Kate & Ryan’s story began at work, which is kind of fitting because relationships, well, let’s be honest…they take some work. But, if you’re very lucky, all the hard work pays off with lots of love, laughter and a best friend at your side through the good times and the bad.

Their wedding, held earlier this month at the elegant Ocean Edge Resort, was a wonderful celebration of Kate & Ryan’s commitment to one another, to their son, Nicholas, and of all the love they are blessed to have in their lives.

Kate & Ryan’s families were very much at the heart of the day’s celebrations. These two lucky people come from very loving families. Kate’s brother,  and five of her first cousins were all in the wedding party, as was Ryan’s older brother, Ken, who served as best man, and Ken’s wife, Tracy and their 3 boys, Jared, Brady & Drew.

Both Kate & Ryan’s parents are still married and both families have had to overcome challenges in life. And, sometimes, it is those challenges that make us see more clearly how blessed we are and how important it is to live fully and love with your heart wide open.

The party that followed their exchanging of, “I do’s,” was one of those parties where it’s clear that everyone was living fully, loving with their hearts wide open and celebrating in a big way! Andy & I had such a blast watching and documenting all the fun. Here are just a few of our favorite love-filled moments from the day. Enjoy!

Kate’s cousin Amy helps button Kate into her gorgeous dress…

Beautiful Kate! From our first meeting, I’ve thought Kate was a prettier version of Alicia Silverstone…don’t you think?

Heading to the chapel….and sheeeee’s gonna get maaaaried!

I love the photos of the guys getting ready. Andy definitely has a more challenging job than me when it comes to the getting ready photos because guys normally wait till the very last minute and then it’s chaos. But, Andy has a way of making everyone feel comfortable and can capture some wonderful moments, like this one of Ryan putting on his cufflinks.

On the trolley with Ryan & his mates in all their manliness! Love it! If RayBans needs a new ad campaign this could be it!

This is that moment, when it suddenly hits you, “I’m getting married today, and here comes my wife.” The emotion can be overwhelming, in the best kind of way!

And, then the rings go on and it’s official….

I love this perspective of Kate’s parents in the foreground and Ryan’s parents in the background as the priest asks family & friends to raise their hands and send blessings to the happy couple.

A sign of peace….and LOVE glorious love!

more signs of peace & love…

Usually during communion at Catholic ceremonies, the happy couple gets a moment to soak in what’s just happened, and as is often the case, they look to their rings. Ryan was pretty chuffed with his and decided to show it off to our cameras. Love it!

Although the day was all smiles and happy tears, Kate joined Ryan’s family to take a brief pause and remember Ryan’s brother, Craig, who died from a brain tumor when he was just 27. A commemorative brick behind Our Lady of the Cape, where Kate & Ryan got married, stands in loving memory of Craig.

I love this shot of the family gathered by the brick. I love the sun flare and the composition, but mostly I love the emotion it evokes. Somehow I feel Craig’s presence in this image. Life is raw….it is hard and sweet and beauty can be found in the happiest and saddest of times and I love that about life.

Kate & her cousins…are they adorable or what? Good genes in that family!

Kate’s super cute mom, Sue, and super sweet, Dad, Dan, sure seem happy about their new son in law! Dan is a 20-year survivor of brain cancer, an ironic coincidence Kate & Ryan’s families share.

Kate & Ryan with their uber delicious son, Nicholas.

I call this one, “Flock of birds.” Andy is English and a slang English term for girls is birds, but you probably already knew that.

The guys…

It was a gorgeous September afternoon and Ocean Edge’s private beach was unseasonably crowded, so we just had the group parade the beach and have some fun….which they did!

Our happy couple takes a moment…

The new roof deck at Ocean Edge is a sweet spot for cocktail hour…

Ryan’s mom, Louise gets a little lovin’ during cocktail hour.

Kate’s dad’s cousin, Charlene, sang Kate & Ryan’s first dance, “Songbird,” by Fleetwood Mac. She did an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G job! It was a beautiful moment!!!

As was Kate’s first dance with her dad…

And Ryan’s with his mom…

And then the party really got underway with a little Michael Jackson’s thriller….nice moves ladies!

Kate stretched her pipes and helped out Eye2Eye’s lead singer, Penny Lane.

Big thanks to Erik & the wonderful crew at Ocean Edge, to Meredith Fancy at Fancy Flowers, Cape Destinations and Eye2Eye for all being so good at what you do and for making our job not just easy, but super fun! Thank you too to Ryan & Kate’s wonderful families for making us instantly feel welcomed and especially to Kate & Ryan, for inviting us to be a part of this special time in your lives. We hope these photos serve as happy reminders of your AMAZING wedding for many happy years to come!!!

Big hugs & love, Christine & Andy  xo

After 7 years of photographing weddings, we’re starting to see a lot of our super sweet couples beginning families of their own. It’s such a joy to see that wonderful progression of life and even more joyful when we get to be included in marking the milestones with photographs.

Two years ago, we photographed the fabulous Boston wedding of super cuties Michelle and Dan. Last fall, we met up again with Michelle & Dan at one of our favorite beaches to photograph them with their crazy-beautiful little girl, Mackenzie. It was like coming full circle for us, since it was at that same beach that we first photographed their engagement session.

Well, the circle came around again a couple of weeks ago, when we met up with Michelle, Dan, Mackenzie and Mackenzie’s new little sister, Cameron…talk about yummy!! Michelle’s parents, John & Susan, and siblings, Holly & John, also joined the party this year….it was so great to see everyone again!

Here are just a few of our favorites from our little family reunion….Enjoy!

Michelle was trying to get Cameron dressed, but Mackenzie wanted to give her baby sister a little love first.

Snuggles with Daddy…

Although definitely more grown up since our last get together, Mackenzie still has those incredible eyes that really melt your heart! I just love this next photo of her in Dan’s arms, especially with Michelle & Cameron in the background…such a sweet family moment.

Playful, curious…lovely Mackenzie!

It was harder to get Mackenzie to sit still for this session…but we coaxed her down for a quick snap with the family.

Giggles & cuddles with Auntie Holly….

I love this next photo of Michelle’s dad, John. He looks so happy & relaxed….

Mackenzie discovered hermit crabs in the rising marsh water and was having such fun watching them crawl around…

Michelle’s gorgeous happy parents, John & Susan….are they a couple of hotties or what?!!! Way to work it you two!!!

The whole family (Holly, John, John, Susan, Mackenzie, Dan, Michelle & Cameron) Do they make them cute, or what?!

Siblings…Michelle ( with a bubble-blowing Cameron on her lap. LOL!), John and Holly.

I LOVE this next shot…Mackenzie is just too cute for words with her Nana & Papa!!!

The gang’s all here…

I love this perspective of Mackenzie clinging like a little monkey to her Nana’s hip….so sweet!!!

Baby Cameron (who was just weeks old) is checking us out….looks like she’s inherited those same incredible blue eyes her sister’s got!! Lucky girls!!!

Sunset on Cape Cod…

Great big thanks to Michelle & Dan for allowing us to document another wonderful year with your family. Thanks too to Susan, John, Holly & John for making the trip down to the Cape to join us this year!! It was so great seeing you all again and we hope to do it again soon!!! John & Susan, you should feel very proud of yourselves…you’ve done a wonderful job raising three amazing kids, who’ve all turned out to be equally amazing adults!!! You’ve got a wonderful, loving family and we thank you for trusting us to memorialize this happy time in your lives!!! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

Kara & TJ’s romantic Cape Cod wedding was like something out of the movies. Kara looked stunning and the ever-handsome TJ was bursting with pride. Surrounded by their closest friends and family, it was as a wedding should be….packed with love, laughter and life’s richest and most joyful emotions.

Our Virginia lovebirds said, “I do,” at Our Lady of Victory, where Father Mark once again led a poignant service. Andy & I are not terribly religious, spiritual for sure, but, I admit, it takes a lot to move us during a church service and Father Mark always seems to make it happen. He is thoughtful, real, sincere and full of love….the perfect person to lead Kara & TJ into marriage.

Their elegant, yet super fun, reception followed at the New Seabury Country Club in Mashpee. All in all, it was a wonderful celebration of a special kind of love. Here are our some of our favorite moments and photos from their fun-filled day. Enjoy!

Kara’s garter held a miniature version of TJ’s plane. He is a pilot in the Navy. I liked this perspective and the fact that Kara’s shoes say “Grace,” which just seemed appropriate to me.

Getting tied into her dress, Kara reacts as her girlfriends lace her up. Isn’t she gorgeous?

TJ with his medals. And his & Kara’s wedding bands. I wish we’d had time on the wedding day to really ask TJ about what each of those medals represented. But, I did notice that he had a lot more hardware than many of his friends.

Love this persepctive…very Officer and a Gentleman to me!

Getting off the party bus with her dad and friends, Kara heads to the ceremony….think she’s excited to marry TJ? Uuuuhhhh, yeah!!

Beaming with pride, TJ watches as Kara heads down the aisle, on her way to become his wife. Everyone on the ends of the pews had cameras up and ready to capture the moment, so this struck me as a fun perspective of a classic Here Comes the Bride shot. What do you think?

Catching a private moment during the ceremony…

Facing their friends & family as the new Mr. & Mrs.

As a special and impromptu moment for his couples, Father Mark now calls their parents up to the altar and asks them all to join together to bless the happy couple and I just LOVE how Kara & TJ are looking at each other with such love, commitment and respect. Adding to the moment are Kara’s & TJ’s mom’s hands, supporting their children in their commitment to one another. Love….it is a beautiful thing!

My favorite shot of the day caught by my incredibly talented, soft-hearted husband. Andy really has a way of breaking down a moment and finding the sub-moments that tell a story all their own. I think he is able to do this so well because he is so passionate about people and because he loves with his heart wide-open. I know this post isn’t about Andy, but I just had to share this about him because I am constantly amazed and inspired by this incredible man I have married…..oh lucky are we who find true love.

TJ’s friends and mates from the Navy & Marines performed a special sword ceremony for TJ & Kara. We’ve never seen this done before. It was full of tradition, honor, and respect, with a dash of playfulness, so we thought we’d share a few images from this very cool ceremony.

I love the way Kara is beaming with pride as she looks at TJ and how you can tell by his expression how much TJ is loving this moment. LOVE IT!!!

A kiss is required to pass through each arch….

Kara gets a little good luck tap on the butt as she passes through the final arch…

TJ jokingly orders his mates, “At ease,” as friends & family snap away to capture the moment…love this perspective.

Again, Andy finds a way to capture this moment from a fabulous perspective. To me this image just tells such a wonderful story. I love it!!!

And another favorite moment from the day. Knowing the kind of trust these brave men put in each other on a daily basis and seeing the love, respect, and joy in his friend’s eyes….my heart just melts with this photo.

Having a little fun!!

This image just screams Cape Cod to me….with the sea grass, the rambling Rosa Rugosa, the sailboat in the background. I just love it!

A perfectly storybook moment….

LOVE this one…I love TJ’s strong, confident posture and Kara’s supportive, loving reaction to her honey. To me this photo perfectly depicts the sentiment, “Behind every great man is a great woman.”

I think I was commenting on how studly TJ was looking in the pose he was striking and this next one is his reaction to that….so cute!

We love these two….

Ga ga gorgeous!!!!….Kara has such amazing eyes and in this one she just looks so happy and content….

Lost in the moment as the world moves on around them….love it!!!

TJ’s best man, John, may just be one of the sweetest, most sincere, down-to-Earth guys you could ever hope to meet. And, his toast to his best friend was perfection!!! These two young men have been best friends since childhood and their bond runs deep. I’ve always said that the best man has the toughest job of the wedding day, delivering a speech that conveys true feeling in a witty, funny and at the same time heart-felt way…not an easy task. But, John’s speech hit all the right notes. Both Andy & I found ourselves laughing and welling up as we were snapping away. And like all great men, the women flocked to John. I watched with delight as the ladies swooned after his speech. I had to hold myself back from doing this same! Well done, John! Well done!!

Kara & TJ’s cake by the fabulous Lisa Raffael of Delicious Desserts was as sweet to look at as it no doubt was to taste. The cake was decorated with words highlighting all of the couple’s favorite things. So cute and so unique! And, the way they cut their cake was equally unusual! Can’t be easy cutting a cake with a sword!

I love the rock star quality to this next photo of Kara’s nephew, Jared, as he busts some serious moves to Mr. Roboto….it was priceless!!! Rock on Jared, Rock on little buddy!!!

Big thanks to Aaron Brochu at New Seabury and all of the fabulous professionals who helped make our job not only a cinch, but a pleasure. Thanks too to Kara & TJ’s wonderful families and friends, who instantly made us feel welcome and a part of the celebration! But, our biggest thanks go to Kara & TJ. You two have a wonderful relationship that both inspires us and warms our hearts! Thank you for inviting us to share in this special time in your lives. We hope these photos serve as happy reminders of your incredible wedding day for many happy years to come! We adore you and look forward to seeing what the future holds in store for you both! With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

Meghan & Mike have known each other since they were in junior high school, and have been dating for 12 years, so I suppose their path toward marriage has been more of a slow & steady crawl than an actual run. But, like their love for each other, running is a passion they both share!

“Meghan & I were both athletes in high school and college (track & lacrosse) so we definitely love getting outside for a run together,” Mike told us.

Two years ago, Meghan completed the NYC Marathon finishing with an impressive time. And, on November 1st, Mike will lace up his sneakers for his first-ever attempt at 26.2 miles through the Big Apple.

In fact, Mike is so serious about his training, he ran 16 miles the day of our session. Meghan ran 8 just for fun and to keep her honey company! Now that is love!!! Needless to say, Mike was a bit sore, but he pushed through and we all had a great time together!! Here are just a few of our favorite moments from Meghan & Mike’s super sweet love session.

The weather was a bit spotty on the day we had scheduled to meet, so we started our session inside Meghan’s parents’ house while the clouds squeezed out the last bit of rain for the day. Here’s our happy couple cuddling by the window.

With the showers having passed, we headed outside to their backyard beach for a few shots…

Shooting through the step’s railing, we caught a cute moment…

Andy loves to get down low for an interesting perspective…

Taking advantage of nature’s props to highlight our happy couple and Megan’s gorgeous bling!

I love how content Meghan looks in this next one…and how about Mike’s million dollar smile?! Sweet!

This next one is classic Bello…..LOVE IT!!!

We decided to switch things up a bit and headed to Kalmus Beach, just down the street. The beach was deserted, so we took advantage and had some fun with the lifeguard chair. Here’s my perspective…

And Andy’s of the same moment. Gotta love having two photographers!!! Like many things in life, two is often better than one!

A little runner’s challenge…the face off….

Poor Mike was hurting, but something tells me Meghan would have beat him anyway!

If you follow this blog, you’ve heard me say it before, and you’ll likely hear me say it again after this, but there truly is no better place in the world than in the arms of the one you love. Meghan’s eyes say it all!

Another classic Bello beach grass shot! We just can’t resist!!!

Thank you Meghan & Mike for being so sweet together, for inviting us to share in this special time in your lives and for making us feel instantly welcome!!! A special shout out to you both too for running and jumping and happily going along with our silly requests to get some great shots after having run so far! You guys rock!! (Good luck Mike on Nov. 1st!!!) We can’t wait to be there with you both next summer when you run down the aisle and say, “I do!!” Thank you too to Meghan’s parents, Linda & Dan, for inviting us to crash your pre-dinner party to share a drink and some lovely conversation! It was great chatting with you both (and your friends)!! With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

It’s hard to believe it was over four years ago that we photographed the lovely backyard wedding of Rachel & Chris. Their Brewster wedding was an elegant, but casual, celebration of the love they share. They said, “I do,” under the family’s pear tree, with their closest friends & family members surrounding them. It was a beautiful day, filled with beautiful sentiment.

We’d kept in touch over the years and were thrilled to learn that last year they’d given birth to their daughter, Sabine. Earlier this summer, they contacted us about doing a Bello Life session, a candid documentary-style shoot to capture the love they share and the joy that Sabine has brought to their lives.

We met back where it all began for us…under the family’s pear tree. Sabine is a total lovebug, with a curious, happy spirit. It was nice to reconnect with our old friends and make a new one. Here are our favorite moments from our time together…

Seriously? LOVE this!! To me this photo just screams childhood and all the innocent joys that come along with that…like catching drops of water with your tongue….priceless!

Getting a push from mommy…

I really like this next moment with Sabine & her mommy, as they check out the coy in the fish pond…these were some seriously happy koi. You could actually pet them as you fed them…never seen anything like it.

The best moments in life are often the simplest ones…like this next one. Can’t you just feel the joy?!!!

These next few are some of my favorites…a naked baby on a hot summer day….just delicious!!

Does it get much cuter than this? I think not!

Okay, maybe it does….marching to her own tune! Love it!!!!!

Sabine gets a kiss from Daddy as she tries to figure out what to wear next….

When you love a child, you want to shower them with gifts, give them plenty of toys to play with. But, really, sometimes it’s the little things, like opening and closing a gate….dozens of times…that really captures their interest.

Little miss goofball decided it might be fun to put her skirt on her head. Hysterical!!!

I love this series of Sabine with her favorite mousy & lamby.

She had such fun smelling the roses…again, simple pleasures.

Is she munchable or what?

So sweet….

A quiet moment with mommy…

After 3 hours together, Sabine was starting to get a little tired of all of the attention and needed a snuggle from mommy.

Lovely….

I really liked this next one when I first saw it. Andy captured this really sweet moment of Rachel handing Sabine an apple she’d picked from the apple tree. I love the position of both of their hands. It feels very biblical to me, very Michelangelo and sistine chapel. There is just such a sweet innocence about it that I really like.

Getting Sabine to sit still wasn’t easy, but counting apples seemed to do the trick.

Our happy family under the family pear tree, where it all began…

Big thanks to Rachel, Chris and Sabine for being so much fun to be around and photograph. You guys did GREAT!!! And it was so wonderful to see you again and to finally meet your little lovebug! Thanks too to Susan (Rachel’s mom) for being a perfect hostess!!! It was so great to see you again too and we’re sending healing wishes your way!!! We hope you all have a fabulous end to your summer and that we get to do this again soon!!! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

Six years ago, Elizabeth & Brendan met briefly through a mutual friend….just a quick hello, nothing more. But, as fate would have it, their paths crossed again a few months later on Cape Cod and life as they had known it changed forever.

Elizabeth, who was living in New Jersey and working in NYC at the time, decided to move back to Boston and get her masters. It was that decision that changed the course of her life and landed her in the arms of Brendan, the man she would eventually marry on the place that brought them together!

Their wedding was a celebration of their inspiring relationship and of the strong relationships they have with their wonderful families and friends. All of the details, including the music, flowers, and colorful M&Ms favors, were a reflection of their sweet, funny, happy personalities. If ever there was a successful wedding, this was it! Here are a few of our favorite moments from Elizabeth & Brendan’s special day!

We thought we’d take advantage of Elizabeth’s shoes, and the super cute clips she added to jazz them up, to highlight her and Brendan’s wedding bands…

Elizabeth has one of those infectiously bubbly personalities that just pulls you in and makes you feel super good! And her smile….it really can light up a room!!! Here’s lovely Liz….

Lovely Liz and her gal pals…pretty in pink!

Having fun on the trolley ride to the church, Elizabeth waves to passersby. (From now on in this post, I’m going to stick with calling her Elizabeth, because she’s trying to transition away from Liz, but it’s hard because she is so funny and open-hearted and Liz just feels right to me.)

Brendan & his mates put on their super cute ties from Vineyard vines. The cufflinks are a wedding gift from Elizabeth….Awwww so sweet. The design mimics a necklace Brendan had given Elizabeth on their anniversary.

Brendan and his boys…lookin’ very cool!!!

Brendan and his mate, JP, carry stuff to the trolley in preparation for the ceremony. I just love the story this shot tells….the sign helps…but still, there’s just something about this image that makes me feel happy.

Taaaadaaaaa….Here comes the bride. I just love Brendan’s face as he watches Liz come down the aisle with her dad! So sweet!

The new Mr. & Mrs. serenaded by bubbles! Oh the joy!

More delicious joy!!!! I absolutely LOVE their faces in this next one!! And, the big bubbles right in front of the lens just turns up the dial on the happy meter for me….so fun!!!

Wedding day excitement at its best….the bubbly is being poured as the bridal party departs from the church in the super cute Trolley by Tess.

Love is…laughing in the arms of the one with whom you have entrusted your whole heart!!!!

This next shot I really like for its composition and color, but I also love the concentration on Elizabeth’s & Brendan’s faces as they walk down the boardwalk to the beach. Look how he’s helping her!!! So sweet!! Brendan is a TRUE gentleman!!! He still opens doors for Elizabeth! Seriously!?! During our love session with them, I kept noting to Andy how Brendan would open the car door for Elizabeth. He did it once for me….that was about it. LOL!

I love those in between moments in life, like right before or right after a kiss. There is magic in those moments and when it’s captured in photographs you can almost feel it!

Don’t get me wrong….I love the kisses too….yummy! What I love most about this moment is the way Elizabeth so gently holds Brendan’s head in her hands. Perfection!

Like the world could stop for a minute and these two could care less…..

“Having a moment!” If you’ve ever been photographed by us, you know exactly what this means!

Another picture perfect moment as shot through beach fencing by my very talented and sniper-esque hubby….love it!!!!

As if on cue, a seagull flies overhead as Elizabeth & Brendan head to the beach for a few more shots.

I love this shot….giddy girls at cocktail hour. Fun fun!

The whole party gathers for a shot on Wychmere’s dock. It’s a classic Wychmere shot, and everyone seems to love it!

And just a few details from Elizabeth’s & Brendan’s picture perfect Cape Cod wedding!!!

As always, thanks to Karen Rood and the incredible staff at the Wychmere Harbor Beach & Tennis Club for making our jobs a cinch, and to the super sweet DJ Keith Lemire for keeping the crowd jumping for some super fun dancing shots, and to the talented Katie McConnell of Wild Bunch Studios for creating some gorgeous floral eye candy for us to photograph. We also want to send a shout out to Montilio’s Bakery for the super simple, super chic cake, which, like so many of the details of the day, was so fun to photograph!

But the biggest and most heart-felt thanks go to Elizabeth & Brendan! Thank you guys for sharing such a special time in your lives with us. Thank you for opening up and letting us in and for allowing us to document some of life’s most memorable moments in a way that will hopefully keep your incredible wedding day alive for many happy years to come! You guys are super sweet and a perfect match!!! We’ve had such fun getting to know you both and look forward to seeing what life has in store for you!! With lots of love & big hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo