We spent this past Saturday with Stephanie and Branko. They tied the knot at the Coachmen’s Lodge in Bellingham, MA. It was the perfect day for an outdoor wedding!
We met up with Stephanie and Branko at a hotel close to Coachmen’s where they were getting ready. We went straight to the bride’s suite. I was immediately greeted with a warm smile from Stephanie. I did an engagement session with her and Branko several months prior, so we had an opportunity to get to know each other before the wedding. She looked great!! George and I worked on some close-up pictures of the dress, bouquet, shoes, and jewelry before starting the pictures of the ladies. Once Stephanie put her dress on, we took a few more shots in the hotel room before we went downstairs to meet Branko and the rest of the guys.
Stephanie and Branko opted to take the majority of their formal pictures prior to the ceremony so they could enjoy the cocktail hour with their guests. The grounds of the hotel included some young willow trees that provided a perfect backdrop (and some shade!) for the formal pictures. The entire group was easy to work with, particularly the ladies. It was obvious from the start that everyone was planning to have a great time that day. We finished up the formals in time to get Stephanie, Branko and everyone else on the shuttles to Coachmen’s and started the ceremony on time.
The ceremony itself was outside on the grounds of Coachmen’s Lodge. Stephanie was escorted down the slate path to Branko, excitedly awaiting her arrival in front of the gazebo. The ceremony was brief, but included an Apache wedding blessing as well as a special rose ceremony, in which the bride and groom exchanged a single red rose with each other.
Following the ceremony, Stephanie and Branko led the way into the patio area for the cocktail hour. With a full bar outside and hors d’oeuvres a plenty, the wedding guests thoroughly enjoyed the time. Just before everyone headed in, we took the bridal party, along with the red duck (a mascot of sorts), back into the gardens to take a few more pictures. We tried a new type of picture (for us) with a unique perspective which made it look like the groom and groomsmen were being stepped on by the bride. The wedding party, along with many onlookers, had a fun time working on this shot.
Once inside, the wedding party was announced and then Stephanie and Branko took to the dance floor for their first dance. The guests were then treated to a wonderful dinner. George and I used the opportunity to take some close-up pictures with the invitation and the wedding rings. Stephanie’s bouquet was all calla lilies and we used it for these pictures as well.
Following dinner, the DJ quickly had all the guests filling up the dance floor. It was full the rest of the night.
Thanks again Stephanie and Branko. I’ve really enjoyed working with the two of you and I know George has too.
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