In early August, I worked with two brides who were planning a very nontraditional wedding and hired me to make some nontraditional wedding photos. They planned a small gathering of friends and family in the Boston Public Garden for a short ceremony, a handful of photos with those friends and family members, and then a stroll down Charles Street to their favorite shops for wine, chocolates, gourmet cheese, and cupcakes which they would enjoy – alone – in celebrating their wedding day.
There were no bridesmaids, no first dances, no DJ, no centerpieces. These two wanted to celebrate their marriage privately, without an expensive party and the formal traditions that accompany some weddings. I was honored to be part of it. I love photographing all kinds of weddings and especially when the couple plans an event that is unique to them, reflects their relationship, and incorporates their most private memories. These brides hired me for a couple of hours to document their ceremony and then follow them on their shopping spree through Beacon Hill and the South End. We had a wonderful time – so many laughs!
My favorite stop was at Beacon Hill Chocolates, a gourmet chocolate shop on Charles Street. I had never been in there before (which is not to say that I don’t LOVE chocolate..) and I loved making photos of the space, using the unique ambient light. I wanted to share these photos not only because I think they look great, but because I want to emphasize that you don’t have to have “traditional” wedding photos to have beautiful and unique wedding photos. My style of wedding photography is documenting the couple as they are together – with all of their quirks, inside jokes, and laughter. Photographing two brides as they shop for gourmet chocolate after their small outdoor ceremony is exactly that kind of quirky sweetness that I love, and that I think makes all couples unique.
