I've posted this over in my portfolio, but here it is on the blog for all ye people who live in a feed reader.

A selection of my faves from 2009:

Back in June I had shot Leah and Angus in the North End and I was very much looking forward to shooting their wedding at the Harvard Club. This was a couple very much at ease with each other and with Angus' deep Scottish roots I was looking forward to some different culture and of course the grilling speeches!

It was one of those days where the forecasters were predicting the very worst as a rather wintery nor'easter was headed our way (not so typical for October). However, as luck would have it we got through the day without a drop, but it wasn't exactly warm! The Harvard Club certainly made it all feel cosy with its roaring fireplaces.

I covered Leah's preparations with her friends and close family upstairs, while Doug headed over to Angus. Leah was drinking mimosas and Angus looked like he was tucking into the Scotch and ensuring there was a good supply in the hip flasks! We all proceeded through the maze of the old corridors to their brief ceremony before the guests peeled away and we sneaked them out for some photos on Commonwealth Avenue among the beautiful statues.  Back at the club, their extended reception went down a storm. Some perfect speeches were aimed at the newlyweds - suitable amounts of embarrassment were unleashed, along with some very touching tributes to Angus' parents. They then surprised Angus with traditional Highland dancing that really set the tone for the evening and then his friends took to the stage to rock them through the night.

Congrats to both of them and I wish them both the very best on their own journey! I remarked to one of their friends (who's boat we had borrowed for their engagement shoot) during the evening about how incredibly genuine and approachable their entire family and friends were. We both agreed they were in very safe company that night and definitely had a good foundation for their future together.

Don't forget to leave your comments on the bottom of this blog post and watch the slideshow!



Here's their slideshow (with music so turn up the volume!). Make sure that you hit the full screen button in the bottom right to view it in HD! Password = Leah's maiden name. AFTER YOU'VE VIEWED THE SLIDESHOW BELOW, YOU CAN VIEW ALL OF THE PHOTOS OF THEIR WEDDING BY CLICKING HERE

Don't forget to leave your comments below!

I first met Angela and Ken back in at the start of the year at the Deluxe Town Diner for lunch. We quickly hit it off as we went through my work and their wedding day quickly swung around in mid September.

After getting stuck behind a semi taking out a truck 20 yards from the Harvard club, I raced up to meet Angela in her room upstairs. I was fearing the worst in the old building for a dark cavern for her prep, but she was actually blessed with some great natural light as her room(s) straddled both sides of the building.

Now let me preface the rest of this post with saying that I was genuinely surprised how many details and goings on one could have at a wedding and still get to savour every last drop and not totally freak out! Mission successful Angela! I say this because as I walked in the door I was a little taken aback that plans and details were still in flux and Angela was a little stressed. However, her bridesmaids rallied and helped Angela splendidly as the whirlwind ensued.

... Meanwhile on Tremont St, Doug was covering Ken and his friends getting ready just opposite the Mission Church where they were to be married. A couple of texts confirmed that a) they were having a good time b) there were some interesting paintings c) some rules were being broken :) ...

Back at the Harvard Club, Angela had been hooked into her gorgeous dress and we headed out for some photos in front of the club before heading over to the church the other side of town. Let's just say that the Mission church is on the big side. Cathedral would be a better way of describing its size. Plus pretty dark. VERY dark; except at the front where it was VERY bright. So quite challenging with light, but made for some cool silhouettes.

After the ceremony we headed onto the trolley, made an impromptu stop at an awesome pub where all their friends were waiting for a quick shot of the alcoholic kind (I have been sworn to secrecy about its name), before speeding off to the public gardens for their group photos and then back to the Harvard Club. Yes it really did happen as quickly as your read it!

Back at the club the festivities began and some classic speeches were unleashed upon the newlyweds. We quickly sneaked them both out for some photos around the streets of Back Bay and managed to find a street that looked down towards the Citgo sign (that's a classic Boston landmark to all my international readers; not an eyesore!) as the sun was setting. Back at the club Angela and Ken incredibly managed to speak with everyone of their guests, had a few drinks, danced, danced, danced and lapped up every last drop of their evening. They were ecstatic by the end of the night and wanted to take us out drinking with them, but alas for Doug he had yet another wedding (3 in a row!) the following day and after shooting two in a row myself I was actually a little glad to be driving him back, but sadly we missed out.

Someone needs to give me the photos for the rest of the night!

In 2007 I had the great pleasure of meeting Mandee and Justin at Sue and Colin's wedding on the Cape (pic of them outside the church below).



Justin is Colin's brother and Mandee was getting ready with Sue in Chatham; while she was getting her makeup put on we were winding each other up big time and in the back of my head I was thinking that I wish I could shoot this girl's wedding some day! Over the last couple of years Sue and I have kept in close touch and I was extremely excited to hear about their engagement and the following phone call from the very excitable couple. I was actually a little  surprised given that I had thrust and extra beer bottle in Mandee's hand (after she told me earlier that she was always the girl with the beer bottle in her hand at the end of a wedding), but I guess she fell right into that one! 



Of course I was also relishing the thought of setting up the same shot for their wedding (little did she know)...



Enough goofing around - on with the good stuff :)

So it was yet another gorgeous day as Doug and I again made the trip down to Chatham to meet with the Blairs and the future Mrs B. I was really, genuinely excited to see Sue and Colin again and meeting their cute new addition to their family, Hannah. Plus I was also looking forward to hanging with Mandee and Justin, because if you are one of the very fortunate people to know these two jesters you know you are always in for a good time!

We knocked on the door of their gorgeous beach front room at the Chatham Bars Inn and it was like a family reunion - Mandee, Sue and Sheila (Justin's mum) were there along with Mandee's mum Diane and all her bridesmaids. I briefly caught up with Sue and Colin, chatted with Justin over the fence, then set to work to cover Mandee's prep. Doug headed next door to hang out with the boys as I chuckled my way through Mandee getting ready. Then it was all aboard the trolley for the Holy Redeemer in Chatham (same chapel that Sue and Colin were married in in 2007) for a fun service, before heading back to the Chatham Bars Inn for photos on the beach. I dragged the new Mr and Mrs Blair away for their couple photos on the beach and surprised them a little with my commando rolls into the sand as we briskly moved up the beach. We caught the setting sun for some front and back lit portraits of them before heading inside for dancing, speeches and big time partying. There was a brief interlude when I took them both outside for a couple of shots in the dunes with the inn behind them, before they headed back inside to do their reception some serious justice!



Definitely the most fun all year! I wish them both the very best for their future together and hope I get to spend another wedding someday with the Blairs.

Here's a slideshow (with music to turn up the volume!). Make sure that you hit the full screen button in the bottom right to view it in HD! Password = Mandee's maiden name. AFTER YOU'VE VIEWED THE SLIDESHOW BELOW, YOU CAN VIEW ALL OF THE PHOTOS OF THEIR WEDDING BY CLICKING HERE

Last month I flew back to the UK for a week of festivities before the marriage of my best friends Tom and Michelle. I honoured to be the man documenting their special day...

I've known Tom since 1997 when we were a couple of doors away from each other in our student accommodation at the University of Wales in Swansea. We were and still are part of an extremely tight group of friends that forged our friendship on that legendary floor in Clyne Halls. Following a few years of tremendous fun at uni, we parted ways for a year before reuniting, porting the members of our Swansea household to the streets of North London. Not really knowing where I lives were heading, our very different careers mattered little as we enjoyed the delights of Shoreditch, Brick Lane and later Balham, south of the river.

Now Tom's a pretty special guy. Not only is he downright humourous, with masses of energy (think Tigger from Winnie-the-Pooh), but he was always the go-to guy for a chat about anything. We helped each other through ups and downs and were wingmen when we were single (as it turned out a pretty pitiful combo on that front!).

One afternoon later on in our London years I was chatting over text with a friend from work, Holly, (who lived a few doors from us in Swansea) about a party that we were headed to in Shoreditch of a friend of ours. A few of us were going; Holly and her roommate were (I guess) at a loose end for something to do and they 'might' come along. I guess they were searching for better offers, but luckily that was not forthcoming. We headed along to the bar and then Holly turned up later with Michelle, an attractive girl and fellow Midlander. I don't really remember too much else about the details of the evening, but we all ended up roaming the streets of Brick Lane where Tom and Michelle were glued into conversation.

Well I don't really need to describe much else about how they led up to their marriage; that's their story. I was fortunate enough to capture the story behind their wedding and when I learned of their engagement at Christmas I was itching for them to ask me.

After a week of celebrating Tom's last week as a bachelor in Wales, we all headed up to Melton Mowbray (home of legendary Stilton cheese and pork pies) and I stayed with Tom and his family in the pub where the two were to be married the next day. After a full English the following morning everyone swung into action (or back to bed) and I headed over to document Michelle getting ready at her parents' in the early afternoon. A surprise antique car was arranged (it worked - 'you gits' was the phrase uttered when she found out she'd been had) and I headed back to the pub to get some shots of the groom and best man and fellow best friend Toni Deluca. After a quick, intimate ceremony on the lawn with their closest friends and family looking on, the pub put on a fabulous reception. I dragged them outside into the fields as the sun was skimming through the trees for some great couple photos, then Toni D took to the stage for an epic speech/grilling. One of the finest speeches I've witnessed - he lived up to his title - nice work Toni! Following cutting of their Stilton cake, dancing, presentation of a photo book of their lives and more drinking and dancing the night was over. I packed my bags for my flight the following day, knowing it would be a long time before we were all together again but happy for the newlyweds that their day had gone perfectly.

The happy couple are now back in Sydney settling back into life. While they are so very far away, it is comforting to know that my best friend is being looked after by such a wonderful lady - someone who I've felt like I've known far longer than four years and someone who can put the Law into line when he's bouncing around too much :)

All the best Mr and Mrs Law! 


 




To view the slideshow below enter Michelle's maiden name as the password. Hit the full screen button in the bottom right and turn up the volume!



All of the photos are available to purchase as prints here: http://photo.brownphotographic.com/p856913176