Megan & Devin's Wedding - Black Thumb Studio

Friday April 16, 2010

Megan & Devin’s Wedding

It’s a fact. Our 2010 "wedding season" could not have had a better start. Period. If I said nothing else about Megan and Devin’s wedding this past Saturday, that would be enough. But you know me…I’m definitely gonna tell you more.

Arriving at Megan’s parents’ home on Saturday afternoon, I didn’t feel like a wedding vendor. I felt like an old friend. Family portraits I had taken of Megan, Breda and their parents Mike and Kerry were framed and hanging on the wall in the living room. Before I knew what was happening, Megan was running into the kitchen and saying, "I have a surprise for you!" "For me?!" I thought. I was confused.

A moment later, I walked into the kitchen and discovered that Megan had picked up an iced coffee for me earlier that day. She got it "without the ice so it wouldn’t get watered-down" and then put it in her fridge until George and I arrived. During Megan and Devin’s pre-wedding consultation, we discovered that she and I drink our "coffee" the exact same way, which translates into as little coffee as possible and as much sugar/flavoring/cream as possible. Clearly, Megan hadn’t forgotten. I was stunned with joy. On HER wedding day, she got me a coffee.

George got to work on the details shots while I shot candids of the ladies getting ready. Before long, it was time for Megan to get dressed. She disappeared into her bedroom. Moments later, she was ready to go and looked stunning! I went out back to take pictures of Megan with the ladies, while George headed off to the church to meet the guys.

The ceremony was held at St. Mary’s in Dedham. A cathedral-style church, it is an absolutely beautiful place for weddings. Devin waited at the front of the church with his brother Ryan. They exchanged a fist-bump and a smile as Megan and her dad walked through the back doors of the church.

Following the ceremony, we snapped a few quick shots on the steps of the church. We only had a small amount of daylight left, so we hurried off to Lakeview Pavilion.

Once at LVP, we did a few formals with just Megan and Devin and then a few with the wedding party. We snapped the have to have "groom dipping bride" shot and then headed inside for the family formals.

For their announcement into the reception, I did something a little different. I decided to stay out in the lobby with the wedding party while George covered the entrances. This allowed me to capture those "behind the scenes" moments that most guests don’t see. The emotion in Megan and Devin’s faces was priceless.

They went right into their first dance, which was followed by a blessing, a few words from Devin and then toasts from the Maid of Honor and Best Man. Breda, Megan’s younger sister, went first. She gave one of the most heart-warming toasts I’ve ever heard. Devin’s brother Ryan got up to give his and started with, "I’m not sure how anyone is supposed to follow that, but I’ll try." Breda was kind enough to allow me to include the text of her toast here:

Good evening everyone. I want to take a moment to thank you

for being here tonight and sharing in this special day with Megan,

Devin, and our families.

I can’t believe this day is finally here! I feel as if Megan has

been planning for this, well, for her whole life. A few days after

the engagement, I asked her what I could do as Maid of Honor.

She simply told me all I had to do is show up and give this toast.

This quality of planning and being extremely organized goes

far beyond the wedding, however. Every Christmas since she

was a little girl, she would ask for pens, highlighters, calendars,

and pads of paper… to make these lists. She honestly has a list

for everything. Daily list, monthly list, yearly list, shopping list.

Don’t worry you have all made it onto her list at one point or another.

But what Megan didn’t plan for, what was not on her list,

was Devin. You see, you can’t plan for that kind of love. You

can’t pencil in that perfect someone to just walk into your life.

And you definitely cannot cross that special someone off your list.

Megan, when this beautiful day is over, when every "T" has

been crossed, every "i" has been dotted and everything has

been checked off your list, put your pencil down. Your lifetime

of love and happiness together cannot be contained to

a checklist. It cannot be scribbled on a post-it note. It cannot

be measured in pages ripped away at a calendar. The abundance

of love you share is too great.

Devin, I am certain now that someone may have their

hand in Megan’s "master-plan." Over the years, I have seen

her smile. I have seen her cry. And I have definitely seen

the lists. As her sister & best friend, there is not a doubt

in my mind that you are the perfect man and husband

for Megan. You make her so unbelievably happy and I

could not be more happy to welcome you in our family

and as my brother.

There may be bumps in the road, but know that you

have friends and family who will always support and

love you, and prayers from above guiding you on your

journey together.

"May your to-do lists be short and your lives together be long"

I love you both!

Simply amazing Breda. Really.

The rest of the evening was, well, absolute fun. Megan and Devin had selected the band Pandemonium. George and I hadn’t heard them before, but we won’t soon forget them. They had the dance floor packed all night with their renditions of current dance hits and everyone’s favorites from the last few decades. The atmosphere was electric!

Megan and Devin – what can we say? You guys are a ton of fun and we had an incredible time celebrating your wedding with you. We can only hope our images do your wedding day justice. What a day! Thank you for allowing us to be a small part of it!

A special note – Devin’s brother Ryan is getting ready to head overseas to serve our country in the Middle East. Ryan – we thank you for your service and pray for your safe return.

To view a slide show of even more images, click here.

Vendors:

Dress Shop: La Sposa Bridal – Newton, MA

Hair: Escada Hair & Beauty Spa – Norwood, MA

Florist: The Tangled Web – Pembroke, MA

Church: St. Mary’s Parish – Dedham, MA

Reception Venue: Lakeview Pavillion – Foxboro, MA

Cake: Konditor Meister – Braintree, MA

Livery: Concert Limo – Hanson, MA

Band: Pandemonium – Booking through Hank Agency (AMAZING band!)

Finishing touches on Megan’s make-up