Gina + Ian | A wedding at the Endicott Estate


This was such a beautiful, warm + sunny, love filled day that I was so glad to be a part of. Gina and Ian are not only fantastic people on their own, but i was so happily delighted to quickly learn they both derive from such love filled and exuberant families... so you can imagine the good time that was had celebrating all of the love!

At this wedding I witnessed, thee BEST mother-son dance - which was to "always look on the bright side of life" and thee BEST father serenade to his daughter "Gina Beena" (which included the 4 piece family band). It was one of those weddings that leaves a smile on your face for days after.

Gina and Ian, thank you for letting me be part of such a beautiful moment... xoxo


Becky + Mark | A Wedding at Southers Marsh Golf Club

I'm convinced that wherever Becky and Mark go, the sun is always shining. When I first met Becky and Mark last year in Southie for their engagement shoot, the sun was shining and so were they. Newly engaged and vibrant with joy, we walked around for hours while they told me stories of how they fell in love. Fast forward to their wedding day, when forecasts called for rain, rain and more rain... there wasn't a cloud in the sky! Of course there wasn't, It was Becky and Mark's wedding day... the perfect New England Autumn day. I showed up a the cutest little cottage in Plymouth where all of the girls were getting ready. The Sargent family is so warm and welcoming, the bridal party introduced themselves and we got right to it.

Afterwards, Tammy {my 2nd shooter} and I hopped over to Southers Marsh Golf Club where the ceremony and reception were being held. As soon as you pull onto this beautiful property you will see a cranberry bog that has a giant cranberry heart in the middle, amazing. Laura and her staff were incredibly punctual and on top of their game, they were an absolute pleasure to work with. The ceremony was heartfelt and emotional as well as the rest of the night. But let me tell you, once that music got pumpin that dance floor was PACKED! If there was ever a crew that loves to dance, you're looking at them.

I was so honored to be a part of Becky and Mark's big day and there is no doubt that they will have sunny skies from here on out!

Peace, Love & Cuttin' Rugs,

April K

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Laura + Steve | Wedding at the New England Aquarium

Have you ever met someone that you have an immediate love for, without knowing much about them? This is how I felt about Laura, the star of this beautiful New England Aquarium wedding. When we met for the first time in a little cafe in Brookline, we sat and talked for a while about everything but her wedding. We chatted about her passion for Pilates, how she bowed out of corporate america to follow her dreams and how her and Steve were going to be moving to Singapore for his job! I loved her already... and then she told me the story of how her and Steve met, and it was a perfect photographer/bride&groom match. She saw this guy one day in a cafe with his beautiful dog. She said hi to the guy and he said hi but that was it... she pet the dog and went on her way. Months later she came across a guy on Match.com and they seemed to hit it off, later realizing {after meeting him in person} that this was the same guy she saw in the cafe with the beautiful dog! They were meant to be for sure and the rest was history. Zoe {the beautiful dog} made her debut on the wedding right by Steve's side, so adorable.

Their wedding day {and love for each other}  was like a page out of a fairytale...I am certain that this outrageously adventurous and lovable couple will have many years of laughter and love ahead of them.

Peace, Love & Zoe The Matchmaker,

April K

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily + Bert | Wedding at the Boston Public Library

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend. Lucky to have been where I have been. Lucky we're in love in every way. That is the song that plays in my head while I was processing these photos. I love, as a photographer, when I get a couple this visibly in love with one another... it makes my job a whole lot easier, I can tell you that much! PDA is always encouraged by me {ESPECIALLY} on your wedding day... because to me, this world needs more "sweet nothings" whispered, handholding + kisses on the cheek.

Emily & Bert met while they were training for the Boston Marathon a few years ago and the rest was history. I was so excited for this wedding because I thought, if today is anything like the engagement shoot we did, we're going to have one hell of a time! So easy, down to earth and willing to let me into their lives so that I can capture the real deal, amazing from start to finish.

I predict Emily + Bert will be blessed with a very happy and healthy life together filled with travels and excitement.

Peace, Love & Soul-Mates,

April K

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Custom Wedding Branding

Do you ever find yourself thinking:

  • You would really like to have an overall theme that represents your wedding day

  • You and your love don’t really fit into any of the typical “cookie cutter” wedding themes out there

  • How the hell do brides find time to fine-tune all of those annoying details while having a life?

If you often find yourself drooling over those perfectly styled weddings that are plastered all over wedding blogs and pinterest I have the perfect person for you to meet.

Becky Pleshaw, founder of RP Design, who specializes in custom wedding branding.

April: What exactly is custom wedding branding?

Becky: Wedding branding sets the theme for a couple’s special day. It includes the colors, typography, imagery, and general style for all of the printed wedding materials, from save the dates to thank you cards. Branding provides a common thread that pulls together all wedding communication and compliments the overall look and feel.

April: You are a great resource for couples who know what sort of theme or brand they want for their day, but what about those couples who have absolutely NO IDEA!?

Becky: Typically there is already a foundation for design that we can uncover by discussing some basics.  Will the wedding be casual or formal? Daytime or evening? In a ski lodge, or on a beach? I can leverage what details couples already have, such as a bridesmaid color or wedding location, and build a complete brand from the ground up.

April: Do you have a process that you use to work with couples to help figure out what would best represent them?

Becky: I work with couples one-on-one to lay out their brand in a really organized way. I like to keep it as easy as possible for them, but I welcome whatever level of involvement they’d like to have in the process. We will decide on the general theme and work our way down the line, choosing a color scheme, typography style and any other graphics we plan on using throughout. We then define which materials they want customized and finalize the branding kit. The most important thing is that they are happy with the results and have a brand that’s perfect for them.

 

April: What look and overall theme was this couple wanting to achieve and how did you come to your final overal look?

Becky: Christine and Travis are getting married in Boothbay, Maine and they wanted their wedding materials to bring out the character of their location. They had a good idea of what they wanted and we worked together to bring their theme to life. Once we established the vintage postcard style save the date, I continued to incorporate the wedding colors, typography and custom imagery throughout the rest of the pieces that Christine and Travis would need.

April: Why should couples talk with you before checking out any other custom branding resource?

Becky: In addition to my passion for design, I have extensive experience in marketing, brand creation and strategic thinking. I take pride in my work and couples will feel confident that their entire design process is in good hands. I love getting to know the people I work with and together we will achieve the perfect theme for their wedding.

To find out more about what Becky offers, check out RP Design’s website and follow the blog!

Peace, Love & Branding,

April K

How to Personalize Your {Destination} Wedding

Happy Friday Peeps! I decided to put all this personal talk on hold and put the spotlight back on weddings for a moment.

While I was in the midst of my wedding craze last year, I wrote a blog post sharing what I did to make my day unique to Justin and I {post here}. I mainly wrote it because sometimes I hear brides questioning themselves "am I allowed to do that?" "well I really want this but I'll probably just do that".... No my friend, this wedding is a ONE day celebration to kick off your life's journey together. That means, you do not do things just because they're easier. You do what you WANT and what is representative of the character of your relationship.

Well, that's my thought anyway. This is coming from a girl {me!} who cancelled her first wedding plan {yes, after we put deposits down and had dates held} mostly because she didn't feel 100% good about it, a lot of things were off and it wasn't sitting right in her heart.

I digress, so after I wrote that post my girl Lauren, who is having a destination wedding and who also has one of the best characters I've ever known, needed some advice. I suppose this isn't exclusive of only destination weddings, but that is where my head is at while I'm writing this.

Lauren Writes:

Hey April,

We're doing a destination wedding because that's what fits our budget and frankly Bryan and I are not the type to have a huge hoopla of a wedding and we'd much rather chill on a beach with rum punches and those fun little cocktail umbrellas. Fine.

The resort that we chose is extremely private and intimate and allows us to "customize" our wedding to fit what we want. Fabulous.

I found my dress and my bridesmaids dress. Ahead of the game, here!

Sccreeeeccchhhhhh.....this is where it stops. Now what do I do?!? Maybe more importantly, how the HELL do a plan a wedding on a beach in Mexico that is fully representative of a pig-chasing/tractor-driving/pumpkin-growing farmer (Bryan) and a Long Island-born/shoe-obsessed/career girl (Me)? I'm at a total loss here. Bryan and I are at complete ends of the spectrum with one another; possibly THE most opposites attract couple aside from two major things: 1. We love beer and 2. We can't live without each other.

I guess my question is, what is your advice on how to figure out ways to make our wedding representative of who we are? Obviously we've had some great times over the past 2+ years that I can look back on, but all I want to get out of this wedding is for people to walk away and say "That was so them."

I guess the main thing I'm stressing over isn't the location, how my hair is going to look, or who is going to show up - - it's more of a nervousness that we're going to put this thing together and it's going to look like someone else's wedding rather than our own.

April, any or all advice that you could give me on this would be amazing. You know how I am: I love myself some organization and can provide you with the best strategic marketing plan money can buy, but when it comes to creativity, I fall flat, and I need to seek help from my creative friends before I'm labeled as boring ;-)

 

April Suggests:

Hey Lauren,

Here are 3 things you can focus on to make your destination wedding representative of you and Bryan:

1. Writing your own vows – I know a lot of couples squirm at this idea but really this is what a wedding is all about, getting married and pledging yourselves to each other. I feel like the ceremony is something that is often overlooked compared to what type of venue you’ll have, music, food, booze etc. This is one day that starts your journey together; nothing could speak more about your relationship than how you vow to spend the rest of your lives together. Believe it or not, vows are something people remember. Put your personalities into the vows and you’ll walk away feeling like that’s all you needed to make the day "your own".

2. Bringing little signs for things, they're packable in a suitcase and signage + printed items really add a lot of personality to the day. Don’t feel like you have to use formal language either, put your personalities into the verbiage you use. Programs + thank you cards at tables or in hotel bags + signage = make it all match and sort of style your day according to Lauren + Bryan's world.

3. Your dress + your shoes + your jewelry + his outfit will have your personalities in it. Don’t be afraid to stray from traditional. Let Bryan wear a little flannel pocket square or a straw hat, representative of his pig chasing farm boy ways. Your shoe obsessed self can pick out a fabulous pair of TOMS or flip-flops that are representative of your favorite color. You don’t have to have HUGE statements to represent of who you are; sometimes it’s the little things that make an impact. Which is great for you since you have to pack it all up in a suitcase.

Remember, this is your day, do it anyway you want! Funky, vibrant, off the wall, and classically all yours.

Peace, Love & Destination YOU!

April K

Becky + Mark | An Engagement on Castle Island, Boston

What is my dream as a photographer? Besides my long list of goals... most importantly for me, is for my subjects to be comfortable to be themselves in front of me. Just to be together, not caring what I'm doing or thinking or what bench/wall/any object I'm climbing to get the perfect shot. My dream is to have each and every one of my clients to simply... act as if I'm not there! The goal for me is to capture each couple as they are, naturally, in real life... {just looking extra insanely good doing it!}. Well Becky and Mark certainly had no troubles doing just that. These two are so much fun and completely and clearly adore each other. It was one of those shoots that I walked away feeling all toasty and tingly inside. Needless to say, I cannot wait to capture their wedding day! It's going to be off the hook.

Peace, Love & Belly Laughs,

April K

 

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Alyssa + Nick | A Fenway Park Engagement

Alyssa and Nick had a very adventurous engagement shoot around Fenway Park recently. We not only got to take a tour of the park, we had the chance to take some amazing pictures in places that "normal folk" usually wouldn't be able to go. We clearly had a great time and I'm totally looking forward to seeing Alyssa and Nick on their wedding day, soon enough! Peace, Love & Red Sox,

April K

 

 

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Jennifer + Peter | An Adventure Wedding

Jennifer and Peter's wedding was not only a unique occasion, it was definitely one for the April K Photography history books!  Let me break it down for you via text and then let your eyes be dazzled by the beautiful art we created. Jennifer and Peter started off their day with a first look, {always a great idea in my book}. This was followed by a small but very beautiful ceremony with their immediate families at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY. The ceremony was very emotional and very heartfelt. Jennifer and Peter are rare couple in the world of weddings, which is refreshing for me to see. They didn't care about inviting everyone they know or following the wedding rule book… To them this wedding was solely about committing their lives to one another  the best way they know how, with a little adventure! {I love me some crazy adventures}

When I asked Jennifer what provoked her to "trash her dress" she had some very thought provoking and inspiring words….

“What?!?!  Why on earth would you want to trash your dress?”—yup, that’s a pretty good way to sum up most people’s response as they gasped in shock when they found out we were incorporating a “trash the dress” session into our big day.  I even think our own parents thought we were a little crazy as first.  However, nothing about our relationship was ordinary or without adventure—we first met on a bike ride that Peter organized through a local outdoors meet-up group on-line.  Our first date wasn’t a movie and dinner at some romantic restaurant, but an afternoon at the Buffalo zoo.  It was so us!  Our first trip together wasn’t to the beach and we didn’t stay in a fancy hotel—we pitched a tent at a campground in the Thousand Islands and went white-water rafting.  It was perfect and exhilarating, and even the river of rain that nearly washed our tent off the ground couldn’t dampen our mood.  The best gift I ever got from Peter wasn’t some expensive piece of jewelry, but two tickets for the both of us to go sky-diving.  Talk about the biggest rush of your life—it was the best birthday present ever.

Though I had always dreamed of finding that one guy I couldn’t live without and falling deep in love, I was never that girl that dreamed all my life of a fairy tale wedding.  So, after falling in love and realizing that we wanted to spend forever together, Peter popped the question on a chilly fall day as we hiked by the base of Akron Falls (sense a theme yet!?).  Of course, I said yes and after we were engaged it took us a while to envision our perfect day.  Pretty early on, we decided we were throwing tradition out the window in many respects and just going to follow our hearts and do what felt right.  Part of this was including a “trash the dress” session at Grimes Glen in Naples, NY into our wedding plans.  In many ways I don’t really like the label “trash the dress”.  We didn’t choose to hike the creek in our wedding attire and take pictures by the gorgeous waterfalls because we wanted to trash the dress, we did it because it was us—it was the perfect way to begin our married life together and trashing the dress was just a potential consequence.  To me, the dress wasn’t something I was attached to; I was simply inspired to create unforgettable memories with my only true love on one of the most important days of our life and continue the adventure we had already started.  It was truly an amazing once in a lifetime experience and it was during this portion of the day that we felt most relaxed, true to our self, and closest to one another.  There was just something about being surrounded by nature in all of its beauty and hearing the sound of waterfalls surrounding us that allowed us to clear our minds, reflect on the love we share, and just be present in the moment together.  It was really indescribable.

One last thing for anyone who might be wondering, my dress really didn’t get too dirty and I’d hardly consider it “trashed”.  Though I haven’t decided if I will have it done, I’m almost positive it would clean up and preserve perfectly without anyone knowing what it went through.  But to me, my wedding day was never about my dress and I don’t feel like I need to save it beautifully pressed in a box in my closet for years to come.

All I wanted from my wedding day was to make an everlasting commitment to the love of my life, while surrounded by family, and celebrate with something that would always remind us of the mutual sense of adventure that brought us together and helped spark the love that we now share.  That is exactly what we did!

 

Refreshing, pure and true to what you believe is what it's all about. Lucky for me they couldn't have picked a better more willing person to photograph their day :) I was in heaven right along with them.

Jennifer + Peter I wish you loads of laughter and love on your crazy journey!

Peace, Love & Adventurous Marriages,

April K

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Tammy + Tommy | Wedding at the Cracker Factory

Tammy + Tommy's nuptials were exchanged at the Cracker Factory in Geneva, NY. What a beautiful and heart felt ceremony. Not only could you tell that there was so much thought and care put into her big day, you could feel it radiating throughout the room. Seriously… I was shedding a few tears behind the lens as she was walking down the aisle and especially when Tammy & Tommy were exchanging their vows. I've been asked various times, what I think is the BEST way to personalize your wedding day? Hands down…writing your own vows. Taking the time, thought and energy to express the way you feel today and how you promise to take care of each other, no matter what, forever and ever,  is something only you can say. Vows are something that should be the #1 thing you think about when you're planning out your details.

As I was going through these teeny tiny moments in time, I have to say that I got choked up all over again. The ceremony is, without a doubt, the most important part of the day. Watching Tammy and Tommy exchanging vows, watching Tammy get choked up over and over and over again… it's why I love my job. Being able to give them something that no one else can. The gift of that single moment in time, when the vibrant love they share illuminated the room.

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Fun times in the photo booth!!!

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Peace, Love & Tears of Joy,

April K