I’ve been excited for this wedding for a LONG time, partially because I knew how beautiful it would be, and partially because the bride, Margot, is my close friend’s sister.  It was as beautiful as anticipated, a small gathering of close family and friends at Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington, Connecticut.  Margot and Sean and their families made everything about this wedding so personal, from the handmade paper birdcages on the tables, to the flowers picked from a NYC flower market and the bride’s mother’s garden and arranged into bouquets themselves (they did an incredible job), to the family-style gourmet dinner (by A Thyme to Cook) in the winery’s barrel room.  The ceremony was also personal and therefore so meaningful, with family members playing music and reading poetry, vows written by the bride and groom, the chuppah made by the bride’s dad, the ceremony performed by the bride’s grandmother, and a bit of fun thrown in too (fittingly, as this couple has an amazing sense of humor!)–the guests were surprised to find scraps of paper taped under their chairs, each with a small piece of a larger joke that they told together (the same joke the bride told the groom as he was falling in love with her).  Heartfelt toasts, amazing music by the Shiny Lapels (first dance: Hokey Pokey), and sparklers rounded off the warm summer evening.  It was a beautiful event, and one the guests (and I!) will never forget.

I’ve been excited about this session for a while, because the almost-four-year-old in these photos was just about four months old when I last photographed her!  It was SO fun to see how she has turned into a lively, smiling, playful little girl, and how that soft reddish baby hair has turned into gorgeous locks.  Her little sis has the same sweet curls, and has such an independence–she is at that stage where she is loving her ability to walk herself where she needs to go, and is so worried that her sister is going to restrict her movement!  We had beautiful light at Winslow Park in Westport, and the images to prove it!  Enjoy, guys!

I had the great pleasure of documenting this beautiful girl’s important rite of passage at Mishkan Israel synagogue this past weekend.  Colie performed the ceremony perfectly with the support of her family and friends, speaking so clearly and singing so beautifully during the service.  Her party after the ceremony was full of dancing, games, a photo booth, and many heartfelt congratulations from her loved ones.  For the candle lighting ceremony, Colie created rhyming poems as a way to call each group of special people up to light with her–I was impressed with her creativity and poise, and it made for many special moments.  In addition to the traditional hora and lots of fun line dancing, Colie performed a tap number to the delight of her guests, and she and her mom helped everyone get into the spirit with a really well-planned, thoughtful event from start to finish.  RJ the DJ was fantastic in leading everyone into activities, including a scavenger hunt, a mummy wrap with toilet paper, and even a crazy chair game where everyone sits on chairs in a circle, leans back onto the person behind, and then balances as the chairs are removed!  It was a wonderful celebration and a joy to photograph all of you!

You may recognize this family from a recent post!  Little L. has joined their sweet, loving family, and I sneaked over to their house for a little photo session to document those very early days, when everything about the baby is just so new!  He’s adorable, totally unperturbed by all the sounds coming from big sis and bro, and SO alert, searching his family’s faces and looking at them right in the eyes.  I think he’s going to be an early smiler, that’s my prediction :).  It was a privilege to get to document this fleeting stage in development!

Lily and Tom got married on Friday evening, in a beautiful Jewish ceremony led by her father and brothers at Lighthouse Point Park.  The weather, the venue, and the sentiments could not have been more perfect!  Lily and Tom planned an amazing celebration for their guests, including carousel rides, a candy bar, delicious food and cupcakes by Erica O’Brien (yum!).  The toasts by their special people, including Lily’s dad, were some of the most heartfelt and heartwarming I have ever heard.  And the dancing!!!  Lily and Tom chose the playlist, and you can see from the photos how they inspired *everyone* to dance!  Thank you for trusting me to document your day for you; it was an unforgettable one!!!

It was so fun meeting Margot & Sean a couple of days ago, whose wedding I’ll be photographing in June (at a beautiful vineyard…stay tuned!).  As you can probably tell from the photos, they are a playful couple with a quick sense of humor, which made everything about this session fun.  We had beautiful end-of-day light at the beach in Guilford, and lots and lots of bugs ;), which they braved quite stoically!  I love photographing couples in love…these guys made it so easy to capture that connection.  Enjoy your photos, guys!  More to come!

Do you have photos of your children with baby teeth gone and big teeth not yet in?  It’s a perfect time to take photos, since it really changes their “look”, yet lasts for such a short period of time.  I loved my winter session with this family two years ago, and it was so fun to see how this sweet, nature-loving girl has grown (still so sweet! and what a climber!).  She’s beautiful, her eyes are stunning and expressive, and she was totally game for my suggestions of where to sit and what to do.  I think it made for some great photos; I hope you enjoy them too! (Lots more to come, guys!).

I was honored to be a part of the Neighborhood Music School‘s Performathon fund raiser last month, which raises money for the financial aid program at the school.  NMS is a very special place; both of my boys went to preschool there, and Dorota Xeller, the Early Childhood Music director, was my son’s teacher years ago.  I sat in on Dorota’s early childhood classes during a few dates in March and April, and captured the little ones exploring the wonder of music and movement.  Parents purchased prints and digital images, and all of the profit went to the school.  It was rewarding and fun, and the photos alone raised $2160!  Here are a few photos of the children in action :).  Thank you to the parents for letting me photograph your children, and for supporting this amazing program!

I am so lucky to get to photograph little ones when they are still so teeny tiny!!  This little guy just turned 5 weeks old, and his big sister is 2.  They are a beautiful family, doing an amazing job helping their little girl adjust to being a big sister.  It sounds like baby boy is helping too, as he is such a calm, mellow little guy!  (Doesn’t that seem to often be true of #2?).  We had summer-like weather, which meant lots of photos outside, though I always love doing some indoor photos too when babies are really young.  Enjoy your sneak peek, guys :).

I had an amazing session with this family this past weekend, who are about to welcome a little boy to their mix!  I just loved everything about this session–the enthusiasm and joie de vivre of the kids, the quiet, loving relationship among parents and kids, and the beautiful glow we got from the sky, mirroring the warmth among family members.  I also love Edgerton Park for sessions because there is so much to explore; our session took us on a loop around the park and it gave us opportunities for different activities (jumping off tree stumps, climbing, smelling blooms) and different kinds of light (my favorite: light coming from behind, directly into the camera, which you can see many examples of here :)).  Thank you for a wonderful session, you guys!