Arti & Jay's Hindu Wedding Ceremony at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

Arti & Jay chose an absolutely beautiful venue, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, for their intimate wedding ceremony with their families. The venue is picturesque year round but especially so in the spring with the flowering trees in bloom and fields of tulips filling the gardens with color. The colorful backdrop was a perfect one to compliment the vibrant colors of their Hindu wedding attire.

Arti and Jay’s love story is straight out of a rom-com. The couple met spontaneously at the airport and connected while talking nonstop throughout their flight. When they met they were living in different cities but stayed in touch and ended up re-connecting years later when the stars aligned for them to live near one another.

One of the botanical garden’s greenhouses served as the ceremony space on their wedding day. The lush greens of the space made for a gorgeous backdrop making the colorful reds and golds in their outfits pop.

The couple’s small family-only wedding was a traditional Hindu ceremony and featured some beautiful Hindu traditions such as exchanging garlands (symbolizing the partners welcoming each other into their families), Saptapadi (when the newlyweds have their garments tied together and walk together to signify their friendship), and the Mangal Fera (the bride and groom walk around the fire four times, each time signifies something different; duty, prosperity, love, and spiritual liberation). The family members in attendance were each given parts to play throughout the ceremony. The way Arti & Jay involved each member of their family beautifully showed how much they all meant to them.

Congratulations, Arti & Jay!

Collette & Spencer's Equinox Resort Winter Wedding

Collette and Spencer tied the knot at The Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vermont, in a lovely winter wedding ceremony. With a deep appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors, the couple wanted to incorporate the surrounding natural beauty in their day as much as possible.

Against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Collette and Spencer's day was filled with warmth and joy. The Equinox Resort provided the perfect setting for their celebration, blending rustic charm with elegant sophistication.

Collette and Spencer wanted their special day to be captured in a documentary style. They appreciated my moment-focused approach and wanted their day to be captured in a way that felt true to them.

The couple's commitment to genuine moments and authentic emotions shone through in every aspect of the day. From heartfelt vows exchanged in front of their friends and family to laughter shared during toasts with loved ones, every detail reflected their love for each other and those around them.

The choice of hiring a wedding photojournalist like me to capture their day was a testament to Collette and Spencer's desire to preserve the memories of their day in a way that truly reflected who they are as a couple.

After dinner, toasts, and parent dances concluded, the couple danced the night away surrounded by family and friends on a packed and fun-filled dance floor.

Congratulations to Collette & Spencer!

Vendors

Venue/Catering/Bar: Equinox Resort

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Second Photographer: Josh Kuckens

Floral: Nancy Bishop Floral Design

Hair & Makeup: Crystal Vasquez & Company

Ceremony Musician: Samantha Barry (friend)

Officiant: Elizabeth Andersen (friend)

DJ: Foley Weddings

Cake/Dessert: Cake Gypsy

Veronica & Andrew's Inn on Boltwood Wedding

I first met Veronica and Andrew at a wedding expo that I exhibited at shortly after I moved to Boston. They were super sweet and seemed interested in my documentary style wedding photography, so we continued to chat after the event. Once they had nailed down their wedding venue, they reached back out to book their engagement and wedding photography!

About a year before their wedding, we did a sunrise engagement session at the Boston Public Garden. It was such a good chance for us to get to know each other a bit better and for Veronica and Andrew to feel comfortable in front of the camera.

Veronica and Andrew's wedding at the Inn on Boltwood in Amherst, Massachusetts took place on a rainy late September day. The cozy interior of the Inn provided a romantic setting for their ceremony and the tent set up outside for the reception gave everyone space to dance and keep the (very fun) party going despite the weather.

Veronica chose to do first looks with two of the most important men in her life before her wedding; the first with her father and then out on the Inn’s front porch with Andrew.

The ceremony was beautiful and Veronica and Andrew both read personal vows they had written which included both touching sentiments and funny anecdotes that got the room laughing.

After a cocktail hour, guests made their way into the reception tent for dinner. Andrew’s grandfather gave a blessing and parents and close friends gave heartfelt, emotional speeches that brought tears to everyones eyes.

Veronica and Andrew's wedding day was filled with warmth, happiness, and ended with a packed, energetic dance floor.

Cheers to Veronica & Andrew!

Vendors

Venue: Inn on Boltwood

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Second Photographer: Adam Pulzetti

Floral: Forget Me Not

Officiant: Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn 

Hair & Makeup: Crystal Vazquez & Co. 

DJ: Marx Entertainment - DJ Alonzo

Dessert: Atkins Farm

What to Wear to Your Portrait Session | Outfit Ideas and Styling Tips from a Boston Lifestyle Photographer

Choosing what to wear to your portrait session can be overwhelming. Whether that is your Boston engagement photos, family lifestyle photography session, or an in-home newborn photography session, there is a lot to consider.

While I’m not nearly as picky as some photographers can be, I do have a few preferences and suggestions for what to wear to your portrait session to make your photos look the best they can! Below, I list out a few dos and don’ts for you along with some assistance with how best to coordinate clothes and choose appropriate outfits based on the season. Hopefully this will eliminate some of that stress and help you to choose outfits that will look amazing in your photos.

What NOT to wear to your portrait session…

When deciding on what to wear to your portrait session, you want the focus to be on your faces, not on distracting clothing items. Here are some common clothing items to avoid:

• Clothing with large logos, pictures, or characters

• Flip flops

• Outfits that show bra straps or undergarments

• Hoodies

• Neon colors

• Transitional Lenses - if you typically wear glasses, wear them for your session. But if you have transitional lenses, consider taking them off. Dark glasses will cover your eyes in the photos.

• Short dresses & skirts – for maximum comfort over any other reason. Short skirts can make it difficult to comfortably pose, sit, and play. If you’re not sure if your skirt is long enough, test it out by seeing if you can sit and walk without having to adjust.

• Identical clothing – for example, everybody in the family wears jeans and white tops. When everybody matches, your photos will look very staged and posed. It will be obvious that you were dressing for a photo shoot. While I am not trying to hide the fact that you are participating in a photo shoot, the photos will turn out better of you are wearing coordinating but not matching outfits. More on that to follow…

How do I coordinate clothes for my portrait session? What colors should I wear?

Coordination can be a tricky balancing act. You don’t want everyone to wear the exact same thing, but the colors and styles should blend well together. My best advice is to start with one member of the family (or couple). Have that person choose an outfit that they love and feel great in. Pull colors from their outfit to dress everyone else. Stick with 2-3 colors from that first outfit and stick to those shades coordinated with neutrals as your palette. If you are buying new clothes, choose a palette to begin with. For example pastels (pinks and blues), primary colors (red and blue), earth tones (navy, tan, burgundy, or green) etc. (see one great example from this Boston engagement session). Find an outfit for each family member that has at least one predominant color in the palette and balance that with neutrals like tans, greys & cream. Once you think you have everyone’s outfits picked out, lay them out together and see if they look good! If not, replace whatever clashes.

Style by session type and season.

What to wear for your family lifestyle session or engagement session:

For both of these types of photo sessions, you should focus on coordinating complimentary colors with neutrals and choosing an in-season wardrobe. As you know, the weather during your Boston portrait session can vary greatly depending on the season. When in doubt, wear layers. For spring sessions, you may want to work in some pastels or florals to match your environment. For a fall session, consider jewel tones. You might select certain colors and style based on when you plan to share the images. A family holiday card, for example might call for different color choices than an engagement session for your beach wedding save the dates. As always, avoid large logos, clashing patterns, and neon colors.

What to wear for your senior session:

This session is all about celebrating you and your momentous occasion. Let your personal style shine! You can dress up or dress casually, but make sure that your style is at the peak of its game. Wear the very best outfit you have to show your personality - not necessarily just what you would wear every day.

What to wear for your maternity session:

Maternity photos are another case where you will want your personal style to shine, as well as your shape. Choose a dress or a shirt that will accentuate and show off your bump - that is the point of these photos after all! Prioritize your comfort and how beautiful you feel in your outfit over anything else.

What to wear for your in-home newborn session or in-home family session:

Think cozy but not TOO cozy. Keep your clothing neutral, soft, and comfortable but refrain from actually wearing pajamas (unless of course that’s the theme you’re going for). Babies can wear minimal clothing. Diaper covers, neutral-colored onesies and swaddle blankets are perfect.

The most important tip for what to wear to your portrait session: wear clothes you feel good in.

This is the most important tip! Wear what makes you feel good. While it’s important to put thought into what to wear for your portrait session, what matters most is creating an heirloom that your family will cherish for generations. You will never remember that you chose the grey shirt over the green. In the end, you’ll see past the clothing to your family laughing and holding each other close.