The weather was classic New England today. We woke up this morning, in anticipation of our wedding at the Chatham Bars Inn with super sweeties Amy & Ryan, and it started pouring. Then, the rain stopped and the skies cleared….honestly, a little too much for my liking. We ended up doing photos down at the beach with Amy & Ryan’s families and it was ridiculously bright. But, they were troopers and weathered the sun. Then, the haze set in, which provided fabulous lighting for our portraits with Amy & Ryan. And, then what looked like a tornado over the water moved it. It was soooo cool. A little scary, but very cool. This photo really doesn’t do it justice, but thought it would be fun to share anyway.

At this point, it seemed that the storm broke off into 3 spouts, the most visible is on the right…but again, this photo doesn’t really look as good as it did in person.

Oh, and the evening ended with a rainbow over the ocean and seals swimming off in the distance. How lucky are we to live and work here on beautiful Cape Cod? Super luck! Stay tuned for more photos from Amy & Ryan’s fabulous wedding!

The other afternoon, Andy was outside mowing the law when all of a sudden he yelled for me….several times. At first, I thought something was wrong. I’m a worrier, so I imagined the worst….missing toes, a bloody mess. I ran outside and much to my relief, all of Andy’s toes were still attached. Even better, he had the sweetest surprise for me.

While using the strimmer to trim the tall grass along the edge of our backyard fence, Andy uncovered a cotton-tail rabbit’s nest.

I never knew rabbits had nests. I thought they borrowed deep, cavernous holes in the ground, like Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh stories. Turns out that when they have a litter, rabbits hollow out a shallow hole in tall grasses, fill it with bits of their fur and dead grass and that’s where the baby bunnies stay for a few weeks, until they’re old enough to venture out to snack on clover and dandelions.

Andy hadn’t cut the grass in a couple of weeks so the conditions were perfect for a momma rabbit to have her brood. I guess the commotion of the strimmer scattered the litter of baby bunnies from their nest…six of them, in fact. Thank goodness Andy didn’t inadvertently step on them…or worse!

Man, were they cute! Cute with a capital C!

I was suddenly transported to my childhood, when I used to try and save injured or abandoned baby birds. I wanted to be a vet for the longest time. I grew up in a wooded area in a suburb just outside Boston and we were constantly playing outside as kids. I had chickens, several parakeets and a dog. Our neighbor had a horse for a couple of years, which doesn’t sound outrageous unless you saw our neighborhood. We were on a dead end street near lots of woods, but certainly not farm country, where you might expect to find chickens and a horse. They kept the horse in their garage, which they turned into a makeshift barn and their yard became the horse’s running ground.

Oh, those were good times.

I remember I once tried nursing a baby blue jay back to health. I’d found her perched on a low lying branch in a bush, with a hungry cat standing beneath, just waiting for her to fall. I had her for over a week, and she did pretty well. I was teaching her to fly by putting her on my finger and lifting her up and down to make her flap her wings. Whenever she heard me coming she would open her mouth wide and stretch out her tiny neck, anticipating the mix of raw hamburger and baby food I would give her. But, sadly, she didn’t make it. I came home from school to find her lifeless body near the tipped over bowl of water. I was devastated. It was my first real loss. We buried her in the backyard under an old pine tree. I sulked for weeks.

My first instinct upon finding the six bunnies was to put them in a cardboard box lined with old grass clippings, so we could nurse them to adulthood, like I’d tried to do with my sweet blue jay. We collected the baby bunnies and put them in a box, but something held me back. Maybe it was the memory of my blue jay.

Somehow between childhood and adulthood, we lose that wild abandon that lets us believe we can do anything and rational thought takes over. With the bunnies safely in the box and out of harm’s way, I went inside to check the internet and make sure I was doing the right thing.

Turns out my first reaction, although well-intentioned, wasn’t the best thing for the bunnies. They all looked healthy and seemed strong, so chances were good that their momma had just left them for a bit. We found their nest and put them back where they belonged, covered under grass clippings. But, we couldn’t resist snapping one quick photo of the three youngest…

I have freakishly small hands, so that should give you some idea of how tiny they were, especially the one on the far right, which seemed to be the runt of the litter. After we let them go, we did some more research, and turns out I probably shouldn’t have touched them at all. Putting them back in their nest was definitely the right thing to do, even though all I wanted to do was snuggle with them and dress them in tiny clothes, like I used to do with my chickens.  I’m pretty sure there’s a photo of this somewhere. If I can find it, I’ll share. It’s pretty hysterical!

Apparently, it is very hard to rehabilitate wild rabbits and well-meaning people who try often kill them with their kindness. So, I reluctantly left the sweet fluffy balls of bouncing joy to fend for themselves….with a bowl of ice water and some clovers nearby, in case they needed a little help. Sometimes you just can’t take the little girl out of the woman.

A couple of times this week, I’ve seen an adult rabbit hopping through our yard and I like to think it’s the momma. According to my research, mother rabbits leave their babies during the day and come back at night to feed them. We’ve been checking every day since finding the bunnies and after that first day, the runt was the only one to stick around. But, even now, three days later, he too has left the nest. I’m hoping that they are all safe and feel they have a haven here in our yard, where bunnies are always welcome!

You might remember Meghan & Mike from our love session with them last September. These childhood sweethearts have been working their way toward “I do” for over 12 years. And, on June 19, they finally made it.

This super sweet, family-oriented couple exchanged vows at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Osterville, supported by nearly 200 friends & family. Their bridal party, made up predominantly of family, was 27 people large, including 12 children (I think those numbers are right…honestly, there was so much love in that group it was hard to keep track!) Their ceremony was a wonderful celebration of the life they have already built together and of the commitment they were now making.

The celebration continued just down the road at the picturesque Oyster Harbors Club, where Meghan & Mike danced the night away. It was the perfect summer wedding here on beautiful Cape Cod. Here are a few of our favorite moments from their fabulous day. Enjoy!

Meg gets some help from her mom, Linda…

LOOOVEEE Meg’s gorgeous Vera Wang dress…totally different from anything I’ve seen with a lace bodice and tulle skirt. There was also this really cool detail that draped tulle across the front & back of the dress at an angle and then it all tied together in the back with a silk bow. This dress was made for Meg…

Meg gets a little help putting on her veil, which was actually her mom’s veil when she got married. So sweet!

And, while I was getting the above photo of Meg in the mirror, Andy was across town getting this super cute shot of Mike in the mirror…

PJ, one of Mike’s groomsmen,  helps Mike with his cufflinks….

While Mike’s brother, Jeff, helps him with his tie. Looove this photo of Mike. Is that a million dollar smile or what?

This is another of my favorites…such a cool perspective as Mike rides the trolley to the church.

With 12 kids in the wedding party and 15 adults, it took a while to get everyone down the aisle, but man did it make for some sweet photos, like this next one…

I live for moments like this next one, where our couples are so wrapped up in each other and the joy of the moment that it’s almost as if no one else in the world exists…..aaaaahhhhh!

Meg’s mom, Linda, exchanges a hug with Mike’s mom Laura.

The “We Did It!” moment…..love it!

Mike gets a congratulatory embrace from him friend, Mike, after the ceremony…

While Meg gets greeted by Mike’s niece and Meg’s now official niece, Shannon.

With champagne in hand, Meg & Mike wave by to friends & family as we head to the beach for photos…

Yummy sun flare…

Meg gets help walking through the beach grass….it was tough going with her tulle skirt getting caught on the rosa ragosa bushes, but Meg was a real trooper!

whooo hoooo…..

Meg’s brother in law, Quinn, flips his son, Liam, (at least I think it’s Liam. Liam is a twin with his brother Thomas).

During cocktail hour, Meg and her sister, Laura, check out the foyer of the club before guests arrive.

First dance…

Love this moment during their first dance…so sweet.

Down to the club’s beach for a few photos before sunset.

One of my faves from the day….so fun & playful just like they are.

Great big thanks to Mike & Meg for inviting us to be a part of your amazing day! You two are so sweet together…Mike your speech got us a bit welled up. It is obvious how much you both care about each other and your families and getting to be there with all of you was both an honor and a joyful experience. So thank you for trusting us to capture your day with love!! We hope these photos serve as happy reminders of your wonderful wedding and all of the poignant moments that got you there! With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

Juliet & Brede met through Theta Tau, an engineering fraternity at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where they both went to school. Juliet, like me to Andy, is three years older than Brede. They first met at a rush information meeting. Juliet was the rush chair and a smitten Brede, upon seeing Juliet, decided to pledge.

They quickly became friends, but Juliet was dating someone else, so romance wasn’t in the cards for them…not at first.

Juliet graduated and took a job in California, never expecting to see Brede again. But, then her job took her back to Boulder and by now, she & her boyfriend’s relationship had ended. Heartbroken and in need of the comfort of friends, she reconnected with her “brothers” at Theta Tau, including Brede.

And, it was at a fraternity event, on Valentine’s Day, when love sparked. Rather than the traditional Hallmark card, Brede had made Juliet one of his special walnuts, which he made by hulling out the shells and placing a Hersey’s kiss and a secret message inside, then gluing the shell back together.  Needless to say, Juliet was touched.

Over the next few months, the pair grew closer, first just as friends. But, whenever she needed an ear to bend, a shoulder to lean on or someone to play pool with, Brede was there and love began to bite down hard.

But, life once again separated them. This time, it was Brede who left and took a job in Ohio. Their relationship continued to grow, despite the distance. And, by 2007, Juliet was accepted to the Masters program at MIT and Brede was offered a new job in San Francisco.

They were at a crossroad. Not wanting to pressure Brede, Juliet moved to Boston in June of that same year and left the ball in Brede’s court. By October, he was standing on her doorstep in Beacon Hill with a bag of his things and his heart in his hands.

“When Brede came out to Boston to stay, I knew that this was meant to be. A very calming, but extremely jubilant feeling washed over me. I knew he had come to stay forever,” said Juliet.

Now, 3 years later, this sweet, funny, tender pair are planning their wedding on the sandy shores of Cape Cod. And, we couldn’t be happier to be a part of their special day.

Last week, we had the pleasure of photographing them together and it was obvious right away that these two love to be together. The caring they have for one another is instantly apparent and even spying from behind bushes with a zoom lens it’s easy to see that they find safety and comfort in each others presence. See for yourself…

Like us, Juliet & Brede share a passion for photography…

We decided to set up a little mini-picnic for them at Long Pasture in Barnstable…what a gorgeous spot. Definitely a must visit, if you haven’t been before.

Cozying up over a glass of vino….ahhhhh, life is good!

See what I mean about spying from the bushes….are they sweet or what?!

Snacks & snuggles…

I absolutely love this next one. Juliet couldn’t look any happier or more content. Love it!

Awwwww…..

We’ve become huge fans of tall grasses. They provide such a romantic setting….

I did some photoshop tweaking to this next one and I just love the emotion it evokes!

Change position to add a little sun flare and voila….

Super sweet!

Happiness is….THIS! this is my favorite shot of these two. I just think it perfectly depicts their relationship. Watching them, it was easy to see that Juliet feels very safe and cared for with Brede and Brede loves making her feel that way. It’s a beautiful thing!

sun flare love…

I adore this photo of Juliet…she looks soooo stunning! Like a young Susan Sarandon with those big beautiful blue eyes of hers! You can see how Brede could very easily get lost in them.

Down to the beach for sunset….

and some seaside treasures…

Magic hour at the beach…

Thank you Juliet & Brede for sharing your story with us, for opening your lives to us in such a personal way and for being so much fun to photograph and just be around! You two are wonderful together and we can’t wait to see all the love & happiness sure to surround you on your wedding day! With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo