With hundreds of weddings taking place here on the picturesque shores of Cape Cod, we’ve got plenty to keep us busy. But, a few times each summer, we are asked to cross the canal to photograph a beautiful off Cape wedding. Shooting in a new location and getting out of our comfort zone is always a fun challenge for us.

Although we like to think our style has a distinctive look, we’re constantly pushing ourselves to keep our images fresh, to try new things, and still provide our clients with the Bello experience and fun, emotional photos they’ve come to expect. That’s not always easy, particularly when we end up shooting at the same gorgeous locations. Don’t get me wrong….we’ve got it soooooo good here on the Cape! There is nowhere else we’d rather be. But, it can also be exciting for us when we get to shoot somewhere new. The creative juices really get flowing and we end up seeing things with new eyes. Such was the case at Stacia & Colin’s fabulous August 1st wedding.

Our happy couple said, “I do,” at the elegant and historic St. Gregory’s Parish in Dorchester. Built in 1844, St. Gregory’s is a fine example of Romanesque Revival. Its beautiful stained glass windows, arching columns, wooden ceiling and grand marble altar provided a stunning backdrop for Stacia & Colin to exchange their vows.

Equally as elegant was Stacia & Colin’s fabulous reception, which was held at the prestigious Country Club in Chestnut Hill. Founded in 1882, The Country Club is the oldest country club in the entire United States, and one that holds an important place in golf history.

The club was originally established as the country’s first private club formed exclusively for outdoor activities, with its primary focus on horseback-riding. The golf course itself was not built until 1893, starting with just six holes laid out by three club members. The course expanded to nine holes later that summer and to a full 18 holes the following year, after the acquisition of more land.

There have been 3 U.S Open tournaments held at The Country Club, including the first, held in 1913, just 7 years after the very first U.S. Open  was held in Newport, RI. The club has also played host to the Ryder Cup and to several national amateur championships, including three U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships and the U.S. Junior Amateur Championships.

Walking into the beautiful old clubhouse, you can almost feel the history hanging from the walls. Overlooking the 18th hole, the clubhouse offers gorgeous views and I couldn’t help but think of the novel The Great Gatsby when the guests mingled on the lawn during cocktail hour.

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful celebration of Stacia & Colin’s love and commitment to one another. There were so many incredible details and wonderful moments captured that it was hard to choose just a few, but here are some of our favorites from the day:

Stacia’s hair & make up was done by the very talented ladies from Charles David Salon. Gorgeous!

Getting dressed with a little help from her sister, Amanda, and friends Courtney & Sarah. Lookin’ good ladies!

This next photo was taken right after Stacia’s veil was put on….she was just beaming! I love this shot!

With her AMAZING Vera Wang gown, Stacia takes a moment to soak it all in…

Va va va voom….

We love the details. Colin’s cufflinks and shoes….

Wanting to do something a little different, Colin decided to get a real bow tie for himself, while his groomsmen opted for the easier clip on. Unfortunately, Colin didn’t figure out how to tie it before his big day, so he & his groomsmen spent the better part of the morning researching how to tie a traditional bow tie online…hysterical!!!

Even a how to video didn’t seem to help much….

Colin certainly gets points for persistence!

Unfortunately, the bow tie won the battle and a defeated Colin was forced to go back to the shop to get a clip on. Note to grooms: Sort this stuff out before the big day, guys!!! Come on!!! Try on your suit, shoes, etc. and make sure you can tie your tie!! LOL!

With her blusher down, Stacia is escorted into the church by her dad, Dan, her gorgeous mom, Stephanie and stepdad, Norman.

First glance….It’s that special moment when you see your honey across the aisle. The butterflies zoom into overdrive and your heart beats to love’s special tune. Such a great feeling!!!

The grand inside of St. Gregory’s…

And two become one….

Colin’s niece, Fiona, enjoys the spotlight for a moment during the ceremony…..so cute!

The happy couple exits the church….

And jump into the antique limousine for a toast before heading to The Country Club.

Stacia & Colin wanted to open the top flap on the limo for a fun perspective outside the club….cute, no?

Colin gets a serious smooch from niece, Lily. I just love how her one arm is wrapped around her uncle, while the other hand gentle brings his face to hers. Kids are just the best!!! So sweet!!! (Lily nearly knocked over her sister cousin trying to get at her uncle….see the other set of feet, that’s Fiona)

Colin & his guys, including his brother, Kirk (second from right).

Stacia & her girls, including sis, Amanda (directly next to Stacia). Can we talk about how sassy the girl look in their Vera Wang Maids dresses from L’Elite? So sweet!

I love the perspective and sun flare in this next one as Stacia & Colin head off to join their cocktail hour.

Ahhhhh……

We just loved this funky corner where two sections of the club meet. The cool windows and the bright yellow exterior made for a cool backdrop for these two cuties!

Classic bello moment….

The whole party……..

We say goodnight with a quick photo on the terrace…(quick shout out to Jason at TPG Videography for using his video light to help us make this shot rock! Thanks Jason!)

Big thanks to Megan at Tangorra Wedding Planning and Scott at The Country Club for being so wonderful to work with and for making our jobs such a breeze! Thank you too to the super sweet Jenny of Jenny’s Wedding Cakes and the talented folks at Winston Flowers for giving us lots of fabulous eye candy to photograph!

But our biggest thanks go out to Stacia & Colin for inviting us to share such a special time in your lives with you. You two are so sweet and we had such fun with you both! Your families and friends are wonderful and everyone made us feel incredibly welcome. So thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We hope you had a blast in Bora Bora and we can’t wait to see you both again when you get back! Big hugs, Christine & Andy xo

The results just came in this morning and it’s official…..we’re the best! Or at least you all think so!!!

Thanks to all of the incredible love and support we got from our fabulous Bello friends & family, we once again came out at the top of the Cape Cod A-List, being named this year’s Best Photographers on Cape Cod & the Islands! Yipppeeee!!!!

We absolutely could not have done it without your votes, so this award is as much yours as it is ours and we’d like to thank all of you who voted from the very bottom of our hearts!!!! We feel tremendously blessed to have the most incredibly loving & supportive clients. I always feel funny saying clients, because really you are much more than just clients. To us you are part of our ever-growing Bello family.

Getting to know and photograph the incredible people we do is truly a labor of love for us and being recognized for our talent and efforts feels really good. So thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

With much love and heart-felt appreciation, Chris & Andy xoxo

This past weekend, we enjoyed a summer rarity…..a wedding-free weekend. Can I get a, “Whooo hooo?!!” Don’t get me wrong, we have great jobs and feel really fortunate to not only get to do what we love, but to get to do it together. Still, come August, we’re feeling pretty burned out after working 7 days a week, often with 12+ hour days. The summer months go by in a frenzied pace and being able to have a weekend off to stop and just breath feels AMAZING!

We couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend our 2 days off than hanging out in New York City with my sister, Deb, and her wonderful hubby, Ritchie, and super DEEEE-LICIOUS son, Michael.

Michael’s story began in the early morning hours of June 2, 2008. Unfortunately, I haven’t spent much time with Michael over the past year. Deb & Ritchie live in Los Angeles and we only see each other a couple of times a year. But, this summer, Deb’s work took her to NYC for a couple of months.

Andy & I got up early on Saturday morning and drove to the big city. We hadn’t seen Michael since Christmas and couldn’t wait to get reacquainted. Deb had warned us that Michael was a little clingy and might not warm up to us right away. Slightly worried, though not deterred, we planned to make our presence known and shower our nephew with oodles of love.

As soon as we saw each other, Michael greeted us with a big, and now toothy, smile! A lot had changed in the months since our last visit. Our monkey face went from being just a wee baby to a little man with a big personality. Happily, he didn’t seem the least bit shy or intimidated by our unfamiliar faces. I like to think that somewhere in our genetic makeup we recognize our peeps.

After dropping off our bags, we headed out for a trip to one of Mikey’s favorite city water parks. Visiting NYC in the throws of a heat wave really made us appreciate why so many New Yorkers make the 4-hour trip every weekend to our sandy Cape shores. When it’s hot in the city, there’s nothing to do but stay inside where there’s AC or plant your butt under one of the many fountain parks that dot the city and provide a cool respite from the sweltering heat.

The joy on Michael’s face as he played in the fountains filled our hearts with such love and happiness. It was too hard to just pick a few to share, so here’s a little slideshow we put together highlighting our time together. Meet Mikey and all his sweet yumminess!

Thanks Deb & Ritchie for letting us crash at your place and invade your space for the weekend. Thanks too for letting us hijack Mikey while we were there. It was sooooo good to spend that time with all of you! We love you guys more than words could ever say and can’t wait to see you all again! Big love, C&A xoxoxo

It wasn’t that long ago that we got to hang out with Ingrid & Simon for their super fun love session here on the Cape. Simon was only in the country for a short time and had to rush back to England to get his visa sorted before the wedding. So, we felt very grateful that they shared their limited time together before the wedding with us.

They are fun, sweet, smart, sexy, subtly reserved, yet completely funny. They are a perfect pair and we knew after our afternoon together that we were going to have a blast at their wedding. And, as expected, we weren’t disappointed!

Ingrid & Simon’s wedding at the Wequassett Resort in Chatham two weeks ago was picture perfect! The sun was shining, it was pleasantly warm, Ingrid & Simon looked amazing, and all the details they had worked so hard on over the past year came together perfectly! It was a photographer’s dream!

Here are a few of our favorites from their special day…

Ingrid is pretty tall, so she chose these super cute flats to accompany her stunning Jenny Packham gown.

Putting on her earrings…

A slightly different perspective. Check out Ingrid’s killer bling! Love it!!!

Simply gorgeous! I just love her adorable headband…so different and very Ingrid. Her hair, which came out INCREDIBLE was done by the talented Yasmin Kfoury.

Ingrid & her girls, including sis, Isabel (to Ingrid’s right)…

Simon, a fellow Brit like Andy, ties what looks like a Windsor knot…love the Windsor knots!

Hello handsome….

Simon’s adorable nephew, Oliver, (left) seems excited about the wedding! And Ingrid’s beautiful mom, Jill, gets ushered down the aisle by Ingrid’s cousin, James.

Ingrid is beaming as she’s led down the aisle by her dad, Richard (is he proud as punch, or what?). I love the big hug he gives Simon. Very sweet…and even sweeter when you know that Simon is apparently slightly intimidated by Ingrid’s dad. Richard is really just a big softie; I don’t know what Simon is worried about!

Excited to be saying, “I do!”

Simon, like my sweet Andy, had a hard time holding it together during the ceremony. It was the sweetest thing! He would look at Ingrid and have to look away before he lost it.

Their kiss was so sweet….loving and tender…and they just lingered there taking it all in. Lovely!

After walking down the aisle together, Simon had to duck behind the bushes for a minute to let all the emotion out. Ingrid left him to work it out. Very cute!!

This is one of our favorite shots of the day. With all the hustle & bustle around them immediately after the ceremony, in this moment it is as if there is no one else in the world.

Ingrid gets a congratulatory embrace from her 95-year-old grandfather….so sweet!

Taking a moment alone, Ingrid & Simon head to the water for some photos.

Gorgeous!

I love this one…..the perspective, the way they’re looking at each other, the late afternoon light. It all comes together for a snapshot of a perfect moment!

Simon has that classic English wit…he’s very funny. But, he’s also a boyishly bashful and I really see that in this next photo. To me, this next one really depicts Ingrid & Simon’s relationship.

Gorgeous centerpieces by the uber talented Karen of Lilac Florals combined white orchids and green & blue hydrangeas, which set of the linens perfectly!

Welcome the newly married and completely beaming couple…

There really is NO better place than in the arms of the one who loves you!

Thank you Ingrid & Simon for inviting us to be a part of such a special time in your lives. Simon, we’re VERY happy your visa came through in time. And, Ingrid, the elegant touches you put together for the wedding were so much fun to photograph! Thank you both for being so much fun to be around! The love you share is a beautiful thing and we look forward to seeing what the future holds in store for you both!

With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

So, today is the last day to vote in the Cape Cod A-List contest for Best Photographers. Last year, we won by a clear margin. This year, it’s unclear whether we’ll take home the title again. Competition has been stiff and we really need your votes!

So, if you think we deserve the top honors, we humbly ask you to please click HERE and vote. Polls close at midnight and results will be announced August 17th. We’re keeping our fingers crossed!

In the meantime, we’d like to extend a huge, heart-felt THANK YOU to all of our wonderful Bello Family & Friends for already taking the time to vote. The comments you have left are truly the greatest reward!!! Even if we don’t win this year, we know in our hearts, that we are already winners…having THE BEST people in the planet to work with!!! You guys rock and we love you!!!! Truly!!!

Thank you again for your continued love & support!  Chris & Andy xo