Rachael. I think I just might have managed to commit the unique spelling to memory. Rachael and Peter wanted a low key, non-traditional wedding. Their number one priority: getting married. And while I’d like to think number two on the list of importance was the photography, I have a sneaking suspicion the quality of the wine out ranked me ever so slightly.  That is not to say that these two weren’t committed to getting good photos. In fact, they were a dream client  in so far as they gave me AMPLE time to get a variety of shots in many of the beautiful locations on Prouts Neck.

Photographing Rachael and Peter was a ton of fun. These two are naturally funny and charming and like to have a good laugh. And they are so into each other that it didn’t take too much direction from me to get them to relax and act naturally. For me a traditional, “safe” portrait is necessary but it’s not the one the makes me smile or tear up or laugh out loud. I love the images where there’s a true emotion, action, reaction, expression. These two gave me all that and more. Their wedding may not have featured the usual elements of a more traditional wedding — there was no dancing or large bridal party or elaborate floral centerpieces — but there was no shortage of poignant (or hilarious) moments for me to capture.

Special thanks to Rachael and Peter for having me at their wedding. I immensely enjoyed getting to know them and their friends and family. I also especially loved the HUGE slice of carrot cake they insisted I have — even with the raisins it was ridiculously good.

You can see a few highlights from the day below. Please check out the slideshow to see a more complete view of the day. I’ve also done a book design for them which you can see here.

The bride wore J. Crew Wedding. The getting ready, ceremony, and dinner were all at The Black Point Inn.  Dreamy carrot cake by Two Fat Cats Bakery. After party held upstairs at Bull Feeney’s in the Old Port. Ceremony officiated by Nicole Todd.

Sarah and Tom came to me by way of my dear friend, Sam at Samantha Warren Weddings.  I am so glad she was already booked that day because I got the opportunity to photograph Sarah and Tom’s extraordinarily personal and emotional wedding up in the Belgrade Lakes region.  The wedding was at Taconnet on Great Pond, a small island with cabins and a main lodge that comprise a truly unique family vacation spot. Sarah’s family owns two houses on the island, and she grew up spending her summers there. What can I say other than that I envy her! This place is magical.

I arrived early to get the lay of the land. OK, if I’m honest it was the “ferry” that had me concerned. At the small dock on the shore where you park your car is a doorbell. Ring it and someone on the island will come fetch you in the “cable ferry.”  Really? But sure enough, there at the dock was the doorbell. Thankfully there was a staff member already there, loading up a small motor boat with drinks for the party. All aboard — fingers crossed the gear stayed dry.

I found Sarah and Tom on the island. Both were feeling laid back and relaxed as they prepared for the ceremony. Sarah has four sisters, and when they arrived at the cabin it was interesting to see them all step in to help Sarah in so many different ways. Together with Sarah’s good friend, Lindsay, the sisters got Sarah ready for the beautiful outdoor ceremony under the tall trees along the shore.

The tone for the rest of the day was sort of set from the very beginning. Almost everyone was staying on Taconnet so there was very much an at home feeling the kept everyone mellow and convivial. Folks chatted over dinner at long tables and laughed (and cried) during the incredibly entertaining toasts. Ping pong tables saw a lot of action, as did the large hearths where everyone warmed their chilled hands. The party flowed easily from dining lodge to tent where the Tom Snow Band worked the crowd into quite a sweat despite the damp chill in the air. It was the kind of day where I completely forgot to worry about the dreaded boat ride back across to the parking lot in the dark.

Thanks to Sarah and Tom for putting their trust in me to photograph their wedding day. It was such a pleasure getting to know you both!

See some of the highlights from the day below. To see even more, take a look at the slideshow.

Many thanks to the great folks at Taconnet on Great Pond, especially Mary Beane and her super staff at Creative Catering. The talented Tom Snow Band kept the party going. Bride’s dress from Eco-Elegance in Portland. Hand knit bolero from Etsy.

I was wrapping up a phone call with a bride about photographing her 2012 wedding when she asked if I could give her some references.  It’s not something I get asked very often so I reached out to my former clients to see who would be able to help me and this bride.  The response was immediate and enthusiastic.  Thank you to everyone who offered to speak to the bride about working with me.  I’m not sure how many she contacted, but one friend and happy client, Jenn S., forwarded me her referral email.  It blew me away that Jenn would take such time and care to describe her experience working with me.  I asked her if I could share her words with you here.  I was truly humbled to read her kind and generous words about me and my work.  I often feel like I am the lucky one to land such amazing clients — it’s gratifying to hear it goes both ways.  Here is what Jenn had to say (the questions are from the bride, not me)…

I’ll try to answer your questions as best as possible but my quick rundown about Amy is this…she is unbelievable (in the best possible way)! I actually worked in the industry for a while for a number of different photographers and the biggest problem with many photographers is that their ego gets in the way of them doing their job. Amy is amazing at her job but she’s not trying to be a part of your wedding, she’s there to capture it. She knows exactly what she’s doing and never questions herself (this is not true for many photographers). I’ve seen wedding photographers get very pushy and demanding as if they know so much more about what you want than you do and as if their job demands attention (very annoying); Amy is nothing like that. That being said, if you did need help with anything, Amy would almost certainly have the perfect answer. So, to answer your questions…

How was your experience working with Amy? Awesome. It was the easiest decision when it came to my wedding planning. I actually called her first to find out when she wasn’t available so that I didn’t bother trying to get married on those dates.

Would you use her again? Absolutely. I’m actually pregnant with my first child and am hoping to get her to photograph the baby once s/he is born.

Was the online proof gallery easy to use? Did you like the way she touched up the pictures (if she did)? The online gallery was super easy and useful. I’m from MD, my husband’s family is from MA, and my mom’s side is from the UK so it was great to be able to share those images with everyone. She delivers a great product. I didn’t actually ask for any touchup work but I know that if she can’t do it, she’s part of a huge photography community of people who are happy to help.

How did she take the shots? Was she unobtrusive? I actually had people coming up to me after the wedding telling me how great she was. She helped me plan out a schedule and then I didn’t think about it anymore. She got more shots than I hoped for and there are ones that to this day (3+ years later) still make me tearful. I actually didn’t know she was there (she wasn’t an obtrusive presence) but when I wanted to ask her something, she was instantly available.

Did you like your photos? See the answer above…I love them! You have this vision in your head of what you want/expect because of other weddings you’ve seen but nothing compares to seeing your own wedding photos and honestly, you will not be disappointed. There will be photos that you couldn’t have imagined asking for are so thrilled she got them.

Did you have any problems? If so, how was the problem resolved? There were no problems with the photography at all. Actually, my husband’s face broke out the morning of the wedding and Amy had the makeup artist come and “fix” his face and the pictures never showed anything. The best part…I knew nothing; I was in complete oblivion. Amy fixed an unforeseen problem (not her problem either) to make my wedding day better.

Why did you select Amy? I’d seen a lot of her work and love her style. Also, I trust her and knew that she had my best interest at heart.

What should I know about Amy? Amy loves weddings, loves them. The hardest thing to do as a vendor for any event is to care about the event as much as the client does. When it comes down to it, it’s probably the most memorable event you will have up til that point and if your photographer is just doing a job because they can, it shows in the final product. Amy genuinely enjoys being the photographer at a wedding. For that day, she is your biggest fan and will do what she has to do to make sure you get the photographs/memories that will make you happy.