So, we went out to our mailbox the other day, and inside waiting for us was the latest issue of Boston Magazine’s Elegant Weddings. And, what to our wondering eyes lay inside the Real Weddings section, but the fabulous wedding of Cape Cod cuties Emily & Larry.

We photographed Emily & Larry’s super fun wedding last September. It was the perfect mix of casual elegance and oodles of love. Emily & Larry said, “I do” at their favorite local eatery, Clancy’s Fish n’ Chips, in Dennis. One of our favorite elements of their special day was the raffle they put together, giving away some of their favorite things, including tickets to the Red Sox. The best part was that the winners got to enjoy the activities they won with Emily & Larry. So fun!

Their sweet wedding apparently struck a chord with the magazine’s editors too. We were contacted by Editor Donna Garlough back in April, after she spotted the blog post we did on Emily & Larry’s wedding. We were of course excited to have our work featured, but we were more excited for Emily & Larry. They worked really hard putting all of the special details in place that really made their wedding unique. We were just so happy that they were going to get a little attention for all of their efforts! Plus, it’s sweet that Boston gets a sneak peek into the their very special love!

The cover…Sweet right!

Photos by Bello…yipeee!

The feature:

Big thanks to Donna and the talented crew at Elegant Weddings for choosing Emily & Larry’s wedding to highlight. (The article, written by Mia Gant, is fun & playful and definitely worth a read if you want to pick up a copy of the magazine.) And, a very special thank you to Emily & Larry for sharing their love in such a generous way! You guys rock!!! xoxo Chris & Andy

A couple of weeks ago, on one of those rare June days when the sun actually poked its head out for a bit, Canadian cuties, Victoria & Mike, said “I do!” Surrounded by friends and family from near and far, Victoria & Mike’s  ceremony & reception were held at the ever-elegant Wequassett Inn in Chatham. Wequassett itself had received quite a facelift over the winter, making an already stunning property even more picturesque!

Victoria & Mike put a lot of thought into all of the details for their special day, giving us a boatload of fabulous photo opportunities, but none so enjoyable as being able to photograph these two quietly unassuming, yet perfectly matched sweethearts alone together. If ever two people were made for one another, it is Victoria & Mike.

Here are a few of our favorite moments and details from their incredible day:

Victoria’s CRAZY beautiful dress by Monique Lhuillier. I looooove this dress!!!

Victoria’s & Mike’s mothers (Victoria’s step-mom included) added their own flavor of love to the day by baking some family favorite cookies for the guests’ gift baskets. So sweet!!!

The stationary used for Victoria & Mike’s invitations, announcements, menus etc. were adorable with a capital A! Created by Dauphine Press & Laura Hooper Calligraphy, they were both playful and elegant, which completely represented the happy couple and their approach to their wedding!

Victoria takes a peek at the back of her dress. We just love the way Victoria completely wears her emotions on her face!

Mike seemed a bit more nervous at the start of the day. He couldn’t stop pacing. Here he seems to enjoy a quiet moment of reflection.

A lot of our couples are opting to forgo tradition and see each other before the ceremony, which we LOVE LOVE LOVE! Not only does it make their day last longer and allows them to be a part of their cocktail hour, but generally we find if planned properly, there’s more time for photos and it’s a lot more relaxed for everyone. Here Mike & Victoria see each other for the first time….love the expressions!!

Victoria was so eager to show Mike her finished look…..what do you think honey?!!! Gorgeous!

The happy couple…

A smooch…

Mike looks a lot more relaxed now that he’s seen his bride-to-be. True love really does have a calming effect! Ahhhhh…..

Victoria really was stunning in her gown….I love the curves in this next shot….whoooo hooo!

Victoria & Mike’s flower girl Isabel was a photographer’s dream! Love this sequence as she joins Victoria for a photo.

Victoria and her sisters relax before the ceremony starts….I love the light in this shot and the lines of all of their bodies…so perfectly girlie!

Mike & Victoria beam with bride as Mike’s niece, Brianna, shares a reading. I love the minister’s happy expression too!

This is always a highlight of the day for us…when the new Mr. & Mrs. make their way down the aisle together. The joy on their faces is always contagious and the moment itself creates a perfect photo every time!

Victoria had Ormonde Productions drape sheer fabric across the back wall of the ballroom, and used lighting to create a dramatic and elegant effect. LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS!!!! Well placed lighting can really change the look and feel of a space, add in some sheer fabric and the drama-meter goes off the charts!

Huge thanks to the Wequassett’s Kalson Pang for once again making sure things ran perfectly, to the uber-creative Karen at Lilac Florals for providing more gorgeous flowers for us to photograph, and to the incredibly talented members of Night Shift, who made sure folks were groovin’ for some great dance floor shots! You all rock and make our jobs easy!

But, our biggest thanks, goes to Victoria & Mike, who right from the beginning put their trust in us. You two are wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed being a part of such a special time in your lives. Your wedding day was picture perfect and the love you share is a sweet reminder of how lucky we are when we find our soul mate! Thanks you two! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

Kara & Jamie first met in the Physician Assistant Program at Northeastern University. Jamie remembers Kara from their very first interview at the school. “(She) was the only one to bring her mother with her,” he told us.

On first glance, Kara didn’t know what to make of Jamie. “He had frosted tips and really bizarre facial hair, sideburns that he called his ‘chops’,” she said.  But, after two years in a class of just 30 students, they formed a friendship that, while on a trip to Vegas, eventually blossomed into something more. “What happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas,” they joked.

From our first meeting with Kara & Jamie, it instantly felt like we had known them for ages. We all seemed to just click. They truly are two of THE sweetest people you could hope to meet. They’re fun and funny, caring and kind, and just genuinely good people. Oh, and they’re crazy beautiful to boot! So, it came as quite a surprise when they told us how nervous they were about their love session.

“We trust your opinion, because each and every photo shoot you guys have done is absolutely unbelievable…We are just nervous we are not going to look as perfect as all those people do,” Kara said in an e-mail before our session on Saturday.

WHAAAAT?!!! I mean seriously you two!!

They were a little nervous in the beginning, but they quickly found their groove and mainly just had fun together, which really is the key ingredient to fabulous photos.

I admit, I may have inadvertently added to their stress about the session by providing a really obscure description of one of the spots we suggested might be a fun stop for photos. In an e-mail, I called it a “wooden structure,” which, now in hindsight, I can see why it would have created quite the little mystery. Apparently, they had more than a few conversations about what the wooden structure could possibly be….a statue, a big billboard, a boat, a wall of wood, Trojan horse…what?

Andy suggested I should have called them wood sheds, which is probably a more accurate description. Basically, they’re old, stable-like open outdoor garages connected in a small row. But, at the time, I thought that saying we wanted to go to a garage to take some photos might give them the wrong idea, since they were hoping for something classically Cape Cod. Saying that, we are not opposed to photographing in garages…it’s actually somewhere we’ve been wanting to go shoot for a while. We’ve even spied one out in Boston that would be perfect! Any takers?

Anyway, here are a few of our favorite moments from our evening with the lovely Kara & Jamie:

Here they are in the wooden structure! LOL!

It’s cool right? We love the wooden structure….almost as much as we love Kara & Jamie. I mean really, does it get much cuter than these two?

I love their expressions in this next one!

Inside the wooden structure…oooooh, it gets better? Yes, it does!!! The wooden structure is a magical place.

Love this perspective! Nice bling!!!!

I can’t help smiling when I look at this next photo and think that these two were nervous about not looking perfect! Really?

Playing with lines….

Hopefully, by now your love for the wooden structure runs as deep as ours….hee hee!!! But, really, it’s a cute spot for photos of two cuties, right?

Moving on…we moved around a little and found this next cute spot, where Kara & Jamie continued to share their adorableness with us!

Love how their hands are just barely touching each other in this next one….awwww!

As the sun was getting lower, we wanted to play with light a little and found this great field of wild grass. At this point, Kara & Jamie were totally relaxed and having a lot of fun together. We just love watching that progression happen with our nervous couples. It really does signal to us that we’re going to have an absolute blast together at the wedding!

I LOVE this one!

And this one!!!

One of the things Kara & Jamie said they thought would be fun for their session together is to incorporate a lighthouse into the photos. They love all things beachy, so we took them to Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth for sunset! It’s an incredibly quaint and picturesque lighthouse.

Kara & Jamie….we don’t know what the heck you were worried about!! You guys were incredible! The way you were together was so sweet and natural and the perfect inspiration for a fabulous session!!! Thanks for a great night!! We can’t wait to be there with you when you say, “I do!” later this fall!!! You think we’ll be able to find another wooden structure in NH? Big love, Chris & Andy xo

Jill & John’s wedding at the ocean-side Popponesset Inn in Mashpee, was one of those joyous celebrations of love that leave both Andy & me feeling like we want to get married again, and again!

Everyone at the wedding was just so happy to be there, fully ready to cheer on Jill & John as they pledged their love and their lives to one another. And, as for Jill & John…well, let’s just say it’s easy to see why everyone was so darned happy. These two really adore each other and are absolutely committed to their relationship. They put cotton candy to shame when it comes to the sweet meter.

It started out an overcast day, but we always tell our couples overcast is actually really good for photos. I’m pretty sure our couples think we’re just snowing them when we say this….like with that good old expression about it being good luck when it rains on your wedding day. Maybe that’s true, I’m not really sure. But, an overcast day really does provide some great even light for outdoor photography…especially on an open beach!

Here are a few of our favorites from Jill & John’s special day:

John’s sisters, Jacque & Madeline, make some last minute alterations as they prepare for the big day. I just love the lines their bodies make in this shot…it’s just so feminine! You rocked it girls!

Lovely Jill & her equally sassy sister, Ashley, struggle to pop open the champagne. This was actually quite funny. They struggled for a while before called in their Uncle Keith to save the day.

Jill gets help putting on her dress from sis, Ashley. I love Jill’s playful expression in this one!

John cracks up at his good friend & groomsman, Samir’s, lame attempt to tie a tie. Sorry Samir, but it is pretty pitiful!

John and his boys…Hey there McDreamy!!!

I absolutely love this next series. Jill & John’s seriously adorable flower girl, Megan, was so shy coming down the aisle. She hunched her shoulders as if to hide inside herself. It was PRICELESS!

Jill was absolutely beaming standing across the altar from John!!!

Welcome to the world Mr & Mrs….

“Can you believe it? We’re married!!!” How cute are the expressions on Jill & John’s face as they make their way down the aisle.

The girls decided they wanted to lift John up for a photo….it took a little more doing than they thought, which just made everyone crack up! Andy thought this was a fun perspective to highlight their efforts. I couldn’t agree more!

“The way you make..a me feeel!!!” I can’t help but think of that song when I look at this next photo!

Having a little moment…Jill & John style! If you’ve had your picture taken with us before, you’ll really appreciate this next one! LOVE IT!!!

See what I mean about overcast? Who needs blue skies when you get this kind of dramatic light! And how cool does the water look?

Jill didn’t tell us she was changing to a bird cage veil for the reception, but ooohhh do we love that she did….too cute for words!!! This shot was taken while the adorable best man, Casey, was giving his speech! Well done Casey! You rocked it out!!!

And just a few details from their fabulous day! We don’t usually help ourselves to cake at a wedding…feels a bit cheeky. But, we just couldn’t say no to the sweet temptation of Cupcake Charlie’s scrumptious creations. I’m pretty sure they made Hostess with the Mostess just for me!

We’d like to give a shout out to Judy Fligg at All About Flowers for putting together some lovely arrangements for us to photograph, and to DJ Danny Walsh for knowing how to get the crowd jumping…You rock Danny and always get us some great dancing pictures. We’d also like to thank the always professional, ever sweet, Jen Perry at Popponesset for being such a pleasure to work with! Thank you all very much!

And our biggest thanks go out to Jill & John and your wonderful families for welcoming us into your lives with such open arms and open hearts! We have truly loved getting to know all of you and feel really honored to have been there with you during such a special time!!! Love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

Andy & I belong to the Professional Photographers of Cape Cod, a group of some 50-75 photographers living and working here on beautiful Cape Cod. We joined PPOCC, as it is affectionately known, our first year in business…hoping to learn as much as we could about what it means to be a professional photographer! We wouldn’t be where we are today without PPOCC and all of the incredible photographers we’ve met through the group!

Although it started out more as a social club, PPOCC has grown over the years and now offers its members educational workshops, classes and a fabulous network of professionals, who do still enjoy socializing.

Last Monday, several members of PPOCC gathered in Provincetown for a little photography safari. We had done this a similar trip a few years ago to Martha’s Vineyard.

Andy & I decided to head down to P-town on Sunday evening to make a little “weekend” out of it. Typical summer weekends don’t really exist for wedding photographers, so you take what days off you can get and make the most of them. And, that we did!!

We got to P-town and checked into the lovely Crowne Point Inn just as the hotel’s wine & cheese happy hour was kicking off. Don’t you just love when that happens! We settled in by the pool and lounged the evening away. Instantly, the stress melted off of us. It was heavenly!

The next day, we got up early, enjoyed a yummy breakfast of blueberry pancakes and bacon (this really is a fabulous inn if you ever find yourself wanting to stay in P-town) sunned ourselves by the pool and then headed out in the afternoon to meet our photographer friends. Unfortunately, the meeting time rubbed a little too closely with our wine & cheese happy hour, so we didn’t really take too many photos before heading back. Pathetic, I know! But, we felt so pampered and it was such a fun treat for us…we just couldn’t resist.

We met back up with everyone later that night at Race Point Beach, where we watched the sunset and had a great night of conversation by bonfire. Unfortunately, it was a little too cloudy for the presentation on photographing stars & the night sky that our friend, Chris Cook, was going to make. Fortunately, there were s’mores to cushion the disappointment.

Here are just a few snapshots we took earlier that day:

I just loved the character oozing off this sweet little woman sifting through what looks like her art supplies. Or maybe it’s recycling and trash. But, I just thought her aura screamed, “I’m an eccentric painter lady,” so I like to think they’re her art supplies.

Being goofballs!

Beautification underway…

Talk about eccentric. Some nutball had broken ceramic lining his/her driveway. There must have been tons of it, not to mention a whole yard full of trash. It was kind of crazy. We of course all stopped to take photos. And, in true Andy fashion, he decided to lay on the ground for this cool perspective. Unfortunately, he cut his arms in the process. Broken ceramic driveway? Really?

Pilgrim Tower as seen from our balcony….sweet!!!

Ever get an e-mail that just makes your day? We got one of those today.

The message came from Amy & Ryan, a super-sweet Virginia-based couple, who had contacted us a couple of weeks ago about photographing their wedding next summer in Chatham. We had some really nice exchanges with Ryan, but because he & Amy live in VA, we haven’t had the chance to meet yet.

Amy & Ryan found their way to us through their friends ~ Kara & TJ, one of our fabulous couples getting married later this summer, so we had no doubt we would find them equally as wonderful. Amy’s e-mail today confirmed it and now, we can’t wait to meet these two cuties!

Here’s what she wrote:

“Hi Christine and Andy:

I am the Amy of the “Ryan and Amy” (nice to meet you). Ryan and I absolutely love your work and we are so excited to be working with you for our wedding. We have discussed photographers at length, and once you realize that the photographs aren’t just for you, they’re for your parents, and your children and their children, it really helps put the importance of the photographer(s) into perspective.

In that vein, we have poured over your website and various links that you have sent us and we agree unequivocally that we would like to work with you…

We’ll be on the Cape for the 4th of July…and we’d love to stop by and introduce ourselves if you are around.

All the best,  Amy”

Seriously?!!! Is that so sweet or what? It’s that kind of glowing endorsement that humbles us and reminds us how special our jobs are, and how lucky we are to get to do what we love.

We started Bello seven years ago, after a disappointing experience with our own wedding. Until then, we had never seriously considered photography as a possible profession, but our personal experience made us take a closer look, particularly at wedding photography. It’s just such a special day and the memories are too precious to not be captured in a  way that preserves them with love and care. We felt strongly that we could do that for other couples. And knowing that people like Amy & Ryan trust us to do that without even having met us….well, let’s just say we feel really honored.

Getting to work with such incredible couples, who value photography and are excited about what we do is just the BEST thing and it confirms over and over again that the decision we made seven years ago was the right one.

Yes, it’s a lot of work, and we’ve had to make some sacrifices along the way, but it’s been totally worth it and heart-felt messages like Amy’s make it even more so and keep us excited about doing what we do! So, thank you Amy & Ryan and all of our wonderful couples for being a bright spot on this rainy day!!!

Big hugs,

Chris & Andy

Meet Amy & Ryan (they provided us this photo….are they adorable or what?!!) Can’t wait to meet you both in person!!!!!