Lindsay and Chris are proof that awesome people lead to working with more awesome people. Hear us out. Over two years ago, we booked Christine and Jay's wedding for spring of 2012. Christine was a Salve Regina University alumni and Jay was a Bryant University alum. Since that time we've worked with nearly a dozen couples who have had ties back to this wedding. Whether it was another Salve or Bryant alum who ran across their (or one of their friends') photos - or a direct connection to Christine and Jay - the referrals have spiraled to amazing proportions from this one couple. Word-of-mouth referrals are always our favorite way to meet and photograph couples because it's like when one of your closest friends introduces you a different friend of theirs who you haven't met yet. Everyone ends up jiving and getting along well. This has totally been the case with our Salve and Bryant connection couples. Every. Single. Couple. has been kind-hearted, gracious and genuine. It makes us feel like the luckiest photographers around because at the end of the day we get to work with great people with whom we have a great connection. Lindsay and Chris are a perfect example of this and we love the natural chemistry they share (as well as their stunning good looks!) and can't wait to photograph their wedding next fall on the cape. It's bound to be an amazing day filled with love, laughter and lots of familiar faces.
Bespoke Albums
Today we're venturing away from our more typical blog post format to talk about something very near and dear to our hearts both as a married couple and as business owners....Wedding Albums. Most of what we share here on the blog are our couple's visual wedding stories. While technology makes these stories easy to digest on the internet there is nothing like holding a collection of photos in your hands. Before we dive into the various styles and options of albums that we offer, I wanted to tell you a short story. Last winter we made a trip to the midwest to visit our family, including my Grandfather who is in his eighties. He's a very sharp man who doesn't look a day over 70 but since my Grandmother passed away four years ago he hasn't quite had the same spunk as he always had. I don't blame him. My Grandmother was the most caring, lovely person I've ever known and all of our family feels her absence with great weight. As we were chatting over some coffee and cookies with him we started talking about our work and the pleasure we take in developing relationships with our clients and capturing their love stories. Eventually the conversation shifted to the details of my Grandparents Wedding. After he retold the details of their brief courtship and engagement and the way they celebrated their wedding day we asked him to show us some photos. He ran upstairs and came back down with a very simple wedding album. It didn't have more than a half a dozen posed portraits, but there it was, all wrapped up in a box with portraits of my dashing Grandpa and my beautiful Grandma in their twenties. A whole life filled with five daughters, world travels, fulfilling careers and over 30 grandchildren lay ahead of them. As we looked at the photos of them and the excited sparkle in their eyes (as all bride and grooms acquire on their wedding day) it was as if they knew the wonderful adventure that lay ahead. We passed the album around the big round table and laughed. We sipped our coffee, ate cookies, marveled at how certain cousins look identical to my Grandpa in his twenties and shed some tears about how lovely my Grandmother was and how much we missed her. I treasure this day in my heart and am so glad to know that those photos will live on beyond the time that my Grandparents were married.
Imagine for a moment, if we had had this same experience around a computer or a digitally rotating picture frame. We might have all hovered over each others shoulders to see the screen and likely someone would have walked out of the room because they were not engaged enough by the screen. The sense of connection and community would be lost. Many people settle with just having a copy of the digital wedding files. They save them on their computers for "someday" and think they'll DIY their own wedding album through Shutterfly (why invest thousands of dollars into wedding photography and then put them in a Shutterfly album?) or print them later on. But do you know what happens? They sit on a hard drive and get viewed maybe once a year.
Enter the Wedding Album. Putting your wedding story images in an album is, without a doubt, the best use of your wedding photos. Matt and I have a very large wedding album (from the same company we offer to our clients) that lives on our coffee table. When guests come over it gets cracked open and enjoyed. We don't keep our album on a shelf because we want to enjoy it on a regular basis (besides, the albums we offer are durable enough to withstand dust, dirt, and the sticky fingerprints of children).
We offer three sizes and three cover choices of professional wedding albums. They come in premium and vegan leather, linen and portrait styles in a 12x12, 10x10 and 8x8 size. We have a great relationship with our printer in NYC who binds them using all archival materials. They are understated, classic and durable. We searched high and wide for an album company that we'd be proud to display in our own home and we couldn't be happier with the quality and cover selection they offer.
Now for the fun part....photos! First up we have the 12x12 Leather Album. The leather cover is buttery and beautiful with the option to have a photo on the front or imprinting on the spine or cover. Here is a 12x12 Navy Leather Album with Cover and Spine Imprinting and a Cover Photo from Charlene and Andrew's wedding last July.
All of the album are what is considered a 'lay flat' binding which enables us to print images across two pages and utilize lots of image layout design possibilities! In addition, they are super easy to turn the pages and allow the book to lie in your lap and turn pages one-handed.
Next up we have the 10x10 Leather in Camel from Kelsey and Danny's Guatemala Wedding. This is a great example of a Leather Album without a photo on the front.
Finally we wrap up the leathers with this example of an 8x8 Olive Leather Album from Ashley and Jamie's Vermont Wedding. We also love the ability to have square orientation images on the front which can be centered or lower right hand justified.
Here are all three leathers together.
Now we move on to the Linens. First up we have the 12x12 Linen Album. We love this album and the ability to imprint on the front or put an image on the cover. Here's a 12x12 album from Melissa and Jonathan's farm wedding:
Here's an example of a 10x10 Linen Album in Smoke. This is our most popular album size and cover choice. This example has a square image on the front with no text. We love the simplicity.
Since all of the albums are 'Lay Flat' you can print one image between two pages. We love having at least one photo in an album like this!
Finally we have an 8x8 Linen Album from Kaitlyn and Ryan's Wedding last summer in New Hampshire. The initials on the front keep it simple and personalized.
Here are all three linens laid out together so you can get an idea of the size difference.
Finally we have the Portrait Album. This album is not availible in 12x12 but we do offer it in 10x10 and 8x8. Check out this 10x10 Portrait from Maggie and Seth's wedding back in 2011.
Our favorite part of the portrait album is that you can use one image to be spread between the front and back cover, as well as personalize any text you'd like.
Here's an 8x8 Portrait Album from Annette and Jason's wedding. This is a fantastic option for people who want to order a parent album since they are bright and eye catching as well as affordable.
There you have it! We love our album offerings and know you will too. Don't hesitate to contact us if you're interested in placing an order OR shooting your wedding to have one of these gorgeous books!
Anne + Bill = Married
We are so grateful to have the job we do. Telling love stories through images is already an incredible job, but what is even more incredible are the people who invite us to share in a part of their story. Anne and Bill are just the sort of people whom we are blessed to call our clients. Anne is kind-hearted, beautiful and full of grace. Bill is steadfast, fun-loving and a true gentleman. Together they wanted to celebrate their union with a classy and beautiful day that was full of personal touches and love. It's no surprise that their wedding day turned out to be as lovely and wonderful as they are. Chuck and our good friend Briana were there to capture it all on film, and we couldn't be happier with the result. Bright autumn colors dressing Harvard's stoic campus provided a fantastic backdrop to their portraits while Harvard's Memorial Church gave a solemnly beautiful space for the two to exchange vows. Their guests showered them with love and congratulatory hugs as they all continued the celebration at Watertown's Oakley Country Club. We are so happy for you, Anne and Bill, and we wish you nothing but the best as you begin the great adventure of marriage. Congratulations!
Svetlana + Sergey = Married
Aren't these two sweet? Were were honored to have the opportunity to photograph Svetlana and Sergey's intimate Boston wedding. With just two people as their witness, they wed on the grounds of the beautiful and historic Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Massachusetts which overlooks the ocean. Svetlana and Sergey are both Russian and wanted a destination wedding in the United States. Since they have family here in Boston, it made sense that they would choose the shores of New England to start their new life together as husband and wife. There is something so romantic about escaping to another country to get married, isn't there? (If I had to choose I'd probably pick France...). Of course if you're traveling all the way from Russia to wed in Boston you need to venture down into the city for some photos as well, which we were happy to accommodate for these two. Congratulations on your marriage, Svetlana and Sergey!
Jacqueline + Matt = Engaged
There is a big place in our hearts for these two love birds. Jacqueline is a gentle spirit with a heart the size of Texas, and you'd never guess it by his calm presence but Matt is a professional MMA fighter. We've had the pleasure of knowing them for a couple of years since Jacqueline and I dance together, and have always enjoyed our time with them. When they recently got engaged we were ecstatic to have the opportunity to photograph them in their element on a beach near where Matt grew up. The two of them would take nightly walks to this beach and stroll along the water's edge dreaming about their future together. We love the way Matt looks at Jacqueline and how she fits perfectly in his arms. Congratulations on such an exciting time, you two. We love you and can't wait to see you tie the knot next summer!
Melaney + Mike = Married
We've got big hearts for these two. The love they share and their laid back personalities make them a dream to photograph, and when you combine that with the stunning Endicott Estate you have a winning combination on your hands. We were delighted to have our dear and talented friend Briana join the Summer Street team for the day, which only made their wedding day that much more awesome. After a sweet first look, Mike and Melaney geared up for their heartfelt ceremony under an old willow tree on property. The evening continued with more celebrating and a hilarious group of photobooth pros who took no time at all warming up to the camera. Melaney and Mike we've loved every minute of working with you. We're so happy for you and wish you decades of happiness together! Congratulations!
Shalini + Abhinav = Engaged
I'm just going to come out and say what you're all thinking. These. Two. Are. Gorgeous. Okay, now that that's out of my system we can gush a bit about how good Shalini and Abhinav are together. They will be getting married in Texas later next year but wanted to have some Engagement Photos in the city they met and fell in love. Shalini and Abhinav met in undergrad at BU and continued their courtship through medical school (also at BU) and into their medical residencies with BU affiliated hospitals. I don't know about you but we are voting that they get a Boston Terrier named Rhett ASAP. Thank you for allowing us to photograph you during this exciting time and we wish you nothing but the best!
Stephanie + Peter = Married
Every so often, there are people who come into our lives that change you for the better. Both Stephanie and Peter were these people for Matt and I long before they even met one another. Their friendship and devotion holds a very special place in our hearts, so you can imagine our delight when the two of them connected and fell in love over five years ago (perhaps we nudged them along towards courtship....). We have the honor of telling so many special couple's love stories, but for Stephanie and Peter, their story runs so much deeper in our hearts than most of our couples. They are truly some of our best friends, so when they asked us to tell their wedding story through photos, we were ecstatic but also knew we were in for the best kind of artistic challenge. Having some sort of outside eye is always a positive, so we asked fellow photographer friend David Lai who is based out of Chicago to join Summer Street for the day so that we could also be present to them as friends (as well as photographers). Fortunately the decision to have David join our team early on came as a perfect arrangement when we learned that we were expecting our first child just weeks before Stephanie and Peter's wedding and that I would not be able to fly to Minnesota to attend or photograph the day. The four of us shared a deep disappointment for this news, but as life goes, we kept moving along with the plans and preparations to support their wedding in every way we could. Being the rockstars that they are, Stephanie and Peter had no problems crafting a truly one-of-a-kind wedding that was quintessentially 'them'. A celebration of love, art, family and sustainable living - their wedding turned out to be everything they had hoped and more. We are in love with the magical qualities their images portray and know that the sparkle in their eyes is just the beginning of the deep and grounded love they share. Our dearest Stephanie and Peter, we love you so much and are so happy to share this exciting time with you. Congratulations!
Natalie + Shaun = Baby
We first had the pleasure of working with Natalie over two years ago as her floral and event business, Whim Events was taking off. Since then, we've not only worked with her in numerous professional settings but also have become great friends with her and her husband, Shaun. When they shared the exciting news that they were expecting, we were thrilled for them and couldn't wait to get them in front of the camera to document this special time in their lives. Natalie most certainly has a pregnancy glow and we love how sweetly Shaun gazes at her when she's not looking. We couldn't be happier for these three and can't wait to meet this little one soon!
Lisa + Alessandro = Engaged
It's always fun to photograph a couple a few days before they are going to say 'I do'. Lisa and Alessandro were days away from their private elopement ceremony when we had the opportunity to get them in front of the camera. Beside the fact that their wardrobe choices are an A+ in our books - it's clear that they are over the moon for one another which makes their photos so sweet to us. Alessandro is Italian by blood but is in the process of converting to a Minnesotan for work, and clearly for love. Lisa and Alessandro, we wish you many happy years together. Congratulations!