Kathleen and Brad were married on Halloween right outside of Chicago. Their wedding was a classy, perfectly autumnal day which was such a treat to photograph. They are a lovely pair with generous spirits, and their classic wedding was nothing less than our expectations. They choose not to see one another before the ceremony, so when Kathleen and her father walked down the long aisle at the Alice Miller Chapel on Northwestern's Campus, the anticipation and love filled the grand space. Brad choked back a few tears as he saw his stunning bride and Kathleen beamed with admiration. It was such a sweet moment! After the ceremony we took some photos on the beautiful campus grounds with their wedding party and boarded a trolley to cruise around Evanston a bit before heading to the venue. Since it was Halloween, one of the wedding party attendants suggested we stop at a house to do a group trick'or'treat stop. The driver happily obliged and the whole crew got out of the trolley and made a stop at a very gracious family's house (they were strangers) who dolled out candy for everyone. It was equal parts hilarious and awesome. The party continued at the grand Michigan Shore Club where the gothic architecture style of the building suited the celebration to a T. Think: 'classy dinner party meets Hogwarts.' The reception continued at an easy and celebratory pace with a small surprise: Brad happens to be a talented guitar player and joined the band up on stage for a few songs! The crowd went crazy and everyone loved it. It was a fantastic day, and we were glad to be a part of it. Special thanks to Mike Fan who joined Summer Street for the day as our talented second photographer. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Baby C
You might remember Kristen + Jay's nautical maternity shoot a month or so back up on the North Shore of Massachusetts. They told me in private that although they were waiting to find out the sex of the baby until the birth - that they both suspected their new baby would be a boy. Their suspicions were true and they welcomed little C into the world nearly a month before his due date! Babies born early are prone to health risks, but little C got along like a champ and has made himself quite comfortable in the hearts and home of Kristen and Jay. Chuck photographed this new family of three in their home in Roslindale and we are smitten with the results. We try to approach newborn photography from a lifestyle portrait session perspective (versus elaborate studio set ups) and focus on the family unit as well as the new addition. We feel like the parents are just as important during this change as the new family member, so there is much to be documented as a couple becomes parents. Kristen and Jay - we couldn't be happier for you during this delicate, joyful and trying time. Congratulations!
Kara + Jimmy = Engaged
It doesn't take much to make us a crew of happy photographers: beautiful light, natural scenery, two people madly in love....throw in a bottle of champagne and we're set. Kara and Jimmy wanted us to capture some photos of their new status as *fiancees* before the leaves all left the trees. They brought their game face and a bottle of champagne to the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain and met up with Chuck for an afternoon of photos together and we think you agree that the results are fantastic. Keeping things simple and easy are how we roll, and we're glad that Kara and Jimmy agree. There is such a happiness in their faces and demeanor, it's practically a pick me up right through the internet! Kara and Jimmy - thank you for allowing us to photograph this exciting time. We're so happy for you!
The S Family
It's hard to put into words how special this family is. I definitely get writers block because of all the wonderful things I could share with you about them. Since my time is brief, you should know this: The S Family are one of the most genuine, gracious and loving group people you will ever meet, and boy does it show in images! They have inspired so many to live more intentional lives and are actively changing the face of palliative care in the Midwest (and I'm convinced, soon to be our entire country). You can read and support more about this family on Dannell's beautiful blog here. It was my pleasure to photograph their family as they grow and blossom into the little people their boys are becoming, and the wisdom they are gaining in this parenting gig. Dannell and Peter, your love is infectious and your boys are incredibly blessed to have you. We're lucky to call you friends and clients.
Trisha + Matthew = Married
There is nothing quite Autumn in New England. People from all over the world flock to see the spectacular display of color and perfect temps that highlight the area's historic architecture and charm. It's no surprise that autumn weddings in Boston are one of the most popular times. Trisha + Matt decided to use all these things to their advantage for their wedding at one of our favorite venues in New England; Elm Bank in Wellesley. Chuck was there to capture all the details and we love the images he captured that tell Trish and Matt's wedding story. From the teary moments these two saw one another for the first time on their wedding day to the joy that radiates from their families faces - their wedding was not only beautiful but full of the best kind of love. Trisha and Matt deserve one another. They are both compassionate, genuine and generous. The world will be a better place because they are together. Thank you for trusting us to capture your big day, Trish and Matt! Congratulations!!!
Lindsay + Mark = Engaged
Today seems like a great day to share Lindsay and Mark's classic Boston Engagement photos with you. It's amazing what even a month can do in terms of fall color and weather. These images look so summery and bright, where lately we're finding the cool temps force us to bundle up when we're shooting. Cozy is good in the cold, but there is something really fun about Lindsay and Mark's polished yet relaxed look in these photos. Chuck joined these two for a stroll around Beacon Hill and the Boston Public Gardens. We've shot here a number of times in the past, but it always feels fresh to us. I guess that's why historic brick and cobblestone is always in. We love the images they created together and knew you would too. And that look Mark gives Lindsay? All the heart eyes... Congrats you guys!
Nhu + Chris = Married
About one wedding we shoot every season is a Traditional Vietnamese Wedding celebration. Having done a handful of them by now, we know a few things going in: 1. It's a long day for everyone. 2. There is amazing food throughout the day in abundance. 3. There are usually several hundred guests. 4.These weddings have some SERIOUS dancers on the dance floor. Nhu and Chris did not disappoint. Matt, Abby and myself all got to join in on the fun for this one and from a story tellers point of view there were so many memorable moments. Nhu tends toward the reserved side, but the moment she and Chris saw each other at the Traditional Vietnamese Tea ceremony held at her parents house the morning of the wedding, she was beaming. Chris almost always has an infectious smile on his face, which we found energizing and made things easy on us as photographers. The day started very early with a buzz of bridesmaids primping and prepping (the guys had their fair share too) at Nhu's family's home in Brooklyn Park, MN. Part of the tea ceremony involves the groom and his friends/family bringing traditional gifts (a whole, roasted hog, for example) for the bride and her family. This procession gets the whole day off to a fun start. After the tea ceremony and many meaningful gifts, the couple celebrates with brunch and lots of family photos. Nhu and Chris wanted to incorporate their Catholic faith into their wedding so they changed into Western attire for a first look and headed to their church which does mass in Vietnamese on a weekly basis. The mass was in two languages, so it was fun for us to pick apart the ceremony as compared to other Catholic weddings we've shot without hearing when the first kiss was coming up - for example. After the mass the whole bridal party loaded up and headed downtown Saint Paul for some photos in Mears Park and around some of our favorite little nooks. The evening concluded with a huge reception where more folks joined them for a 10 course feast, more gifting and dancing. Their guests hit the dance floor hard and we had a blast documenting it all. Nhu and Chris, thank you for allowing us to photograph your big day. We had a great time and have loved working together. We wish you may happy years together!
Dani + Carl = Expecting
Dani and Carl are expecting a baby boy in just a few days from now, so it was due time that we blogged their session. Many people opt out of maternity photos because they don't feel camera-ready. We think this is a decision you'll regret years down the road when pregnancy is a distant memory and looking back on the big belly seems impossible that your body could hold so much love. I had a nice time meeting these soon-to-be parents and even from the brief time we spent together I can tell this little boy is going to be one lucky kid. I'm excited to meet him and see Dani and Carl in a few short weeks when he's joined us on the other side for some newborn photos. We're all rooting for you, Dani!
Katie + Josh = Married
Early on in their wedding planning, Katie and Josh knew two things: 1. that they wanted to have their wedding at the New England Aquarium and 2. that they wanted their wedding to be a blast for all their guests. They managed to meet their goals and more with their exuberant wedding in the heart of Boston. When the skies decided to open up and rain down on the big day, it didn't dampen any spirits. That's what we love about these two. They are incredibly compassionate and laid back and share a deep appreciation for what's important in life. We were thrilled to have our gal Devin along as our second shooter for Katie and Josh's wedding. It's been wonderful working with you, Katie and Josh. We are so happy for you and know you'll share many happy years together! Congratulations!
Alivia - Class of 2016
Even after hundreds of shoots, there are times that I have to pinch myself that I get to do what I love for work. We all feel that way, here on Summer Street, but you know when you leave a shoot smiling from ear to ear and get a "photo high" from the work you've created with such fun and creative subjects, that you're doing something right. Alivia shines from the inside out and capturing her personality and vibrancy was such a treat. I have the special honor of calling her family, so when she and her family told us they were going to head up to Minnesota from Nebraska to have us capture her senior portraits it was doubly exciting. She's about ten years younger than me, so she was always sweet-little-Libby to our (large) extended family. It's so amazing to see what an incredible person and athlete she's grown into not to mention exceptionally beautiful. Libby, thank you for trusting me to capture your beautiful spirit! You're a joy to all who know you.
The S Family
We're excited to share this sweet session with you today. It's always an honor to take photos for friends. It's also an honor to take photos for fellow professional photographers. So when Kirsten and Sean reached out to us to photograph their darling family of three in their home on the East Side of Saint Paul, it made our hearts very happy (since they are both dear friends AND Kirsten is a photographer). I love watching these two parent their curious and adventurous son. They are so great at letting him explore his world and also giving him a solid and nurturing environment to thrive. Little O is clearly used to having a camera in his face, so it was a lot of fun photographing him as he showed me around his yard and then his favorite toys and books. We're so grateful to capture these sessions for families. It's especially cool to take photos with the resident family photographer *in* the photos and not just behind the lens. We adore you Kirsten, Sean and little O!
Kelsey + Rhys = Married
If you've been following our blog for any time at all you'll know how much we love when couples infuse their wedding with their relationship and personalities. Kelsey and Rhys did this with spunk and style. They decided to keep things *really* local and got married where they live; the Schmidt Artist Lofts. Not only do they call this historic brewery in Saint Paul's up-and-coming West 7th neighborhood home, but the property also yields itself to become a lively wedding venue when treated right. The couple brought in an all you can eat Mexican fiesta of food from the neighborhood hotspot, Burrito Mercado which everyone loved (especially us). Their table settings were named after board games they love and play, so the evening of celebrating was extra fun with a few rounds of 'Cards Against Humanity' and 'Catch Phrase'. The bride's new Mother-in-Law hand made (!!) her wedding dress and nearly every other element of Kelsey and Rhys' wedding was home spun. The best part of it all was truly watching these two love on each other. They are getting married for all the right reasons and it's clear they belong together. Kelsey and Rhys, you two make us so happy. We've had such a great time working with you and feel honored to have documented your wedding. Congratulations!!
Mini Family Session Remix
We're breaking our blogging mold today by sharing one big post as a recap of the last few months of mini family sessions we've been doing. What's a mini session, you might ask? Basically it's a shorter version of a traditional photo session where families shoot for only 20 minutes with us and the shoot yields a fewer number of delivered images. Typically, we schedule a marathon day for ourselves when we do minis so that we can shoot 15-20 families in one weekend. We had a mini marathon scheduled for June in Somerville, Mass and the weather didn't cooperate. Wouldn't you know it that the rain date got rained out too. So what were we to do except reschedule everyone at various times of the year during our travels to New England and also take advantage of the studio for some sessions during the rain. Everyone was so flexible and wonderful in scheduling again so basically what would have taken 2 days ended up getting scheduled in a three month span.
Now that you understand the back story let me gush a little bit about these beautiful families. I'm part of an online parents group that I joined a few weeks before our daughter was born. The group capped off around 200 women and basically we share bits and pieces of our lives as parents and people and show support for each other in our various journeys. It's an incredible group of smart, talented, strong, thoughtful and compassionate women. When several of them reached out to me to photograph their families, I opened up the opportunity to the group to plan out a mini session marathon. Getting to meet many of these families and children whom I've only met online was such a treat. I'm sure you can relate to the phenomenon of online friendships and how interesting the dynamic is when you know so much about some people but have never met them in person. I tell myself it's sort of like pen pals of old. :) I'm needing to end this post so I'll end with this: never have I been given so much joy as I am gifted as when I photograph families. The love is immeasurable and eternal and it's such a gift to document. If that's not an impetus for creating art I don't know what is. Thank you, S1TM's for showing up with so much love.
Kristen + Jay = Expecting
We are paid the highest compliment when we get to photograph a family more than once. It starts at the beginning when couples get engaged and want us to capture that part of their lives. Then the wedding comes and we get to toast to the newlyweds and swoon over new married love as the new couple dashes off to their cloud nine. Some time later, we'll get a call that they are expecting and want us to document their new addition to the family. This is such a joy for us. Since the bulk of our work lies in weddings, we hear A LOT of promises and toasts to the happiness (and inevitable struggles) that lie ahead. When we actually get a front row seat to document these next milestones? Beyond. I spent some time with Kristen and Jay and their little babe in the belly (nicknamed Poppyseed since they were keeping the sex of the baby a surprise for birth) about a month ago on Plum Island off of Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was so great to catch up with these two and hear about their excitement for what's to come. It was a good thing we did the shoot when we did, because little poppyseed decided to make HIS appearance about a month early! So now Kristen, Jay and their little sweet baby boy are getting used to life as a family of three. Chuck will photograph the three of them this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for more from this sweet family soon!
Erin + Bo = Married
Erin and Bo are free spirits. Erin is the type of person who can talk to anyone and genuinely relate to them. She's got an edgy glam thing going on that makes her constantly look like she's walked out of the pages of a magazine but without the attitude. Bo has a heart the size of Texas and is always up for an adventure. The love he has for Erin is steadfast and true. Together they are a serious force to be reckoned with so their wedding day was approached was with great anticipation and excitement from us. They both live in the Twin Cities but have been escaping to Madeline Island for hiking and outdoor adventures the last few years. When their wedding planning began, they knew Madeline Island would be the perfect location for their destination wedding. During their past hikes, they found a gorgeous rock cliff that overlooked Lake Superior. It was about a mile and a half hike into the woods, but they knew their guests would be up for it. And boy were they! We've seen a lot of beautiful ceremonies in our day but the rocky shoreline with dense fog and water spray made for the most dramatic and beautiful location for their ceremony. Shooting this wedding was a photographer's dream. The stunning natural scenery allowed for minimal decor fluff (because who can compete with Mother Nature?) which everyone loved. Erin and Bo's friends and family there with the best, loving energy and excitement for these two. The Inn on Madeline Island made for a beautiful reception (with a clear tent! natural light and moisture protection for the win!) and the couple themselves just happen to be incredibly easy to photograph (understatement) so with the dreamy fog I left the day on a pretty serious photo high. Erin and Bo, thank you for trusting us to capture your wedding. It's been our pleasure and we're so grateful you had us along for the ride!