My Vermont Wedding Photographer

Jordanne & Peter's Wedding Celebration at the Wilburton Inn

What an amazing love story! Two Jewish kids from the east coast meet on the tiny Hawaiian island of Lanai, fall in love and then get married in Vermont! The Wilburton Inn in Manchester provided an old-world ambience, enhanced by boxes and boxes of Hawaiian flowers and leis, and the music of a klezmer band. The weather threatened all day, but the sun broke out as the happy couple danced off towards their reception. The rain began finally much later in the evening, which was fine with all concerned. Georgette and Albert were wonderful hosts! Aloha!

Abby and Chris' Wedding Celebration at the Mountain Top Inn & Resort

Fabulous, sunny, warm weather and a pleasant breeze provided the ambience at the amazing Mountain Top Inn & Resort in Chittenden, Vermont for Abby & Chris' wedding celebration. The groom's father performed the ceremony, drawing on his American Indian roots. He also played a soulful tune on the recorder as the bride was escorted down the aisle by her dad. The reception music was provided by Peak DJ and went smooth as glass, thanks to the hard work of Chelsea Howe, the resort's wedding coordinator.

Melissa and Stuart's Wedding at the Old Round Church and Trapp Family Lodge

What a wonderful day! Lots of folks from North Carolina and a great showing from right here in northern Vermont as two families joined together to celebrate a very special union. Melissa was radiant and in his own way Stuart was too! Flowers were provided by Wildflower Designs in Stowe. Music was provided by Peak DJ. Trapp's wedding coordinator Robyn Hark choreographed a flawless day, complete with a reception slideshow of snaps from yesteryear.

Katherine and Tom's Elopement and Portrait Session

Every now and then we have the great honor and privilege of being the only people in attendance at a wedding. In the old days these were called elopements, a term which implied a sense of escape, adventure and perhaps breaking the rules.

Nowadays there are many other reasons for two people in love to tie the knot in a very private and personal way. Whatever their reasons, these couples provide us, as photographers, with a delightful prospect: unfettered access and total freedom to make images that we can compose and refine with almost no time constraints.

Katherine and Tom were married in a "Country Wedding" at the Green Mountain Inn today by Mitzi Spears, one of our favorite Stowe Justices of the Peace. We had time both before and after the brief ceremony to play photographically with our subjects and we are delighted with the results. A special bonus was that the bride loves black and white photography, and so below you will find 20 of our favorites in classic B&W.

Because we shoot digitally, the original image is captured in RGB color, and we can convert it to B&W in an infinite variety of blends, perhaps emphasizing the yellows and downplaying the reds, and this in turn can lift the shadows, suppress the highlights, make the background go away, it's truly magical in the digital darkroom!

Samantha and Richard's Wedding Day Celebration

One might assume that a wedding held on a Monday in the month of March in Vermont might be a small and rather modest affair, but nothing could be farther from the truth about the wedding of Samantha and Richard! They treated themselves to a weeklong overseas snowboarding holiday, coming with their families and friends all the way from England for a warm, glowing celebration fit for a princess!

The Green Mountain Inn's newly redone Village Room provided abundant natural light, and a real sense of elegance, as well as a wonderful sense of privacy, for their wedding ceremony and reception.

Hilary & Mark's Winter Wedding in Woodstock, Vermont

Many people think of weddings as a summer thing, but Hilary and Mark's winter wedding in Woodstock, Vermont today was anything but summerlike with temps in the 20s and a brisk northwesterly breeze making it feel like the single digits outside.

But winter weddings have their plusses, like the special ambience of snow, candles, christmas tree lights, wood fires, and the refreshing, if bracing air. No humidity or thunderstorms either!

The ceremony was held at the St. James Episcopal Church a few blocks away. The bride and her maids were conveyed to the ceremony by a lovely horse-drawn carriage, which also brought the newly married couple back to the historic and spacious Woodstock Inn & Resort for the reception where Rebecca, Megan and Kathleen made sure that everything was perfect for the happy couple and their family and guests. Music was provided by our friend John Bauer of Peak DJ.

The groom is a professional firefighter in Bedford, Massachussetts and was honored by a dozen or so of his co-workers who surprised him with a formal salute as he left the church with his bride.

Erin and Eugene's Wedding Celebration

Early November in Vermont can bring a blizzard or a late blast of Indian summer, and depending on the winds, foliage can linger awhile longer than usual as well. Today was cloudy and cool, with temps in the 40s and calm winds, so it was a great day to be outside, if only for a wedding ceremony!

Erin and Eugene travelled all the way from Las Vegas for their destination wedding at the truly spectacular Lilac Inn in Brandon. What a place for a celebration! Originally built as a summer home for the wealthy class to frolic in, it is set up perfectly for entertaining, with great staircases, both indoors and out, and stunning gardens to boot!

The show was very nearly stolen by the ring-bearer whose presence was felt everywhere from the getting ready to the dance floor!

Melissa and Michael's Wedding Celebration

Veronique and I had the honor of documenting the wonderful wedding celebration of Melissa and Michael at one of our favorite venues, the Brass Heart Inn in Chocorua, New Hampshire. The weather was rainy, but quite warm, with temps in the low 60s. What really amazed me was how wonderfully rich the colors were, in a way they can only be when the sun is hiding its face, allowing the subtleties to shine through instead. A noted rabbi from Brandeis University performed the ceremony under a tent that was buffeted by driving rains and gusty winds, but magically the skies cleared just before everyone walked to the barn for the reception! An amazing fresh Maine lobster and filet mignon dinner was followed by the slide guitar stylings of the Tarbox Ramblers who provided some serious dancing music which was hungrily absorbed by the very active dancers!

Kate & Brian's Wedding at Edson Hill Manor in Stowe, VT

Our wedding today was one we had looked forward to for a solid year. It called for everything we've got, and more! For one thing we were joined by our associate videographer, who recorded the entire day in High Definition, using wireless and shotgun mics and a cool new LCD video light which gave me and Veronique some interesting added light during the reception.

The weather was vintage fall at its best, breezy, sunny and cool, but definitely not cold! The ceremony was held by the lake with harp and guitar accompaniment. Brian and Kate requested that I put a slideshow together while they were enjoying their cocktail hour, which Veronique photographed. It was something new for us, but I was able to get it done in time and it was very well received! People queued to autograph their signing mat, and had the slideshow to watch while they waited. It was actually quite exciting for us to get so much instant, positive feedback on our work! The incredible dance music at the reception was provided by Horns in The House, a nine piece band from Boston.

 

Leah & Jim's Wedding at the Bethel Inn Resort

Despite the fact that many people say, "The devil is in the details", the magic can also be found in the details! Just take a look at the following images, all of which are representative of the little details that make up a once-in-a-lifetime experience, such as Leah and Jim's wedding celebration today at the Bethel Inn Resort!

Couldn't end this post without thanking Mary Brown, the wedding coordinator at the Bethel Inn Resort. We've never been so well taken care of at a wedding before, and her attention to the details was evident everywhere we pointed our lenses! Thanks Mary!

Leisa & Matt's Wedding on the Mountain Top

Leisa and Matt's wedding today at the Mountain Top Inn & Resort in Chittenden, Vermont was an event that we had looked forward to with much anticipation. We first visited the venue while attending the Vermont Association of Wedding Professionals' annual meeting, which was held there back in April. We both agreed then that this would be an awesome place to photograph a wedding.

When Leisa initially called us from Salt Lake City, we could tell that her wedding would be special and our suspicions were confirmed when we met them for their engagement session portraits. Both are avid skiers, and both are professional bartenders and both love to laugh!

So it was with great sadness that we read the weather report on Friday, calling for a 50% chance of showers at 5 pm on the wedding day. As we drove along Route 4 from Killington, past Pico, we were inundated with several downpours from hell, one of which was almost bad enough to make us think about pulling over and waiting it out. This was especially disconcerting as Leisa had assured us that she was going to get married in the middle of an open field, overlooking the lake in the distance, and that there was no Plan "B" in the event of inclement weather!

But as we climbed the steep and winding road toward the venue, the rain stopped and the skies lightened. And the rest of the day just kept getting better, ending with a gorgeous pink cloud sunset and a clear starry night.

The Mirage Band, a seven-piece band based out of Manchester, NH provided fabulous music that had everybody dancing well into the night. I really can't say how much a good live band, such as The Mirage Band, adds to a wedding celebration! DJs are great, but live music is the ultimate. Just look at the energy and excitement generated by these players!

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.

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...

Jen & Noah's Last Minute Booking at The Inn at the Round Barn

Many couples plan their wedding a year in advance. Others do it all in the 4 or 5 months prior to the big day. Some do it on very short notice.

We received a call last week from a groom whose wedding was only one week away. July 28 was the only remaining open Saturday we had for quite a stretch, and we were able to quickly work everything out, even squeezing in an engagement portrait session the day before the wedding (see earlier post below)!

One of the best benefits to having two photographers at your wedding is the expanded coverage it provides. Veronique and I are both fully accredited WPJA (Wedding Photo Journalists Association) members, and we each carry two cameras. This allows us to switch lenses more or less instantly, going from a wide angle to a telephoto at will. We are able to simultaneously capture key moments from different points of view. Our clients see this expanded window into their day in their proofs and in their album pages.  There is simply no way that a solo photographer can match this kind of coverage. Another benefit is the added security it provides in the event of equipment malfunctions or suddenly blocked views.

Check out our dual coverage of the exchange of rings and the cake cutting at Jen and Noah's wedding at The Inn at the Round Barn today.

Christina & Kris' Mt. Mansfield Wedding Celebration

Sometimes the winters seem a bit long here in northern Vermont. Veronique's dad describes our weather as "nine months of winter followed by three months of poor skiing!" But the pace of life, the wonderful family and friends, and the stunning scenery go a long way towards compensating for the darker side of the weather in these parts.

That's why so many people travel to our state to hold their destination weddings here. Whenever we shoot a wedding we make sure to capture the scene setting images that help put the event into context and perspective. Of all our weddings this season, none has topped the scenery of that of Christina and Kris, who tied the knot high up on the slopes of Vermont's highest peak at the Stowe Mountain Resort.

Check out a few select album spreads to see our way of blending the environment into our storytelling...

Erin and Alex at The Edson Hill Manor

There are a lot of buzzwords that get thrown around when people talk about wedding photography. Words like photojournalism and unobtrusive, candid and real, etcetera. Some people claim to be these things, but take a look at their website, and all you see are posed shots.

Veronique and I were accepted into the elite Wedding Photo Journalist Association within one month of shooting our very first wedding, way back in April 2005. That's right, we've only been doing this for three seasons now. But we have taken to the art of capturing real emotion like ducks to water. Why? Perhaps because we're both very passionate and caring individuals and we have an eye for it? Whatever the reason, we are always on the lookout for real emotion when we're shooting. Every wedding is different and presents a fresh canvas for our storytelling brushes, and our observant hearts.

Erin and Alex' wedding today at The Edson Hill Manor provided us with many moments of true emotion...

Destination Wedding in Barbados!

We documented a destination wedding today in Barbados, West Indies! The wedding was held at the island's top restaurant, a little place called The Tides, located in St. James Parish and was attended by over 50 guests who traveled from as far away as Moscow, Russia. Music was provided by the area's best band, "Strategy" and the ambience was truly divine!

We provided our unique "split coverage" where Veronique does all the photography and André records the entire celebration in high definition video!

Stoweflake Winter Wedding

Veronique and I had the pleasure of covering a wonderful winter wedding four days ago in Stowe, Vermont. The ceremony was at the Stowe Community Church and the reception was at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa.

The happy couple reside near Dallas, Texas and were joined by approximately 75 family members and friends from various parts of the country.

Schoolhouse Gardens did an amazing job with flowers, candles and place settings.

Irene's Cakes provided an unusual leaning tower of offset levels that had to be seen to be believed, as well as tasted to fully understand.

One of Peak DJ's finest, John Bauer, provided the tunes and emcee duties.

Stoweflake's reception services were impeccable, from beginning to end!

Click here for the slideshow.

Mer and Matt at the Inn at the Round Barn

We just photographed perhaps the most original wedding celebration ever on October 14th at the Inn at the Round Barn in Waitsfield, Vermont. The bride wore a beautifully embroidered red dress for starters. The ceremony was performed by a friend and was full of laughter and treasured stories. A live 80's style rock band provided some great entertainment.

Here is our 40 page Artists' Vision Album design that we produced for Meredith Cooper and Matt Mascolo. You can browse the 20 spreads or simply click the PLAY button to watch a slideshow, complete with music!

Click on image below to open slideshow in a new window -

Tammie and Ryan at Lake George, NY

We photographed a wonderful wedding on the shore of northern Lake George in the village of The Hague, NY on October 7th 2006. Tammie Lehn and Ryan Shaw were married at the Grace Memorial Chapel at Sabbath Day Point. The reception was held twenty minutes north at the Ticonderoga Country Club in Ticonderoga, NY. Live music was provided by the Lustre Kings who were flat-out the best wedding band we've ever seen, and as a matter-of-fact they also tour and play gigs mostly. Awesome rock'n roll music, for sure!

Take a look at the 60 page Artists' Vision Album that we designed for Tammie and Ryan, or simply click the PLAY button to sit back and enjoy a slideshow set to music.

Click on image below to open slideshow in a new window -

Kim and Matt at the Inn at Baldwin Creek

We had the pleasure of photographing our first wedding at the Inn at Baldwin Creek in Bristol, Vermont on September 30th. What a fabulous venue for an all-on-site wedding celebration: from the beautiful arbor, to the scenic streamside bench, to the old-time dancing barn and the permanent tent - this place has it all! Kim and Matt came all the way from Seattle, Washington with family and friends from all over the country. The foliage was at peak and the weather was balmy and delightful.

Browse the 30 page Artists' Vision Album we designed for the happy couple, or click on the PLAY button to see all 15 spreads as a slideshow, complete with music.

Click on image below to open slideshow in a new window -

Michelle and Matt at the Eden Camp and Retreat Center

A beautiful bride with a 40s style veil... A singing groom who played a tune on his guitar as his bride came down the aisle... A lobster bake with all the fixings... Friends and family from all over the United States... That's just some of what made this September 23rd wedding one to remember!

Browse the 44 page Artists' Vision Album that we designed for Michelle Nemmers and Matt Zawoysky, or simply click the PLAY button to sit back and enjoy a slideshow, complete with music!

Click on image below to open slideshow in a new window -

Cindy and Tim at the Stowe Community Church and Trapp Family Lodge

A Labor Day Weekend wedding in Stowe, Vermont with the ceremony at the quintessential Stowe landmark, the Stowe Community Church and the reception up on the mountain at the Trapp Family Lodge. Cindy Biegel and Tim Lessmann were blessed with warm weather and a loving group of family and friends.

Browse the 48 page Artists' Vision Album we designed for Cindy and Tim, or just click on the PLAY button to sit back and enjoy a slideshow of all 24 spreads, complete with music!

Click on image below to open slideshow in a new window -