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

Fame, fortune, fancy cars, and big houses…it’s all just stuff. Stuff we may have one day and not have the next. Family, however is forever. It is where we come from. And, the skills and lessons we are taught by our family help define who we are and who we will become.

When everything else around you is falling apart, family is who you count on. And, no matter how messy life can get….and we saw just how messy this weekend as Hurricane Irene stormed up the East Coast….family is that safe place, where love comes easily and acceptance flows freely.

This is not to say that family is always easy, let’s face it…we’ve all got some crazy in our family closets. But, if you’re lucky, your family, and the time you spend with them, is what makes life worth celebrating!

Being wedding photographers, we see and document the start to new families all the time. Two individuals from different families are drawn together by love and often their love combines to create new life….simultaneously a new family is born and two existing families grow as love multiplies in the most beautiful of ways.

As wonderful as it is for us to get to photograph the start to these new families, it is equally as wonderful when our couples come back to us to photograph their growing families. Such was the case when Jenna & Aaron, whose wedding we photographed back in 2004, recently came back to us to photograph them and their deliciously sweet little boys, Brady & Sam.

Jenna & Aaron have held a special place in our hearts for a long time. They were one of our first wedding couples and a special bond was formed. We’d kept in touch over the years through e-mail, but we hadn’t seen them in a very long time. So, we were super excited when they called to schedule a family session.

Although it felt like a lifetime ago since their wedding, seeing them again, it was as if we never missed a beat. We had such a fun afternoon with them & their boys and are super excited to share with you some of our favorite moments from their family time with us…

Brady gets a smooch from his beautiful momma, while he & his little brother show off their super fly shades.

Aaron and his boys explore the water’s edge…Life really is about these seemingly insignificant moments when we take the time to just be together. It truly doesn’t get any better than that!

A family that plays together, stays together! Love all of their expressions in this full-on moment of fun! And, can we talk for a second about the way sweet Brady is cradling his dad’s head in his hand. Seriously?! Be still my heart!

Family is….everything!

Sweet Brady and his absolutely stunning momma! I don’t know what it is about this photo of Jenna on the right, but I just love it. She is one seriously sexy momma!

Summer afternoons are meant for family time. Love the light in this next one, right down to the way it’s reflecting off the swarm of little bugs in the field. It just screams, “Summer!” to me.

Holding hands is such a simple gesture, yet, there is so much love to be found in this gentle way we connect with the people we care about…sigh…..

Beautiful boys…

I just love this next one. It’s something about Sam’s expression as he races his big brother between the grape vines that gets me. It’s like he’s saying, “This race is mineeeee!” Too darned cute!

And the warmth in this next one….both in the light and in Jenna & Aaron’s expressions as they carry their boys through this field…is just heavenly to me!

As it is in this next one….and can we talk about Mr. Mischievous’s expression for a second?

We headed to the beach for the final moments of sunset and I just love the feeling of complete joy and freedom in this next one of Sam & Brady sitting atop a lifeguard chair. It represents everything that is wonderful about childhood to me…

A little marshy exploration…

I remember going to the beach as a kid with my parents and there was something about getting wet that was just irresistible to me and my sisters. My parents would say, “Don’t go past your ankles, I don’t want you wet for the ride home.” And, as hard as we’d try, inevitably we’d get a little wet, and then a little wetter. And, before we, or they, knew it…we were soaked. I can’t help but thinking of those moments when I see this next photo of Sam, who is giddy with excitement over wading in deeper than he knows he probably should. Lucky for him, his gorgeous parents are a lot more understanding than mine were!

Watching the sun set over the horizon….Ahhhhh, a perfect family moment!

Jenna & Aaron, you two are as beautiful and full of love & joy as you were on the day you said, “I do!” Thank you sooooo much for coming back to us and sharing your beautiful family with us! You have been in our thoughts often over the past 7 years and it was so wonderful to meet Brady & Sam and to spend time with you all! We hope these photos serve as wonderful reminders of how very fortunate you are to have so much love & goodness in your lives. Thank you for sharing that with us and for bringing a little love & goodness to our lives! With lots of love & big hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo PS…We’d like to send a special shout out to Dolly for thinking of us at Christmas time! We miss you Dolly! xoxo

College is a time for learning, exploring interests and sometimes for finding love. Such was the case for Carolyn & Andrew, who met while attending Williams College in beautiful Western Mass.

They were both members of the college crew team, and although Andrew admitted to having feelings for Carolyn for some time, love didn’t float to the surface until Carolyn’s senior year. Andrew was a year older and had already graduated, but came back to Williams for an alumni rowing event.

“I had a crush on Carolyn, but since I didn’t think she was interested, I was able to act like myself around her rather than be nervously trying to impress…and I guess it worked out,” he told us.

It sure did…Carolyn & Andrew said, “I do!” a few weeks ago at the beautiful and historic Highfield Hall in Falmouth. We hadn’t seen the happy couple since their love session last September. Click HERE for a peek at that session.

Carolyn warned us prior to their love session that she really didn’t like being photographed. Happily, they were very excited about the photos we’d captured for them and so we were really looking forward to getting them back in front of our cameras at their wedding.

In the months before the wedding, we’d heard that Carolyn had been working out and getting super fit. Now, we thought she looked pretty fabulous before, but she looked absolutely radiant on her wedding day (If she didn’t live in NY, I’d hire her as my personal trainer so she could whip my butt in shape). More than just shedding a few pounds, Carolyn seemed to have completely shed her inhibitions about being photographed.

While I’d like to think it was because we earned their confidence with the photos we captured for them at their love session, really I think they just got carried away by all of the love and happy energy swirling around. Whatever the reason, Carolyn & Andrew gave us lots of love and goodness to capture and we’re so excited to share some of our favorite images from their picture-perfect day…

Carolyn got ready at her parents’ Falmouth home and I was drooling over the light in her parents’ bedroom…that and her mom’s vintage suitcases, which she’d inherited from her grandmother. They made for the perfect accompaniment to our stunning bride and her equally stunning La Reine dress…

Carolyn’s mom, Joanne, helps Carolyn’s gal pal, also Joanne, tie the bow on her sash, while one of the family pooches seems a little sad about not being included in the day’s festivities. Awww, poor guy!

Some special details…

Love these two photos of Carolyn’s parents each getting ready…Carolyn’s dad, Paul, is known for his signature bow ties.

Carolyn’s uncle had lovingly restored this 1937 Studebaker, and, it is stunning in every detail. He generously offered to let Carolyn & Andrew use it for the day, and he even played the role of chauffeur for the special occasion. Love this moment as Carolyn hops in for the drive to Highfield Hall.

Seriously, I am obsessed with these suitcases. And, can we talk about our happy groom?

Love the light and moodiness in this next one as Andrew watches his mom, Laurie, help put on the boutonniere of Andrew’s best man, Morgan.

Good fellas…

What a joyful greeting Andrew gets from some of his & Carolyn’s friends before the start of the ceremony. LOVE it!

Friends gather…

The joy was seriously contagious!

Carolyn’s dad, Paul, looks proud as punch as he gets ready to walk his baby girl down the aisle.

Love, family, friends + a big old tree = the perfect setting to say, “I do!”

The beaming bride…

Carolyn’s parents and grandparent react to the announcement of the new Mr. & Mrs.

Carolyn’s girls workin’ their sage green Ann Taylor dresses. Lovely!

The look of love…

Dreamy…

After a few photos on the porch, we headed inside to take advantage of Highfield’s crazy beautiful, floor to ceiling antique mirror….be still my heart!

This next one is definitely contender for favorite of the day…I love the way the light is spilling across them, i love the beautiful stained glass window, and i just love the way they are tenderly holding each others hands…love, love love!

Our happy couple…

Fun…

Time for a toast…

It was such a beautiful day…actually one of the hottest days of the summer….so guests were outside a lot. Here’s a fun moment during cocktail hour as some friends get their photo taken by another friend. Real smiles make my heart sing!

Some of the drool-inducing appetizers served by the fabulous Casual Gourmet.

More cocktail hour fun…

Carolyn & her crew team friends do a little rowing re-enactment.

They say life is in the details, and Carolyn & Andrew’s details were beautiful….something tells me that may be a metaphor for their life!

The beautiful floral arrangements were courtesy of the talented Joan Doyle of N. Falmouth.

If ever there was a perfect setting for one of Casual Gourmet’s beautiful wedding cakes, this was surely it!

Get down on it, girl!

Andrew & his mom share a dance, while Carolyn gets a big smooch from her Grandpa following their special dance….having lost my Grandpa recently, and my mom before my own wedding, these moments really tug at my heartstrings!

Carolyn’s too-cool cousins strike a pose….hey now!

Carolyn gets jiggy with her former roommates, one of whom (far right) flew all the way from India for the wedding.

A great big thank you to all of the fabulous vendors who made our jobs not only easy, but super fun. Thank you too to Carolyn & Andrew’s family and friends for welcoming us with open hearts. But, our biggest thanks go to Carolyn & Andrew! Thank you both so much for trusting us to document a day as important as your wedding. Thank you for giving pieces of yourselves to us in every photo. We hope these serve as happy reminders of your incredible wedding day for many, many years to come! With love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

It was the spring of 2006 and Sara, an East Coast girl living in the Windy City, was introduced to Mike, a Mid West native who was rooming with her friend and fellow BC alum.  Following introductions, Mike & Sara would occasionally see each other out at social gatherings with friends. Numbers were exchanged, but it wasn’t until the fall that they had their first official date. And before too long, Sara & Mike were smitten.

“She had a smile that I could not get out of my head,” Mike told us. “Getting Sara to smile quickly became a major motivator for me in life - that had never happened to me before with anybody and that is when I knew I was meant to be with her.”

In the years that followed, Sara experienced some family hardships, and through it all, Mike was there.

“Being in Chicago during those times and away from family was certainly a trying experience,” she told us. “In each of these instances, Mike has been my rock. I have never met anyone that does more to make friends & family alike feel special and loved. Mike is the calm to my storm.”

Next spring, these two lovebirds will say, “I do!” here on picturesque Cape Cod, a place that has always held a special spot in Sara’s heart.

We first met Sara & Mike in April, when they came to talk with us about photographing their wedding. And, like they were soon after their first date, we too, were smitten. There is just such an easiness about them…as individuals and as a couple and we were so excited when they asked us to document their wedding.

I know I’ve said this before, but relationships really are at the cornerstone of everything we do. Our photography is very much about trying to capture that something special couples and families share that make them unique. Equally as important to us is building relationships with our couples and families, because when there is trust and familiarity, getting great photos just gets a whole lot easier. To this end, we include a complimentary love session in all of our album packages. And although we do this more for our benefit than anything, we hope at the end of the session our couples walk away having had a whole lot of fun.

Here are a few of our favorite moments from Sara & Mike’s recent love session in and around some of their favorite spots in Dennis.

I don’t know what it is about this one that I like so much… but I really like it. It just feels very dreamy to me…what do you think?

The look of love…

Sara & Mike ended up wearing the expressions they have in this next photo quite a lot during our session.  Makes my heart smile. While I don’t have too many years experience, I think that being able to laugh together and not take life or yourselves too seriously is definitely an important ingredient in a long, happy marriage.

Is there any greater comfort than being wrapped in the arms of the one you love? I think not!

love, love, love….oh, glorious love!

There she goes again….We love our little Sara and her larger than life smile.

These next photos are for you Midge….Midge is Sara’s mom and she told us about this really nice stretch of landscaping along the edge of property not far from their home. We were all a bit skeptical about taking photos in front of someone’s property, but Sara & Mike agreed to jump on the wall for a quick photo.

This next photo is just after Mike & Sara jumped off the wall and high tailed it out of there….

Next we headed to one of their favorite beaches for some photos before sunset. The light at the beach was sooo sweet…really diffused, which made the beach colors just sing.

Since we were already feeling like rebels….Lifeguards only, you say? I think not…

Hiya cuties…

When I look at this photo, I can’t help but hear Stevie Wonder softly playing in my head, “Isn’t she lovely….”

Love this sequence…

Oh, if only we could bottle Mike & Sara’s contagious laughter and keep on a shelf in the office for those particularly long days of editing when we need some relief…

Mike apparently is very rarely without a baseball hat perched on his head, so he had to get a couple of shots with one of his faves, his Michigan State Spartans cap. I like this fun perspective Andy caught.

This is one of my faves that I captured…Sara & Mike just look so happy and I love all of the stuff going on in the background…the seagull flying and the departing beach goers.

Hey beautiful…

I’m telling you….nothing better than love….love this next one!

If the one with the beach goers in the background isn’t my fave, this one is. Again, it feels dreamy to me…

Sara & Mike thank you so much for making time for us during your brief and busy visit home. It was so great seeing you both again, getting to spend some really wonderful time together, and getting to meet more of your family, Sara. You all have already made us feel so welcomed into your lives and we can’t wait to be there with you when you say, “I do!” next year! Until then, we hope these photos serve as a fun teaser of the good things to come and also as happy reminders of this very exciting time in your lives and the lives of your families. Thank you again for making our jobs so much fun! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo