Hilary + Brendan

I want to share an especially lovely wedding that was magical in so many ways. First of all, the bride is one of my best friends. Hilary and I have been friends since we were 15 so our friendship has spanned a decade and half (and at times a whole continent) so it felt so good to watch her marry someone as perfect for her as Brendan. And I'm not saying that just to be nice, Brendan- since you've moved back to Boston I feel like I've gained a new friend instead of losing one, like some people feel when their friends are married off.

The second cool thing about this wedding is that I had the honor of being a bridesmaid. It's definitely an interesting feat to have double responsibilities, but I had a whole team to help me and together we created some amazing images. In case you are trying to visualize a bridesmaid wielding a camera, this is me at work in my sweet dress:



The much anticipated dress. I watched this little Vera Wang number become transformed and fitted to perfection. My first behind the scenes view of what my brides go through with all that pinning and tucking and hemming to get that perfect fit.



Hilary was by far the most mellow bride ever. During the celebrations the night before, there was a bit of roasting and toasting and someone mentioned how Hilary uses the word "mellow" a lot, that it's a characteristic of her personality and lifestyle. You could say her wedding day was like that in many ways- so relaxed, no rushing around, everyone really enjoying every moment.



The veiling...





The first moment the bride and groom saw each other. (I think it went over well.)







Mike captured this dreamy moment:





I love, love the way Hilary is looking at Brendan in this image. It is so telling of their relationship. When you hang out with them, you can visually see how much respect and admiration they have for each other, without them even speaking.



My friend Cassi also photographed with Mike and I and she captured the following two images that I just love. She just moved to Philadelphia so if anyone in that area is in need of some photography, be sure to check out her sweet skills.





The ring bearers were too cute for words.



Before their wedding, Hilary, Brendan and I sat down to plan out the timing of their day to make sure we had plenty of time for pictures, so the day wouldn't feel rushed. On the bottom of the list of portraits I typed up for her, was written "Save 15 minutes for pictures in the street with green fire hydrant," which made Hilary laugh when she reviewed our plans. Mike and I had seen this spot a minute down the road from where she was getting ready, fell in love with the little green hydrant, and needed to take some pictures there. I love fun, unexpected places to photograph the bride and groom.







One of my favorite shots of the day- so frisky.



This would look amazing really really huge.



Here's where I might get a little mushy. The ceremony was so beautiful that I was in tears before I even started down the aisle. Music is a huge part of Hilary and Brendan's lives so it was an important part of their wedding. All the groomsmen sang an a cappella version of a song called "Love is Simple" which mingled with the soft, pale sunset and drifted on the salty breeze. It was utterly, amazingly, beautiful. I walked down the aisle with tears in my eyes, the hugest smile on my face, and so much love in my heart.



Mike captured all of these images of the ceremony. It's really hard to let go of the camera and trust someone else to do it, but Mike totally blew me away with these images. They are so touching- I just couldn't have done any better. (I'm so excited that I get to marry him.)











I love this composition.











What a little blue grass music will do to you:





I love how happy and proud they look in this picture.





Cassi got some great shots of the reception looking all elegant.





And then they danced their faces off. All of Brendan's groomsmen are musicians, so when the band took a break, they took over. I wish they could have played all night.



Hilary put on her dancing shoes and this might be one of my favorite images of the whole night:



Hilary + Brendan,
This whole weekend was overflowing with more love than I thought humanly possible in one place at one time, and I know yours was right at the center of it. I know you two focused on all the things most important to you and through that you really created the most magical celebration.


To see more images, check out the slideshow below: