.

Loving those fall colors … *sigh*

This strange building was a neat spot for an architectural silhouette:

The view of downtown Boston is so cool from here. Oh, and we might have trespassed. Oops. Don’t tell anyone that yoga-instructor Amanda used to be a lawyer.

These two have some mad jumping skills – and I LOVE their expressions here!

One last moody silhouette to complete the teasers … thank you guys for another awesome afternoon. I cannot WAIT for your wedding at the Aquarium next summer!

RHODE ISLAND ENGAGEMENT SESSION: SAM + STEPHEN

Kate — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:15:27 +0000

I met Stephen and Sam at Kat and Alex’s Rhode Island wedding back in June. I’d spotted this ridiculously cute gay couple during the early part of the reception, and was super disappointed to see that they were wearing what I thought were wedding bands. I don’t usually approach guests at weddings without good reason, but something made me want to say hi, so I went up to them and commented on the fact that they must be married already and how sad I was not to have had the opportunity to talk with them about being their wedding photographer … well, it turns out that they were recently engaged and had just started the planning process – they would be getting married in NH in March 2012, and they were definitely interested in talking some more!

We met up via video chat a few weeks later, and I totally fell for them. They are smart, funny and super cute – and totally in love with each other. I was so excited when they told me that they couldn’t imagine having anyone else as their photographer! Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago … we decided to take their engagement photos in Rhode Island, where they both live and work. We started out at The Stable, the bar where Sam works part-time while studying for his nursing degree:

These guys needed almost no prompting during the session – and it was fun standing back and just photographing them interacting naturally.

After a glass of wine, we headed over to the river. I loved this blue wall:

Something a little different:

This was a great spot too – you can’t beat archways for pretty light and nice framing!

For the second part of the session, we headed over to Greenvale Vineyards where the guys had their second date. What a spot!

This is their adorable baby – sorry – doggy Winston:

The light was insane that afternoon, but we worked it.

Thank you both for a super fun afternoon, and for not totally freaking out when this crazy Brit started drooling all over you at your friends’ wedding. I can’t wait for your wedding this winter!

BOSTON ENGAGEMENT SESSION: ALEX + BUNG

Kate — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:44:09 +0000

A few weeks ago, I met up with Alex and Bung for their engagement session. They met on their first day of grad school in an orientation class, and although they were there to get their MBAs, it turns out that they are both creative types (Bung has a degree in architecture and Alex has worked on several documentary films). They are also hilarious and goofy and a maybe even a tiny little bit nerdy – needless to say, we got along swimmingly. We started out near Alex’s place in Boston’s South End. Like me, they like to eat good food, and Coppa is one of their favorite restaurants (it’s fantastic – check it out if you haven’t yet eaten there):

We then headed up to the north shore to a private beach that I love for some more “naturey” photos. A little geese-chasing to warm up:

This spot has everything: beautiful woodland, huge rocks, amazing sea views and a big grass lawn.

I love these shots – especially the incredibly silly jumping shot (yup, that was all me …)

The light was gorgeous that afternoon … and I love these:

These two sure know how to rock the silly faces.

A few last photos as we headed back through the woods to the car – Bung, you are so beautiful, and I’m not sure you have any idea …

A little more silliness (yay!) and then some drama to end the show. Thank you both so much for a ridiculously fun afternoon – and have an amazing time at your wedding in Thailand in December (I am soooo bummed that you already have a photographer for that!)

PORTSMOUTH, NH ENGAGEMENT SESSION: LYNETTE + CHRIS

Kate — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:06:42 +0000

I love Portsmouth, NH (every time I visit I think how nice it would be to live up there) and so I was pretty excited to meet up with Chris and Lynette in their home town for some relaxed and fun engagement photos. These guys are getting married next summer at the fabulous State Room in Boston, a very urban-sophisticated and modern venue, so I wanted to go for a more relaxed and fun feel for their engagement photos. I think we pulled it off! We spent a couple of hours wandering the streets of Portsmouth, through some of their favorite spots as well as mine. Here’s one of my favorites to start us off:

My favorite bridge in Portsmouth has been deemed unsafe for vehicles … meaning it’s now a fabulous spot for photographing people. Some alley-wandering …

And some snuggling outside one of Lynette and Chris’ favorite restaurants in town, Cava:

Prescott Park is absolutely beautiful at this time of year, and I adore this little series:

Lynette did some GREAT scouting in preparation for our session, and found these cool wooden garage doors (thank you Lynette!)

Some more utter cuteness on a little patch of grass down by Strawbery Banke:

We found this gorgeous porch at the back of one of the historic houses at Strawbery Banke:

I love Lynette and Chris’ sense of playfulness. Also, they were laughing all afternoon, which makes me very happy.

Another photographer suggested the spot for the photo above; the silly posing was all me … And some coffee to end our session, at Breaking New Grounds coffee shop in the main square:

OK, one last photo … I believe I completely ripped myself off with this one (better to copy myself than someone else, right?) but I love it so here it is. Thank you both so much for a wonderful afternoon – I hope you enjoy your teasers!

CENTRAL PARK AND HIGH LINE NYC ENGAGEMENT SESSION: JULIA + ANEL

Kate — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:14:34 +0000

Julia and Anel are the third couple to come out of a group of friends that works at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. I could quite happily photograph only couples from the IIN as they are all awesome: smart, fun, sweet, super cute, talented and very well dressed. They also have this wonderful knack for making you feel like a lifelong friend pretty much immediately, and there’s something about all of this that makes me really want to push myself to create the best possible images for them. And so it is with great excitement that I bring to you the engagement session of the fabulous Julia – fashion blogger, nutritionist and all-round rad gal – and her gorgeous Bosnian firefighter/EMT/personal trainer/photographer fiance Anel. (Yes, he really does do all those things – and is an absolute doll to boot.)

We met up in Central Park, close to their apartment on the Upper East Side, and went for a little wander. I ADORE their outfits … and I still cannot get over the ridiculous cuteness that is Anel’s bow tie. Love! Also, a quick shout-out to two of Julia’s friends for their help: Arielle made Julia’s gorgeous necklace (and be sure to check out her ILOVEME collection) and Ashley was responsible for Julia’s flawless makeup – thank you ladies!

We came up on this bridge and I immediately saw the photo below. We had to wait for an excruciatingly slow school group to go through, then battled with another photographer, but finally got the bridge to ourselves. I think it was worth the wait, right?

Anel found this next spot for us; he has used it himself numerous times for photo shoots – and what a gorgeous spot it is. Love all those overhanging vines …

I was itching to head up to the High Line Park for the rest of our session. I first visited it a couple of months ago and knew that I had to come back with a couple for some engagement or wedding photos.

When I first started taking photos professionally, I was constantly scouting for great backgrounds … these days, it’s all about the light. I could care less about the background if the light is perfect … like right here:

And there’s something about this one … or rather, there’s something about these two …

As we wandered along, enjoying the views and the sunshine, I spotted La Newyorkina, a cute stand selling paletas (ice pops) in wonderful flavors (Julia and Anel agreed that the watermelon was scrumptious). Perfect photo opp!

I can’t stop!

This next image is called Love Is In The Air.

A bit more silly, followed by some more utter-cuteness:

And then some final sun-soaked pictures in a sea of bright yellow flowers – we couldn’t resist the perfect match to Julia’s luscious lemon branding for her lemons & loafers fashion blog.

Thank you both for a super fun afternoon, for racing around NYC with me, and for shelling out a small fortune for iced treats. I hope you like your teasers. And, I can’t wait for your wedding at Glen Manor House next year!

OLD ORCHARD BEACH ENGAGEMENT SESSION: AMANDA + MATT

Kate — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:11:15 +0000

I’ve been away for a mini vacation up in Maine (oh, how I love that place!) and while I was there I was thrilled to be able to meet up with Amanda and Matt and their utterly awesome (and super tiny) doggy Toby for some sun-soaked beach engagement photos. Amanda and her family have been vacationing in Old Orchard Beach since she was little, so it was a great place to take their engagement photos. We started out in the middle of the madness, on the part of the beach in town … we found a little solitude under the boardwalk:

I’m all about the silly ice-cream-eating pictures … and so, apparently, are Matt and Amanda.

For the shot above, I asked, “who’s the leader?” – Amanda and Matt both pointed immediately at Amanda. Love it!

We wanted to get some gorgeous beach engagement photos up at the other end of Old Orchard where Amanda’s family were staying … while they were making a quick clothing change, I grabbed a couple of photos of Chico the chihuahua. He’s her mom’s now, but he used to be Amanda’s doggy. And don’t be fooled by that adorable little face; I’ve heard he’s a bit of a menace underneath!

We took Toby (the ultra friendly Yorkie) for a walk on the beach. The light was still crazy bright out, but I love these shots …

These two are too cute.

One of the things I love most about Matt and Amanda is how easy they are, and how much they laugh together. It was pretty much non-stop laughter all afternoon … perfect.

Thank you all for the warm welcome, and to Matt and Amanda for a very fun session! I’m so happy we get to do it all again back in Boston too.