Nearly two years ago, we photographed MaryHelen & Kurt’s AHH-MAZING Hyannisport Club wedding. It had all of the ingredients for the perfect day….great weather, delicious food, gorgeous details, the company of close friends & family….and most importantly oodles of love & laughter.

So, when MaryHelen’s mom, Helen, called us to say her three children were coming home and could we stop by and take some photos of the kids & grandkids, we were thrilled to get to see everyone again. MaryHelen is the youngest of three. She & Kurt live in Rhode Island, and her brother, Andrew, lives in California with his wife & son, and her sister, JoHannah, lives in New Hampshire, with her husband and three kids.

Unfortunately, none of the spouses were able to join us for the session, but we had a great afternoon reuniting. In fact, a little too good of a time, as the kids seemed more interested in playing with us than having their photos taken. Still, we were able to get them in front of our cameras for a few sweet portraits. Then, we just sat back and documented the family playing & interacting together. Here are a few of our favorite moments from the day…

Meet sweet Katherine. She is the oldest of JoHannah’s lovely children.

Thomas is next in line and is the biggest baseball fan I’ve ever met. He was wowing us with his impressive memory for important statistics…

And, fun-loving Matthew, the youngest of the three and Andy’s new playmate.

And, we can’t forget Emmett, Andrew’s very sweet son.

Pig pile on daddy…

I love this next one and how all three of JoHannah’s kids are engrossed in their own entertainment…

Nothing says fun like bubble time…

Emmett’s expression kills me in this next one. Oh, the concentration. Too cute!

And, of course, we can’t forget the newest addition to the family….Moose, MaryHelen & Kurt’s new puppy….that’s right, puppy! Moose is going to be huge!

Grandma Helen gives some special cuddle time to Emmett.

While JoHannah snuggles up on the family dock with her three lovebugs…

Fun time with the cousins…

Love is….good times with your siblings!

Or a little alone time with mommy…

Grown siblings share a giggle…

Lovely Helen and her wonderful children….we adore you guys!

Thank you Helen for inviting us back to your home. It was so great seeing all of you again and catching up. We hope you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed spending the afternoon with you. You have a lovely family and we’re very grateful that you’ve once again entrusted us to document all of you together! Looking forward to seeing you all again! Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

….almost as much as we love Paul & Rachel!

Mondays aren’t typically my favorite day of the week. But, yesterday got a whole lot sweeter when a most unexpected box full of love arrived on our doorstep.

I had gone out to check the mail after a long day in front of the computer. As I walked back from the mailbox, I spotted a small package on the porch. I wondered to myself if Andy was ordering more toys for his guitar…he’s started taking lessons and is quite excited about it, so packages filled with books, picks, a music stand, guitar stand and some other things I don’t know the names of have steadily been showing up on our front porch.

This package, however, wasn’t for him….well, not only him. It was for both of us, and the return address was one I didn’t recognize…Levain Cookies. The packaging tape had LOVE written on it. I immediately liked the look of this!

Like a kid at Christmas, I ran in the house and searched the junk draw for scissors. No luck. So, I grabbed a knife…I mean there were potentially cookies in this package, right? I didn’t want to waste a second. And, here is what I pulled out…

Now, I was dying to know who could have sent this little treasure box, so I checked the postcard…

And here’s what it said, “If your photos were cookies….this is what they’d be. They’re THAT good. Thanks, Rachel & Paul.”

I heard myself say, “Awwww,” outloud after I finished reading the note. We truly do have THE best clients….wonderful couples and families who not only welcome us into their lives with open arms & open hearts, sharing with us one of the most special days in their lives, but they treat us like this and make us fall even deeper in love with this incredible job we have. And, not because the work is glamorous, because it’s really not…we spend way more time in front of our computers than we do behind our cameras. What we love most about our work is getting to meet and document the lives of wonderful people like Rachel & Paul.

Ironically, I’d checked the mail earlier that day because we’d forgotten to get Saturday’s mail. And, Paul & Rachel had already sent an incredibly sweet note that read, ” Christine & Andy, We just wanted to say thank you for the incredible job you did photographing our wedding. We know that you realize how important these memories are to us and to all of your clients, it clearly shows in all of your work. From day one it felt like we were with old friends and we feel so lucky to have found you. We truly appreciate all of the care and attention that went into the beautiful photos you took. We hope our paths cross again and please let us know if you’re in NY. We’d love to say hi. Yours, Paul & Rachel.”

Honestly, the sentiment in that note was more than the thanks we needed. So, to find the cookies later that day was just over-the-top sweet!

Here’s a closer look at just how sweet….

I have to admit, that I took these photos after tearing into the package and checking out the bootie. And soon thereafter…devoured half of the chocolate chip cookie. (Had to share with Andy, it seemed only fair.) Let me just say, however…. if he wasn’t home, I might not have been so generous. It was crazy good!!! I’m talking, Mmmmmm-I-don’t-care-if-this-ends-up-on-my-thighs-pass-me-another-GOOD!

Tomorrow, I have my sights set on that chocolate peanut butter little mound of love!

Are you drooling yet?

Each cookies weighs 6oz….crazy good!!!

Pass the milk….here I come!!

Paul & Rachel, you guys are wonderful! We feel exactly the same as you…that right from the start it felt like you were both old friends. Being there with you at your wedding was so wonderful. I’ll never forget your special dance, dedicated to your dad, Rachel. When those stormy skies opened, the clouds parted and the sun shone through, I lost it. I knew it meant your dad was surely there, smiling down and giving his blessing to both of you and your incredible wedding day. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for allowing us to bear witness to that and thank you too for being as sweet as those crazy good cookies!

Big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo

Our first love session of the new wedding season took us to Boston and the picturesque back streets and alleys of beautiful Beacon Hill, home to high school sweethearts Heather & Jesse.

Right from our initial meeting with them, we immediately liked Heather & Jesse. They are unassuming, kind, gentle people who obviously care very deeply for one another.

I remember during that first meeting, Heather shared with us that she had lost both her mother and her brother. Her brother’s death was very recent and in collecting photos for his memorial service, she realized how important photography was to her. And, she told us, it was why she & Jesse decided to hire us to capture their wedding.

I remember holding back the tears as Heather spoke….tears for Heather’s profound loss and tears of gratitude for the faith Heather & Jesse were placing in Andy & me.

Photography has always been something I have loved…ever since I was a young girl and my dad let me play with his Canon manual film camera. I remember the excitement I would get when he’d let me hold that heavy body and look through the lens. More importantly, I remember the overwhelming feeling I would get when he’d step back and point the camera in my direction…..I felt loved!

Photographs are our way of telling the people we photograph that we care about them…that they are important to us and that the moments we share together are worth remembering. I love that about photography. And when our couples/families open up and share with us personal stories that speak to how important photography is to them, I feel a kind of joy that takes me back to those afternoons when my dad looked at me with love and pride in his eyes and would take my picture.

Although it is easy to see the affection they have for one another, Andy & I hope that Heather & Jesse feel the affection we have for them when they look at these images.  So, without further ado, meet Jesse & Heather…

Heather & Jesse’s apartment is off of this alley…it is such a cute spot and feels a bit like being somewhere in Europe, with all of the exposed brick and streaming ivy. I love it almost as much as I love how these two look when they snuggle…

Hi cuties…

Hummuna hummuna…

Private way, for a private moment (well, private if you don’t count the two photographers stalking the streets with cameras)

Beacon Hill at it’s finest…

You’d never guess from this next shot how uncomfortable these two are sitting on the bumpy cobblestone road…oh how we love our couples and the lengths they’ll go to for us!

I love this next shot and the sheer joy written all over Heather’s gorgeous face as she looks in the eyes of her best friend…

Another fave…

You know I say it all the time, but there really is no better place than right here….in the arms of the one you love!! Ahhhh….

When Jesse smiles it’s hard not to smile right along with him…

A favorite neighborhood flower shop of our happy couple…

As we headed down to the water, we had to take a minute to capture this great little nook…

But our favorite spot of the day had to be here…looove the light and loooove the color….of course it doesn’t hurt having an absolutely adorable, totally-in-love-couple to photograph!

Be still my heart…

Loooooove this one…definitely a contender for favorite of the day…

This one is for you, Heather & Jesse, because we know it will make you giggle….again. Just before this moment was captured, the fancy pants guy in the leather jacket & hat had apparently stopped to take a photo of Andy & me photographing Heather & Jesse…not sure why, but it certainly cracked up our happy couple and that made for this fun photo…Thank you Mr. Fancy Pants!

Quiet moments and the joy they bring…

A great big thank you to Heather & Jesse for spending the afternoon with us and most especially for welcoming us into your lives with such warmth & openness. Although our heart aches for you, Heather, and for your family over the loss of your brother, we cannot begin to tell you how very much it means to us that you & Jesse trust us to document this special time in  your lives. We promise to capture your wedding day with our eyes and our hearts wide open! And we hope that you might find that out of something terrible has come something wonderful. Big love & hugs, Chris & Andy xoxo

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day and out of a deep-rooted love for all things chocolate, Andy & I did some baking this weekend. Okay, I admit, I did the baking, but Andy helped wrap & package so we could send delicious balls of love to some of the special people in our lives. The delicious balls of love were cake pops and this was the first time I’d tried my hand at making them. And, I have to admit, they came out pretty Yummy! Here’s a sneak peek…

After all of the baking & packaging was done, Andy & I curled up on the couch to watch a movie, “P.S.” I Love You,” staring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. What a tear-jerker!!! I cried my face off, while Andy sniffled silently, pretending he wasn’t as equally affected.

Laying there on the couch next to my best friend, with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I couldn’t help but think about love….and all its many forms.

In the beginning, everything is new & exciting. We are the best form of ourselves. Butterflies take temporary residence in our stomach and amazingly, the wonderful person we’ve fallen for can seemingly do no wrong.

Over time, we relax a little, things get more comfortable and the bad habits we pretended we didn’t have start rising to the surface. Yet love remains.

And, with more time, those quirky things about our partner that we thought were endearing in the beginning become downright annoying. We bicker more. We kiss less frequently. There are highs and lows. Yet all of this only serves to make our foundation grow stronger. And through it all love still remains.

Finding the kind of love I have with Andy has been a revelation for me. My parents split up when I was 7 and neither remarried, so I never really had a front row seat to the kind of love that lasts. And, for a long time I wondered if it was real.

Over the years, I have learned that love is indeed real, but like anything worth having, love takes work. It takes time, commitment and a healthy sense of humor. It takes sacrifice and compromise. And, sometimes it means admitting you’re wrong, even if part of you still thinks you are right….although if you ask Andy he’ll say I never do this.

Before I met Andy, I didn’t much like Valentine’s Day. Perhaps because it was a reminder of what I lacked in my life. I see things differently today, although, I still find it a tad sad the way Valentine’s Day has become so commercialized. Let’s face it, love is so much more than taking one day to send flowers or fancy chocolates (insert winking smiley face).

Sometimes though, in the business of daily life, we need a gentle push to remind us to take pause and honor all of the love we have in our life. Valentine’s Day provides that annual reminder…

“Valentine’s Day is NOT for saying ‘I love You. It’s for saying I love us. I love who we are together. How we’ve grown, from our nervous conversations to the ONE we two have become. Valentine’s Day is for taking the time to say, I love us!”…Hallmark Cards TV commercial

So, this morning, Andy & I lingered in bed a little longer. We started the day with a kiss & a cuddle and tonight we’ll enjoy dinner, not in front of the TV, but sitting across from each other, so that we may tell the other how much we love “us.”

Here’s wishing you a day filled with love, reflection, quiet moments of “us”…and lots of creamy, dark chocolate! Happy Valentine’s Day and thank you for all the love!!!

With love from, Chris & Andy xo

2010 was our eighth year photographing weddings. Even seeing that written, it is still hard to believe. So much has happened in what feels like a blink. This has been a whirlwind adventure for us. And, with each passing year, we continue to pour ourselves into everything we do with as much passion & commitment as we have to give.

We started bello with a naive fearlessness that let us believe life would get easier simply by doing what we loved. We quickly learned that there’s so much more to this business than just taking beautiful photographs. And, this year proved somewhat challenging for us. Not the photography part and certainly not the amazing people part. But, 2010 was the year we struggled most with finding balance. Balance between work & life and balance as individuals who are together 24/7.

So, we took some time for us, to indulge our married selves and indulge in the other passion we share – Traveling. We went to Panama. We filled our hearts and nourished our souls. We met some amazing people, documented some amazing sights, and had an AMAZING time.

With our batteries fully recharged, we came back and photographed more incredible weddings featuring some truly inspiring couples. We photographed bello love sessions, special families and a commercial job or two. And, every now and then, we took photographs just for us.

We finally crossed some items off of our 5-year goal list, and then added even more. We e-mailed a lot…I mean a hella lot! And, somehow, along the way, the girl who never liked fish developed a taste for sushi.

2010 was the year we once again attended a wedding as guests. Our dear friend Lou came from the shores of Ireland to the coast of Cape Cod to elope by a lighthouse. She was there with us in Spain when our love first blossomed, and it felt good and right to be there with her when hers took flight.

We got countless cuddles from our beloved niece & nephews and the other special children in our lives and we wondered again if our life would feel complete without little lovebugs of our own.

We got published. More than once. Actually, like 8 times.

We celebrated another wonderful year with my grandfather as he amazingly turned 101. And, with happy hearts, we returned to Andy’s home in England to reunite with family & friends, some of whom we hadn’t seen in six years.

We laughed. We cried. We stressed out when things didn’t go exactly as we’d planned. And, we worked on accepting our imperfections. We spent months finessing our brand and are finally close to launching our new website, blog and client proofing site. Can I get a hallelujah?!

I think it’s safe to say, 2010 was a big year for us…a turning point of sorts. Having reached a level of success we had only dreamed of eight years ago, we were finally able to take stock of our lives and map out a new direction that ensures more balance.

As we head into 2011, we look back with gratitude and look ahead with a renewed sense of hope and excitement for this incredible, passionate, love-filled work we do. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for taking this journey with us. Happy New Year!

In peace & love,

chris & andy xoxo