This afternoon, I was in Boston visiting my cousin, Andy, who is in the hospital, in the intensive care unit, battling for his life. Andy was diagnosed with leukemia last year and after undergoing massive chemo treatments it looked as though the bad cells were gone. But, the cancer came back.

After a week in the hospital, he was released last Thursday, and although he still had a long road ahead with more chemo treatments, things were looking up. But, our high hopes were met with yet another stumbling block, when Andy’s weakened immune system sent him back to the hospital with a severe infection. Two days ago, doctors in the ICU intubated & sedated Andy to help take some stress off his body as it struggles to fight the infection.

It has been an incredibly stressful time for his family. His wife Lorelee has been a beacon of strength and hope. I marvel at her, for I’m not sure I could be as strong if it was my Andy lying in that hospital bed hooked up to machines and fighting for his life. But, there she is….at his side every day, loving him, and encouraging him to fight, ever hopeful that her love will help him win this battle, so that together they may continue the long fight ahead.

Lorelee was there today, with my cousin, Marylee (Andy’s sister), who like Lorelee (and my Auntie Lee, Andy’s mom), has held vigil at her brother’s side. I brought fixings for hot fudge sundaes, in the lame attempt to lift spirits. Food…it’s all we Italians know how to do when there simply isn’t anything we can do.

Sitting in the family room in the ICU with strangers, who like us, were there waiting and hoping their loved ones would pull through, I couldn’t help but take notice of how fragile our lives are and how much we all need each other…family, friends, strangers…and how very, very important it is to be grateful for every moment we have together.

I’m a great believer in the power of positive thought, so tonight, as I lay in bed beside my Andy, I will think about the day, hopefully one day soon, when Lorelee will once again lay beside her Andy. And, if you believe in prayer and positive thoughts too, please spread the love and send some their way.

Love & hugs, Chris

Here’s a photo of Andy, Lorelee and their too-cute-for-words son, Andrew, at a family picnic a few years ago. We love you Andy….

UPDATE (June 5):

Thank you very much to all of you who have been sending positive thoughts and prayers to my cousin Andy. I think they’re working…so please keep ‘em coming!!

Andy is still heavily sedated and intubated, but things are looking up. This week his liver enzyme count was down and his body has started producing some low counts of white blood cells…both good signs. He’s still got a long road ahead and his family continues to take it one day at a time. But, we just wanted to thank you for caring!!! Please keep the love coming!!! xo

What do you get when you mix two sexy young singles and a steamy August evening in a crowded DC bar with no air conditioning? A close encounter of the hottest kind! (I couldn’t resist!)

Kara & TJs romance was indeed hot from the start, although TJ’s sister, Maura, who had worked with Kara, had tried to introduce them before their paths eventually crossed a year later in that DC bar.

Kara was living in DC and TJ was in town visiting friends from college when these two love birds first met. That was nearly 3 years ago and since then, their chance meeting has led to a life filled with much love, long walks with their dog Molly, Sunday night sushi and evenings spent cuddled on the couch, among other things.

When asked what makes their relationship work, TJ said, “Love, unconditional love. I hate to sound sappy, but no matter the fights or disagreements, I know without Kara in my life, I would be an empty man. I love her.” And Kara’s response, “Respect. We both have a lot of respect for each other. Whether it is respect for the careers we have chosen or respect for the other’s feelings and thouhts, we are very open and respectful of each other. We want to make each other happy.”

It is obvious seeing these two together, that their love and respect for one another run deep and that this is a relationship that will weather life’s challenges.

Later this summer, Kara & TJ will celebrate their love here on Cape Cod, surrounded by family & friends at the elegant New Seabury Country Club in Mashpee. We spent an afternoon in Falmouth with them last week, while they were in town visiting and getting some wedding business sorted. Here are a few of our favorite photos from our love session together. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed hanging with Kara & TJ!

Bird’s eye view…

Cozying up at Falmouth Harbor…

I love this perspective and how they’re both totally cracking up…so fun!

We’re kind of purists when it comes to how we like our images to look, but this effect really seemed to compliment this image. I just love the old fashioned looking lampposts in the background and so we made the photo look old fashioned by changing the tone and adding just a touch of good ole’ film grain. What do you think?

As we were driving past a liquor store…of all places…we had to stop when we saw this gorgeous cherry tree shedding its beautiful pink petals beside the parking lot. It looks like pink snow falling and blanketing the ground, doesn’t it? And, an added bonus, Kara’s sweater matched perfectly! Don’t you just love when you find beauty in unexpected places? We do!!!

Another great find when walking around….this beat up rigging house with it’s classic Nantucket red finish. Love it!!

Do they look like models for Calvin Klein or what? Gorgeous!

After walking around town a little, we headed to the beach to get some sand between our toes…

I love these serene expressions on their faces in this next one….

A little smooch break…we all need those from time to time!

Here’s one for Mom….classic! You two are too darned cute!

And the perfect closer……SMOKIN’!!!

Kara & TJ, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy weekend back home to spend some time just goofing off with us! We had such a great time enjoying a perfect warm spring evening with you and we can’t wait for August, when we expect your love will once again sizzle sweetly!!! Big hugs, Christine & Andy

Ivy is one of those people who really does light up a room with her smile. Even when life gets hard or things are stressful she’s our little Miss Sunshine! And, that smile of hers….well, it’s always there.

When we posted Ivy & Ben’s engagement photos on our blog last fall, we got more comments (on the blog and just in conversations) from people about Ivy & her smile. Like us, everyone reacted to the joy so easily visible on her gorgeous face.

When it came time to pick a photo for a rather prominent spot in our new studio, Andy & I both gravitated to a picture of Ivy & Ben. It’s just hard not to feel good watching them together. So, you can imagine how excited we were when it came time to see these lovebirds say, “I do!” two weeks ago.

It was exactly as we imagined it would be. Ben was ridiculously happy, yet contained. Ivy was glowing…truly. She was calm, yet the excitement was bursting through the surface. And her smile….you couldn’t help but smile yourself when it was aimed in your direction.

Ivy & Ben got married at the elegant Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster. Theirs was only the second wedding ever to be held in Ocean Edge’s new mansion ballroom and it looked beautiful. The day started off rainy and it appeared we might not be able to do photos outside. But, as if on cue, the skies opened and the sun shone through just as Rev. Faith Lavender announced that our happy couple may now kiss.

All in all, it was an incredible celebration of love and we were honored to have been a part of that. Here are a few of our favorite moments from Ivy & Ben’s special day! Enjoy!

Ivy sneaks a peek as Jackie from Wedding Tresses puts the finishing touches on her wedding do. Gorgeous!

Ivy gets a little help from her friend & MOH Susanna. I just love the lines of their bodies in the shot on the left…so beautifully feminine!

Taaa Daaah! The million dollar smile!

Ivy & her girls…

Ben gets a little pre-wedding support from his brothers! Seriously, do their parents make ‘em adorable or what?!!!

Ivy’s very sweet Uncle Kurt did the honors of walking Ivy down the aisle.

Immediately after the ceremony, Ivy & Ben exchanged hugs with their friends. I just love this shot of Ben watching Ivy…..can’t you feel the joy?

Walking back from the ceremony to take a few family photos on the front lawn….

Can two people possibly smile any bigger? I think not!

“Celebrate good times…come on!”

We just loved the scattered magnolia flowers littering the ground…so pretty!

Down to the beach for a few photos…

Ivy’s adorable Manolos….

ga ga ga gorgeous…..

That winning smile we all love so much!!!

Big big thanks to Ivy & Ben for inviting us to be a part of such an incredible time in their lives. You two are amazing people and an inspirational couple! Your love is so sweet and so special….just like both of you! Thank you for inviting us in with such open arms and open hearts! We adore you guys!!!

Big hugs & lots of love, Christine & Andy xoxo

Last week, we drove up to Boston to meet Grace & Silas. We were excited as it was our first meeting with Silas. We had met Grace last September, when she first contacted us about their wedding. We instantly bonded with Grace. She is a talented architect with killer style, an infectious laugh and a sweet openness that instantly puts those around her at ease!

After meeting Grace, we had a feeling that meeting Silas would go equally as well…And, we were right. Silas is totally chilled out, sweet, funny, and smart…really smart (he’s working on his PhD in neuro biology at Harvard). He’s also clearly devoted to Grace, which we love about him.

This adorable pair met nearly 10 years ago after a mutual friend introduced them at a club in Manhattan. “I was totally attracted to her at once, but she was dealing with a break up, and so, I took it slow at first,” Silas told us. “In fact, I was pretty sure she was trying to put me in the ‘friend zone’ for the first several months we knew each other.”

But, a year later, Grace called Silas from a vacation in Vermont with friends. Silas was away at the time with friends and this was the sign he had been waiting for. “The fact that she would call me when we were both on vacation totally made me so happy. I figured I’d been on her mind, so I took it as a sign that she was interested,” he said. And she was!

We had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Grace & Silas in Harvard Square, which is where Silas grew up, and together they spend a lot of time just chilling in the square and around the campus.

Here are a few of our favorite photos from our time together…Enjoy!

It’s the way Grace leans on Silas’ shoulder and the look in her eyes that really pull at my heart strings in this next photo. So sweet!

Oh the joy…and could they be any more intertwined? LOVE it!!

Can’t you feel the contentment? We actually asked this really sweet girl, who looked awfully comfy, if she’d mind giving up her corner seat for this shot. She generously agreed. Thanks, girl!

I LOVE how lit up Grace’s face in this next one. When we’re able to capture this kind of real emotion in our couples, well, it’s why we do what we do!!! It’s a gift they give us, and one we give right back to them with photos like this! Awesome!

Because of Silas’s affiliation with Harvard, and his & Grace’s love of Boston, we decided to spend most of our session walking around Harvard Square and through portions of the campus. This next one was taken on the steps of university Hall.

I thought this next one was kind of funny given why we were taking photos…no more bachelors here.

Rrrrrrooooooarrr! Sexy!

And some snuggle time from a slightly different perspective.

A trip to Harvard Square wouldn’t be complete without a bookstore visit…

Another one of our favorite gut-busting laughing moments. These moments are actually hard to capture because we’re usually cracking up just watching them laugh like this…it really is infectious!

And from a different, but equally joyful perspective….Can Grace’s smile light up a room or what???

Ahhhhhh….wrapped up with the one you love. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times…there is no better place in the world to be!

Hanging out on the walking bridge over the river….Apparently, Silas’s brother, another smarty-pants, used to live in the building seen behind them when he was at Harvard.

And, our session with Grace & Silas wouldn’t have been complete without an appearance by Short-stack, aka Shorty, their adorable and very friendly pooch. Way to work the runway Shorty!

Big, heart-felt thanks to Grace & Silas for meeting us in the city for a great time! We had such fun getting to know you both better. You guys really fit together so perfectly, in every way! It’s obvious that your love has grown deep over the past 9+ years and we have a feeling that love is going to be met with much celebration when you walk down the aisle later this summer here on the Cape. We can’t wait to be there with you, recording all of the love-filled moments sure to surround you!!

With big hugs & warmest wishes, Christine & Andy xo

Even before Liz & Brendan’s love session just over a week ago, we knew that we liked them and that their love was based on deep respect and genuine friendship, having had a great first meeting with them last summer. But, watching Brendan hold the car door open for Liz as we arrived at the beach where he proposed, seeing the way he looked at her and the loving looks she returned to him, and the way they made each other laugh, we knew for certain that these two have a special kind of love, where joy is found in the little things.

This sweet couple first met more than seven years ago at a college party, just before graduation. “It was nothing more than a hello,” said Liz. And, even when they met again a few months later, while each vacationing on the Cape with their families, neither Liz nor Brendan knew what the future had in store for them.

“I really never thought I’d see him again,” said Liz. “I was living in New Jersey and working in New York City, never dreaming of moving to Boston.”

But, as fate would have it, Liz did move to Boston and she & Brendan reconnected. Fast forward a few years, and Liz found herself on Nauset Beach with Brendan on one knee asking her to spend the rest of her life with him. Yes, yes, yes!

This summer, surrounded by family & friends, Liz & Brendan will say, “I do,” at the ocean side Wychmere Harbor Club. In anticipation of their big day, we got together with Liz & Brendan for their love session. Here are a few of our favorites from our time together:

These two really do know how to make each other laugh, in that you-gotta-stop-my-stomach-hurts kind of way. They were smiling and cracking each other up throughout our entire 2 hours together…so fun!

A little snuggle time…

Love really is found in the little things…like being completely silly with your best friend.

This little beach-side restaurant by Rock Harbor made a great shabby-chic backdrop for a few photos. We’re definitely going to check it out when it opens later this summer…it oozes with character, and something tells me the fried clams are to die for.

The funny thing about this next image is that Liz, like me, claims to be the funny one in the relationship. Yet, Brendan is totally cracking HER up. Love the perspective.

I like how Liz is sandwiched between two Brendans in this next shot. Again….still smiling! You just gotta love these two!

Hey cuties…

Magic hour…

Buoyed by Love….I know, totally corny, but I couldn’t resist!

Ahhh….complete contentment!

Sunset snog (snog is British slang for a smooch)

A great big thank you Liz & Brendan for being so much fun to be with. We really enjoyed our warm April night together. You two are lovely and we’re so excited to be there with you this summer when your seven-year story begins a new chapter! Big hugs, Christine & Andy xo