These two seemed a little sleepy at first (it was an early morning shoot)

But they got cute. Very cute

Man, I love the trees at Harvard

Just outside of Winthrop House – where Dan lived his upperclass years

Red door + ivy = perfect

Paying homage to the organization that brought them together

This is a new spot I discovered (I know, you’d think after so many years I’d know my college campus inside out)… love the lighting, the background, everything

I can’t wait for their wedding next summer! Gracie Lou Events has been super awesome in making sure the planning of it has been stress-free so far for this busy New York power couple. I can’t recommend them enough

Oct 22 – 28 – Barcelona, Spain
November 4 – 6 – Boston
Winter holidays – Indiana
January 12 – 15 – Boston

Shang is a wedding photographer known for imagery that pops with color, personality, and energy. Shang’s guilty late-night snack binge during her undergrad years was an order of crab rangoon and scallion pancakes from The Kong
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We took a trip down memory lane and began photographs in Harvard Yard. Lisa’s hair and makeup were beautifully done by Carolina of From Hair to Eternity

We originally wanted to go to a farmer’s market as well, but the forecast said possible chance of thunderstorms

Literally seconds after the above photo was taken, I heard a rumble. It was so overcast and humid, I shouted, “open those umbrellas!” The sky opened up right afterwards, so we ran inside to hide from the rain

Looks like we got some lipstick on Seth =)

As the rain was slowing down, we thought it’d be fun to do some photos in the rain while the sun shone behind it

Trying out some reflection shots in puddles!

For some other props, Lisa and Seth brought cooking magazines. I also am head-over-heels in love with Lisa’s sparkly Badgley Mischka pumps

My favorite! It’s no secret I’m a big fan of colored doors. These photographs are taken in the yard of Lisa’s undergrad dorm

We aimlessly walked a little bit. I really like this hug

To think that only an hour before this photo it was pouring buckets. New England weather – super strange =)

I feel so calm looking at this photograph

One… more… reflection! Than you Amy Bao for being on the lookout for these awesome shots

Afterwards, Lisa and Seth treated us to a delicious dinner at Henrietta’s Table, one of my favorite restaurants in Cambridge for locally sourced, wholesome and hearty American meals. Thank you two so much! I really look forward to capturing all the wonderful memories and food you have planned for your Boston Public Library wedding next year!

August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 24 – NYC
August 31 – Return to Chicago
Sept 8 – 12 – Boston
Sept 23 – 25 – Boston
Oct 8 – 10 – San Francisco / Bay Area
Oct 22 – 28 – Barcelona, Spain

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It was such a beautiful day

As summer deepens,  I find myself being attracted to more and more green

Lisa and Jeff are laid back. They met online and hit it off right after their first date. They got engaged in Barbados (swoon). They had already talked about getting engaged so Jeff had to be a bit secretive and throw her off here and there! They love traveling – Lisa, like me, had an international childhood and understands Dutch and German.

They love the ocean – hence their wedding will be in the Seaport District as well, and it’s coming up in less than a month. We spent some time exploring parts of the waterfront / Financial District / Seaport District that we won’t be photographing on the wedding day. I love how there’s a mix of water and beautiful gardens

This is possibly my favorite spread in the engagement album. Very cute and classy

Also, thank you to Ami for assisting during this shoot!

July 14 – 17 – Lafayette, Indiana
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago
Sept 8 – 12 – Boston
Sept 23 – 25 – Boston
Oct 8 – 10 – San Francisco / Bay Area

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We began our session at Fanueil Hall, which was a busy and happening place

Like me, Joanne’s fav flavor of ice cream is vanilla! Keeping it classy

Windswept hair: Check. I’m obsessed with her hair

Depending on the couple, sometimes I’m more directive with poses, and sometimes I’m not. Joanne and Chris somehow just *know* how to sit with one another.

LOVE

I haven’t seen a lot of maxi dresses so far this season but I love the fact that they flow when you walk. I think I want one now too

Sun flaaaare… this was the picture I previewed on my Facebook fan page

I’ll be photographing their wedding later this summer at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln – if you know that sculpture park, you can see the playfulness and whimsy reflected right in their personalities. Can’t wait!

Also, this photo is too fun not to post. Amy had approached me for some photography advice and I ended up having her assist me on this shoot… granted, the assisting thing really isn’t all that glamorous, but she makes it look so cute!

July 14 – 17 – Lafayette, Indiana
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago
Sept 8 – 12 – Boston
Sept 23 – 25 – Boston

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The next 5 days I will be spending most of my time at a photography workshop by the inimitable Jerry Ghionis which I will tell you all about when I am done. For people in the wedding industry who wish to catch up with me, I am starting to schedule meetups starting the 11th =) SAN FRANCISCO and CHICAGO – I am coming to your hoods too. Chicago people, some lifestyle spots are being opened.

In the meanwhile, here are all the sneak peeks I can provide. Have a great July 4th and party safe!

The wedding of Tricia and Mike at the Black Rock Country Club in Hingham

The wedding of  Blair and Josh at Young Israel in Brookline

Joanne and Chris engagement session

Lisa and Jeff engagement session

in(SCP)iration for Monica

The wedding of Charlotte and James at BCEC Newton / Wellesley Country Club

The wedding of Mengmeng and Shawn at the Ocean View Inn in Gloucester

July 9 – 10 – New Haven
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area – please email me if you’d like to get in touch
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago – taking weekday sessions in Chicago for the month of September
Sept 8 – 12 – Boston
Sept 23 – 25 – Boston

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This picture has been one of the most popular sneak previews to date!

I see these flowers in the Public Garden every year around this time – catch them before they’re gone!

Charlotte and James have had some meaningful dates spent at the Public Garden and we were looking for this one bench that meant a lot to them. Unfortunately there was construction work going on, so I chose this bench instead

Charlotte’s makeup was done by a favorite of mine, Danielle Ross!

Fun fact: we had about 30 seconds to do this shot without any kids in it. We wedged ourselves in between two kids and an oncoming busload of schoolchildren

Okay, so it started misting, but I just wanted them to bust out this red umbrella they brought. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Seriously colorful umbrellas / boots do make rainy days worth it. But only if they’re SUPER colorful =)

So cute

July 9 – 10 – New Haven
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area – please email me if you’d like to get in touch
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago – taking weekday sessions in Chicago for the month of September
Sept 8 – 12 – Boston
Sept 23 – 25 – Boston

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We wanted the engagement session to be really personal. Alyson and Allan lived near the JFK Library and first chose to get some seaside photos. We really, REALLY lucked out on the weather because.. well, I’ll let the photo speak for itself

Every couple of seconds, a plane would pass by

This is just one of the ways they make me laugh

“Allan,I think you have a gray hair, I’m going to pluck it” – Alyson

I found this grassy area just before we were going to take off and said, “Halt!” and grabbed this photo. You never know what cool locations you find when you stop planning for them =)

We then drove to the Blue Hills reservation. Alyson and Allan decided one day that they were going to have a hobby. Which one? Hiking. And so hiking it was, and this is a place where they often hike

I just LOVED the way Alyson’s dress pops off the background

At one point I asked them to walk slowly towards me. They interpreted that as walking in slow-motion, movie-style… I laughed so hard I couldn’t catch the photo so I asked them to do it again

I also learned something new - mosquitoes are vicious this time of year! We only had about 20 minutes for photos in Blue Hills before we all started getting eaten alive. Thank you Alyson and Allan for such a fun afternoon. I can’t wait for their superfun outdoor wedding at the Plymouth Plantation in the middle of this summer!

July 9 – 10 – New Haven
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area – please email me if you’d like to get in touch
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago – taking weekday sessions in Chicago for the month of September
Sept 8 – 12 – Boston
Sept 23 – 25 – Boston

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First off, the ladies! Wear your favorite colors, but I like brighter colors – especially if we are shooting in cities such as Boston, New York, or Chicago, we are working with a lot of concrete and mono-tone backgrounds, so you want to POP from the scene. If you are shooting in locations with lots of greenery, you obviously don’t want to wear green. If you’re going to be near blues like the ocean, don’t wear blues.

Pending the weather, either wear a casual dress with a knit cardigan or layer jeans, a nice shirt or top that has details. Avoid all white and all black ensembles, it won’t show up with enough contrast on film. Patterns? They can look great! However, also keep in mind that patterns may look dated after a couple of decades, so mix it up with some solids. If you are doing solid colors – think about the texture – thick and classic textures such as knits, sweaters, linen, cotton photograph quite well. Accessorize for more fun – think about your jewelry, belts, and any relevant hair pieces.

These are some great looks I’ve seen on my clients in the past

Kimberly, one of my brides last year, her engagement shoot was very popular for her yellow dress and super-fab heels as we walked around Beacon Hill – click on the picture to see more from that session

Kimberly writes: “For my engagement photo session, I wanted to make sure that I stuck to a simple, classic look that was also firmly my style. I knew for sure that I didn’t want to look back on my photos and cringe at the pattern of my dress, hairstyle or makeup choices, so sticking to an understated style was very important to me. Shang had recommended bright, complimentary colors for my (now) husband and me, so I chose yellow– a color that people often said was ‘my’ color. My dress had a classic silhouette which I hoped would stand the test of time, and, likewise, I chose simple pearl earrings and a silver drop necklace. I felt confident that my wardrobe choices reflected who I was at that time in my life and that I wouldn’t look back and wonder why I tried to wear something that fit into that moment’s fad.

The most important thing to remember is to be yourself. I’m never one to be on the forefront of clothing trends (I’m usually the last one to try everything!), so it wouldn’t have made sense for me to go outside of my comfort zone for my engagement photos. I like looking back at my photos and seeing the real me shine through in clothes that I truly loved!”

This is Kimberly’s inspiration board

Cardigan – Nordstrom. Earrings – David Yurman. Dress – Nanette Lepore. Sandals – Nordstrom. Necklace – Tiffany & Co

How about the guys? Depending on how formal the girl is, match that. If the girl wears jeans then the guy can wear jeans but otherwise, khaki, formal pants, and dark slacks work just as well. Please avoid sneakers if you can but dark shoes are okay. Contrast the pants with a shirt of a different color. The shirt should not be the same color as the girl’s so that you guys don’t look too matchy-matchy. Avoid all white and all black ensembles. Think color tones – if the girl is wearing primary colors, you wear primary. If girl is pastel, you wear pastel. I love seeing mixes of vests and jackets on a guy because we can remove them for different looks.

Dan was one of the other really popular engagement sessions from last year. He and Moah dressed in classic fall ensemble to go with their foliage-filled engagement session on the University of Chicago campus – click on the picture to see more

Dan writes: “In selecting an outfit for my engagement photo shoot, I really wanted to wear what would be considered a classic look.  If I wore something too trendy or that wound up being a fad, five years down the road I’d look at my photos and wonder what I was thinking (think bell bottoms [1970's] or neon [1980s]).  There seemed to be little risk wearing a button down shirt, sweater and blazer with jeans.  My photo shoot was in the fall and beyond consideration of recent fads, I wanted to pick colors that were consistent with the colors of the season.  In terms of the outfit selected for the inspiration board, I realize the tie might be on the trendy side, but under a sweater only a small portion will be seen and could be the perfect amount of ‘flair.’”

Shang’s tip: Make sure your clothing is properly ironed / steamed prior to the engagement shoot. Wrinkle removal is  not part of my normal retouching process!

This is the inspiration board that Dan created for this post

A makeup artist and good hair makes ALL the difference in photos – so I recommend having your trials timed for your engagement session if possible. I’d love to spend most of the shoot having fun and photographing you, and not worrying about your hair or makeup. If you choose to do makeup yourself, that is fine. If you normally don’t wear makeup, I still recommend foundation and eyeliner. If your shoot falls in a windy location such as the ocean side, please, please consider having your hair up rather than loose.

And now, a topic near and near to my heart – SHOES! For those who missed my post on shoes last year, check it out. However, my friend Sarah, co-founder of Snapette, is even greater an expert than I am. She writes: “As for shoes, you should go all out for your engagement shoot. A photo shoot is THE perfect opportunity to show off your great shoes. Everyday photos are usually from the waist up, and awesome shoes often go unnoticed at crowded events and dark bars. Plus given there’s pretty limited walking during the shoot, this is also a nice opportunity to wear your highest heels, which are also super flattering for your legs and proportions. If you’re wearing neutral or dark colors, I’d recommend wearing brightly colored shoes that pop, complemented with a brightly colored belt, necklace or hairpiece. Brightly colored shoes also go great with colorful outfits – don’t be shy! If you want to go with more neutral colored shoes, however, then consider ones that have rhinestones, bold patterns or distinctive shapes.”

Shang’s tip: Bring comfortable flip flops or flats with you to wear in between walking!

Today’s inspiration board uses all images taken with Snapette, which is a cool new mobile app available for iOS devices

First row: Bakers, Giuseppe Zanotti, Kurt Gieger
Second row: Enzo Angiolini, Gucci, Miu Miu
Third row: Giuseppe Zanotti, H by Halston, Wild Pair

I have a number of South Asian brides, and for you guys, I have invited my friend Ridaa of RMCCouture to write her thoughts

“To stand the test of time, stay true to your personal style, and wear minimal pattern and accessories to help reduce any outside “noise,” that you may incur and that will take away from you as a couple. To ensure that you and your significant other are the focal point of the shoot, wear one or two pieces of jewelry or a feathered headband at most, but stick with the cliche, that less is truly more, and classic and timeless will always be the better choice, and not necessarily just safer. What I recommend for someone with olive tones and rich heritage is to wear one piece of jewelry or an accessory that distinguishes you and reflect’s your culture. For example, choosing a traditional naurattan necklace, or South Asian jewel piece (even a bangle) may really be all you need to differentiate your look.  Wear a a bold colored top or dress with an intricately crafted necklace or pair of earrings and bangle, and let your chemistry with your significant other be the other accent pieces you need. Selecting a simple and classic outfit for your future spouse will allow him to not blend in with you, but compliment what may be a bolder look on you. Ever thought of wearing a modern outfit and having henna done? That would offset a truly “western,” engagement shoot look with a hint of tradition that is unexpected. Another great idea: what about pairing a flowy, chiffon shalwar kameez with peep toe shoes and the perfect pedicured feet? Details will add-value and thought into your shoot, and keeping your make up natural and yet cohesive will help the photographer in making statement images for life.”

A big thank you to all my friends for providing such great advice, but more importantly, thank you to all my clients for being super fabulous as always!

I also have a Pinterest Board for more engagement session style inspiration!

 Shang is a jetsetting wedding photographer for dynamic couples. She captures imagery that pops with color, personality, and energy.
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Maybe the fact that Sarah dances had a lot to do with how comfortable and natural this couple was in front of my camera. I really didn’t have to say much

Puppy! Bailey is half beagle, half English bulldog, and all love. Look at those sad eyes, don’t you just want to squeeze her to death? She’s already a pound bigger as I write this blog post

Most of this engagement session was taken at the Boston Medical Center – where Sarah and Ali met, they are professionals in the anesthesiology department

I love her glittery pumps – they’re from Joan & David

Cuddling on a picnic blanket

The temperature for some reason kept falling during the session, so we had to keep Sarah (and Bailey) warm. She was a trooper!

I could photograph them forever! Sarah found me 18 months out from her wedding – I can’t wait for the wedding next spring in Boston. Since Ali is Persian, it’s going to be a Persian wedding!

Thank you Ze Liang for assisting!

June 14 – 16 – NYC
July 9 – 10 – New Haven
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 19 – 22 – Jamaica
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago

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This is a really cool new structure somewhere inside the halls of MIT. It looks like paper but I think is made out of some kind of metal. Can anyone tell me more about this?

I really like the clothing that Mengmeng chose to wear – playful and colorful!

We took these engagement photos while spring was in full bloom in Boston, who knew all these beautiful flowers would be everywhere! I prefer shooting near large flower bushes as opposed to flower gardens because they are tall enough to match the people

They were nervous, but also a super playful couple who are quite at ease with each other

Another favorite spot of mine =)

Yep, it’s the Stata Center!

Their wedding is coming up in July and will be gorgeous outdoors ocean side wedding because they really like the ocean. Hoping that the weather will be just as – if not more spectacular – on that day!

Thank you Ze Liang for assisting!

June 11 – back to Boston
June 14 – 16 – NYC
July 29 – August 4 – San Francisco / Bay Area
August 23 – 25 – NYC
August 31/Sept 1 – Return to Chicago

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