All of the snow has melted, the air smells fresh, the cherry blossoms were out, tulips were in full bloom and it felt like Spring was in full effect. This dreamy and romantic celebration of love was the best way to kick off my 2013 season.

Kaitlyn and Kenny exchanged nuptials on a cloudy yet sunny spring day in April. As I pulled up to the extraordinary brick Mansion on Turner Hill, I felt overwhelmed with excitement and wonder. What will the day hold for everyone today I thought to myself… Well that was a short lived thought because as soon as I walked into the sun-filled bridal chambers and saw 8 beauties in linen robes with Champaign flutes in hand, I knew it was going to be a fun day. They welcomed me into the room as if I was part of the bridal party, it was such an amazing start to my day.

After everyone was polished and ready we headed outside to the sweet and romantic gardens. Guests walked upon cherry blossoms that were dropped from the exquisitely large tree to the right.  Kaitlyn and her father walked down a pebble path {she in her Valentino heels} to meet Kenny standing near the terrace kissed with hydrangeas and crystal chandeliers. A giant golden harp sat to the right of the garden as it sang sweet songs to all to hear. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, they were pronounced husband and wife the trumpets sounded as rose petals flew through the spring breeze… “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles filled the air and I just about dropped my camera!

… had I died and gone to heaven?!

What made this day most special was the warmth and love that filled everyones faces. Kaitlyn and Kenny are going to have such a beautiful journey together, I’m so excited for them.

This really was a day to remember for everyone in attendance.

Peace & Love… Actually,

April K

This affair was decked from head to toe with 5 Star wedding vendors:
Venue: Mansion on Turner Hill {amazing venue to work with, Carol ROCKS!}
Flowers: Pepperberry’s {knock your socks off gorgeous}
Band:  Night Rhythm {rocked the house down}
Cake: Jenny’s Wedding Cakes {she did a great job!}
Second Photographer: Meghann Gregory Photography

When Marisa called me around this time last year, I remember being in Utah talking her through how I do things and she sounded so sweet and awesome. I loved her right from the start…I remember writing next to her name “book this girl”.

A year later here we are, at a beautifully decorated wedding at the Linden Place in Bristol, Rhode Island. Marisa did such a great job planning her day from the invitations right down to the favors, she really went all out with candles (which I LOVE) and put a lot of personal touches on just about everything she could. So many DIY spottings throughout the day, I loved it.

The only way I can describe Marisa and James together is by using the word “cute”, haha. They are just so head over heels for each other which made capturing them so much fun. I know they will have many many years of ooogling over one another, laughter and adventure.

Peace, Love & DIY Perfection,

April K

Alyssa and Nick exchanged vows on a very sunny yet chilly Friday afternoon. Their nuptials took place at the Liberty Hotel in the heart of Boston. What is now a luxury hotel was once, believe it or not, an old prison holding some of Boston’s most notorious criminals.

Alyssa did a fantastic job on creating a vibe all of her own. From the soft whites and pinks of the flowers to the gold key on the invitation and seating cards, each detail was well thought out and meshed well with her style and the history of the venue. It was a beautiful wedding, clearly enjoyed by all who attended!

Peace, Love and Locked up Love,

April K

When I meet with potential clients for the first time, I never know what I’m walking into. Are they going to be lame, boring and I’ll do all the talking… or will they be super cool and tell me all about what they love to do together, what they love about each other and open right up?

Dan & Nicole were certainly the type of people that opened right up. Before we even discussed wedding details, we were talking about 3 day hikes in the White Mountains, camping, gear… you really couldn’t stop the rampage of our mutual love for the great outdoors! Finally when we got to the wedding stuff, we chatted about what their vision was for their day, what they wanted in a photographer and of course how the experience with me will be like no other!

After we left our meeting I think there was a mutual love fest going on because we had felt like we’ve known each other forever. When I get asked to shoot for couples like Dan & Nicole… it’s the ultimate photography treat! {kinda like vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles}

{fast forward to wedding day}

“I’m gonna need a lot more hairspray” was the general tone of the day… the wind was gusting off the ocean as if Hurricane Irene had a personal invite to the wedding. It didn’t stop Dan & Nicole in any way. We still took lots of photos outside of the charming Owenego Beach and Tennis Club in Branford, CT and they were even brave enough to walk the plank over the ocean out to the giant rock for some dramatic photos. That’s when you know two people are in love… when they don’t care what else is going on around them {including hurricane like weather}, they’re doing their thing and loving every minute, not even noticing the elements.

Dan & Nicole did such a great job with putting their own special touches on the day. They had a little of everything that meshed together harmoniously. It was a wedding full of character, that’s for sure.

Peace, Love & Windy Wedding Blessings,

April K

Ugh, where do I even start with this day? It was unbelievable, I mean, the series of events that took place as soon as I walked in the door right up until the minute I left…

First, I must say, I like to give myself a pat on the back every now and again… simply because I seem to attract THE COOLEST couples. Let me just toot my own horn with a prime example… Jen and Mike. Charismatic, full of life and energy and clearly are absolutely made for each other. The way these two play off one another is out of this world, and they were up for anything, nothing could bring them down. I am certain, without hesitation, that these two will have the most thrilling life together.

Now, down to business, after both Jen and Mike were finished getting ready we headed over to the Boston Public Gardens to do their first look. What better place on a beautiful day than to use the gorgeous bridge as a first look location. As you could imagine on a Saturday the bridge was bustling with tourists, but we got very lucky! The wedding party kindly asked if people could wait for Jen and Mike to do their first look. Much to my surprise, every one present was honored to be able to watch the love unfold.

The ceremony was beautiful and as you’ll see down below… it’s not uncommon for the rings to not go on as easily as they do in the movies! Leave it to Jen and Mike to make everyone laugh about it. They followed that up with a reception at the Hyatt Regency Boston who does a fantastic job. Groove Events came in and did a bomb job on the uplighting which transformed the room into a wonderland of pink {my favorite!}. With the help of the talented Boston Florist, My Flouer, to add soft floral accents to each table effortlessly, this did not look like a ballroom wedding.

To top it all off, there was a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony, Dragon Dancers, a surprise guest for Mike, and some SERIOUS dance moves to top off the night! I usually don’t post dancing pictures… but I couldn’t help myself this time.

There are a lot of moments here… so take your time and savor!

Peace, Love & Wedding Day Surprises Are The Bomb,

April K

Quite possibly the most entertaining & priceless sequence right here…

Mike: “Jen what did you do? you didn’t… no”

Jen: “oh yes I did!!!!”

Mike: “GET THE %^&$# OUT!!! YESSSSS”

All of the Boston Bruins fans out there might recognize this man and his “cowardly lion-esq” voice singing the National Anthem!

Megan and Charlie tied the knot in Saratoga Springs, NY after dating for many years. I had the privilege of getting to know both of them while Megan and I were roommates when I first moved to Boston. Megan is a focused and driven student who has a soft heart and Charlie is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Together they make each other so happy and it’s clear to see. They have one of those relationships that just seem to make sense and you just know they’ll happily grow old together.

Although sometimes the rain decides to visit us at not so convenient times, like on a wedding day, it doesn’t really matter much because no one can kill the good vibes and positive energy that everyone brings to the day. After the ceremony…Megan, Charlie and all of their close friends and family headed over to the Canfield Casino in Saratoga to celebrate. Beautiful flowers, delicious food, a timeless atmosphere, all while listening and dancing to one of the best wedding bands out there, made this reception unforgettable.

I love my job and love spending my weekends with awesome people like Megan & Charlie!

Peace, Love and Rain Drops – o – Love,

April K

Hair/Make Up – Make Me Fabulous
Florist – Renaissance Floral Design
Reception Venue – Canfield Casino
Cake – Mansion Catering
Entertainment – The New York Players Group
Wedding Coordinator – Christine Wheat

Jennifer and Peter’s wedding was not only a unique occasion, it was definitely one for the April K Photography history books!  Let me break it down for you via text and then let your eyes be dazzled by the beautiful art we created.

Jennifer and Peter started off their day with a first look, {always a great idea in my book}. This was followed by a small but very beautiful ceremony with their immediate families at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY. The ceremony was very emotional and very heartfelt. Jennifer and Peter are rare couple in the world of weddings, which is refreshing for me to see. They didn’t care about inviting everyone they know or following the wedding rule book… To them this wedding was solely about committing their lives to one another  the best way they know how, with a little adventure! {I love me some crazy adventures}

When I asked Jennifer what provoked her to “trash her dress” she had some very thought provoking and inspiring words….

“What?!?!  Why on earth would you want to trash your dress?”—yup, that’s a pretty good way to sum up most people’s response as they gasped in shock when they found out we were incorporating a “trash the dress” session into our big day.  I even think our own parents thought we were a little crazy as first.  However, nothing about our relationship was ordinary or without adventure—we first met on a bike ride that Peter organized through a local outdoors meet-up group on-line.  Our first date wasn’t a movie and dinner at some romantic restaurant, but an afternoon at the Buffalo zoo.  It was so us!  Our first trip together wasn’t to the beach and we didn’t stay in a fancy hotel—we pitched a tent at a campground in the Thousand Islands and went white-water rafting.  It was perfect and exhilarating, and even the river of rain that nearly washed our tent off the ground couldn’t dampen our mood.  The best gift I ever got from Peter wasn’t some expensive piece of jewelry, but two tickets for the both of us to go sky-diving.  Talk about the biggest rush of your life—it was the best birthday present ever.

Though I had always dreamed of finding that one guy I couldn’t live without and falling deep in love, I was never that girl that dreamed all my life of a fairy tale wedding.  So, after falling in love and realizing that we wanted to spend forever together, Peter popped the question on a chilly fall day as we hiked by the base of Akron Falls (sense a theme yet!?).  Of course, I said yes and after we were engaged it took us a while to envision our perfect day.  Pretty early on, we decided we were throwing tradition out the window in many respects and just going to follow our hearts and do what felt right.  Part of this was including a “trash the dress” session at Grimes Glen in Naples, NY into our wedding plans.  In many ways I don’t really like the label “trash the dress”.  We didn’t choose to hike the creek in our wedding attire and take pictures by the gorgeous waterfalls because we wanted to trash the dress, we did it because it was us—it was the perfect way to begin our married life together and trashing the dress was just a potential consequence.  To me, the dress wasn’t something I was attached to; I was simply inspired to create unforgettable memories with my only true love on one of the most important days of our life and continue the adventure we had already started.  It was truly an amazing once in a lifetime experience and it was during this portion of the day that we felt most relaxed, true to our self, and closest to one another.  There was just something about being surrounded by nature in all of its beauty and hearing the sound of waterfalls surrounding us that allowed us to clear our minds, reflect on the love we share, and just be present in the moment together.  It was really indescribable.

One last thing for anyone who might be wondering, my dress really didn’t get too dirty and I’d hardly consider it “trashed”.  Though I haven’t decided if I will have it done, I’m almost positive it would clean up and preserve perfectly without anyone knowing what it went through.  But to me, my wedding day was never about my dress and I don’t feel like I need to save it beautifully pressed in a box in my closet for years to come.

All I wanted from my wedding day was to make an everlasting commitment to the love of my life, while surrounded by family, and celebrate with something that would always remind us of the mutual sense of adventure that brought us together and helped spark the love that we now share.  That is exactly what we did!

Refreshing, pure and true to what you believe is what it’s all about. Lucky for me they couldn’t have picked a better more willing person to photograph their day I was in heaven right along with them.

Jennifer + Peter I wish you loads of laughter and love on your crazy journey!

Peace, Love & Adventurous Marriages,

April K

A Cape Cod wedding was exactly what Stephanie and Brian had envisioned to be the perfect place to exchange vows. Why? Because of their roots… Stephanie has close family ties with her Dad and Aunt living on the Cape and so naturally Stephanie and Brian have begun building their own memories there. They chose the Dennis Inn because of it’s charm, and I can attest it has it’s own unique character for sure.

As if the stars had aligned, the all around vibe of this beachy Cape Cod wedding was calm. The weather, the staff at the Dennis Inn, Stephanie, her bridesmaids, the groom and all his men… everyone was so calm and collected. As a wedding photographer this was quite a treat!

One of my favorite and most memorable moments was as Stephanie sat on the bed to read the card that Brian had written for her. Knowing exactly what she was going through and how she was feeling, I captured her tender and emotional moment quietly. Brian then wrote a card out for all of Stephanie’s girls thanking them for taking such good care of Stephanie as well we being so welcoming to him. What a great idea!

Stephanie and Brian are such a great couple with a bond that is truly one of a kind. I wish them all the best in their life together as I’m sure it will be adventurous and filled with love.

Peace, Love & Starfish,

April K

Venue: Dennis Inn
Hair/Make up: Jason B. William Salon
Flowers: Flowers by Fancy
Cupcakes: Montilio’s Baking Company

As I walked up to the Engfer house it was 101 degrees (and rising). I had my dorky rolling bag-o-camera equipment, my camera (obvi.) and my water bottle. I really didn’t care what the temperature was, I was sure that Melanie & Brad’s wedding was going to be out of this world amazing… and it was! Warmly greeted by her family and girls when I walked in the door, we all hung out during hair and make up. I love that quiet time with the bride and all of her girls, it’s the time where everyone is telling stories, laughing and getting ready to light it up! And boy did they ever…

Fast forward to the First Look. Yes, Melanie + Brad knew that pictures were very important to their day, but so was the actual day itself and didn’t want to miss out on any of it. I placed Brad on the bridge… all alone and in anticipation, just waiting for his bride to sneak up behind him. We first played a little peek a boo, took a few photos and then the big reveal.

From the hair and make up to the last dance of the night, Melanie & Brad were in heaven. The love they share and the fun they have together was on full display that day and in turn we made some beautiful art. I wish Melanie and Brad all the happiness, laughter and adventure (and can’t wait until they have babies so I can photograph them!)

Peace, Love & Outrageously Good Times,

April K