Tara & Josh's Wedding - Black Thumb Studio

Monday June 14, 2010

Tara & Josh’s Wedding

George and I pulled up in front of Tara’s house. Before we couldeven get out of the truck, Tara was there to greet us with a hug. She had her veil on and was SO ready for her wedding day. I love that kind of enthusiasm!

Tara and Josh have known each other for many years based on some common family ties. Recent family events brought the two of them back together and it wasn’t long until they knew they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.

I shot their engagement session earlier this year in the historic city of Lowell. The old mills in this town make an incredibly back-drop for any photos. Their wedding ceremony and reception would be held in the town where they both grew up and where both Tara and Josh’s parents were married – Haverhill. Heritage like that is rare these days.

Once George and I finished detail photos of the wedding dress, George took off to meet up with Josh and his crew. His musical family was apparently involved in some pretty intense Rock Band competition when George arrived at their house. Fortunately, they were able to break away and get Josh to church on time.

Meanwhile, I was hanging out with Tara and her attendants. They were ready nice and early so we had tons of time for photos. Love it! We actually took so many photos, I finally turned to Tara and said, "I’m out of ideas." There’s a first time for everything I guess.

Tara and Josh held their ceremony at the historic All Saints Parish in Haverhill. This particular parish represents the merging of a few different congregations in Haverhill following the recent consolidation in the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The building itself is a beautiful cathedral situated atop a hill that overlooks downtown Haverhill. The incredibly long aisle gave Tara and her dad plenty of time to share in the spotlight as they passed among their closest friends and family members.

Because of Josh’s protestant roots, their ceremony was combination of Catholic and protestant traditions. They also had a Catholic priest and a protestant minister residing over the service. An acoustic guitarist added another personal touch to the ceremony.

After Tara and Josh greeted their guests, we snapped a few family photos at the church and then headed off to Michael’s. Once there, we got everyone situated and then finished the formals in the recently renovated side yard. The gazebo and water fountain offered a very beautiful backdrop.

The reception – just like the ceremony – featured a couple of traditions we have yet to see. The first is that Tara and Josh are pretty big Batman fans and chose to have their wedding party and themselves announced into the reception to the original Batman theme. They even had posterboard-size cutouts with words like "Kapow" and "Splat" written on them which each couple carried as they entered the reception hall. Everyone laughed as each couple revealed a new sound. Once Tara and Josh entered the room and shared their first dance, another surprise was in store.

Josh is a passionate Boston Bruins fan. Knowing how much he loves the team, Tara surprised Josh with a very special wedding gift. Her brother helped her find and hire Rene Rancourt, the gentleman who has been singing the National Anthem at the Bruins home games for over 30 years. Josh was stunned. He was thrilled to have Rene there and was even more excited when Rene did his signature fist pump for the cheering audience. It was fantastic!

A bit later in the evening, we snuck outside for a few minutes so we could grab our traditional twilght shot. The rest of the evening belonged to Tara, Josh, their guests and a rocking band – Clockwork. The band featured multiple vocalists whose harmonies were fantastic! Tara, Josh and their guests danced the night away.

Tara and Josh – thank you so much for giving George and I the opportunity to share in your special day. We had such a great time celebrating with you, your families and friends. We wish you both all the best for a long and healthy life together!

Vendors:

Dress: 125 Bridal – Plaistow, NH

Hair: Bella Vita Salon – North Andover, MA

Makeup: Melissa DiCecca

Florist: Bowler and Jones – Merrimac, MA

Church: All Saints Parish – Haverhill, MA

Cake: The Mixing Bowl – Haverhill, MA

Livery: Atlantic Limousine – Westbrook, ME

Band: Clockwork – Boston, MA

Singer: Rene Rancourt – Natick, MA

Venue: Michael’s Function Halls – Haverhill, MA

To see a slide show of their wedding, click here.