Kelly & Dan's Wachusett Mountain Wedding

Kelly and Dan's wedding at Wachusett Mountain was one we'd waited a LONG time for (at least it felt that way.)  Having shot their engagement session at the famed Grist Mill back in April, it felt like a long wait till September.  Kelly is a majorly creative type, so we knew whatever planning she did would pay off in a beautiful, romantic way.  Finally, their Friday-evening wedding date arrived, and it was time to experience this couple's originality!

The bride and her bridesmaids enjoyed their preparation time

The couple exchanged vows before a beautifully adorned arbor at the sparkling pond's edge.  Their personalized vows were truly touching (and naturally with Kelly's sense of humor, very entertaining), and more than a few women were seen with hankies dabbing at their eyes.











One of the best aspects of having a wedding at Wachusett Mountain is riding the chairlift after the ceremony -- the couple has a chance to "decompress" for 15-20 minutes, and let the whole experience sink in while enjoying a private photo session atop the mountain.  It was obvious to us they'd had some experience with this ride-to-the-heights thing, and I believe they were seen headed back down the mountain without the chair's safety rail down (yikes!)

Back inside, the reception dining room was romantically decorated with table top arrangements of red roses and golden sunflowers, as well as apple-themed special touches for guests to enjoy.  Now this is romance!







We LOVED the wedding cake with its raffia trim - so totally fitting for this wedding and artfully designed by Custom Wedding Cakes by Penny. 

DJ entertainment for the evening was skillfully provided by none other than Ken Duquette of Champagne Toast.  Might we add, we've had the pleasure of many a wedding meal, and the food here was truly outstanding!





People may think it's contrived or clichéd, but we truly become friends with many of the couples we photograph, and Kelly and Dan are a couple we'll continue to get together with long after the wedding day.

Wherever they go, this couple makes life fun, and artful. Wishing you all the joy in the world, Kelly and Dan, and see you soon!



     ~Chris & Vickie

Worcester Group To Donate Weddings To The Health-Challenged

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Worcester Group Forms To Donate Weddings To The Health-Challenged

WORCESTER, Massachusetts (September 6, 2012) – Six local small businesses that provide wedding services in Worcester County have banded together to create an organization called “Worcester Weddings With Heart.”   The aim of the group is to provide an avenue for local engaged couples challenged by serious illness or extraordinary financial hardship to obtain wedding services at drastically reduced cost.

The brainchild of local wedding vendors Vickie and Chris Wakeen, Wakeen Photography (Grafton) and Carrianne Allen, Bugaboo Confections (W. Brookfield), Worcester Weddings With Heart is somewhat modeled after the nationally-recognized 501(c)3 organization Wish Upon a Wedding (WUW), but with some major differences.  “We are not a registered non-profit 501(c)3 charity, nor do we require that an inquiring couple have a terminal diagnosis, (though they may)  as WUW does.  Carrianne and I were sharing wedding business stories one day, and realized we both wanted to find a way to give back to the community that we love, having grown up here and worked here, meeting some amazing clientele along the way,” stated Wakeen.  “There are so many approved vendors for the W.U.W. Boston Chapter, Wakeen Photography being one of them, that the opportunity for us to be THE volunteer photographer for their charity wedding is greatly reduced, and we were anxious to give back right away.  So we figured, why not do this right in our own backyard, so to speak.”

“As a creator of cakes for weddings and special events, I don’t often get to meet the other professionals involved with a couple’s wedding, so this is a great way to accomplish that while employing my craft to help others.”, said Ms. Allen of Bugaboo Confections.  “We also wanted this to be about the smaller, boutique-style businesses that may be overlooked by couples researching wedding vendors in our area.”

Worcester County professionals also involved with the endeavor include Nancy and Judy Whalen of Creative Papers, Ltd. (Shrewsbury), Jeffrey Robert Salon in Worcester, Virginia Orlando and Candace Atchue of Seed To Stem Botanicals (Worcester), and Kevin Whitney of DJ Kevin Whitney (W. Boylston).

The group will announce the recipients of their first charitable wedding this month, which is planned for September, 2013.  The criteria for applying for consideration of the 2014 Wedding Giveaway will also be detailed upon this year’s announcement.  Opportunities exist for additional small business volunteers from Worcester County in the areas of bridal couture, accessories, men’s wear, wedding day transportation, and videography services.

Media Contacts:

Vickie Harding-Wakeen                                   Nancy Whalen

vickie@wakeenphotography.com                 creative.papers@townisp.com

(774) 279-6782                                                (508) 925-5377

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