Vanessa & Rich ~ August 20, 2011

The day had finally arrived!  We'd been looking forward to Vanessa and Rich's wedding for what seemed like soooo long.  Having photographed their E-session back in April, we were quite excited to handle the photography for their special day - we knew the wedding would be a blast for us!

Keeping with Massachusetts' summers as we know them, the day was quite warm and humid, and even tho thunder storms were forecast, we all lucked out with sunshine and dry weather!

The couple exchanged vows at the N.E. Dream Center (a gorgeous, scaled-down replica of Paris' Notre Dame), and the ceremony was presided over by Reverend Will Bard.  A reception following was held at Cyprian Keyes, on one of the most gorgeous golf courses in New England.  In fact, as we photographed the wedding party and family groupings before dinner, the couple was nearly creamed by a renegade golf ball as someone shouted 'fore'!!!  (a little something amusing to share with their grand kids one day, we hope!)

Vanessa had long prepared for what would make her wedding day a perfect reflection of her style.  The sequined bodess of her wedding gown (provided by Loren's Bridal of Sturbridge, MA) was absolutely stunning as you can see (click on image to enlarge).

Vanessa's matron of honor and bridesmaids were so beautiful in lilac-colored dresses by designer Justin Alexander, and the coordinating bouquets by Perro's Flowers were a perfect match of calla lilies, roses and hydrangea.  The groom and groomsmen wore very distinguished looking tuxedos from Men's Warehouse in black with pale blue vests and white boutonnieres.  The groom's niece served as flower girl, and there were two handsome young ring bearers as well.
 

The three-tiered wedding cake was beautifully adorned with coordinating white frosting with decorative swirls, lavender ribbon and roses of pale blue, provided by Gerardo's Bakery.

I (Vickie) personally fell in LOVE with the glass charger plates of Cyprian Keyes' table settings ... just love the beaded glass around the edges ~ very classy!  Everything looked just beautiful.

Special touches included having the guests sign-in on a drum head (cool!) rather than the typical guest book.  So appropriate since Rich is drum virtuoso for the band Shiver (formerly Ever Fading).  The lively dance music was provided by DJ icon Kevin Whitney, and videographer Tim Ethier was on board to document the festivities, "moving-picture style."  Super fun for us as Chris has worked with both Kevin and Tim at many weddings over the years!

So, Vanessa and Rich (and your wonderful families), we're Ever Grateful to you for a day we won't soon forget and we can't wait to show you the remainder of your images in the weeks to come!

All the best for many years of happiness, and best of wishes in your new condominium!

                                                      ~ Vickie and Chris

Sneak Peek ~ Vanessa & Rich

What a fantastic wedding day it was for "Nessa and Richie" on Saturday ... and we're so pleased and honored to have been their photographers.  Here is a little 'sneak peek' to just whet the appetite for more beautiful images of their day.

Remember to click on the image itself for a larger view.

Stay tuned ~ there's more to come!

Before and After

On our very first date Chris said to me, “I’ll probably die with a camera in my hand.”  And I thought, “hmm, that’s an interesting thing to say to a woman you’ve just met!”  Our first meet was over coffee at my place, at the suggestion of my friend and neighbor, Sharon.  Chris’ mom. (If you must know!)

Looking back I see that was truly a revelation making it clear from the start that photography wasn’t just what Chris does, it’s who he is.   When he isn’t shooting a wedding/event, or a portrait session, he can be found working for another organization doing action sports photography and portraiture.  Either way, he’s got to be “quick on the fly” since the action of weddings and sports stops for no one! 

Unfortunately we aren’t always able to display Chris’ work when he’s contracted out to another outfit, due to copyright protection laws.   But suffice it to say, he’s continually honing his craft which can only benefit our wedding and portrait clients in the long run.   In his free-time he likes to photograph top-fuel and ‘funny car’ race cars and their drivers, as well as local musicians' bands.

Not only do professional photogs have to know their equipment, the theory and practice of what makes an interesting image, and possess great people skills, they also need to keep up with industry developments and techniques of photo enhancement and touch-up.  All this takes time (and money!) and Chris has been at this since long before he launched his own business in 1993.  Yeah, I deal with loads of miscellaneous camera equipment around the house.  And photo books.  And photo paper, matte boards, camera cases, lighting kits hidden under the bed that I stub my foot on, and tripods galore … but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

We thought you might enjoy some examples of photos fresh out of the camera versus how they look once we’ve cropped, or adjusted highlights and shadows, or changed the saturation, or a myriad of other ‘tweaks’ to create results that are as optimized as possible.  Enjoy!  And stay tuned for our next wedding coming up on August 20^th – we can’t wait!

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

Wakeen's Wedding Anniversary Wine Give-away!

Call us wacky but we are wild about wine and want to share the passion with our customers!  We're celebrating the 1st anniversary of our Napa Valley (CA) wedding, so we're offering a FREE bottle of Napa's 'nectar of the gods' from our favorite wine & spirits retailer, Julios Liquors of Westboro, MA. (Readers Choice 2011 award winner).  I know, sounds crazy, doesn't it?!

All you have to do is book your portrait session or wedding day coverage by August 31st.  Our on-location portrait shoots are loads of fun -- 90 minutes in length, you'll have plenty of time for an outfit change and can even include the family pet!  A great opportunity for teens heading into their senior year of high school or those wishing to build a modeling portfolio.  Family sessions are a great idea before the holiday season approaches - your holiday photo cards will rock!  And did you know we also specialize in maternity and newborn portraiture too?

Recently engaged?!  We offer a no-obligation consultation at your convenience where you'll review real albums of real weddings we've covered, start-to-finish.  And we think you'll find our package pricing to be an extremely good value.  Now booking into 2012. 

So, what'll it be - red or white?




Call Chris today @ 774-262-5332 or email vickie@wakeenphotography.com.  We travel throughout all of central and eastern Massachusetts.

"Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine so that I may whet my mind and say something clever." - Aristophanes

[Portrait session must occur before December 31, 2011.  Weddings anytime before 12/31/12.   Free wine retail value not to exceed $29]

Ceres Bistro - Une Expérience Gastronomique!

We had the pleasure of dining at Ceres Bistro in the Beechwood Hotel (Worcester) last night for Vic's birthday (we won't say just 'which' birthday that is).  We already knew we liked the Beechwood since we've photographed many weddings there and find it to be a terrific place for beautiful wedding shots.  What we didn't know is how delicious and appetizing the bistro's edible creations really are!

Vic ordered the Salmon Oscar, topped with bits of fresh crab meat and a delectable Béarnaise sauce.  The crisp yet tender julienned vegetables finished off the meal's presentation and every bite was savored and appreciated to its fullest!  Here is a photo of the 'before' and 'after' ... need I say more?!

Chris ordered the Marinated Filet of Lamb, medium rare, which was accompanied by a sweet potato purée, and a roasted grape tomato and spinach salad.   Mmmmmm.

So folks, all we can tell you is if you eat at Ceres, it's not just fine food, it's more of a food 'experience'!  Our kudos to the chef!

Melissa & James -- June 4, 2011

 The story behind Saturday's wedding assignment for us is that Melissa is Chris' favorite banker!  He's been a customer of hers for years and when Melissa began her search for a wedding photographer she remembered Chris and sought us out.

Melissa and Jim were junior-high school sweethearts and boy, does their love shine!  Melissa and Jim "took the plunge" with a perfectly planned affair at the Spencer Country Inn, and wow, did they look amazing.  The outdoor ceremony took place in front of the gazebo, with a brisk wind blowing, but hey, it's a lot better than rain! 

The bridesmaids were dressed in a deep burgundy, and the groomsmen looked really sharp in solid black tuxedos with red rose boutonnieres.  The gorgeous coordinating bouquets were provided by Holmes-Shusas Florists.  There are so many photos to go through and prepare for print, but here are just a few that we think demonstrate the joy of the day!

Thanks Mel and Jim for the privilege of photographing this most important day in your lives!