Boston Seaport Engagement Session | Christopher Columbus Park | Brianna and Brian
This past winter I partnered with The Boston Bride and The Newport Bride to give away an engagement session to one lucky couple. I love doing things like this, because our New England wedding community is so talented and it gives us a chance to work together to serve couples and also support each other in business.
I was so happy when Brianna and Brian won my session! When she commented on the post to win, I felt like we connected right away and they would be a perfect couple to win! They got engaged at Christopher Columbus Park in Boston, so what better place to capture their engagement?! We started with some drinks at Tia's on a warm Spring day, and then proceeded over to the bench where Brian proposed. How cute are they! Congratulations Brianna and Brian, I had so much fun with both of you!!
Moore State Park Engagement | Boston Wedding Photographer | Jenna and Ethan
I absolutely love how adventurous Jenna and Ethan are! Not only did they choose a gorgeous location for their Fall engagement session, and dress to a T, but they love hiking and doing things outdoors and had not problem galavanting through the woods with me. I even got a little lost at first because I haven't been to this park in a few years and totally got thrown off! However walking through the woods in a gown and a suite did not phase these two and we had a great time. I can't wait for their wedding in 2018 and to capture more of their moments! Congratulations Jenna and Ethan!
Mount Hope Farm Engagement | Cassi and Mike | Rhode Island Wedding Photographer
Thanksgiving day has gone, Christmas is in the air (and on the radio), and the end of the year is quickly approaching. I'm, so thankful for all of the beautiful couples that have trusted my vision and allowed me to capture their most special moments! We've worked with and met so many adorable couples this year, and can't wait for the 2018 wedding season! You've probably heard me say this before, but I love Fall! The colors, the snuggles, the smells of pumpkin and apple (candles for the most part, unless my mom bakes!) it is all so comforting!
One of our favorite (ok, their ALL my favorites!) Fall engagement was with Cassi and Mike at Mount Hope Farm, in the quaint seaside town of Bristol, RI. I love this location from its bright and cheery farmhouses, quintessential New England stone walls and history, and sweeping fields and trees. The foliage was near peak and we found the perfect area of bright leaves to create a cozy atmosphere. They even brought the most adorable plaid blanket to snuggle up in! I can't wait to capture their vows next Summer, congratulations Cassi and Mike, you two are just adorable!
xo,
Alicia
Newport Engagement Session | Liz and Nick
On a windy and warm Spring day, I met Liz and Nick, dressed to the nines down at Sachuest Point. It was so hot that day, but was breezy and cool down by the water, and as soon as I met them I felt like we were old friends right away! Her center stone in her ring is also a family heirloom, that Nick had set in a gorgeous Tacori mounting, how sweet and special is that!? These two were up for a little walking adventure, as we stopped at some of my favorite places around the wildlife preserve. I've hiked here for years and always thought it would be a beautiful sunlit setting for couples portraits.
Congrats on your engagement and your wonderful future ahead Liz and Nick!
Flowers: The Flower Pot (www.theflowerpotri.com)
Dress: Lulus (www.lulus.com)
Images ©2017 Alicia Ann Photographie
Aurora and Tim's Newport Engagement Session | Rhode Island Engagement Photographer
I met Aurora and Tim down at the Cliff Walk in Newport, RI on a chilly Spring day (I had hoped it would have been warmer!) for their engagement session. They got engaged on New Years and are so excited to celebrate and were such good sports braving the wind, and boy was it windy! During Spring time Newport celebrates Daffodil Days, when the thousands (millions?!) of daffodils bloom all over town. There are lots of festivities (including a rhode race and a doggy parade!) and beauty of viewing the daffodils in bloom. Besides the iconic Cliff Walk, I wanted to take these two to stroll though the Daffys! The field of blooms at Easton's Beach was in full color, bright and cheerful. There are small paths through the field that allow people to walk through them and experience being surrounded by flowers. Congrats Aurora and Tim!
Rhode Island Spring Engagement Session | Sara and Andrew
Every Spring I'm forever driving by beautiful pink and white trees blooming all over Rhode Island. Most of them tend to be on the side of the highway or street, which isn't the prime location for photography. So this Spring I made it my mission to find some gorgeous cherry blossom trees and set up an engagement shoot. I drive by Roger Williams Park all the time, and knew it had a Botanical Center and lots of beautiful garden grounds. So I took a ride through and found the Japanese Garden fully blooming! There were plenty of trees and all of them were in full bloom and lovely. Unfortunately they don't last long, so I knew we had to act fast. Thankfully, Sara and Andrew were totally game to dress up in my vision of blush and pastels and have their engagement session among the blooming trees! They were complete naturals in front of the camera as well, and so much fun to walk around the park with. Congrats Sara and Andrew!
Engaged! Now what?! 5 Tips for Starting to Plan Your Wedding | Rhode Island Wedding Photographer
The love of your life proposed, you said yes! Congratulations! This is one of the biggest moments in your lives, and a reason to celebrate. You will feel excited and maybe a little anxious as you think about planning your wedding. There are so many resources out there to help with your planning, but where do you begin? As a wedding photographer I often talk to brides about much more than just photography. It’s almost like we become such good friends that photographing their wedding seems more like just being an honored guest that gets to capture it all, and I’m always down to bring you a coffee to your bridal suite!
1.) Get Organized
I love buying all kinds of fun notebooks and folders, especially the ones with pretty designs and typography on them. It helps to have a folder with receipts, print outs, and things you rip out of magazines for inspiration all in one place. Notebooks are handy as well to write down ideas of anything that you want to remember to do.
2.) Plan a budget and stick to it
Next, you want to do is sit down together and plan how much you want to spend on your wedding in total. Keep everything in mind from venue, to dresses and suits, to décor. Also keep in mind if you want to include the cost of your rings (including the engagement ring) in this budget. Try your best to stick to this because the last thing you want to do it start your marriage with an enormous amount of debt over your head as newlyweds and being stressed about it.
3.) Venue Search
Before you book anything else you need to nail down your venue and date. This in itself can take a lot of time, but the best research can start online. Many sites like The Knot (www.theknot.com) and Wedding Wire (www.weddingwire.com) have reviews by real brides on their venue and vendor sites, as well as cost (stick to that budget!), and loads of pictures so you can think of décor and what you want your theme to be. Don’t worry if you don’t have or want a theme, your theme could always just be pretty wedding! Make sure you see your venues in person, speak to the coordinators, read the contracts and find out all the details. Now would also be a good time to hire your wedding planner if you are using one and they will take care of all the fine print for you. Think of how you want your photographs from your day to look while choosing your venue. If you love bright and airy images, don’t choose a place with no windows and dark wooden walls, floors and ceilings. Time of day matters as well, here in New England it’s not the best idea to have a 4:00 wedding in December with no first look if you want bright and well lit portraits after the wedding since it will be dark.
4.) Choose Your Bridal PartyOne of the greatest things about planning your special day is planning to share it with your closest friends. Both of your should choose your bridal party and think of a color theme that will be present in the décor and bridal party outfits. You can even ask friends to be a part of your bridal party with hand lettered cards and homemade gifts to add a special touch to it. Do some searches online to get some great ideas for some crafty fun, and start to imagine what your wedding day will look like!
5.) Dresses and InvitationsNow that your date and bridal party are set, you can shop for your dress and the dresses for the ladies! This is such an exciting and special day to share with your closest family and friends. Start looking for invitation designs at this time or hire a designer. Etsy (www.etsy.com) and Minted (www.minted.com) are really great resources for finding some beautiful invitations.
Now get ready to plan your big day! Get organized, set your budget, research and book your dream venue, gather your friends, say yes to the dress, and send those save the dates. Planning a wedding should be exciting and fun but is no doubt going to get a little stressful at times. The best advice I can give you is to enjoy the process. If things don’t go as planned, step back, take a breather and remember to enjoy planning your day together. It will all come together, and any issues can be overcome. Ready?! Go!
Alicia
www.aliciaannphoto.com
