Lisa Rigby Photography - Fun Summer Shoot!

A few weeks back, I posted a little sneak preview on our blog of our photo session with Lisa Rigby. I'm itching to tell you about our amazing shoot, but first comes the story of how I found out about Lisa. Back in June, I was checking status updates on Facebook, and my engaged friend, Linda, had posted "My photographer is sooo awesome! Can't wait :)" with a link to Lisa's latest wedding post on her blog. A preview photo of a bride with her blusher on intrigued me, and one click later, I was in photo heaven.

Lisa's blog was filled with tons of wedding recaps and engagement sessions, and her style was just something that I haven't really seen in the Boston area before. Detail shots were so rich that I could almost feel the bride's satin shoes. All of the photos displayed so much emotion in the faces of the couples and families. Also, Lisa has a way of capturing sunlight and nature unlike any local photographer that I know of. If you put Lisa's photos in a mix of 1000, I think I'd be able to pick hers out, no problem. Fiona and I are always looking for great vendors to be able to refer to our clients, so I immediately emailed her and we met up for a chat. We decided a photo session would be the perfect way for us to know first hand about what it's like to work with Lisa.

We started out in the public gardens, and we were sitting in the grass, leaning on trees, and anything else that Lisa suggested because right from the beginning, we totally trusted her. After she took a few shots where she was actually lying on the ground, she showed us some of the photos on her camera, and there we were, with the sunshine beaming on us through the trees. I exclaimed "it's a Lisa Rigby photo!"

After that, we went over to Commonwealth Avenue and to get more of the "city" backdrop. Lisa really made us feel so comfortable, and she also encouraged us to try different poses and let us know what looked good and what looked natural for the camera. Not only did we have a blast during our photo session with her, but she actually sent us a preview of photos that very same night, and had a full gallery for us to see within one week. Talk about a short turnaround time! Here are some shots from our photo session:

photos by Lisa Rigby Photography

Lisa is an incredible wedding photographer, and I highly recommend her. She's hip, friendly, easy to talk to, and priced reasonably for the amazing work that she produces. The only thing is that I know she's booking up quickly for 2010 already, so if you think Lisa might be exactly what you're looking for, contact her as soon as you can!

~Emilie

J.Crew Wedding Collection at the Atrium Mall

Here's some exciting news for Boston area brides. The J.Crew in the Atrium Mall now has the Weddings and Parties Collection so you can try on their gorgeous gowns in person! Many of their bridal gowns are simple and elegant, and their classic styles of bridesmaids dresses come in a wide variety of colors and fabrics.

If you'd like to stop by, make a complimentary appointment with Joan, their in-store wedding specialist. She can help you find your gown and dress your bridal party. Set up your appointment by calling Joan at 617-332-0122. The Atrium Mall is located at 300 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA.

photos from J.Crew

There are even some beautiful dresses on sale that are as low as $49.99! Good luck with your dress search, and we'd love to hear back from you about your experience there!

~Emilie

Beautiful Details from Chelsey and David's Wedding!

While Chelsey and David's amazing wedding details from Monday's post are still fresh in your mind, I thought I would post some beautiful photos taken by Meredith Perdue of & Unlimited Photography. Meredith is based out of Maine, and was one of two professional photographers for the wedding. She was really fun to work with, and as you can see below, she is really talented!

The photos below include details like the gorgeous cakes, the Mrs. and Mr. chair signs for the newlyweds, a welcome chalkboard with a wedding word search for guests, and the guest tables and favor/escort card tables. Click on any of the photos for a larger view!

programs, a bridesmaid bouquet, and rocks for the ceremony

the beautiful tablescape of rectangular tables

a basket of flip flops and pashminas, cocktail napkins printed with fun facts,
knots as boutonnières for groomsmen, one of the two specialty drinks at the bar

the table names (types of knots!)

the bud vases on the guest tables, the bride's stunning bouquet

two stacked pyramids of strawberry jam favors, and escort cards for guests

the welcome chalkboard, a stack of "share your photos with us" cards,
and personalized gift bags for kids

Chair reservation signs for the newlyweds,
and a closeup of a menu card with a matching place card on top

gorgeous cakes decorated with blueberries and slices of lemon

Thank you so much, Meredith, for sharing your photos with us. More pro photos will be coming later, including the ceremony setup on the boat and portraits of the bridal party!

~Emilie

Chelsey and David's Wedding on Moosehead Lake!

This past Saturday, we were the day of coordinators for Chelsey and David's wedding in Greenville, Maine. This small town is situated at the tip of Moosehead Lake, and upon driving into Greenville, the view of the lake was just breathtaking. The wedding ceremony and cocktail reception for 100 guests was held on the SS Katahdin, which cruised around Moosehead Lake for two hours. Guests were able to enjoy the ceremony on the upper deck, which was decorated with yellow flowers along the railing, and two pieces of driftwood connected by a flowing piece of white tulle at the very tip of the boat.

In addition to receiving programs, each guest was given a rock with the couple's wedding date on one side, and "C+D" on the other. At one point in the ceremony, guests were asked to make a wish for the happy couple, and then those rocks were tossed into the lake. Cocktail hour was held on the lower deck, where specialty drinks included cranberry orange daiquiris and lemon blueberry martinis.

There were so many amazing details that were handmade by the bride herself. Chelsey is actually a blogger on one of our favorite sites, Weddingbee! You can read about many more details of her wedding through her blogs as Miss Gloss.

The reception was held in a lakeside tent that was draped with yellow tulle, and decorated with gorgeous white paper lanterns. Candles adorned the cake table and cocktail tables and the pathway into the tent was lit with lanterns that were hung on shepherd hooks. Menus were hand printed and tied to each navy napkin. A basket of flip flops and pashminas were available next to the dance floor for guests with sore feet, or if they were a bit chilly.

Table names were all different types of knots, like "Snuggle Hitch" and "Angler's Loop". Homemade strawberry jam (hand-picked!) were the official favors of the night. Kids received their own personalized bags of goodies from frisbees to coloring books. The bride printed six different versions of napkins for the bar, with fact No. 1 through fact No. 6. Guests enjoyed reading different facts about Chelsey and David, and also some facts about the state of Maine.

Guests danced the night away and made s'mores at the dessert station after dinner. There were glass containers for graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, sticks, matches, and two burners to make really tasty and gooey treats. While waiting for the professional photos to come back, here is a sneak peek at some of our photos!

It was such an honor to be part of this amazing wedding. The handmade details really made it extra special for us and for all of the guests! Chelsey and David, thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your extraordinary day. Congratulations again, and enjoy your honeymoon!

~Emilie

Photos from Theresa and Marty's Wedding by J. Fiereck Photography

A couple of months ago, we were the day of coordinators for Theresa and Marty's wedding, and we posted a sneak peek of some details here. We recently received notice that the professional pictures from their wedding are ready, and we are really excited to show them to you! Jen Fiereck was their photographer and we had a lot of fun working with her and her second shooter, Stefania. We can finally share some of the beautiful highlights with you!

The bride and her bridesmaids started their day at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Look at the “something blue” at the bottom of Theresa's shoes and the gorgeous bouquets from A Wild Flower! The guys got ready in Charlestown and then took portraits in the surrounding area.

Their ceremony was at St. Mary - St. Catherine of Siena in Charlestown. The inside of the historic church was breathtaking and provided a stunning backdrop for their traditional Catholic ceremony.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and the bridal party headed to the Boston Public Gardens to take formal portraits. Look at the beautiful shot below!

Finally, an elegant reception with 150 guests was held at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, where both young and old danced the night away! One of the most memorable moments was when we gathered ALL the guests on the dance floor in the middle of the reception for a huge group portrait. It definitely made for some great pictures!

Thanks for letting us be part of your special day, Theresa and Marty!

~Fiona

Personalized stationery - great for gifts!

Sometimes, the best gifts are the ones that show a personal touch, or some extra thought. Many people like writing cards, notes, or small thank you's to loved ones or friends, but not many people have their own set personalized stationery to use. This stationery set of ten cards with matching envelopes is personalized with the name on top, and with a scroll design on the corners. The cards are made of a metallic pearlescent cardstock, with rounded corners, and the envelopes are a matte moss color.

I packaged the cards and envelopes by wrapping double-faced chocolate satin ribbon around the corners, and secured it with a pretty bow. If you're interested in personalized stationery for yourself or as a gift, contact me at info@pinkorchiddesigns.com!

~Emilie

Jen and Matt's Wedding at Venezia

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of being the day of coordinator for Jen and Matt's wedding. It was a gorgeous summer day, and the weather couldn't have been better! Jen and Matt were married at the Marsh Chapel at Boston University. Guests received beautiful programs, handmade by the bride, that were adorned with cherry blossom paper, gold ribbon, and a charm with a gold cross and pink beads.

The wedding reception for 250 guests was held at the Venezia banquet facility, with a spectacular floor to ceiling water view. The main color scheme for the wedding was pink and gold, with a mix of flowers in pretty pastels. The detailed escort cards that were also handmade by the bride, had different photos on the back of each card, some of which included a photo of the guest with either the bride or groom. Jen and Matt had two favors at the wedding. One was a gold egg, where you to break through the top of the egg, water the dirt/seeds inside, and a plant grows out of the egg. There was a recycling heart logo printed on the egg, and the whole thing was wrapped in a gold organza bag. The other was a reusable shopping bag, with a recycling heart logo, the words "live, love, laugh" and the couple's wedding date. The bags were tan colored, and printed in pink or green for guests to choose their favorite.

If all of these wonderful details weren't enough, one of the best things at the wedding were the table numbers! They were double-sided, and contained one photo of the bride and one photo of the groom. There were 26 tables total, and photos were of the bride and groom at the age of the table number, from age 1 to age 26. So, at table 11, there was a photo of Jen at age 11 on one side, and Matt at age 11 on the other side. Guests had a great time looking around at all of the photos at each of the tables.

There were gold Chivari chairs, gold satin linens, and a variety of centerpieces for each table, that included roses and hydrangeas. The five tier wedding cake from Konditor Meister was stunning, with buttercream frosting, and pink and metallic gold flowers. Later in the night, guests were treated to an incredible dessert station that contained everything from chocolate covered strawberries to cupcakes. The professional photos will be coming later, but for now, here are some photos from Jen and Matt's big day, starting with the wedding invitation, handmade by the bride and groom!

The wedding was filled with lots of laughter and tears. Some special moments included the bridal party's choreographed dance, the lifts in the bride and groom's first dance, and the speech from the groom himself that made so many people cry. Jen and Matt, thank you for allowing me to be part of your special day, and I wish you all the best!

~Emilie