Elizabeth Hannah Archives - Krista Photography Blog

Posted on August 20, 2009August 25, 2009 by Krista Guenin · 3 Comments

Alli & Glenn’s Wedding at OceanCliff – Newport, RI

So, as you may remember from this post a while back, Alli and Glenn‘s wedding was a bit unusual! Due to a random case of the chicken pox, Krista wasn’t able to be at the wedding; fortunately Melissa Coe and Jessica Cardinalli were kind enough to step in and cover the wedding for her. I’ve been doing an internship with Krista since February to learn more about how a photography business is run, and have been assisting her at most of her weddings this summer as well. So, for Alli and Glenn’s wedding, I went along with Melissa and Jessica to try to assist them and get even more photos of Alli and Glenn’s special day! Since Krista wasn’t able to be at the event, she asked me, Elizabeth, to write this post to give you all a sense of the day…

Driving down to the Oceancliff Hotel, the weather looked to be anything but cooperative – rainy, misty, and downright ugly. However, by the time we arrived, the skies were clear! And soon the weather was sunny and beautiful, and the bright blue sky was a perfect backdrop for the bright, crisp colors Alli & Glenn had chosen.

While the bridesmaids had brightly colored dresses with white bouquets, Alli’s bridal bouquet was highlighted with vivid peonies. I took my time making sure that we had some photographs that captured the beauty of the florist’s work!

Melissa captured this beautiful silhouette of Alli, as well as the following series of her dress and getting ready.

Melissa got a number of beautiful shots of the rings and other pieces of jewelry throughout the day; this one stood out above the rest.

Alli and Glenn met before the ceremony to enjoy a few moments together to take it all in, and to take some portraits so they would have more time later to enjoy their reception.

We drove down the coast a little way to a spot they’d chosen, where Melissa captured this moment.

I stayed back and got this shot of them walking up the road a short way.

Jessica did a great job catching them from a completely different angle and perspective.

I love the sense of movement Jessica captured in this shot.

The view from OceanCliff was a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony!

Jessica captured this moment when Alli’s dad walked her down the aisle to meet Glenn.

One great thing about having the ceremony at the top of a hill was that I was able to walk down below, then around to the back of the guests, to get two different perspectives on the setting.

Melissa captured this shot during the exchange of rings

Jessica was waiting for the newlyweds as they came down the aisle, surrounded by their family and friends. You could tell all through the ceremony just how important it was to them that the people they cared about were a part of this day!

After some group portraits, we took a few more portraits of the two of them as the sun was setting. I was glad to be able to capture a sky that reflected the bright colors they had surrounded themselves with all day.

I’m glad that I was able to be a part of this wedding. Not only did I get to work with and learn from two different photographers, I also had the chance to shoot at a beautiful venue and get to spend time with a fun group of people. Alli and Glenn, thank you so much for letting us be a part of this important day in your lives! Your understanding and flexibility in what could have been a difficult situation is a testament to your characters.

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And I (Krista) also want to thank Alli & Glenn for being so great through this whole chicken-pox-fiasco! It’s a photographer’s worst nightmare to not be able to shoot a wedding they’re scheduled to document, and your gracious understanding was total blessing.

And a special thank you to Melissa Coe and Jessica Cardinalli for dropping everything at a moment’s notice to help us all out!! You ladies, as well as Elizabeth, did a great job capturing the day and it’s wonderful knowing that even though I couldn’t be there, Alli & Glenn were in (lots of) good hands!

Posted on August 7, 2009June 10, 2016 by Krista Guenin · 5 Comments

Elizabeth & Ryan’s Perfect Wedding – Marion, MA

Elizabeth & Ryan‘s wedding was absolutely perfect! Seriously. As I walked around throughout the day, I heard people say that word again and again… perfect! Perfect weather, the perfect location, the perfect dress, a perfect couple… the perfect day!There’s a gazillion photos I want to share, but here are a few of my absolute favorites….

A champagne toast for the ladies while getting ready

And cigars on the porch for the gentlemen

I love how it takes a team of women to put on a wedding dress!

My assistant, Elizabeth Hannah got this awesome shot

Isn’t she gorgeous?!?!

Mark Higgins came to second shoot with me, and got this shot during portraits with the bride, of Elizabeth’s sister. The poor girl had a heck of a time keeping her makeup on with all the happy tears she was shedding!

The anticipation builds as Elizabeth watches the guests begin to arrive through the window…

The wedding was all held at Elizabeth’s parents’ home in Marion. Many little girls imagine walking down aisle on their wedding day, but I wonder if Elizabeth ever imagined it’d be the stone path she’d walked on so many times?

I love the moment right after the ceremony when the Bride & Groom get to talk for the first time and be “alone” for a moment before the bridal party gets down the aisle! It’s always so emotional and exciting.

After the ceremony we headed down to the dock for some portraits in the last bit of sunlight. It was beautiful!

I love the movement and the body language in the next few.

Mark grabbed this shot of me taking the photo above. He rented a 200mm f/2.0 lens from LensProToGo and got some fabulous results with it… and probably some permanent back damage as well – that lens is HUGE!

Elizabeth (assistant, not bride) caught Mark & the lens. This is him taking a picture of me taking a picture….

I remember quite specifically Elizabeth telling me the first time we spoke on the phone that she wanted some unique bridal party shots. She almost sent them all off to the cocktail hour before we could do it, but I’m soooooo glad we called them back! These were definitely more fun than the usual :)

Elizabeth’s take on the bridal party shots was pretty cool too!

After portraits, we headed back up to the house for the reception. Elizabeth’s Dad gave a wonderfully touching toast. Here, he’s thanking his wife for all her hard work on the wedding and for being a wonderful wife & mother. It’s so nice to see families where the parents love each other this much!

Ryan’s toast to his bride was equally moving.

One of my favorite images that Mark shot…

I love grandpas :)

Ryan’s parents with their arms around Elizabeth. American culture has stereotyped in-laws to be just awful (a la Everybody Loves Raymond), so I really appreciate how special it is when parents-in-law love their new daughter or son like their own. My parents both have that, and so does my sister and it makes such a difference in the life of a new family!

Last shot of the night!

There were so many more images that I just loved. If you’d like to see more of my favs, you can check them out on Facebook. And come back tomorrow to check out my favorite details and film shots from Elizabeth & Ryan’s wedding!

Elizabeth & Ryan – I enjoyed your wedding so much!! It was a wonderful day and witnessing how much your friends and family love you two was an extra blessing. Thank you for welcoming us in – I hope you love the photos!!

Posted on July 28, 2009June 10, 2016 by Krista Guenin · 2 Comments

Britt & Mike’s Cape Cod Wedding – Chatham, MA

I am so excited to share the rest of Britt & Mike’s wedding with you! I’ve been excited for this one since the first time I met Britt & Mike last summer. I’ve really had a chance to get to know them over the last year or so as we’ve done two engagement sessions. It is fun to get to know a couple during shoots and meetings and phone calls, but then to meet their friends and family and see them through that lens is doubly wonderful. These two people are dearly loved! The whole crowd was warm and genuine, and certainly fun! It was a truly wonderful day…Britt & the girls got ready at the house where the reception would later be held.

I love this emotional shot Elizabeth captured of Britt’s parents watching her get ready!

Britt’s dress was AH-mazing! I literally gasped when she pulled it out of the closet. Not the most professional moment of the day. But it was gorgeous – the color, the material, the cut were all perfect!

Britt’s reaction to seeing herself in her dress brought us all to tears! I think that can be one of the most overwhelming moments for a bride – when it really sinks in that she’s getting married today.

Meanwhile, down the road, James Federico of The Feds Studio was helping me out by photographing Mike and the guys getting ready. I always laugh because there’s really nothing much to guys getting ready. Just tie their tie and hit the road!

Once everyone was ready, we headed down to the beach for the ceremony. After all the rain we’d been having, we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day! :)

James captured this image of Britt’s parents and grandmother laughing – love it.

Don’t worry, he got the ring on her finger!

James’ shots of the kiss were my favorites

Happy tears!

A few minutes alone with Britt & Mike at the beach…

Elizabeth caught this shot of me during the portraits. In case you want to know what you should expect on your wedding day… You should expect me, hiding in the grass, or laying on the ground, and basically doing whatever I can to get a cool shot and to make sure I can’t wear really nice pants… ;)

Then we headed back to the house and grabbed some group shots and a few more portraits of the happy couple. I had to jump off the dock and onto the muddy shore to capture the next two, but it was worth it.

After portraits it was time for the fun to begin! The evening started with some wonderful toasts. First up, Britt’s Dad…

The Best Man

Then Britt’s sister and Maid of Honor, Devon gave a very touching and tearful toast

Cutting the Cake

Their first dance

And then the fun really began! I’m leaving out some crazy dance moves, a keg stand, and more – but you get the idea! This party was rockin’!

The most dedicated and dramatic catching-a-fish dance move I’ve ever witnessed…

and the last dance

Britt & Mike – thank you so much for having me there to document your day!! Your wedding was so much fun, and I felt so welcomed in, like one of your guests. Heck, your cousin Kerry practically inducted me into the family ;) I hope you love the photos!!! I can’t wait to get going on your album….

Posted on June 22, 2009August 25, 2009 by Krista Guenin · 5 Comments

It’s not all sunshine and roses

Sometimes I think this blog makes it seem like my life, and my clients’ lives are so perfect and wonderful. It’s probably because I mostly post about photo shoots – photo shoots of happy people in love. And that’s the part of my job that really makes me happy. That’s the part that makes the other parts worthwhile. And on the somewhat rare occasion I post about my life, I’m mostly posting things that were fun enough to take pictures. (I guess posting about my cat dying wasn’t very fun, but you get what I’m saying, right?)

Well, it’s not all sunshine and roses, and this past weekend was proof. I was scheduled to shoot 2 weddings this weekend and through different, and horrible circumstances outside my control, I wasn’t able to photograph either of them…

Last week, I came down with chicken pox. Now, I’ve had chicken pox TWICE already (lucky me, huh?), so this third time was very mild. But chicken pox is airborne and that’s not good for someone photographing other people’s weddings. Even though I felt fine, and the lesions were starting to heal already by Friday, there was still a chance I could spread the infection. So, on Friday morning the bride and groom and I finally made the decision that it would not be wise to take the risk by having me there.

Thank God for the Boston Photographers Guild! The BPG is a group of local wedding photographers who come together online and in person for support, encouragement, and community. Before I had even contacted my bride, I sent word on the BPG forum asking for help. And with just a couple hours’ notice, I had a great photographer to replace me at the wedding along with a fabulous second shooter and assistant!

I can’t tell you how hard it was to send another photographer to shoot one of my weddings in my place!! I knew she’d do a great job, but I also knew she wouldn’t take the same pictures I would. I’m a control freak and putting the event, my business & reputation in the hands of someone else, made me realize that I was totally not in control. Talk about humbling! I also knew I’d miss seeing it all come together. I’d miss meeting the families and seeing the couple enjoying their day. I realized just how much I enjoy getting to know my couples when I’m at their weddings! You just see such a different piece of people when you see them with their closest friends and family. And I love that. I was so sad that I couldn’t be there.

Thankfully, the bride & groom were incredibly gracious and understanding. They even called me from the airport before they left for their honeymoon to let me know how wonderful the day went, and that while they feel like everyone did a great job, they still missed having me there. It was so comforting to know that we did the right thing, and they it worked out well – but it was also really sweet to know that they missed having me there as much as I missed being there.

I wish I could say that that was all that went wrong this weekend, but that was just Friday…

By Sunday my chicken pox were all but gone, and I felt very confident that I was no longer contagious. Thanking God, I headed down to the Cape excited to shoot the wedding of two friends. I arrived just in time to find out that they had called off the wedding :( It was so incredibly sad, and my heart aches for both of them. Everyone agreed that it is better they call it off than to go through with it with doubts and end up unhappy or divorced. But, that doesn’t make it less painful or sad or awful.

My brother posted a blog the day before that turns out is unfortunately well timed. He wrote, “To my friend who is suffering right now – my prayer for you is not so much that you would have answers, but that you would see God. Despite the pain, confusion and hurt, my prayer is not for relief, but that you would see God with clarity. For I know if you can learn to see Him in the pain, you will never miss Him when there is peace. If you can see Him in the storm, you will never miss Him again in the calm. If you see Him, you will see a God who not only sees you, but you will see that He cares.” I pray that for these friends as well – that they would see the God who is their strength, their comfort, their refuge, and the One who loves them.

These last few days have been stressful, and sad. There have been lots of tears. But this is real life. Things happen. People get sick. Things don’t go according to plan. We have to rely on other people and let them help us. Sometimes we have to make decisions that hurt. And somehow, life goes on. And I think we’re stronger in the end because of it.

I hope that this is not only the first but also the LAST time I’ll have to miss a wedding I’m scheduled to photograph. And I pray that this is the last time one my weddings gets canceled. But, I am thankful that if that’s not the case, God has a plan for all these things.