UGH!  You're probably all thinking that we never returned from Puerto Rico because it's been so long since I've posted.  Well, let me tell you, here in the middle of wedding season and crazy schedules I wish I could click my heels together Dorothy style and transport myself not back to Kansas but back to that beautiful tropical oasis where the only concern was when the last time I applied SPF.  But if I did that then Liz and I would've missed the last 4 weddings we've shot and they were all a blast to be at, so I guess being home with our fantastic clients, our loving families, and lots of work to do isn't so bad.  But for the record, I am going back!

Ok, on to the weddings!  The ones we shot 2 weekends ago I'll tell you about today, and the other two I'll post in the next few days when we finish up their trailers.

So the first wedding was on June 21st.  Allison and Dustin got married about an hour and a half west of us in Springfield, Ma.  It was hot, but the sky was sooo blue and there were the best puffy white clouds in the sky.  We can usually get really cool shots of the sky then there are clouds like that.  If it's too bright out with no clouds the sky tends to look white when we shoot, and the same goes for when it's overcast.  So it's a real treat when there is that really sharp contrast between the blue of the sky and the white of the clouds.  I know some of your will probably think I'm crazy getting that excited about the clouds in the sky, but when I see something that I know will enhance the videos we shoot it just gets me amped up!  So anyway, they got married at Sacred Heart Church, and Allison and Dustin don't know this but when I went outside before the ceremony started to get a shot of the church and as I crossed the 2 lane street my toe seriously got run over by a car!  I could not believe it.  I swear I looked both ways.  I don't know if the guy didn't see me or what but if anyone in Springfield hears a guys talking about how he almost killed me...smack him one on my behalf please!

Their reception was held at the Clarion Hotel in West Springfield and the staff was so great to work with.  We had a fantastic meal that was served hot!  Believe it or not, many times we're the last to be served and we're lucky if our dinner is even warm.  So it was a nice treat. 

Allison and Dustin chose Christie's Photography to shoot them throughout the day.  They had a lot of family and a big wedding party to keep track of and make sure all the necessary posed shot got taken care of, so we were really impressed with their crowd control skills.  They were really friendly and were really good about keeping an eye out for us and staying out of our shots.  It's so great when we get to work with a photographer that respects what we do as much as we respect their job.  It would be great to have the opportunity to work with them again.

Here is their trailer that Liz edited:

Next we shot the wedding of Danny and Melanie on Sunday, June 22nd.  This wedding was an amazing melding of two cultures.  Danny is of Chinese descent, and Melanie is...well...not Chinese! lol!  I could not get over how open both families were to eachother's culture and how loving they all were.  We could definitely see that Danny and Mel married into very supportive families.  Melanie is a wonderful artist and has such a creative spirit and let me tell you...this girl has an eye for detail!  Not one thing was overlooked, not one thing out of place, but at the same time it never felt like she was stressed about it.  Absolutely amazing if you ask me.  Danny is a baker and I am just dying to get my hands on some of the cookies he makes.  Can you imagine marrying a man that will bake you pastries and cookies, and cakes whenever you want???  Uh yeah...sign me up! 

The happy couple got married at Independence Harbor in Assonet, Ma.  I could not get over how beautifully maintained the gardens of flowers were.  It was like walking into a Martha Stewart book.  They said their "I-Do's" out on the lawn by the gazebo and invited all their guests inside for a decadent cocktail hour that included a chocolate fountain, fruits, and other goodies.  The chocolate fountain did me in.  3 marshmallows and 3 pretzels later I was feeling like I was in sugar overload land so before I overdid it we jumped in the car and headed for our favorite reception venue in Chinatown, Hei La Moon.  When Mel and Danny arrived we headed through the streets adjacent to Chinatown and convinced them to go inside a Chinese market to get some really cool, different shots from inside.  Let me tell you, all the shoppers inside the market were really staring at us like we had lost our minds, but we got some of the best footage we've gotten in a long time.  It was just such an outside the box idea and luckily it went off without a hitch!  Kudos to Mel and Danny for being good sports and trusting in our crazy ideas!

They booked photographers from Bella Pictures that were a blast, and I have to give them props too for hanging in with us while we had Mel and Danny doing all this crazy stuff.  They went right along with it and got some fantastic shots in the process!  The photographers that shot the day were Tim Ryan Smith, who is a dead ringer of Joey MacIntire from NKOTB.  I know I'm totally giving away my age and maybe embarrassing myself by even admitting that I was a former New Kids fan, but being from Boston, like being a Red Sox fan you kind of have to support them by default.  So anyway, his work is amazing, you HAVE to check it out!  Second shooter was Todd Wilson.  He has a great sense of humor and was such a good sport trying all the unfamiliar traditional fare during the Chinese Banquet at their reception.  I can't wait to see some of the images he captured while we had Mel and Danny running around in the Chinese market! Update:  Here is one of the images Todd caught of our dinner:

I can't forget to mention Mel's cake.  She designed it herself, being the creative girl that she is and the fabulous bakery, Confectionery Designs from our hometown of Rehoboth, Ma.  One of the owners, Mark Soliday, was Danny's instructor while he attended culinary school, and now I can tell what a great baker Danny is after trying the cake by his teacher.  Mel was so good to us and made sure we had a piece of their fabulous cake before we left for the night, and let me tell you..so good, so good.  Their Limo company that provided all their transportation for the day was Raviele Limo and their driver was the owner of the company, Rob.  He did a fantastic job of getting them where they needed to be on time, which makes our job so much easier and less rushed.  Thumbs up for Rob! 

Ok, on to the best part...their trailer...