The day I married Andy was the best day of my life. There have been days since that have come close, but that day was….Special. I was brimming with emotion….love, joy, and happiness like I’d never felt. Family & friends traveled great distances to be with us and cheer us on. It was incredible.

And like a big red bow, topping off all of that love and goodness was an undeniable sense of awe and gratitude….for I had found this incredible man with whom to share my life, my hopes and my dreams.

We both come from divorced families and the idea of marriage was scary with a capital S. But, knowing that he was willing to take the risk with me, that he believed enough in us to cast fear aside, and more importantly, that he was willing to work at it….because let’s not kid ourselves, marriage takes work…and stand by me through good times & bad, through sickness & health…whatever life may throw our way, well, it moved me in ways I could not have anticipated.

So, when the day came to say, “I do,” the excitement was overwhelming. I found myself giving in to bursts of giddy laughter, clapping randomly out of sheer joy, and feeling like I needed to be pinched, to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

Last weekend, Andy & I were there as another young couple pledged their lives & hearts to one another. You might remember Hannah & Conrad from our love session with them earlier this summer. Click HERE to see. And, in Hannah, I found myself reliving my own wedding day. All day long, at moments that seemed particularly exciting to Hannah, she would just bubble up with happy and clap her hands in a state of utter elation! It was wonderful to see and was the perfect reminder of why I love what I do.

Unfortunately, our wedding was not captured in photos quite the way either of us had hoped (this was pre-Bello and was actually the inspiration that led Andy & I to wedding photography…long story for another day). But, now with Bello, we have the chance to document this special day of celebration for other couples. And we do so with the same love, care and giddy, pinch-me-I’m-dreaming excitement with which we’d wished our wedding had been captured.

And, so it is with great pleasure we share with you some of our favorite moments and details from Hannah & Conrad’s fabulous Wequassett wedding…

Conrad sent this bottle of Dom over to Hannah to help start her day off right. Yay for sentimental hubbies-to-be with great taste!!! I thought it made the perfect backdrop to highlight the couple’s crazy beautiful engagement/wedding rings.

In this next photo of Hannah as she gets ready to step into her gorgeous Romona Keveza gown, you’ll begin to see what I mean about how she bubbled over with excitement all day long…

BEAUTIFUL….

Hannah’s mom, Judy, helps put on a gorgeous strand of Tiffany pearls that Conrad gave Hannah as a wedding gift.

Off to the church we go….still smiling!

Hannah’s father tragically passed away last year, but Hannah’s brother, Ian, gave Conrad this watch that belonged to their dad  as a wedding gift. LOVEEEEE that!!!

Conrad enjoying a drink with friends before heading to the church…

I love this next shot of Conrad getting his boutonniere pinned by his super sweet brother, Keith, as friend & groomsman, Ned, cracks up. I don’t know what they were laughing about, but I can’t help but giggle every time I look at this photo.

I love the sun flare in this next shot as the guys walk to the back of the church and out of sight as Hannah makes her way to the church.

Conrad’s dad, Novarro, greets guests as they arrive…

How beautiful does Hannah’s friend & bridesmaid, Lauren, look in this next photo?  She & the other girls were waiting by the front door for Hannah to arrive at the church.

Sitting down at the start of the ceremony, Hannah & Conrad exchange a look that vividly demonstrates how they were both feeling. Love it!

I love this next photo of long-time family friends, Joe & Deb. Joe had just finished a beautiful & poignant reading that mentioned Hannah’s dad (the two were childhood friends) and looked to Deb and smiled remembering their dear friend. Oh the love, how easily it did flow…

Father Bob Powell of St. Joan of Arc in Orleans addresses Hannah & Conrad during their ceremony…

We did it! Notice the clapping…

Getting a big congratulatory hug from her dear friend & co-MOH, Steph.

LOOOVE this moment as Hannah’s mom, gets a big, emotional hug from Deb. I have no doubt that the absence of her husband, Hannah’s dad, was felt, but the overriding emotion was one of joy, love & pride! And, I have no doubt, Hannah’s dad was there, smiling down on the day’s happenings.

More cheering from Hannah outside the church.

Hannah & her girls, including co-MOH, Katherine (next to Hannah) share a giggle.

Yay for love…

Conrad’s brother, Keith & the guys had cigars to celebrate the happy occasion.

Mr. & Mrs….

Sharing a little smooch…

Is Conrad a happy guy or what?

Beautiful couple, fabulous light and a gorgeous backdrop = perfection!

Be still my heart! Loooooove this next one!

Swoon….

Hannah & Conrad’s table names were all places of significance to them. Las Ramblas is where they had their first date.

The first dance. I love the concentration on Conrad’s face and the sheer joy on Hannah’s!

Los hombres suaves…

Get down on it…

Hannah & Conrad….you two just looked soooo happy all day long. Being there with you, watching all of the day’s activities unfold was both a joy and a pleasure. Thank you for inviting  us to be a part of such a special time in your lives. We hope these photos serve as happy reminders for many MANY years to come. We hope too that the excitement, though it may damper in its intensity as the years pass, grows into something even more special. With love & hugs, Chris & Andy xoxo

Life is in the details…and oh, how we love us some good details! But, even more than fabulous details, we love….LOVE…..big, live out loud, shout it from the hilltops, who cares who sees, I’m crazy for you LOVE!

Juliet & Brede’s Orleans wedding had it all! You might remember this sweet couple from our picnic-style love session with them earlier this summer. Click HERE to read their story.

Their day started with a sun-filled ceremony on Skaket Beach, attended by their families and closest friends. Sweet, hand-made signs directed guests to a quiet and marshy corner of the beach. It was the perfect backdrop for two special people and two important words….”I do!”

I’m embarrassed to admit that even with 14 years of living on the Cape and having photographed more than 100 weddings, that was the first time we’d ever been to that beach…shocking, I know. But, we’ll definitely be going back…it’s gorgeous!

After their poignant exchanging of vows, Juliet, Brede and their guests put their shoes back on and headed to the Winslow Estate for dinner and dancing. It was the kind of day little girls dream of and Andy & I had a blast capturing all of the incredible details and love-filled moments. Here are some of our favorites from the day…

Looove Juliet’s super cute bedazzled shoes and stunning Melissa Sweet gown.

How fun is this dreamy view of Juliet’s dress? Like layers of glorious girliness!

Juliet gets dressed with a little help from her mom, Robin, and her very attentive and very pregnant MOH, Emily.

Mom’s rock…

And, in the smaller cottage on the property, Brede & his groomsmen were getting ready…

Juliet & Brede choose orange and navy blue as their colors. They were perfectly fall festive!

What would we do without our technology toys? Juliet’s super cute brother, Sean, works on the laptop, while Brede checks his phone. Too funny!

Putting on his tie…

Here are some of those great details I was talking about…Flowers by the very talented Judy Fligg of All About Flowers.

Juliet & Brede opted to see each other before the ceremony, which was GREAT! We had plenty of time for photos and they got to enjoy their cocktail hour. Love that! Here’s one perspective of this moment…

And another…

I love this shot of them. Juliet has got a great smile/laugh…I love the way she crinkles her nose.

Swwooooonn….love her expression in this next one! To die for!

Ahhhh…..

Love is….THIS!

I swear my heart stopped for a second when I saw this moment as captured by my ridiculously talented husband! Andy really does have an amazing ability to find perspectives that the average person would never consider….just one of the many reasons I am so lucky to be married to him.

Va va va vooom….

Juliet & Brede and their amazing friends & family, including Juliet’s super sweet brother, Sean, (second from the left) & sister, Jennifer, (third from the left) and Brede’s super sweet sisters, Kaycee (third from right) and Courtney (second from right).

Seriously? I heart this next photo of Cora The Beautiful…big time!

Juliet & her bridal party head to the beach in style…

Here comes the bride…

Love this next shot and the curious seagull who was hovering around to see what was going on.

Sand ceremonies are very popular here on the Cape, and we love the sentiment behind it…two people coming together from different places joining their lives in love. So sweet…

The new Mr. & Mrs….

The guests headed back to the Winslow Estate for cocktail hour, while we spent a few minutes with Juliet & Brede on the beach for some portraits and a little alone time…

Juliet & Brede have a wonderful way of being together that just feels so natural. They hug like this a lot and Andy & I squealed with delight when we saw it because it made for this magical moment…

They do this a lot too…and we just love it when our couples let their guard down and let us see who they are together. We can put people in poses, but it’s ALWAYS better when they just are themselves and do what comes naturally. This next photos is a perfect example of that.

I took a little artistic license with this next one. It just felt like the right thing to do with the setting and the way Juliet & Brede were laying together…..looooove it!

Happy couple+ killer dress & stiff breeze = perfection!

As they made their way back to the Winslow Estate to join the cocktail hour already in progress, Juliet & Brede were welcomed by a showering of bubbles and oodles of love & happy wishes. Can we talk about how cute ring bearer Colter is with his Just Married sign?

One of Brede’s cousins, Hayden, big brother to Cora & Colter, holds up a fish he caught to put in the live centerpieces, which had crabs, fish & snails.

A first dance full of love & laughter…exactly how it should be!

DJ Wayne Baptiste of Boston rocked the party in style. Wayne wins our award for best dressed DJ of the summer. Loooove that suit & hat! Way to work it Wayne!

And here are just a few of the fabulous details that colored Juliet & Brede’s amazing day, including my personal obsession, crazy good cupcakes by Cupcake Charlies of Mashpee. Don’t try these if you know what’s good for you…one taste and you’ll be hooked for life!

We can’t finish this post without thanking Connie Nye Clark of The Perfect Plan for organizing Juliet & Brede’s incredible day! It was fabulous working with you Connie and we look forward to doing it again soon! Thanks too to all of the amazing vendors who helped make our job not only easy, but a pleasure! But, our biggest thanks go to Juliet & Brede…you two are a perfect match and getting to be there with you when you committed your love and your lives to each other in front of the people you care for most was truly an honor! Thank you for trusting us to document this special time in your lives and for welcoming us with such open arms & open hearts! We hope you love these photos as much as we loved being there with you! Stay tuned for more to soon follow! Love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

Like many of our bello couples, Julie & Kris met at college. They were both engineering majors at Villanova University, taking some of the same classes and running in similar circles, but it wasn’t until the end of their senior year that the two started dating.

After graduation, Julie moved to Maine for work and Kris stayed in New York for law school. With a six-hour drive between them, Julie had doubts that the romance would last. But, when Kris showed up on Julie’s doorstep that first weekend apart, all doubts disappeared.

For the next four and a half years, they spent every weekend together, taking turns making the trip to Maine or New York, and then eventually Connecticut, when Kris moved.

“Almost five years and many, many road trips later, and here we are,” Julie told us. She and Kris will say, “I do,” next summer here on beautiful Cape Cod.

We recently met up with our New York cuties for their super fun bello love session. Figuring out where to take our couples that keeps it fresh & interesting for us and also showcases our couple’s unique personalities can sometimes be challenging. But, when we heard the carnival was coming to town, we knew we had a homerun location for these two fun, adventurous, totally in love, playful, happy people.

I mean, how could we lose with an adorable couple, some old fashioned games, a vintage ferris wheel, and enough cotton candy & caramel apples to make even the biggest sugar addict sick. Talk about all of the ingredients for a killer love session! It was a photographer’s dream! And, here are just a few of our favorite moments from their super fun love session…

I love, love, love these next few photos of Julie & Kris on the vintage ferris wheel. Soooo fun!

Up we go…

Peek-a-boo…

Julie is beautiful, but when she smiles….stunning!

Love this next perspective by Andy….adorable!

All I think when I look at this next one is, “Easy, Breezy, Beautiful….” You know the rest!

Kris is wonderful…he’s warm, funny, super attentive of Julie, and easy on the eyes. We just love this next photo of him.

Hey pretty lady….

Bellisimo!

I don’t know what it is about this next one…I think it’s the expression on Julie’s face as she looks up at Kris…but whatever it is, I LOOVE it!

And this…look at Kris’s cheeky little smile as he goes in for the smooch. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

Two tracks, join as one….kind of symbolic, no!?!

love this one…

And this…

It was super foggy the day of the carnival, so the slide wasn’t very slippery. In fact, it was down right slow. Kris got down without too much trouble, but it took Julie a little while longer…not exactly what they expected, which made for some great moments of laughter. I just love Julie’s expression in this next one, and the way Kris is waiting for her at the bottom. Super cute!

Sizzling on The Sizzler…

I admit, it was hard to keep the cameras on Julie & Kris as they whizzed around, but it sure was fun trying….and the expressions we got…priceless!

I had forgotten how the g-force from this particular ride can really smoosh the person on the outside edge. Kris’s face says it all!

After a few rides and turns at some games, Julie & Kris took a cotton candy break. Love the way they’re looking at each other and how the woman in the background is taking it all in…super cute all around!

Fun Fun Fun…

Julie & Kris, thank you so much for being soooo much fun and for going along with our carnival idea. It was a blast and you two are so wonderful!!! Watching you together was as sweet as it was inspiring! We hope you love these photos as much as we loved spending the afternoon with both of you! Can’t wait to do it all again at your wedding next summer! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

Falmouth holds a special place in the hearts of Andy & me. It’s where we first started our life together, in a small apartment above a Main Street restaurant. We were just a walk away from the beach, shops & restaurants and the hustle & bustle of downtown.

Since moving to the burbs of Mashpee, we don’t spend nearly as much time in our old stomping ground, so we were really excited to get back and photograph college sweethearts Carolyn & Andrew at Carolyn’s family’s Falmouth home.

When we first started talking with Carolyn & Andrew about where we’d get together for their love session, Carolyn suggested her parents’ house and it seemed like the perfect spot. The Cape is very special to Carolyn. Her parents’ moved to Falmouth full-time over a year ago and their yard, which backs onto picturesque Siders Pond, is gorgeous, with lots of sweet nooks for cuddling.

The pond was particularly appealing to us, since Carolyn & Andrew first met while on their college crew team. Andrew was a year older than Carolyn and had quickly developed a crush on his younger teammate. They became fast friends, but it wasn’t until Andrew graduated and came back for an alumni rowing event during Carolyn’s senior year that love floated to the surface.

Here are a few of our favorite moments from our afternoon together…

Shooting through shrubs and over a kayak to steal this sweet moment…

And this… (This is what’s so great about Andy & I working together. We can be in two different spots at the same time, catching different perspectives)

I love the way they’re looking at each other in this next one….so sweet!

Again, two photographers, two perspectives….Can you guess whose is whose?

I love this moment….right before the kiss. Oh, the sweet anticipation!

Carolyn’s parents have this great pergola over their patio and I just loved the angles of the lines, so we moved the picnic table around a bit and asked Carolyn & Andrew to hop on for this fun perspective.

Shooting through a trellis….love perfectly framed.

Swinging in a hammock is one of my favorite things to do. Andy & I brought a really pretty hammock back from our trip to Nicaragua a couple of years ago. Sadly, we don’t spend nearly enough time in it, but when we do, it feels just like this….

We loved this little nook in the backyard. It was the perfect spot for a little kayak cuddling…

Carolyn’s engagement ring is from Andrew’s grandmother. Andrew kept the setting exactly the same as his grandfather had picked out so many years ago. A gorgeous brilliant cut diamond with two tapered baguettes on each side. It was beautiful and the sentiment even more so! Knowing that this ring symbolizes love & marriage for two generations is just beautiful!

Love this next shot…

Ahhhhh….there is no better place than in the arms of the one you love!

I ran up to the house to grab another lens and as I was coming back I saw Carolyn’s super sweet parents, Joanne & Paul, watching Andy as he continued photographing Carolyn & Andrew in the kayak. I know this session was about Carolyn & Andrew, but this was such a sweet moment it had to be documented.

love is….moments like this!

Moving into deeper water…

Our crew members give kayaking a go…

And it’s true….love does float!

Thank you Joanne & Paul for welcoming us into your home, and for the delicious wine and yummy snacks. It was so nice sitting down with all of you after the session and chatting! Thank you too, Carolyn & Andrew for making time for us and for being so much fun to photograph! Carolyn we know you were apprehensive about being photographed, but you did AMAZING! You seemed completely comfortable and it felt like you were really having fun with it. Knowing that we can help make that happen is why we love what we do! So thank you both for trusting us and for letting your guard down. We hope you enjoy what we captured for you and look forward to doing it again at your wedding next summer! With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

A couple of weeks ago we were reunited with our very sweet bello bride & groom turned new parents, Ivy & Ben. Click HERE to see Ivy & Ben’s gorgeous Ocean Edge wedding.

We absolutely love it when our wedding couples contact us again to photograph their baby. It truly is the best compliment and we just love getting to be with our couples again, documenting life’s next major milestone.

Right from the start, Ivy & Ben have been super fun to photograph, and more importantly, just to be around. They truly are the kind of people who really make us love what we do! We adore them and we just knew we were going to feel the same way about their gorgeous daughter, Hailey.

It was so great spending the afternoon with our friends again and getting to meet their Little Miss Sunshine, who hit the gene pool jackpot, getting the best of both of her parents…she’s gorgeous, super sweet, playful, easy going, and very patient with demanding photographers! Here are a few of our favorite moments from our session together…

Sleeping beauty & her musical lambie…

A girl after my own heart, Hailey enjoys a quick snack after waking up. I just love how she’s grabbing mommy’s finger in this next one…

cuddles & kisses…

Is she a sweet monkey face with munchable cheeks, or what? Deee-licious!

Not sure if it’s curiosity or gas behind Hailey’s expression in this next photo, but oh, how I LOVE it!

Seriously?!

I wish our skin could stay as perfect as it is when we’re first born throughout our lives. Hailey is just perfection in this next one. love, love, love!

This next one feels like an ad for some baby product. Remember the Ivory Snow babies? I’m dating myself, huh?!

Safe in momma’s arms….safe like no where else in the world! Beautiful!

Ivy & Hailey….two gorgeous gals! xoxo

Hailey has a special relationship with her dadda. Ben really knows how to get a giggle out of his little girl! “Do it again, Daddy!”

I think one of the things I love most about babies is their ever changing expressions. In one instant it can go from curiosity to serenity, from happy to discomfort, from joy to jubilation and everything in between. I love baby’s expressions and this next one from Hailey ranks up there! I’m thinking it’s a mix of surprise and intrigue.

And in this next one she fascinates herself with her prowess at bubble blowing and intense dribbling. Priceless!

How many fingers can Hailey get in her mouth at once?

Oh, Daddy, I love you!

Our sweet happy new little family, Ivy, Ben & Hailey! Parenthood looks good on you two!

Big big thanks to Ivy & Ben for trusting us to take Hailey’s first photographs (well, the ones professional ones anyway). Hailey is absolutely delightful and was so fun to photograph! As always, it’s great seeing you guys and getting to meet your little bundle of love was a real treat!!! We hope these and the rest of the photos soon to follow become happy reminders of Hailey’s first few months of life. It goes by soooo fast, so enjoy! We love you guys! Christine & Andy xoxoxo