Allison and Dan wanted their wedding photos to look like something out of a magazine. The uber luxurious champagne room at the Boston Intercontinental was the perfect backdrop for just such a shoot.
Allison and Dan met several years ago on a board walk in Maine. It really was love at first sight with these two. It was only a matter of time before they wanted to get married. But Dan was in the military, on the road to becoming one of our elite Army Rangers, and that made scheduling a wedding very hard. So they went ahead and got married at city hall. But then a few months later, they got news of a break in Dan’s schedule. Allison could have the wedding of her dreams after all! This was huge for her because Allison is an artist that is accustomed to making unique pieces for other people’s weddings. This time, her beautiful crafts were going to be at HER wedding. Every table had her signature flowers that she makes from a variety of fabrics. The vases were put on top of perfectly placed gilded old books. At the center of each table was a card with a word on it that matched the keys she had tied to each place card with yarn. Rather than spreading all the place cards out on a table. She had them clipped with old-timey alligator clips on wire that was laced across old picture frames that she painted teal and blue to go with the color scheme. For the favors, they had mini jars of the same type of jam they had on their first date. Allison wrapped each jar individually with pieces of fabric she had cut with pinking shears and then encircled them in yarn. They also had little boxes with assorted candy inside that they assembled. Each box had sheet music or lace wrapped around it and then topped off with a ribbon. They were spectacular.
That day I had Jenn Alton with me as my second shooter. I was so glad I did because we ended up having the wedding shooting opportunity of a lifetime, to have over an hour in a fabulous room like the Champagne room at the Boston Intercontinental hotel. We ended up in this amazing room that is draped in red tufted velvet because it was so hot and humid outside that day that Allison preferred to take photos inside where it was air conditioned. This room is exquisite and totally right out of a different time and perfectly fit the style of photos Allison and Dan wanted. The couple was super photogenic, and Allison had some amazing details for us to photograph, from her Badgley Mischka shoes to the hand made boutonniere she made for the groom. With content like that to shoot, Jenn, my detail maven, was in heaven. Most of the curls had fallen out of Allison’s hair since the ceremony. So I fired up my trusty curling iron and freshened up her look. I was really pleased with the result as it made for that fabulous 1940s old hollywood glamour type of hair. With this wonderful gift of time, Jenn and I were able to put together an elaborate lighting set up so that we could get the moody shots Allison and Dan were looking for. As much as they wanted to be serious and cool, the two couldn’t stop cracking up. It was just wonderful to see two people so very well matched for one another. If you would like shots like this, make sure you give your photographer all the time they ask for.
The rest of the evening was just as amazing as the time in the champagne room. The Boston Intercontinental’s presentation of the food was stunning. The mozzarella tomato towers were works of art, and the chocolate dusting in the shape of forks on the cake plates was such a great accent. I only wish I’d gotten to photograph the cake plates before the little ice cream scoops had melted. As soon as they cut their cake and ate it too, Dan and Allison were up on the dance floor. They were pretty much inseparable the whole night with the exception of their parent dances. The inter-relations between all the family members were so strong. Dan and Allison’s dad have a special bond, as he was a Green Beret in Viet Nam. Dan’s mom loves Allison every bit as much as her own son. Everyone had an outstanding time and the dance floor was packed until the very last song was played. You could tell Dan and Allison didn’t want it to be over, but finally he gave in, and carried her off the dance floor. It was a night they will always cherish.
I would just like to also thank Dan for serving our country, and thank Allison for being a military spouse. Being there to support our soldiers is a very difficult job. Our military wouldn’t be what it is today without that support.
