There are fabulous reasons to get married in all seasons. I love the newness of spring, the blooms of summer, and the colors of fall. But winter…winter inspires cozy indoor gatherings with drinks that warm you up, rich jewel tones, and dancing that doesn’t stop. H+O’s December Willowdale Estate wedding was simply stunning, and their style (that dress and that green jacket!!!) was so on point that I’ve even had inquires from people on Instagram asking where H found that exact shade of green for her bridesmaids’ dresses! (For the record, the dresses are by Birdy Grey in the shade of emerald.)

You’ll find other vendor details below, but now it’s time to share some of my favorites from this December wedding at my favorite historic venue on the North Shore!

Vendor details supplied by H+O:

Venue: Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, MA

Lead Photography by Danielle of Salty Raven Studio with Joseph Gonzalez-Dufresne second shooting

Flowers: Leiby’s Garden and Flower Shop

Make-up: To Make Beautiful

Hair: Tuan

Cake: Lyndell’s Bakery

Live Band: Entertainment Specialists

I’m absolutely going to bookmark this blog post so that when it’s the middle of winter and the sun is nowhere to be seen, I can be taken back to the warmth and joy found in abundance at A & N’s beautiful Willowdale Estate wedding!

I mean it when I say that every wedding I photograph is memorable, but when I meet a couple who smiles with their eyes and laughs together simply by exchanging a glance, it’s just such a rush to be a wedding photographer. Add to that my favorite venue on the North Shore, Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, MA (the stonework and wood carvings are a dream), and you have a wedding that I’d love to photograph again and again! Be sure to scroll down to the sunset photos and the twilight hour ones- I can’t get enough of  those twilight-blue skies and café lights.

Wishing you both a lifetime of love and happiness, A & N. It was such an honor photographing your sunny and heartfelt wedding celebration!

Immediately after the wedding, I get ready for the “Hugging Challenge!” to see how many hugs I can catch of the couple getting those first, emotion-filled, hugs from close family and friends. It’s so exhilarating because they’re happening like fireworks all around me!

Fab Vendor Team:

Venue: Willowdale Estate, https://www.willowdaleestate.com

Photography: Salty Raven Studio & Event Photography, https://www.saltyraven.com

Make-up and Hair: Pro Radiance Artistry, http://www.proradianceartistry.com

Cake: The Danish Pastry House, https://www.danishpastryhouse.com

Flowers: The bride!!! (the centerpieces were incredible!)

Dress and Tux: Maggie Sottero Noelle wedding dress, Hayley Paige bridesmaid dresses, and Black Tux for the groomsmen suits

DJ: E.C.F. Entertainment, http://www.ecfentertainment.com

Transportation: Michael’s Limousine Company, https://www.michaelslimousine.com

Audrey & Eric’s marriage was celebrated this fall in a gorgeous setting rich in family history near the Berkshire Mountains, just over the border into New York. With rolling fields, charming farm buildings from the 1800’s, and beautiful meadows of flowers and cattails, this wedding was a dream to photograph. And Audrey’s dress- amazing!!!

Perhaps because they were “officially” married in Cambridge City Hall earlier this year, they were able to enjoy a more relaxed gathering where the focus was on good food and drink, great company, and the beautiful surroundings. Their guests were greeted upon arrival with drinks and appetizers, an hour or so later everyone moved to the shade under a gorgeous tree for a brief ceremony honoring Audrey & Eric’s marriage, and then it was off to their lunch reception at Mario’s Restaurant in New Lebanon. A few guests returned to the farm afterward to play a generations-old family golf game with a tennis ball, dance, and soak up the late afternoon light.

It was a pleasure photographing this lovely celebration for Audrey & Eric!

I enjoy each and every wedding I photograph for Salty Raven. It’s true! I feel fortunate because I seem to attract genuine people who trust me to bottle up the moments, the atmosphere, and the joy of their wedding days in a visual and artistic way. Sometimes though…woah. Sometimes the match is amazing. From the very first Skype date with Jenny & Ethan, I was swooning because they had so many “couple qualities” I adore including:

-Couples whose quick banter keeps me on my toes following the twists and turns of the conversation.

-People who show laughter with their whole faces and talk excitedly with their hands.

-Couples who make each other laugh, laugh, laugh!

Oh, they were the best, and I’m so excited to share their wedding photos from The Dumbo Loft in Brooklyn, NY. Their goal was to bring together their family and friends into a cozy space in a pocket of Brooklyn that draws you in until you wish you could live there. The cobblestones, archways, river, bridges, fire escapes, people watching…it was all so invigorating. First, I’ll share a few of my favorites of Jenny & Ethan, and then we’ll rewind to enjoy their day as it unfolded. Vendor details can be found below.

Until next time, Brooklyn!

 

Isn’t that DUMBO sculpture above cool? It’s the creation of artist David Crumley, and it’s interactive! You can read more about it here on his website. And now, to rewind. First stop, the apartment where Ethan was getting ready. I met him on his stoop, and we went inside so he could transcribe his vows into a tiny antique book he picked up that morning.

 

 

Vendor Team Details Provided by the Couple:

Photography: Salty Raven Studio & Event Photography

Venue: The Dumbo Loft

Wedding Planning: Emily Canterbury with Whimsy Weddings

Florist: Buds of Brooklyn

Catering: Ryan Brown Catering (I had the spring veggie lasagna, and it was YUMMY!)

Cake artist: Melanie at Ladybird Bakery

DJ: Mon Amie Events

Dress/tux: Wedding Atelier & SuitSupply

Videographer: The couple’s friend, Allegra Oxborough

Bride’s Hair & Makeup: friend Heather Alexander (former professional hair stylist) and makeup artist MJ Johnson

I had the pleasure of second shooting for the super talented Ali of Ali Rosa Photography this past fall for the wedding of two fashionable, foodie, and vinyl-record-loving brides in Rhode Island. I adore second shooting because I find it so exciting and energizing to look for second angles to photograph over the course of the wedding. Take this first image, for example, of the brides during their first dance. I crouched down low behind a table, framed the couple with two glasses of water, and used my fastest lens to open up the aperture wiiiiide to create the gorgeous and romantic orbs of light circling them as they danced…. I love the results!