My Vermont Wedding Photographer

Erika and Charley's Awesome Reception Ambience

One of the things that couples work the hardest to create, is the ambience of their wedding reception. We had the pleasure of documenting Erika and Charley's awesome reception ambience tonight at the Edson Hill Manor in Stowe, Vermont.

Among the elements which made their reception ambience so special were the little black hurricane lamps hung from colorful ribbons above the stone wall along the edge of the dance floor.

Ironically, the weather forecast had called for scary thunderstorms and even hail, but the ceremony was held out doors in gloriously warm, classic summer weather. Even the cocktail party and group portraits were staged outdoors, although gathering clouds foreshadowed a light rain which began the second we wrapped up the staged photos. Shortly after the reception began, under the big tent on the patio, a straight-line wind rattled the rigging and a massive lightning show and downpour followed. The power went out during dinner, and we all ate by candlelight!

Luckily the power came back just in time for the band to play several sets of great dance music! Live music was provided by Shakedown, a six piece band based in Burlington, Vermont. The band had a really cool stand of lights placed on the side of the dance floor which provided some disco effects and a spotlight for dramatic effects.

We feel that when photographing a reception it is important to first "do no harm" to the often dark and romantic atmosphere. Some photographers will actually bring studio lights, set them up in the corners and light up the room with a wireless remote every time they take a photo. Still others will go ahead and turn up the room lights, just so they can take their pictures. We flat refuse to do either of these. Why? Simply because it impairs the atmosphere the bride and groom worked so hard to create. What we do is to shoot with the fastest glass that money can buy. We have several lenses in the f1.2 and f1.4 range and we shoot with full frame Canon CMOS sensors with remarkable low-light sensitivity, allowing us to shoot at 1600 and even 3200 ISO. Take a look at the shots below, all taken in the existing light, none with the assistance of flash or studio strobes.

Shakedown: perhaps the most versatile wedding band we have seen!

Shakedown, the band that played at Erika and Charley's wedding at Edson Hill Manor, was perhaps the most versatile wedding band we have seen. It seemed as if every member of the six piece band had their own personal stash of favorite songs, and through the night they covered everything from classic rock to rap to jazz standards.

Click here to audition the band online!

Susannah Magee - Lead Vocals, Percussion
San Gordon - Guitar, Vocals
Brian Crogan - Drums
Allison "Allie" Frazier - Alto, Baritone Saxophones, Vocals
Brian "Keys" Crosby - Keyboard, Guitar, Vocals
Scott McGrath - Bass Guitar, Vocals

Leisa & Matt's Engagement Portrait Session

Like most of our clients, we had never met Leisa and Matt, at least not prior to their engagement portrait session, anyway. That's because 95% of our clients are from out-of-state. They book us without meeting us, based on what they see of our work and our approach, on our website.

Because photographing a wedding is such a personal thing, we always include an engagement portrait session in our commissions. And so it was that we finally met up with Leisa and Matt today in Stowe, Vermont.

We spent the better part of a couple of hours with them, ending up on the deck at Gracie's Restaurant for a richly deserved pint of Vermont micro-brewed beer (Magic Hat, Long Trail, Otter Creek).

Now that we're acquainted, photographing Leisa & Matt's wedding at The Mountain Top Inn & Resort next month will be that much more intimate and familiar for all of us!

Nicole & John's Special Rendezvous

Wedding days are often a form of controlled chaos. Even the best planned events often take on a life on their own, and we have learned to go with the flow. All too often time is in short supply. One trend that a few of our couples have embraced is to see each other, before the ceremony. While traditionalists may think this is something they would never do, progressive minded couples are taking charge of one of the most special moments of a wedding day, and putting their own stamp on it.

So it was with Nicole and John, who were married today at the Echo lake Inn in Tyson, Vermont. They had already done an engagement portrait session with us last fall in Stowe, Vermont and were very comfortable with this concept.

John and I arrived a few minutes early at a stunning overlook of Echo Lake which of course was on private property. Luckily the owner was gracious enough to grant us permission for such a special occasion. Nicole and Veronique arrived a few minutes (actually, more like 20 minutes) later. While John waited down by the water's edge, Nicole made her way down to him. Check out the photos below for the whole story...