I’m a huge fan of The New Haven Lawn Club.  It’s an elegant venue from a by gone era and a lovely place to have a wedding reception.  It has recently undergone a renovation and the ballroom is even more lovely than I had remembered.  My friend Aurora Onorato hosted a workshop there recently and invited me to come along.   Aurora is a natural teacher and she talked about all different kinds of lighting situations while we had a beautifully styled shoot and many models in wedding attire.  Definitely my idea of an inspiring fun day.  Our host, Christine Perusse will take fantastic care of you if you plan your wedding at the club.  Many thanks to Aurora Photography for including me and sharing her knowledge with us,  The Wedding Embassy for providing our wardrobe, Stylish Blooms did all of our flowers, Brazen Betties for providing us with all of our accessories and our hair and makeup was done by Kimberly Bordeaux and Samantha and Erin of Shine Salon.  I could create an entire album from the days shoot , so this is just a taste.

Rachel & William’s beautiful wedding in a large church felt like someplace from the past.  There was an old familiarity and timeless quality about it.   They had ten bridesmaids, three flower girls and six groomsmen, so we were often shooting large groups of people.   That would include the whole congregation on the steps of the church afterward.  Probably the largest group shot that I’ve ever done.   After the service we went to The Rutgers Gardens to shoot portraits.  We had the most gorgeous afternoon light and the gardens are just stunning.  Congratulations William & Rachel.

Briana & Matt’s wedding day was one of the few really hot and sunny days that we’ve had this Summer.  Their ceremony took place in Woodbury, a town that my husband and I almost moved to.  It’s a beautiful town that’s quaint and loaded with lovely old colonial houses and churches.  Their reception at the nearby Heritage Hotel was warm and earthy with details to match.  Congratulations Briana & Matt!

I love the smile on Briana’s Dads face, he is just beaming with pride.

After yet another snowfall this past weekend, it looks like we have finally begun a relentless big chill here in the northeast. We are expecting sub zero temperatures by Friday. Wretch!!! I definitely hate the cold. However, there is no denying the beauty of a sunny day after an ice storm has hit. Waveny Park was the place to be on Sunday. Kids come from near and far to go sledding here. The hill is not the largest around but the tiered property makes for great jumps in the right weather conditions. Add in the expansive fields and trails for cross country skiing and even I get into it. I love this old house. Waveny House is where my husband and I got married. I’ve been hanging out there since I was in high school, so I am really nostalgic about the place. I shoot here often and my son plays Soccer on the fields from early Spring to late Fall.
I am loving my new Canon 5D Mark II!! I had to finally bite the bullet and upgrade to Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2, as the previous versions did not support my new cameras digital files. I have a lot of new technology to learn, and a good excuse to stay in when it’s bitter outside.

Happy New Year everyone. I spent my evening in Hartford at the Wadsworth Atheneum and The Bond Ballroom, second shooting with my friend Kim Bova. It was a snowy, bitterly cold day as it always seems to be on New Years Eve. I’m always amazed at the crowds that gather in Times Square in New York City to watch the ball drop. When I lived in the city, I could hear the crowd go wild at midnight even though my loft was many blocks away. I would always smile and be thankful for welcoming another year from the warmth of my home. I actually think that I had more fun shooting this New Years Eve than I would have just being a guest. This was the very elegant wedding of Ben and Rebecca. A black tie affair that guests traveled long distances for. I know that they were not disappointed. Ben and Rebecca decided to see each other before the ceremony so that they could take advantage of the museums’ beautiful spaces for portraits.

Then on to the service.

I had to run to get to The Bond Ballroom before the guests in order to get some room and detail shots. The view is gorgeous at night.

I loved this band,“Moonglow”! I would highly recommend them!

At midnight there was a beautiful fireworks display over Bushnell Park and the capital. The windows were steamed up from all the dancing, but it was a great way to end the night. Check out Kim’s blog for a slideshow of the day. Thanks Kim for including me. It was a nice way to end the 2008 season.