Ode to the Open Bar

A wedding is supposed to be a celebration, but increasingly couples are asking their guests to open up their wallets as they sidle up to the bar. Fortunately there are a number of compromises for couples that want to throw a great party but don't want to break the bank on booze (leaving you the cash to buy a beautiful wedding album).

Click to read more ...

Outdoor Weddings II: Sudden Weather

It's often said that if you don't like the weather in New England, you should go inside and wait ten minutes because it's bound to change. Every so often mother nature likes to remind us of her sense of whimsy by dropping some snow in the spring or a rain of toads. The year 1816 was known in New England as the year without a summer because a series of volcanic eruptions across the globe caused temperatures to drop and severe snowstorms to hit the region, in June.

When planning your wedding, especially a year ahead of time, it's important to keep that caprice in mind. June might normally be a lovely time of year but wind, rain or even brush fires can cause the perfect outdoor wedding to become a perfect mess. How do you cope with these weather events?

Click to read more ...

Outdoor Weddings I: Planning Your Ceremony for the Sun

An outdoor wedding can be a spectacular event. New England summers are vibrant and green, serving as a beautiful backdrop for your special day. The option becomes especially attractive when you find out the quaint little chapel doesn't have air conditioning for your 100 guests.

While every wedding is unpredictable, outdoor weddings add an extra layer of logistics. Nature isn't always cooperative. When planning an outdoor wedding, you need to accept the things you cannot change, prepare for the unexpected and hope for the best. As a photographer, I've seen the good and the bad and I'd like to help you ensure your wedding is the best it can be. Over the next few weeks, as spring finally starts to thaw out New England and wedding season draws nearer, I'll be disucssing a few tips to make your outdoor wedding one to remember (and not as a disaster).

Click to read more ...

'Tis the Season: A Holiday Guide to Your Engagement

Winter in New England is a pretty quiet time for weddings. Snow has fallen over the ground, casting a beautifully serene blanket over the earth.  It's a time of year where we try to forget the world outside by turning inward toward our friends and families, bathing ourselves in the sunny glow of holiday parties and good cheer.

It might not be the time for weddings, but winter is the season for engagements. According to The Knot, most couples get engaged sometime between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. And what better time is there? The long nights are perfect for a little romance, and it's rare to have so many people you care about gathered in one place to celebrate the triumphs of the year past and the road that lies ahead.

Also, the non-stop ads for jewelry certainly help to bring the conversation toward engagement rings.

So while everyone else is popping champagne corks, a few are getting ready to pop the question. As a wedding professional I've heard of everything from happy endings to horror stories, and to help make sure the answer is yes I've come up with a few tips.

Click to read more ...

5 Bad Wedding Songs

 I hate to admit it, but photography rarely ever makes or breaks a wedding. It isn't until long after the cake has been cut up, the chairs have been put away and the thank yous have been sent out that the photos arrive. While beautiful photographs help to shape the memories that you will hold onto for a lifetime, great music is what breathes life into a wedding.

Unfortunately, the music can often go tragically wrong. Picking the right songs for your wedding (especially the first dance and the parent/child dances) is a matter of finding the right pacing, the right tone and the right style. If it fits all of those points, it's easy enough to overlook what the song is actually about.

Below are a few well-worn wedding songs that should be avoided for your wedding sentiments:

5. The Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston: While many other songs on this list are about bitter heartbreak, jealousy and darker things, "The Greatest Love of All" is an uplifting ballad about self-worth and conviction. It's not about romantic love and sensual passion, but self-esteem.

While the sentiments are noble, there really isn't a place for them at a celebration of two people joining their lives together. There are plenty of other love songs out there in the world, so give this a pass.

Sample Lyric: "I never found anyone to fulfill my needs/a lonely place to be/so I learned to depend on me."

4. "I Will Always Love You" - as performed by Whitney Houston: Poor Whitney is really getting the short end of the stick on this list. Her strong vocals left quite a mark on the adult contemporary charts, but this song about "bittersweet memories" really has no place during your wedding day.

Written by Dolly Parton, the song was a goodbye to her mentor and business partner. She then re-recorded the song for the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. While the film (and stage musical) is a lot of fun, it's a little reminder that this is not a song to commence your commitment with.

Sample Lyric: "If I should stay, I would only be in your way."

3. Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton: Clapton, together with his writing partner, penned this sad and slow song in the wake of his four-year-old son's death after an accidental fall. It's incredibly depressing once you sit there and listen to it. If you'll excuse me for a minute I'm going to go get something out of my eye.

Sample Lyric: "I must be strong, to carry one/'Cause I know I don't belong/Here in Heaven."

2. At Last - Etta James: Many of the couples I work with are younger, some are even marrying their high school or college sweethearts. This bluesy song about finding love after a long search might be romantic, but it doesn't really reflect their experiences.

I know the kids are all into being angst-ridden these days, but even I as a single twenty-something know that unless you've finally found the one at 50 then you might want to put this one back on the shelf.

Sample Lyric: "At last, my love has come along/My lonely days are gone."

1. Every Breath You Take - The Police: By now everyone should know that the song was written while Sting was in the middle of a divorce. It tells the story of a controlling and somewhat menacing man who can't let go of the object of his obsession.

Unless you think that stalking is romantic, avoid this song.

Sample Lyric: "Every night you stay, I'll be watching you."

Honorable Mentions:

Angel - Sarah McLachlan: This song is about heroin addiction.

Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers: Really just for parent dances this should be avoided because hopefully your child doesn't "hunger for your touch."

My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dione: This is a song about living your life after the person you love has died. Even if they do die at your wedding, you should probably be doing something other than playing this song.

Of course it's easy to criticize but hard to find great replacements for these songs. That's where a great DJ can help, working to create a great mix of music that expresses who you are as a couple and gets people moving on the dance floor.