Kelly Anne + Dave: Proposal in Fairmount Park

She didn’t even see it coming. Dave had convinced Kelly Anne a proposal was about a year away so she didn’t think much of it when they went into the city last week for lunch and then drove around parts of Philly for her to take pictures.

Kelly Anne is a burgeoning photographer; pictures are important to her. She’s the beautiful snow bunny I photographed last winter. Dave came to me knowing three things:

1) he wanted to propose
2) he wanted fabulous pictures of it
3) he wanted it to be in a beautiful place so the pictures would be that much better

We brainstormed and scouted and came up with this hidden gem of a park on Kelly Drive. This piece of Fairmount Park was absolutely perfect! The plan was this: they’d happen to drive along Kelly Drive and Dave would point out this itty park along the side and exclaim, “Oh hey, that looks like it might be good. Let’s go check it out.” So they’d park and wander towards a particular tree where Kelly Anne would happen to see this:


Then she’d turn around and see this:



After some blissful moments of hugging and kissing she’d see me:


It was awesome. Completely and totally awesome. We wandered around the park a while afterwards for some pictures of the two of them.





And sometimes Kelly Anne would realize that she just got engaged.



It was a blast.




Congratulations times infinity, you two. So in lobe! ;)

Nathan, no matter how terrible a fellow seems, you can never be sure that some girl won't go for him. Take us.
~ Guys & Dolls

(Kelly Anne and Dave starred as Adelaide and Nathan in a local production of Guys and Dolls just a few weeks before. How great is that?)

[the value of] Fantastic Event Lighting

The other day I was talking to Becky over at Synergetic Sound + Lighting about my strong feelings towards additional lighting at weddings. I think it does more to a room than any other element. So she told me I should write up a post on it. So I did! Go check out Synergetic's blog to catch that post and see what they can do with lighting...

Lighting is kind of a big deal for photographers. Scratch that, lighting is EVERYTHING. (Hello… the prefix “photo” means light.)

Not only can lighting make or break the feel of your wedding, it can do the same for your wedding photography. It’s something that can transform and personalize a venue and give you images unlike anyone else’s – even couples who were at the same place last week. Ambiance is more than turning down the chandelier.


A few important things to note… Go with a company that knows what it’s doing. You want someone who will lead you in the right direction – matching tones and ideas with your venue, colors, and style. Lighting can take you anywhere from classy and subtle to more energetic and upscale lounge-y. A good company can also shift your lighting as the night progresses from ceremony to cocktail hour to your reception. It’s all about knowing the crowd and leading them into the party with the cohesion of light and sound.


From my experience, uplighting can change a room from “oh, how pretty” to gasp-inducing “oh, holy cow” like nothing else. It makes the room yours. Period.


Pin spotting is a great way to focus attention on those incredible centerpieces that you agonized over for 3 months straight or the cake that you fell in love with after your statewide hunt for the perfect confection. You can have the most expensive hand watered Tasmanian orchids in the world, but they’re not going to really impress until you highlight them properly.


Washes are another gorgeous option. It’s like infusing texture into your lighting – they give off a rich depth and drama that you can’t recreate any other way.


Another important piece of this is hiring the right photographer for the job (*cough* Lindsay Docherty Photography *cough*). A good photographer is able to capture the ambiance of any situation - from wine cave ceremony to jazzy reception. Photographers who only use room lights will blast away all of the other lighting in the room. You’ve seen this – you go to a wedding that has been given an incredible purple wash on the dancefloor or a romantic amber candlelit ceremony but the pictures don’t show any of this. All you have is crisp, stark lighting that does a great job of showcasing the venue, but has completely overpowered the subtleties of the room. Experience, creativity, and flexibility are key to handling the myriad of lighting situations on any given day.


Can you have a wonderful and happy wedding without springing for additional lighting? Of course! Will supplementary lighting push your event over the edge to extraordinary? Definitely.

I believe in the photographer's magic — the ability to stir the soul with light and shape and colour. To create grand visual moments out of small and simple things, and to infuse big and complicated subjects with unpretentious elegance. He respects classic disciplines, while at the same time insists on being fast, modern and wild.
~ Amyn Nasser

[teaser] Kelly Anne + Dave: Proposal in Fairmount Park

My job beats your job. By a lot. It’s pretty much the most awesome job ever.

This is what I was doing yesterday…


And in case there was any question at all of the answer:


My job rocks!

Congratulations Dave and Kelly Anne! More photography from this wedding proposal along Kelly Drive very, very soon.

Simone + Joel: Wedding at Philadelphia's Glen Foerd Mansion

Simone a Joel are perfect for each other. They are completely complimentary to each other. As Simone explains it, "He's a tree and I'm a tumble weed."

We began at Jericho Mountain Orchids in Bucks County, where the couple met for dance lessons leading up to the wedding. It's a glorious place with fantastic grounds and obviously very lovely owners to let Simone and Joel come by before the wedding day. It's really wonderful to get these wedding pictures finished before the ceremony. It allows us so much freedom and keeps the happy couple from neglecting their guests during cocktail hour.






They chose the lovely Glen Foerd Mansion in Philadelphia for their ceremony and reception. They said that it felt like the right combination of indoor and outdoor and the perfect size for their guests. I couldn't agree more.

Simone wore a Maggie Sottero gown from the first boutique she visited (one of the very first she tried on).



I fell in love with the florals from Boxwoods. The purples, blues, yellows, and greys worked fabulously together and had so many textures that you just wanted to reach out and touch them.



Not long before the wedding I was saying that I wanted a wedding party with a man of honor and a best woman? Simone and Paul have known each other since they were in elementary school together and Lauran is Joel's sister.



It was a bit too cold and blustery outside so they wed in the drawing room, presided over by Joel's brother, Dan. Readings by friends and family included "And Then You Are" by Hafiz, "Patagonia" by Kate Clanchy, "The Invitation" by Oriah.




After the ceremony, we took a few minutes to get pictures around the grounds of the mansion. The place is so beautiful. The historic building gives it oodles of character and then you top it off with a rose garden and fantastic views of the Delaware River.




The couple was introduced down the grand staircase into the drawing room. They then totally wowed their guests with the incredible tango that they had been practicing. It started with a coquettish display of her little blue shoes and his demand that she join him.




Dinner was scrumptious. It was all catered in-house by Conroy Catering.



Simone’s father helped create the placecards out of shells. Tables were named after islands the couple had travelled together.


Guests then moved into the conservatory for dessert and dancing. Synergetic provided the music and lighting. Having seen the place in the day and night, Synergetic made the already impressive glass room look phenomenal. Rich colors coated the ceiling and dancefloor. Lighting can really make an incredible difference at a wedding.




Simone and Joel shared the parent dance as they swayed along to Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole.


And of course you can’t expect me to forget about the cake and dessert bar. Yum!



It was a great day. Simone and Joel, I’m so happy you found your perfect compliment. I know you’ll have a fabulous time dancing and adventuring all over.

And then You are like this:
A small bird decorated
With orange patches of light
Waving your wings near my window,
Encouraging me with all of existences's love --
To dance.
~ Hafiz, “And Then You Are”