Engagement Photography in Chestnut Hill: Katie + Seth

Katie & Seth met at work, fell in love, vacationed in Mexico, didn't yet get engaged, and then went to Morris Arboretum where Seth proposed. (She said yes, by the way.) Katie and Seth have a 110 year old house and a Jack Russell terrier. They also have a whole lotta love and yours truly as their wedding photographer for their Radnor wedding at the Willows this September.

The three of us met up last week in Chestnut Hill to go wandering and take some engagement pictures. It is a great little town – the storefronts have oodles of character and the main street is cobblestone.





I gasped when I saw this fantastic green door half-covered with ivy.


And Katie had scoped out the area earlier and took us to a monstrous playground.




We found our way around to an old water tower as well and meandered through the neighborhoods.



We stopped outside of cake, an adorable greenhouse/café that we all committed to checking out some other day.


We took pictures with some of the fierce local wildlife. Seth, what did you name him?


And I had them playing chicken with the traffic. We all came out unscathed but don't think that photography sessions aren't fraught with danger.


All in all it was a great evening and I'm really looking forward to what they have in store for the wedding. Check back frequently because it's coming up soon! Thanks, Katie & Seth!

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."
~Albert Einstein

Just one more slice...

I wasn't much of a cake girl until I became a wedding photographer and was opened up to all of the majesty that cake can be. Beautiful and delicious. I've seen my share of cakes: red velvet cake, cheesecake, carrot cake, ice cream cake, and the myriad of toppings and fillings is enough to make my mouth water just thinking about them. But I'm not here to talk about wedding cake. Not really.

I am thrilled to announce that I've been invited to join Cake & Pictures, a website dedicated to highlighting select wedding photographers to brides and other vendors all over the world. The site is gloriously clean and easy. This fresh new company has both a site where you can search for a photographer by city/country and a blog that features fantastic images from the members. I am delighted to be listed alongside the likes of Cliff Mautner, Anna Kuperberg, Jim Garner, Meg Smith, Jose Villa, and so many more fantastic photogs. Talk about great company!

Though you can't actually get any cake from Cake & Pictures (false advertising?), I assure you you'll find incredibly awesome photographers who can photograph a cake like it's their job. Because, well…

So check them out!



Here is the official press release for some more background:

Cake And Pictures Launches Boutique Wedding Photography Portal For Brides And Wedding Professionals

(Philadelphia, PA – USA) – Cake and Pictures is an exclusive directory of wedding photographers designed to connect discerning brides with the most talented wedding photographers in the business. The company, based just outside of Philadelphia, is the by-product of the hugely successful Wonderful Machine, a web-marketing portal for commercial photographers.
Unlike other websites, Cake and Pictures presents only a limited number of photographers in each location, allowing the work of all of its members to stand out and making it easy for brides to find what they are looking for. The Cake and Pictures web interface is simple and intuitive, so brides can browse photographers from around the world quickly and without the distraction of banner ads or pop-up windows. Cake and Pictures hand-selects the photographers that appear on the site specifically to appeal to brides for whom photography is a priority.
Cake and Pictures lists award-winning photographers in 50 cities and 24 countries around the world specializing in all types of wedding photography including fine art, traditional and photojournalistic. Brides can be confident they will find a photographer to match their style, whether their wedding is a quirky backyard affair or a black tie gala.
Philadelphia-based wedding photographer Shea Roggio started Cake and Pictures because he realized there was no single place for brides and wedding professionals to find a comprehensive list of the best wedding photographers in the world. He teamed up with wedding photographer Cliff Mautner and Wonderful Machine’s chief executive, Bill Cramer, to establish a boutique web portal that lists only the best wedding photographers in the business.
The result is a website like no other. Cake and Pictures is the new, one-stop shop for high-end wedding photography – baked goods not included. All Cake and Pictures photographers handle their own scheduling and pricing and can be contacted directly for rates and availability.
Visit www.cakeandpictures.com to start searching for the perfect wedding photographer. For more information, please contact Jean Murin at (610) 260-0234 or jean@cakeandpictures.com.

Oh, and don't forget to save me a slice at your wedding… for purely photographic purposes, of course!

If the people have no bread, let them eat cake.
~Marie Antoinette

[teaser] Katie + Seth's e-session

Chestnut Hill was gorgeous last week for Katie & Seth's engagement session. Here's just a teaser but I promise a full post soon enough!

[Elizabeth Anne Designs] features Garnette + Hamza

Elizabeth Anne Designs blog is on my list of must-read blogs. It is jam packed with gorgeous real weddings and tons of creative ideas for every type of wedding. I was flattered and thrilled when Ami chose to feature more of Garnette + Hamza's vintage wedding at Philadelphia's City Hall on her blog today.


So don't hesitate for one more second… click on over and check it out!

Michelle + Alastair: A Casual Wedding in Ithaca, NY

Last month I was in Ithaca, NY for the wedding of Michelle and Alastair (you may remember their engagement session at 30th Street Station). Though they live in San Francisco, and had their engagement session in Philadelphia, their romance began about 15 years ago at Cornell. Years pulled them apart and brought them together again but they finally ended up tying the knot on a rainy day in June among 93 adults, 7 children, and 10 babies. There were vows, a wedding gown, rings, and toasts but this celebration was gloriously low key, just as Michelle and Alastair wanted it. Read on for creative jewelry, little ones everywhere, BBQ, board games, and outdoorsy fun.

We started the day with Michelle's family and the girls in Trumansburg at a house the family had rented. Michelle had some of the most thoughtful details…

The bridesmaid's gifts were the most creative I've ever seen. Each bridesmaid got a necklace with a pendant of a map where she and Michelle first met. Michelle's only jewelry was a similar necklace with a map of Ithaca, where she and Alastair first met. I love this!



The rings were made of recycled wood – granadilla, to be exact. This is the same wood that clarinets are made of. Al's ring was lined with blue spruce and Michelle's was lined with purple heartwood.


The ladies wore cocktail length, v-neck black dresses. The flowers in vibrant pinks, yellows, reds, and white were from the garden of Alastair's mother.



Love Michelle! Love her!


For someone who usually has it tied up, Michelle let her hair down (literally) for her big day. She looked lovely.



If rain on a wedding day is good luck, Michelle and Alastair should have played the lottery that day. Moments before the ceremony was to begin at Cayuga Nature Center the fun really began with buckets upon buckets of rain. Very quick shuffling and the ceremony was moved from the field to the tent.



The ceremony was awesome. Alastair had the crowd in stitches as he walked in to the Star Wars "Imperial March". Michelle to Train's "Hey, Soul Sister". Readings were equally amusing – the wedding speech from The Princess Bride and snippets from Robert Fulghum's "All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten".

This was raised when the officiant asked if anyone knew any reason why these two should not be joined:



There was good eatin' by all. Dinosaur BBQ, a New York institution, catered the event with cornbread, grilled veggies, shrimp, beans and rice, and, of course, barbecue. Guests were able to help themselves to BBQ ponchos ("You know if you need one"), wine, Coca Cola from the bottle, punch, and assorted beer. Check out the huge Dinosaur BBQ smoker that was brought on site.





Dessert was served up as two ice cream cakes, one with a camera for Michelle (a huge shutterbug) and another with a pig for Alastair (really likes his BBQ).


The rain finally passed and everyone was able to spread out and enjoy the paths and scenery. There was a live falcon, peacock, and red tailed fox to check out. And Michelle and Alastair brought plenty of games and cards for guests to enjoy picnic-style.



Despite the wet start, the rest of the evening was gorgeous. I was able to get some shots of Michelle and Al against the spectacular natural backdrop of the venue.




They danced their first dance to Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" and invited their parents up halfway through.



the rest of the evening was spent mingling with the friends and family that came in from all over the country. It was a perfect summery family wedding.






Michelle & Al, thanks so much and all the best!

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
~ Nina Simone, "Feelin' Good"

[San Francisco Brides] features Jessica + Cassidy

For all of my lovely west coast family, keep your eyes open for San Francisco Bride's magazine out right now.

Okay, now flip to page 54 and 55 and check out the two page feature on Jessica & Cassidy's fantastical and pink wedding celebration at San Francisco's City Hall last October. It is a true honor to have a place in this prestigious magazine.

For my east coast buddies (and those not interested in those antiquated paper thingies), you can see it here.

Congrats Jessica & Cassidy, your wedding was truly magazine worthy!




Special shout out to Maxine Andrew of Instead of You for bringing this incredible vision to life! You can see more images from their wedding right here.

[venue] the Chestnut Club

Every other month I get together with a large group of local wedding professionals to talk shop and see what everyone is up to.

This month we joined together at the Chestnut Club at Arcadia Theatre in Philadelphia. This is a fresh new venue in the city and you certainly will want to put it on your short list when considering locales. Located on the upper portion of the former 1915 Theatre Auditorium, this place has 7000 square feet of event space. It has kept so much of the original décor including the original proscenium arch and ceiling dome as well. It has great brick walls along the entrance and gathering areas and huge floor to ceiling windows overlooking Chestnut Street. They can arrange valet or discount parking and they welcome any licensed caterer (bonus!).

I loved the sheer, silvery swaths of fabric, candlelight, and it was so easy to see this venue transformed into just about anything. You're not constrained by ugly carpet or horrid wallpaper – it really feels like an upscale blank canvas. Check it out and let me know what you think:




I can't believe I forgot to mention that they have this gorgeous piano too.








The uplighting was created by Eventions Productions (see how it can make such a difference in a room?!).


We were also treated by Ilonka of Ilkona Floral Decorator to beautifully unique floral arrangements of zinnia, curly willow, and peacock feathers.




The shimmery table linens were from Select Event Rental.


Fleur de Lys Catering provided our tasty meal.





If you want more Chestnut Club and Lindsay Docherty Photography, come by on September 19th for Rock the Aisle Bridal Show at the Chestnut Club. I'll be there. I'd love to photograph a wedding at this superb venue so give me a ring!

Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated.
~Paul Rand