Real love can’t be scripted. It can’t be posed, forced or shaped into something you want it to be. Real love just is. And, when you find a couple who has it and who is excited to share it….well, it makes for some beautiful imagery.

Over the years, Andy & I have met a lot of couples and each of them holds a special place in our hearts. But, every now and then, a couple enters our world and changes it, leaving an indelible mark and causing a shift in our work…making us grow and be better versions of ourselves. Julia & John are such a couple.

Right from our first meeting with them, Julia & John stood out. I remember during the meeting, Julia seemed super excited about the possibility of working with us, which, I admit…we love!! John was warm and wonderful too, but I’m not sure he thought much about photography, admitting that he just wanted to make Julia happy.

That’s kind of how it is with them. Julia is super sweet…the kind of sweet that makes you want to put her in your pocket and carry her around with you. And, John….well, John, fawns over Julia with a mix of complete adoration and a protectiveness that just melts the heart.

These sweethearts first met at work nearly 6 years ago. Julia was the receptionist for the floor and John had come in for an interview. Not only did he get the job, he also got the girl!

Watching them together is such a treat…as an observer and most especially as a photographer. Every now and then a look comes over John’s face that says, “How did I get so lucky?” as if he doesn’t realize what a good catch he is. And, at the same time, Julia looks back at him with such love and gratitude in her eyes….as if he saved her. It is such a beautiful thing.

I think the thing that has really made us take notice of Julia & John is that they let all of this show during our engagement session with them a couple of weeks ago. There was no holding back. They put it all out there for the world to see and for us to photograph.

Often times with our couples, it takes a little while for all of us to get comfortable and settle in to the session. But, with Julia & John, right from the first press of the shutter it was like hitting a home run. They immediately let us see who they are and how much they love being together. All we had to do was sit back and enjoy the show.

Here are a few of our favorite moments from our time together (and there were many favorites…it was hard just picking a few!)

We started at a place that is very special to Julia & John. Although they live in NYC, the Cape is a place they visit often and with every visit there is always dinner at the Impudent Oyster.

Cozying up to the bar for a cocktail…

A little walk along Main Street in Chatham. I just love this next shot. Julia looks so utterly content and John is walking on air!

Come on….does it get much cuter than this? John’s red bracelet matched the scenery perfectly. He wears that in honor of his father, who sadly passed away almost 7 years ago after battling ALS. Julia also lost her dad 4 years ago, and during that horrible time, John was her rock. We just love these two and have no doubt their dads are looking down, so happy that their babies found each other.

Swoon….

And, can we talk about Julia’s crazy sexy Jimmy Choos? Of course it helps that she totally knows how to work her equally sexy body.

This next one, for me, is everything that is beautiful about love, wrapped in joy and tied with a bow of deliciousness that makes my heart melt!

Julia & John laugh a lot together and when she laughs, Julia crinkles her nose in the sweetest way….utterly delightful!

This next little series makes my heart smile big!!

There is NO better place than in the arms of the one you love!!! No better place!!!

The look of love….

We ran back to their hotel for a quick pit stop and took a minute to grab this portrait of John. As we moved one of the hanging ferns, we discovered this little love nest.

love, laughter, smiles and oodles of fun…

Can someone grab a hose? I think I see smoke!!!! Hot, hot, hot!!

I’m pretty sure I said something along those lines while Andy was busy taking that crazy fabulous photo, and this next one is the reaction…

You light up my life…

This next one feels like they ought to be walking right off the pages of some fashion magazine!!! Love it!!! Julia put a lot of thought into what they would wear, even having her hair & make up done for the shoot, and it all came together perfectly!!

Yowza…

More yowza…

Be still my heart!!!

Love the anticipation that builds in this moment right before the kiss….

{heart}

{heart} melting.

{heart} stops for just a second! LOVE!!!

One of the things that was so fun about photographing Julia & John is that as quickly as they could fall into an amazing moment of utter contentment and beauty, they were also having a lot of fun, and the whole process was soooo enjoyable to photograph!

Contender for favorite of the day!!!

Where you lead, I will follow….

A perfect ending to a perfect afternoon of love!

John & Julia….what can we say? You guys are amazing. Your love is beautiful and being around you is an absolute delight! Photographing you was everything that makes us love what we do! Thank you both for inviting us to share this special time in your lives with us, but most especially for letting us see what you two have together and for sharing it with us in such a beautiful way. We adore you two and can’t wait to see you again in September when you say, “I do!” Big love & hugs, Chris & Andy xoxo

We first met Desiree, the little powerhouse behind Desiree Spinner Events, in February of last year. She was in the process of launching her new event planning business here on the Cape and had asked us to shoot some detail photos for her website. I love me some pretty things, so I was all too happy to oblige. We had a blast and got some great photos for her site. Click HERE, HERE, and HERE for a sneak peek.

Then, last spring, she came to us again to shoot some headshots for her. Now, this was especially fun as she joined forces with the equally talented Jillian Clark of 100 Layer Cake to style the shoot. Talk about some delicious eye candy. Click HERE and HERE for a look at all the fun.

Getting to work with Desiree has been such a pleasure. Aside from being a super sweet, extremely kind, funny beautiful person and a dear friend she is also one of the most passionate, hard-working, detail-oriented people we’ve ever met. And, her business is already receiving accolades from wedding professionals nationwide.

So, when Desiree reached out to us again to photograph her Grammy’s 80th birthday celebration, we were super excited and truly humbled. She has worked with some well known photographers from all over the country and to know she trusted us with such an important family event was so cool!

The afternoon party took place at Nauticus Marina in Osterville. It was a picture perfect June day, with bright sun, blue skies and folks ready to celebrate.

Desiree loves details, so here are some of our favorites from the day…

These gorgeous letterpress invitation made by Ceci New York were boldly sized at approximately 8″x10″ and featured custom-designed artwork on the back of the invite and inside the envelope. They were stunning!

The spectacular sailcloth tent was by Sperry Tents. Swanky leather sofas & chairs placed on both sides of the stage provided a nice spot to lounge for folks who wanted to take a break from dancing. The furniture was from Rentals Unlimited.

The color scheme featured greens and whites with flowers by Stoneblossom Floral & Event Design.

Following dinner, coffee & tea were served in these super cute antique tea cups, supplied by Be Our Guest. Each one was different. So fun!

Desiree greets her Grammy, Joyce, with a big birthday hug….

…while the ridiculously talented musicians from the NY-based Carte Blanche created an atmosphere that took guests back to the 1920s. They were phenomenal!

Joyce gets more birthday greetings as friends arrive.

Casual Gourmet provided the catering as guests sampled sea-side favorites and took in the incredible water views.

Members of Carte Blanche chill out before their set…

Family & friends enjoying cocktail hour…

Mmmmmm good.

Friends of Joyce’s…

Joyce poses for a photo with her great-grandson, Luke. Too cute!

And here is Joyce with her 6 children…Happy Birthday Mom!

Let the party begin…

Desiree gave a very warm and heart-felt welcome toast to her Grammy. Love Joyce’s face as she listens. So sweet!

Casual Gourmet servers get ready to bring out dinner to guests….filet mignon and lobster tail….Deeelicious!

Dancing & drinking on a summer’s afternoon….priceless!

We set up a photo lounge for the party. This was the first time we’ve ever done this and we wanted it to be special for Desiree, so we made these vintage-inspired mustache’s and brightly colored lips, along with some signs and other props to help guests have a little fun with it.

Desiree and her hubby, Craig, and their son, Luke were the first to give the booth a go…Yippeee!!!

And, of course, Desiree had to have a photo taken with Grammy!

A birthday party wouldn’t be complete without cake…

Craig & Luke horse around in the late afternoon sun…

Sunset over Nauticus.

You may have seen my new facebook profile picture. Click HERE for a look. Andy had me go jump up on the wall to test the light so he could grab this next fabulous shot of Desiree & Craig. Way to work it, you two!

Party on down…

Pretzels anyone? nothing like a warm, salt-covered pretzel to wrap up a fabulous afternoon.

Except maybe a conga line, led by the Lady of the hour and her great-grandson!

Thank you Desiree for trusting us to document your Grammy’s 80th birthday party. We had an absolute blast! The amazing details you put together were a photographer’s delight! You are so talented and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing your family with us! We hope these photos serve as wonderful reminders of the blessings of family for many happy years to come! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

When we first meet Bridget & Brian in the winter of 2007 we instantly liked them. They are sweet, kind, fun, happy, warm people and we would have loved to have been able to photograph their wedding. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. But, we kept in touch with them over the years and were so excited for them when we heard they were expecting their first child.

As wedding photographers, our work is very much centered around relationships, both the relationships between our couples and also the relationships we build with them. Obviously, we love photography and we’re always striving to find new ways to take beautiful pictures, to push ourselves and open our eyes to new ways of seeing the world.

But, the real joy in our work is watching the way love plays out between our couples, and even more exciting is seeing how that love manifests in the beautiful children they create. It’s like having a front row seat to the circle of life. How cool is that?

I was so grateful to get to photograph Ella in her first few weeks of life. (Andy & I tend to step on each others’ toes in these smaller sessions, so I tackled the mission solo.) With Ella being just a few weeks old, we wanted to keep things easy for her and for her mom & dad, so I drove up to Boston to photograph her in the comfort of her home. Bryan was sweet enough to come home on his lunch break to participate in the session and I also had some time with just Bridget & Ella for a little mommy & daughter bonding.

Babies are unpredictable and Ella provided us with a few giggle-inducing surprises, but all-in-all it was an absolutely incredible afternoon. Watching Bridget & Bryan together with Ella was such a treat. That is one lucky little girl to have been born into so much love!

It sounds kind of strange to say, but when we get to photograph people like Bridget, Bryan and Ella and they trust us enough to let their guard down and share with us the intimacy of their new family, our lives are enriched in ways I never expected. We leave pieces of ourselves in the photographs we take and they share pieces of themselves with us in the moments the share with us. It is a truly beautiful exchange. We’ve saved some of the more personal photos for just Bridget & Bryan, but here are a few of our favorites that we know they won’t mind sharing…

Getting Ella naked even on a warm day (newborns like it really toasty) and putting her in a salad bowl before she woke up was tricky. She’s a wriggler and didn’t give us much time, but just enough to get this precious picture…

Bridget & Bryan’s first baby….the beautiful Neala!

Ella snuggles up with Bryan. I’d say she’s definitely a Daddy’s girl…look at that smile!

And a little snuggle time with her beautiful momma….I absolutely LOVE the photo on the far right. I love the look of absolute devotion in Bridget’s face and the total trust & comfort on Ella’s. Love the way Ella is holding on too. Precious!

Love is….this! And, can we talk about Ella’s full belly? Yummmmmmmmy!

A family embrace…

baby bits…

Ella’s grandpa is a podiatrist, so Papa, this one is for you!

I nearly exploded with giddy delight capturing this next moment…

Unfortunately for Brian, Ella had a little explosion of her own right before this next shot was taken, which is why Bryan is smiling so big. But, I just love both of their faces…Bryan’s acquiescence and Ella’s relief.

Another shot for Papa….family feet.

This next photo makes my heart smile so big. I think Bridget looks absolutely radiant and so beautifully epitomizes everything wonderful that makes mothers, “Mommy.”

Sleepy Ella Bella woke up for a bit just as we were finishing up. Thank you Ella for being such a good sport and for handling your first modeling session like a champ!

Bridget & Bryan, thank you both for sharing Ella with me and for letting me see the special relationship you both share with her. She is a gorgeous little girl…no surprises there….and I absolutely LOVED photographing her with each of you! You guys are such natural parents and the way you love her is a beautiful thing! Special props to you Bryan for keeping it together when Ella “let go.” And, a very special thank you from both Andy & me for the incredibly generous gift basket. We’re still enjoying the goodies! Big love & hugs, Christine xoxo

Andy & I had been looking forward to Heather & Jesse’s May 29th Wequassett wedding with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Although we have been at this for nearly 9 years, photographing almost 200 weddings, we still get butterflies before each one. This is party because we take what we do very seriously and know there are no do-overs when it comes to weddings. But, more importantly, we want the photos we capture for our clients to be true reflections of who they are and of the unique love they share, both with each other and with the people with whom they choose to celebrate such an important day.

This is not always an easy task as weddings present many challenges. There is, however, excitement to be found in facing life’s challenges head on, and so, we do….with love in our hearts and butterflies in our stomachs.

The nervousness I felt before Heather & Jesse’s big day, however, was a little different. Although the regular nerves were there, I was also a little on edge for them, because I knew the day would be somewhat bittersweet.

When Heather & Jesse first contacted Andy & me about photographing their wedding, they kindly told us that while they loved our work, we were unfortunately beyond their budget. Although disappointed, we understood. Then, several months later, in November, we unexpectedly heard back from them. Heather told us that her brother died tragically the month before and while trying to find photos for his memorial service, she realized how important photos were to her, particularly after already having lost her mom in the 9-11 tower attacks. So, she told us, they would find a way to make the budget work.

I can’t really explain what it feels like hearing someone tell you in a moment of profound sadness that they are entrusting YOU to preserve that which is most precious to them. It is flattering in the most humbling kind of way. I won’t lie, it’s also a little intimidating.

Andy & I already put ridiculously high expectations on ourselves, leaving pieces of ourselves in everything we do.  A mathematician will tell you it is not possible to give 110%. The best you can ever do is to give 100%, but somehow, we wanted to push it further for Heather & Jesse.

Happily, the day was more sweet than bitter, save a few tears during the ceremony (including my own), and Heather & Jesse got the amazing wedding day they so deserved. The weather was perfect. Heather & Jesse were beyond radiant and their friends & family embraced them with a tender joyfulness that surely had Heather’s mom & brother smiling down with full hearts.

Weddings are a celebration of new beginnings and we hope these photos serve as a warm reflection of the love and happiness we and all of their friends & family wish for Heather & Jesse.  There really were so many wonderful moments that peppered their day it was hard to pick just a few, but we hope, Heather & Jesse, that you enjoy this teaser for now…

Beautiful Heather….She is wearing her mom’s veil, which matched her dress perfectly! LOVE!

Heather gets an unprompted group hug from her besties….Swoon!

Heading to see Jesse before the ceremony….

Jesse’s super sweet and slightly mischievous brother, Tyler, works on his Best Man speech…which was wonderful…funny, sweet and heartfelt.

Jesse shares a toast with his mates…

Lost in thought moments before his big reveal with Heather…

Heather’s girls look on and she walks to see Jesse for the big reveal…

Love is…..this!

Are they adorable or what? And, how about Charlie, their sweet pooch.

I absolutely love the expression of love and adoration on Jesse’s face in this next one….swoon!!!

Charlie, ring bearer extraordinaire!

Heather waves to friends as she gets walked to the aisle by her lovely dad, Fred. We love Fred!

Looooove this next photo of Jesse watching Heather walk toward him. Even though he’d already seen Heather before the ceremony while we did the family photos, he’s still moved to tears at the sight of her.

A tender touch…

The look of love…

The support of family & friends…

This next photo was taken as their minister stumbled on her words and mixed up who was the husband and who was the wife in the vows. It was a much-needed moment of comic relief.

The kiss that sealed the deal! What I love about this photo is the look on Heather’s Grandma’s face to the right…she is Heather’s mom’s mom and I spoke with her a bit and it was obvious that as happy as she was for Heather & Jesse, she was missing her daughter & grandson that day. So, I loved seeing this unbridled moment of sheer joy!

These vacationing cuties were curious about our couple and excited to show us the critters they had caught. Too cute!

A kiss, Charlie style! Mmmmmm, good!

Everything about Heather is graceful…even her walk.

Cheers!

Because we did most of their family photos before the ceremony, we had lots of time to get some great candid moments during cocktail hour, which we LOVE having the time to do as we get some great people pictures like these….The shot on the right is of Jesse’s handsome papa, Dapper Dan.

Beautiful spring flowers courtesy of the talented Meredith Fancy of Fancy Flowers.

The hydrangea-inspired cake by Montillio’s Bakery was super cute…

Tyler makes his grand entrance…

Heather & Jesse, thank you so much for putting your trust in us and for sharing so much of yourselves with us. We had a blast photographing you two the first time at our Boston love session. (Click HERE for a sneak peek.) And, your wedding was a day we will not soon forget! You have wonderful families & incredibly warm friends, which is not surprising given who you both are. We adore you and we loved documenting the start to this new chapter in your lives.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We hope we did you proud! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

Our very dear friend, Aiden, is a therapist who works with young people struggling with eating disorders and body image issues. With three young girls of her own, helping young women feel good about themselves and comfortable in their bodies is very important to Aiden. So, when she asked us if we’d be willing to photograph the annual MEDA (Multiservice Eating Disorders Association) dinner auction she had organized, we were more than happy to oblige. But, we wanted to do more, so we also donated a family portrait session.

A couple of weeks ago, we met the generous family who bid on and won our session. I have to admit, it was a little nerve-wracking wondering if anyone would bid on our session.

Teri, the matriarch of the family, had attended the auction to support her friend, Beth, MEDA’s director. Beth is also Aiden’s coworker and mentor, and she was being honored that night for her years of selfless service and dedication to MEDA’s mission.

As a point of reference, here’s one of my favorite photos from the MEDA event…it’s a shot of Beth heading to the podium after several colleagues and former clients spoke about all Beth had done for them. The love in the room that night was a beautiful thing. Beth looked a little embarrassed at all of the attention…so sweet.

What a wonderful thing to work hard at something you believe in, and equally wonderful is the acknowledgement that your work changes people’s lives. Yay for Beth Mayer!

It took a while to finally get to meet Teri & her family, and when the date had finally been set, Mother Nature wasn’t in a particularly springy mood. Although we had some warm days in April, the day of the session was unseasonably chilly. But, the family rallied and together we had a fun, albeit windy, evening at the beach. Here are a few of our favorite moments from our time together…

The gang….Nikki, Alyssa, Bruce, Teri & Shira.

Shira pulls a funny face and Alyssa reacts…

Coming from a family of 3 girls myself, I just love photographing sisters together. I wish I had more pictures of me & my sisters.

Strike a pose…there’s nothing to it…vogue…

Loooove this next shot. Just a candid moment as the family walks to another area of the beach. So moody!

Daddy’s girls…

Love is…Sisters. Although they can at times be your harshest critics and a source of great angst, they are also built in best friends!

I’m not exactly sure what this funny walk was all about, but it made for some great expressions!

Beautiful girls…

We couldn’t end the session without a group hug and a moment alone for Teri & Bruce…

Thank you all for taking time out of your very busy schedules to come “chill” (quite literally) with us at the beach! Thank you too for your generous donation to MEDA and bidding on us! You have a wonderful family and we hope these photos serve as happy reminders of precious times together for many years to come! With hugs & warmest wishes, Christine & Andy