Last month, we were contacted by Donna Garlough, editor of Boston Weddings. She told us that she had been browsing our blog and loved the photos we captured at Kirsten & Dennis’s fabulous Nauticus Marina wedding. And she asked, could she feature it in the magazine’s Summer issue?  Umm…yes, please!

I’m not sure which flattered us more, the fact that Donna was browsing our blog unsolicited or that with all of the talented photographers in New England, she liked our photos enough to have them be one of only four featured weddings. To say we were flattered would be an under statement.

Since her call, we’d been excitedly awaiting the magazine’s arrival. The other day, we opened our mailbox to find several copies. Magazines hit news stands today, and if you haven’t had a chance to see it, it’s another gorgeous issue. Here’s a sneak peek at the cover…

And, the opening page of the “Real New England Weddings” features section…..with our photo of Kirsten & Dennis. Wowza!

In addition to the opening page of the features section, Kirsten & Dennis’s wedding got two more full pages. We’re so happy that Kirsten & Dennis get to have their wedding commemorated in this way!

And, as if all of that wasn’t exciting enough…this incredible exchange between Dennis’ mom and a close family friend, as captured by Andy, outside the church, after the ceremony, was highlighted in the “One Last Shot” section, on the last page of the magazine….Pure Joy!

Huge thanks to Donna & her wonderful staff for seeing something special in our work and for recognizing the inspiring beauty & love that surrounded Kirsten & Dennis on their unforgettable wedding day. And, of course, special thanks to Kirsten & Dennis! Thank you both again for inviting us to be a part of such an important time in your lives and for welcoming us with such open arms & open hearts! You two are wonderful and your love is truly inspiring! With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xo

Travel is something Andy & I are both extremely passionate about. Not surprisingly, our relationship began while we were each traveling in Spain. Travel is the thing that seems to magically transport us back to the easy-breezy lifestyle we had when we first met nearly 15 years ago. We were young and free of responsibilities and expectations. Life was an open book and our experiences filled the pages with adventure.

There is something about traveling to new places, meeting new people, eating new foods and experiencing new cultures that makes us truly come alive. Maybe it’s just the way we travel. My sister thinks we’re crazy. She’s a five-star hotel kind of girl and me, well, don’t get me wrong, I like down comforters, fluffy robes and chocolates on my pillow as much as the next girl. But, for me and Andy, stepping completely out of our comfort zone and taking away the creature comforts we’re used to has a way of putting life squarely into perspective.

Here in the US, we’re constantly bombarded with messages telling us we how important it is to be number one, to accumulate lots of stuff, and that to be successful and happy you not only have to keep up with the Jones, but beat them down on your way up. The kind of traveling we like to do peels all that clutter away and brings us back to basics, reminding us of what is truly important in life — love, laughter, health, happiness, family, friends and basic human interaction. The rest is all just stuff.

It’s been a few years since Andy & I took a long vacation. We’ve been super busy and taking a big chunk of time off just wasn’t in the cards. But, this year, we made the commitment to ourselves and to each other to get away for three weeks and give our batteries a much-needed recharge.

Destination…Panama.

Panama was chosen without much forethought. In the throws of a miserable February winter, desperate to get away…somewhere, anywhere, Andy asked me what I was looking for in a vacation. We went to Nicaragua three years ago and we both absolutely loved it there. So, I said I’d like an experience  similar to that. I didn’t want anywhere too touristy, somewhere that had cute towns to leisurely stroll through, jungles to explore and beaches for doing lots of nothing. I love trying to speak Spanish…emphasis on trying…so I told him I’d also like to go somewhere where Spanish is spoken.

With that, Andy headed off to Borders to do some research and called me back a few hours later. “How do you feel about Panama?” he asked. “Panama? Sounds great!” I said, without knowing much of anything about Panama. But, with it’s close proximity to Nicaragua and precisely because I didn’t know much about it, it sounded like the perfect destination for our adventure.

And, that was it…vacation planned. We booked our tickets, and our first night’s accommodation in Panama City and figured we’d use the guide books Andy got at Borders to map out a rough itinerary before we left on March 1. Then, just let our instinct be our guide.

We spent our first two nights at a hostel in Panama City. Hostels have changed a lot since we first met at Hostel del Pilar, in Marbella, Spain…or at least the people who visit them have changed. When we began traveling, there was no internet…God, that makes us sound ancient. Backpackers didn’t carry laptops, cellphone or wireless USB modems. They didn’t check facebook several times a day, tweet regularly or make movies of their adventures to post on their personal websites.

Back when we first got bit by the bug, you traveled to get away; to leave all things familiar behind and open yourself up to new experiences. If you needed to reach someone or had something to say, you bought a payphone card or sent a postcard.

Today, the new generation of backpackers seem to spend more time chatting about what they’re doing than actually going out and doing. It was very strange to us. We were there to unplug and get away. I admit, we did Skype with family at home to let them know we were okay. We even checked Bello e-mail a couple of times just to make sure all was well. But, for us, the joy in getting away is to disconnect as much as possible so that we are completely in the moment, enjoying the experience as it happens.

And enjoy the experience we did! Although we had a few bumps in the road, including two trips to Health Clinics for a seriously dodgy stomach and sun-stroke, Panama was exactly the experience we were hoping for — a perfect mix of adventure, culture and relaxation.

Here are some highlights from our fabulous Panamanian Adventure. Enjoy!

As I mentioned, the hostel in Panama City wasn’t the best. Our room was a 8′ x 8′ blue box with dirty walls, a super uncomfortable double bed, tiny window and an old AC unit that only went on from 9PM - 9AM. And, it was HOT…crazy hot, especially coming from winter temperatures. This first photo is a sort of self portrait I took our first morning in Panama City. I remember laying in bed, sweating my tootsies off, thinking about the crappy room and how the scene, with the thin sheets and dirty walls felt like something out of an insane asylum. It’s kind of dark spirited for the start of our post, but it makes me smile because at the time Andy & I were wondering if we’d made a big mistake with Panama and if we should leave, go home, go back to Nicaragua…what?

It all turned out fine and as it happens, we loved Panama. After the self portrait, we headed out to see the Canal at the Miraflores locks, which was very cool. The Canal is quite a marvel of human engineering. There are three separate locks, but the government is in the process of expanding at least one of the locks and I think I may have heard talk of adding another at a new location.

During our few days in the city there was a constant queue of ships of all sizes waiting to pass through the Canal. During our trip to the Canal Visitors’ Center, there was a giant freighter carrying some sort of explosive hazardous materials from Hong Kong on it’s way through the lock. Inspectors check the ship as it passes through the Canal and emergency personnel could be seen on stand by just in case. It was a little freaky, but surprisingly efficient. It takes about 8 hours for a ship to pass through the series of three locks transiting from the Pacific to Caribbean.

I think the guys in the next photo were Panamanian inspectors…they don’t look terribly busy inspecting, but with 8 hours to pass through the locks, I guess they had lots of time to take a break and wave to onlookers.

The next day we walked around Casco Viejo, or old town, and this next photo is a view of Panama City from Casco Viejo. We were surprised at how many skyscrapers there were in the city. We were told the majority are apartments and many are actually vacant…yet construction continues. It was really hot and humid in the city and thick smog hung in the air. Sunken ships left abandoned complete the scene.

In a slightly different direction from the same perspective…

This next photo is one of those moments you just live for when traveling….

Like the gates of an abandoned heaven…

These were just a few of our photos from the big city. We’ll be posting more tomorrow from our visit to the mountainous regions of Panama. And then some more later in the week from our visit to the coast. And, we’ll wrap up with a slideshow. Thanks for visiting! And as always, please feel free to leave a comment or spread the love. Chris & 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

For the second year in a row, CityVoter and NECN.com have nominated us Cape Cod’s Best Wedding Photographers. Can I get another “Whaaaa Hooooo!!!?”

Winning last year’s title was so exciting for us and truly, truly humbling! The outpouring of love and support we got from our incredible Bello family just blew us away. The things people said about us…..amazing! And it wasn’t just our wonderful couples, or even their families…their friends came out to vote for us too. I mean…Really? It was just the coolest feeling for Andy & me to see that many people care enough and feel strongly enough about us and what we do to take the time to vote!

This year, our competition is quite stiff and we’re a bit behind in the polls, so we’re hoping to inspire a Bello revolution! But, before we do, we’d first like to extend a heart-felt THANK YOU to all of you who have already voted and for those of you who are hearing this for the first time, if you like our work and have had positive experiences with us, we shamelessly ask you to spread the love and cast your vote for Bello!

To check out the contest, click the A-List link and once on the site, hit the yellow VOTE button underneath Bello Photography. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on the results. Voting ends on Sunday (August 9th), so please spread the word!

THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!! It doesn’t quite seem enough those two simple words, but they are packed with more feeling that you can know.

With love & hugs, Chris & Andy xo

So, we went out to our mailbox the other day, and inside waiting for us was the latest issue of Boston Magazine’s Elegant Weddings. And, what to our wondering eyes lay inside the Real Weddings section, but the fabulous wedding of Cape Cod cuties Emily & Larry.

We photographed Emily & Larry’s super fun wedding last September. It was the perfect mix of casual elegance and oodles of love. Emily & Larry said, “I do” at their favorite local eatery, Clancy’s Fish n’ Chips, in Dennis. One of our favorite elements of their special day was the raffle they put together, giving away some of their favorite things, including tickets to the Red Sox. The best part was that the winners got to enjoy the activities they won with Emily & Larry. So fun!

Their sweet wedding apparently struck a chord with the magazine’s editors too. We were contacted by Editor Donna Garlough back in April, after she spotted the blog post we did on Emily & Larry’s wedding. We were of course excited to have our work featured, but we were more excited for Emily & Larry. They worked really hard putting all of the special details in place that really made their wedding unique. We were just so happy that they were going to get a little attention for all of their efforts! Plus, it’s sweet that Boston gets a sneak peek into the their very special love!

The cover…Sweet right!

Photos by Bello…yipeee!

The feature:

Big thanks to Donna and the talented crew at Elegant Weddings for choosing Emily & Larry’s wedding to highlight. (The article, written by Mia Gant, is fun & playful and definitely worth a read if you want to pick up a copy of the magazine.) And, a very special thank you to Emily & Larry for sharing their love in such a generous way! You guys rock!!! xoxo Chris & Andy

A brand new magazine hit newstands here on the Cape a couple of weeks ago. Well Wed, a boutique weddings magazine with issues in Vermont, New York, the Hamptons, and now, for the first time, Cape Cod & the Islands, is a great looking little wedding mag, with oodles of style and fabulous resources for couples looking to say, “I do.”

We were so excited last fall when we heard that they wanted to feature one of our weddings in their debut issue. We sent a few photos, expecting it would be a page or two, but when the magazine arrived in our mailbox yesterday, we were so stoked to see a few editorial images scattered throughout, AND a six-page spread featuring images and an interview with our very hip New York couple, Mollie & Ben, who got married this past summer at the uber elegant Wequassett Inn in Chatham. Mollie & Ben are such an awesome couple, we were so excited for them to have their wedding highlighted in such a cool way!!

Here’s a look at the new magazine and Mollie & Ben’s feature:

Mollie & Ben….pretty in pink!

details, details…

It was really nice to see the props they gave us by listing us as “Featured Professionals” We had a really positive experience working with the wonderful folks at Well Wed when we submitted our images and look forward to a long and mutually-beneficial working relationship with them.

We’d like to give a special thanks and shout out to Alison & Caroline at WellWed! You rock ladies!!! Thanks for all of your support and the awesome exposure!! Christine & Andy

You can pick up a copy of this first issue at Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores or on Well Wed’s websiste www.wellwed.com.

On Monday night, we walked through the ballroom doors at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence for Southern New England Wedding’s annual magazine launch party expecing to have a fabulous time. And we did. But, what we didn’t expect was that one of our images would be this year’s cover shot. Oh yeah….that’s right…I’m sort of a cover girl! The image is one we took at the fabulous backyard wedding of Andrea & Will.

This has really been such an incredible year for Andy & me, between being voted Best Photographers on Cape Cod, finishing our new studio space (more news on that to follow in the New Year) and now a cover page….not to mention a four-page feature in the magazine. It’s all just so crazy.

Since starting Bello five years ago, we’ve been working really hard, pouring our whole hearts and souls into making the experience with us a positive one for our clients. The outpouring of love and support we get from these special people tells us that our efforts aren’t going unnoticed. But, still….a magazine cover? It’s pretty sweet! And we wanted to share the good news with you! Check us out…

The magazine hits newsstands next month. If you’d like an early copy, we’re happy to share our stash!

Can I get a, “Whaaoooooooo!?” The results are in from the Cape Cod 2008 A-List survey and we came out on top, being named the Best Photographers on the Cape & Islands. You can see the results by clicking the following link: A List Results

* Funny side note…they list the category as Best Photographers in Cape Cod and the Islands….this sounds kind of snobby, but when you live on the Cape or come here often…it’s “on the Cape” not in Cape Cod…that just sounds so funny to me! Anyway…here’s the announcement that ran on the A-List website this morning. Unfortunately, it didn’t say anything about a swanky party…I think we may have been duped!

As flattering as it is to have won, what has really been humbling to us have been all of the amazingly supportive and generous comments we received during the voting period. Our Bello Family is a tight group and we feel TRULY blessed to be surrounded by such loving people! Indulge us as we share a few comments with you:

mbodi: “Christine and Andy take beautiful photos, but more importantly, they capture precious moments between two people that I’ve never seen shot through a lens before. To say they’re the best photographers on the Cape is an understatement. And aside from the fact that they are extremely talented photographers, they are warm, funny, and never make their clients feel like they’re working with a wedding vendor. They become close friends, because they’re just that awesome. You couldn’t ask for anything more!”

wendy17: “Christine and Andy are a pleasure to deal with, consummate professionals, with artistic souls. They have captured the essence of the relationship between my daughter and future son in law in stunning engagement photos that we will always treasure. I can’t wait for the weddidng - I only wish they had been around for my wedding 29 years ago!”

islandgrrl: “Bello photographed my brother’s wedding. One word…stunning. We still keep in touch with Bello…they are different. They are not just photographers, they become your friends. I love them!!!!”

si_foxcroft: “Christine and Andy did an amazing job as our photographers. You soon realise that as well as being two of the most talented people you’re likely to ever meet they’re also two of the nicest. We couldn’t have been happier to have them be a part of our wedding day…….. 5 stars doesn’t even come close. “

pndongan: “First off I must agree with every review so far and more importantly - 5 Stars does not even come close, “Amazing”, lets try 6 Stars and “Perfection”, now that is more like it. Christine and Andy made our Wedding memories last forever. They make the perfect couple that takes the best photographs but more importantly they become your friends as well as show each couple what a great marriage is all about. Bello photography is a professional operation that understands what makes a great photo. For every future occasion - Andy and Christine will be the first call we make.”

srevotskie: “I would give the gang at Bello ten stars if I could! Aside from taking absolutely breathtaking pictures, (I admit I’ve cried simply by looking at some of their shots!) Christine and Andy are extremely warm and welcoming. Even through a simple e-mail to confirm a date or time they make you feel valued and connected to their lives. They truly have a passion for what they do and it shows. I couldn’t imagine working with anyone else :)”

Seriously….could we be more blessed? I admit, I think I’ve read all of the comments at least a dozen times during the past month. Whenever I was feeling overwhelmed or bogged down by work, I’d just go to the site and read those comments and be reminded of why we do what we do. Knowing that our work touches people in that way….there are no words! Well, maybe two…. THANK YOU!!!!

THANK YOU to everyone who voted. The award is really yours and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!

With big love, Chris & Andy xoxoxo