George and I arrived at the Holiday Inn in Boxboroughjust before noon. Erin’s mom came down to meet us in the lobby. Although Erin wasn’t quite ready for us, she gave us an opportunity to get close-up pictures of the dress, bright pink shoes and jewelry before George headed off to meet Gregg.

Once George left, I stuck around to get pictures of Erin getting ready. The light coming in from the courtyard provided perfect light for bridal portraits. I always love having great natural light available for photos. It’s so much better than using flash. Erin’s sister Kelly and mom were there to help her. Erin’s niece, Caroline, was slated to be the flower girl and had been talking about it for months. I was informed that she had been sick and they were concerned about her ability to participate. It was really tough for Caroline. She was SO looking forward to this day – almost as much as Erin – but for different reasons.

Once Erin was ready, we headed out to the courtyard for a few formal pictures with her family. The limo was waiting, so we didn’t take very long. We didn’t want to keep Gregg waiting at the church!

The drive to St. Margaret’s in Burlington, MA was all highway. Easy. I arrived a few minutes before the limo and headed in to check in with George and put my gear down. George let me know what he was shooting in the church (ISO 2,500, F4.5, shutter around 1/60 of a second, no flash) to save me time of figuring it out. I checked in with Gregg and the priest. I also found Caroline. Good news! She was feeling pretty good and ready to walk down the aisle before Erin. Yeah!

The ceremony was underway. Gregg and his brother walked out. The moms were seated. Then Caroline walked down the aisle, followed by Kelly, and last but not least, Erin and her dad. Erin’s detailed planning was all about this moment. She looked amazing! Her dad looked so proud as he walked his daughter down the aisle. Gregg stood at the front of the church beaming.

Following the ceremony, Erin, Gregg, and their parents greeted their guests outside the church. This gave George and I ample time for lots of candids. I was toting my new Nikon 70-200 f2.8 lens and loving every shot I took with it. Perfect for a time like this when I want to capture the natural interaction among the guests without them feeling like there’s a camera in their faces.

Back to Boxborough…

During the pre-wedding consultation, Erin, Gregg and I visited a business property right next to the hotel. Erin had heard about the spot via a message board and had previously scouted it out. Perfect location! There was a pond, a wooden walkway, benches, and a stone wall. Tons of great elements for the formal pictures! The day of the wedding, it was even better! The Magnolia trees on the far side of the pond were in full bloom and provide an absolutely beautiful backdrop. After shooting the family and wedding party, I walked around the pond with Erin and Gregg to get a few shots under the Magnolias. George stayed and shot with the long lens across the pond. We finished up the formals on the wooden walkway. I had Erin and Gregg stand next to each other and asked Erin to lift up her dress just enough to see her awesome shoes. George was already lying on the ground and got the shot. One of my favorites!

Erin and Gregg had scheduled their day in order to participate in a portion of the cocktail hour. George and I took the opportunity to get our bearings for the reception, introduce ourselves to the DJ and take some pictures of the wedding cupcakes.

During the reception, we found a great red British phone booth hiding around a corner. We snuck Gregg and Erin away for a couple of minutes to take a couple of shots there. We also kept a close eye on the sky and took the twilight shot Erin had requested.

George and I had no idea what great dancers were in attendance. Gregg and his mom had a blast swing dancing to "Mac the Knife," followed by some more swing dancing with Gregg and Erin. They were obviously having the time of their lives!

Erin and Gregg – thanks for having us be a part of your wedding day! We enjoyed every minute!

To see more of their wedding photos, click here.

Vendors:

Church: St. Margaret’s – Burlington, MA
Reception: Holiday Inn – Boxborough, MA
DJ:  Dan McCarthy