By the time February hits I may feel differently, but this time of year I feel so grateful to live here on beautiful Cape Cod. Andy & I came here in 1996, unsure of how long we’d stay. But, now, 15 years later, we happily call this amazing place, which offers so much to so many, home.

My relationship with Cape Cod began when I was just a little girl. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of family vacations we would take here. My dad would rent a house for a week and he’d invite my grandparents to come join us. There were sparklers, inflatable swimming rings shaped like ducks or purple dinosaurs, my Grandma’s infamous potato salad, piles of collected sea shells and the delicious smell of sunscreen. It was the best of times!

The trips would always start more or less the same. My dad would pack up his old beat up car, loaded with far too many clothes (he did have 3 girls after all), our favorite board games, and me & my sisters. Once the car was sufficiently stuffed, we’d all crowd in and make that torturous 2-hour drive to the shore.

My sisters & I would continually ask my dad, “Are we there yet?” “Are we close?” “How about now?” or screech out his name because someone had crossed that invisible line in backseat that marked one sister’s space from another. I admit, there was also the occasional flying fist, and not always because we were playing “Punch Buggy.”

Once, on a particularly steamy drive down, one of my sisters dared me to toss my shirt out the window, which I did…by accident. It was not a good scene. Upon hearing the news…my sister, of course, ratted me out as soon as the shirt left my hand…my dad slammed the car breaks, swerved into the break-down lane, jumped out of the car and went running down the highway, darting traffic to get my shirt. Needless to say, he was not happy with me.

But, when we’d crossed that bridge onto Cape Cod, the smell of the sea in the air…all problems seemed to just melt away, like soft served ice cream on hot tarmac.

The week that followed would be filled with days on the beach, swimming and building sand castles. Back at the house, we’d play penny poker with my Grandpa, while Grandma cooked up something delicious, often involving Italian sausage or tomatoes. And, throughout the week, my dad would let me borrow his camera to document the highlights. Even then, I knew how important it was to preserve the wonderful memories we were creating.

Today, it brings me much joy to be able to do that for our bello families, who love Cape Cod as much as we do and who come here to make memories of their own.

Earlier this month, we were invited to visit with Kathy & Dave and their two super sweet kids, Hailey & Grayson, at their Nauset Beach home in Orleans. They wanted to document some end of the summer fun before they had to head back to the city, where work & school awaited them.

We photographed this lovely family a couple of years ago, so we were really excited to see them all again and see how much the kids had changed. Click HERE to see our first session together.

During our time apart, Kathy & Dave had done some work on their house/property, including building this super cool tree house for the kids! Talk about summer fun…..

Hailey & Grayson…

While Andy was trying to get the kids to laugh/smile for the camera, I sneaked into the tree house for a different perspective…

Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it…Vogue!

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

Trying to get Grayson to sit still for this next shot was no easy doing, but man was it worth it! The sun was coming in through the side windows creating this spot lighting effect that was to die for! Love it!!!

Kathy, Dave & the kids….hanging out in their new digs.

I can’t help but smile when I think about all of the wonderful memories Hailey & Grayson will make in that tree house! So fun…

Meet the other family members….Sapphire & Kiss.

I just love Grayson’s expression in this next one. Andy was asking Grayson what his favorite candy is…apparently a very compelling question to a five-year-old.

Happy faces…

The whole gang! Love is…family time!

Momma & her girl and Daddy & his boy…

Hailey is definitely not a girl who’s afraid to get her hands dirty and we love that about her. Love this next photo of her as she races up this tree…

Kathy & Dave also got this super cool vintage Willys jeep earlier this year (which they painted themselves) and were so excited to take us out for a spin. Totally rad! We all drove down the beach in it together and it is a blast!

Kathy & Dave take a moment for themselves…

Aren’t they cute! Love the kids playing in the background!

A fun family moment…

Someone created this super cool climbing structure/sculpture on the end of Nauset Beach using old driftwood. It was sooo cool and Hailey just couldn’t help herself and had to climb it. I just love this photo of her…she looks so innocent, sea-swept and so completely unaware of how beautiful she is.

Sunset & the end of another summer of memory making…

Thank you Dave & Kathy for once again inviting us into your lives with such warm, open hearts and for sharing your beautiful children with us! We had so much fun spending time with all of you and documenting you all enjoying each other. We hope these photos serve as wonderful reminders of your sweet days here on beautiful Cape Cod. With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo  PS…Hailey, I promise to make sure we have time to see your home movies the next time we get together. They sound so fun! And, Grayson…if you’re very good, maybe we’ll bring chocolate!

Andy & I were looking forward to Leigh & Zach’s Mandarin Oriental wedding all year long. So, when August 20th finally rolled around, we were like two kids on Christmas morning….giddy with excitement.

The reason we were so excited is because we have a very special relationship with Leigh & her family. We love them! I mean….LOVE them. So much so that the word adoption has been tossed around. Our affection for this family isn’t because they are as passionate about photography as we are or that they are crazy supportive of us…although we do love those things about them. What really made us fall for this family is the way they love….big, live-out-loud, fun-with-a-capital-F, You-Complete-Me kind of love. The kind of love that is hard to ignore and makes you pine to be a part of it. And, for that kind of love, we are big time suckers.

We first met Leigh & her family three years ago, when Leigh’s mom, Terri, contacted us to do a family portrait session. She also mentioned that she’d love for us to photograph her son, Ryan’s, wedding…even though he hadn’t yet proposed to his gorgeous & unsuspecting girlfriend, Anette. Ryan literally proposed the day before we met them and the two of them were thrown head-first into full-on wedding planning.

We had a blast at the family session…like I said, this family knows how to have fun together. And, since then, we’ve photographed them every July 4th, when the kids all flock home for the family’s annual summer holiday on Cape Cod. It’s a pilgrimage we look forward to every year.

And, Ryan & Anette’s wedding….it was one of those celebrations you just don’t want to end. Click HERE for a look.

Getting to photograph another wedding with this wonderful family was an absolute delight! Unlike Ryan & Anette’s seaside ceremony & celebration, Leigh & Zach, opted for something in the city…only fitting since that’s where they met.

These two lovebirds met in grad school at MIT. And, ironically, their first date was actually at Ryan & Anette’s wedding. Apparently, Leigh’s date cancelled last minute and she asked Zach to join her in his absence. We didn’t know then that it was their first date, but we could see there was something special between them and although no one asked, we quietly approved.

If ever there was a perfect match, Leigh & Zach are it. Click HERE to see where our love story with them began. Having had such a great time with them at their MIT-inspired love session, we just knew their wedding was going to be something special…and it didn’t disappoint. It was really hard to narrow down our favorites to just a few…I mean really hard. But, here goes…

Some fun details…Terri has a knack for putting together some really creative gift boxes. Leigh & Zach’s boxes contained some fun surprises, including some yummy looking Boston Bah chocolate bars and Red Sox playing cards (these guys are serious fans).

For all her goofy silliness, Leigh can be downright gorgeous when she wants to be. It’s her crazy-beautiful eyes that really get ya!

Our handsome groom and a little bling…

Love the sweet & somewhat nervous look on Zach’s face as he’s about to see Leigh for the first time. Leigh’s dad, Alan, and brother, Ryan, along with Zach’s super sweet dad, Stephen, watch as Leigh makes her way to the first-look spot, with her beautiful momma, Terri, at her side.

Oh, the anticipation…

Love these two together!!!

A sweet kiss…

Zach’s crazy cute mom, Alice, was beaming all day long…..LOVE this photo of her.

Leigh gets a smooch from her cousins & flower girls, Frankie & Reese.

These guys are very much about family. In addition to Frankie & Reese, the bridal party included Leigh’s youngest sister, Randi, Anette & Ryan.

Zach’s dad, Stephen, was his best man. Here they are together, with Ryan & Alan. Taaaa da….

The girls getting goofy…

The ceremony took place after the family photos, in the Mandarin Oriental’s outdoor courtyard…an absolutely stunning setting to say, “I do!” In this next one, Leigh’s parents look proud as punch to be walking their little girl down to the man of her dreams…Love the expressions of family & friends too!

The ceremony was performed by two close friends of Leigh’s family and during the ceremony, they asked Leigh & Zach to turn and face their family & friends and take in all the love around them…it was a really lovely moment!

Even Leigh’s nephew, Dillon, (aka Dill Pickle) approved.

After the ceremony, we took Leigh & Zach off for a little alone time…and a few more photos. Here they steal a kiss in front of the Boston Public Library.

Are they cute, or what?!

Love this spot in the city…

As pretty as the above moments were, this next one is a fun favorite…love all the stuff going on around them! City gritty and fun! Hey lady, how’s your lunch?

While heading back to the hotel, Leigh & Zach were hot & thirsty, so what to do….stop for a couple of beers maybe?

Yup! These two are really into good food & good beer, so we decided to make a quick stop at the swanky Charlesmark Hotel. This ended up being all of our favorite part of the photo portion of the day, as it was totally them.

Love this candid moment of Leigh as Zach dashed off for a minute…

A sweet smooch and a complimentary bottle of champagne, courtesy of the seriously cool hotel manager, who was really welcoming to us and very accommodating.

In a funny coincidence, a couple of classmates of Zach & Leigh’s passed by the hotel while we were there. Go MIT!!

With plenty more partying to do, we wrapped up and headed back to the Mandarin so Leigh & Zach could join their cocktail hour…Salud!

Terri is an architect and a fabulous photographer. She’s crazy creative and we were totally gaga for the details, colors, and really structural table arrangements she helped pick for Leigh & Zach’s wedding. And, can we talk about the ridiculously beautiful custom linens. LOVE!

Now that’s some sushi…

More fabulous details! Love the gray & purples!

Befitting this fun couple, Leigh & Zach’s first dance was a fabulous choreographed number that had their friends & family on their feet!

For their speech, Ryan & Randi did a little performance entitled “Leigh in Her Own Words: A Year of Facebook Status Updates.” It was brilliant!

Opting for a lighthearted spin on the traditional wedding cake, Leigh & Zach has these super cute cupcakes & whimsical cake topper made by Amanda Oakleaf Cakes in Winthrop.

It seems appropriate to end this post where things began for Leigh & Zach…at MIT, of course!

We’re sad it’s over, but Leigh & Zach, we hope these photos help keep your fabulous wedding day memories alive for many happy years to come! We love you guys and had so much fun with you, your families and friends. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for inviting us to share such a special day with you! Big love & kisses, Christine & Andy xoxo

When children enter our lives, a subtle shift occurs that changes, well, everything. Their presence is far more than simply +1.  Even news of their arrival brings unexpected experiences…some good, some terrifying.

Children give us new reasons to grow. Without thought, we readily leave selfish pursuits behind to tend to their every need. Children teach us patience, test our resilience and push us to expect higher standards for ourselves.  They open us up to new ways of loving that seem beyond the realm of possibility.

That is not to say it’s easy. No, children can be difficult and precocious. They are boundless energy unleashed at times when we most seek peace. They are rambunctious and fearless, stubborn and sometimes downright ornery. Yet at their core they are pure goodness…souls born to love….completely free of judgments and without prejudice.

Children are everything we were and all we hope to be. And simply because of their presence in our lives, we become better versions of ourselves.

Andy & I don’t have children of our own, but we have been blessed with many incredible children in our lives, including the children of our Bello families. And, the time we spend with them has certainly made our lives richer.

A couple of weeks ago, we spent an afternoon with one of our long-time bello families. Thomas, the younger brother of Rachel, one of our brides from 2005, was coming to the Cape to visit his mother, Susan, and Susan had contacted us about photographing Thomas with his wife, Kathleen, and their little girl, Eliza.

We had done the same thing for Rachel, her husband, Chris, and their little girl, Sabine, two years ago, so we were happy to get to see Susan again and spend some more quality time with Thomas and his family. Here are a few of our favorite moments from our time together.

A little tea time toast with Mommy & Daddy…Cheers!

Swings…what is it about swings that makes children light up with sheer delight and lets their parents harness their own inner child? Don’t know, but whatever it is….we love it!

Picking pears with Nana and raspberries with Mommy…Can we talk about Eliza’s eyelashes for a second? Oh, if mascara makers could only bottle what babies have naturally!

Love this…If you roll your mouse over the next image you’ll see Kathleen & Thomas getting down with Eliza! Too cute!

When I look at this next one, I hear Debby Boone’s 70′s classic “You Light Up My Life” playing in my head. Could Kathleen & Thomas look any prouder of their little girl? Love it!

If ever there was a sweet-as-pie face…this next one of Eliza is surely it! Deeee-licious!

This next series makes me smile…love Eliza’s reaction to getting a little too close to the prickly flower…

Susan has this fabulous koi pond on her property and the koi are massive, but Eliza showed no fear as she excitedly fed them with mom & dad at her side…

Climbing the apple tree with Daddy….oh, the joy!

Bellisima!

Just hanging out under the apple tree with her blue bucket…

Off to collect some apples…

A quick change, followed by some snacks and a little snuggle time…

Love these two photos…while I was focused on Thomas & Kathleen’s reaction to their little girl, Andy was behind them, focusing on Eliza’s reaction to them. Oh, the love! See what I mean about how children change our lives!! Makes my heart smile BIG!!

More evidence of how families become richer with the addition of children…look at all of the adults faces as they watch Eliza….{heart}

Family photo…

I still can remember being a young girl and the way I felt when my Dad held me…it was the safest place in the world!

Wanna play?

Yup! This next one is contender for my personal fave of the day….Eliza reminds me of Cindy Lou Who (from the Grinch) with those gorgeous big blue eyes of hers and her cute curly strawberry blond hair & red bow!

Dollies are to little girls what Manolo Blahnik’s are to their grown up counterparts and these next photos say it all…

After three hours together, Eliza was ready to call it a day and attempted to head in for dinner. Here are two perspectives of the same moment….while I wanted to capture the reach in its entirety, my talented husband went in for a closer look at the story and focused on Eliza’s delicious legs. I love it…right down to her spread toes and the dirt on her knee! Precious!

Thank you Susan for sharing your beautiful family with us once again! It was so great seeing you & Thomas again, and finally meeting Kathleen & lovely Eliza! Children grow up so quickly, and so we hope these photos serve as happy reminders of these early years for many happy years still to come.

With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo