Uplift Photography

Wedding: Melissa + Jonathan | The Inn at Longshore, Westport, CT

2012-01-25T13:19:00.003-05:00

Last wedding of 2011! Wow. What a great year of weddings - we were so lucky to shoot such happy events and meet such fun and awesome couples! We love all you guys.

This was the perfect ending for us - out with a bang! Melissa & Jonathan's late fall wedding was gorgeous - held along the Connecticut coastline at The Inn at Longshore, we had beautiful, golden light, a little wind, and an a.ma.zing sunset. Seriously, you'll see. Ok, there are a lot of photos to get to and they include some of my most favorite portaits of the year, so I'm not going to talk much longer :). Congratulations to Melissa & Jon!

And I just have to put this photo first. I'm in love...

Damn Melissa! Love this.

How cool is this?? They got to ring the church bells!

Wedding: Joanna + Colin | West Point, New York

2012-01-17T15:18:00.008-05:00

The winter is finally here - its freezing and snowing and raining, but...I bet all of my November couples are not complaining because they had gorgeous weather! November was a great month for weddings this year - we were able to get great outdoor shots without anyone freezing too badly :). Joanna and Colin currently live outside the US and came back to West Point for their wedding - it was a great day and I have a ton of favorite photos - check them out! Loving the black & whites today...

One of my goals this past year was to up the creativity of my getting ready and accessories shots -- I always have a very limited timeframe to shoot these and it is a challenge to think 'out of the box' in just a few minutes. I'm really happy with my results and the shots that I created this year. Loving the jewelry shots especially.

Can't forget the groom! Love shooting uniforms.

Love this shot Tim!

I've shot at this church before, but I thought it was neat that this time, their families filled the gallery space up on the alter - so, after they were married, they immediately walked through a sort-of corridor of their families before walking down the long aisle. So cool!

Joanna looking beautiful :)

Love the backlighting - Tim again (man, he is really trying to compete!)

Not Tim :)

Cheers!

Wedding: Bora + Jeff | The Garrison

2012-01-08T15:48:00.007-05:00

A gorgeous wedding for a lazy sunday afternoon :). Perfect combination. We always love weddings at The Garrison - and the views this day were better than ever! Bora & Jeff's day was full of family and friends (all with adorable children) and we were so happy they asked us to spend it with them! Loved working with Flowers by Jo-Ann again - the bouquets were gorgeous!

One of my favorite first look photos...

How cute is he?

I'm back! and Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T09:43:00.007-05:00

Good morning everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts around here - between client holiday orders and family holiday stuff, we were swamped already, but then Soph and I got in a car accident (we are doing better now!) - and things were crazy. But, I'm back and so, so excited for the new year. Tim and I have been working behind the scenes and we have tons to talk about in the coming weeks and months before the new season gets going this spring. I also have three more weddings to blog, snowy engagement sessions coming up(!), a few baby and family session to show and some personal stuff too. Plus, we have a bunch of 2011 wrap-up posts coming out this week and next (including the Uplift Holiday Party pics!) - I told you there was lots to talk about!

I hope everyone had an excellent few holiday-filled weeks and is back fresh for 2012! What did you guys give/get? I thought I would share one of my gifts - Tim made me this video using only his iphone pics and video from the last few months. I'm in love with it - I know she is my kid, but damn, she is so cute :) (sorry, I can't help it), I think I've watched it 15 times already.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Engagement: Lindsay + James | Harkness Memorial State Park, CT

2011-12-15T16:15:00.010-05:00

Love this session! It has taken me a bit of time to post this as I'm trying my best to get most client work done before the holidays arrive, but I wanted to post this for Lindsay because I know she is beyond excited (Lindsay, be excited, your full gallery is up as well!)! I had a great time meeting these guys at Harkness Park (which is an incredibly gorgeous location) on an early Sunday morning, something I don't do very often. I usually prefer afternoon light, but I loved, loved this bright, early morning light for a change. The photos are just so happy and glowing - love it. So excited for their 2012 wedding in Mystic!

C'mon Lindsay! Love this pic, so pretty :)

Engagement: Karen + James | Storm King Golf Club, Cornwall, NY

2011-12-05T09:38:00.010-05:00

I met up with Karen and James at the Storm King Golf Club - what a sweet location! They are members there and I've heard that James hangs out there a lot during his free time :). We did their session the week after the big storm, so there was a crazy beautiful landscape of colorful leaves and snow! Views were awesome and now I'm totally excited for their summer wedding at the Grandview. Enjoy guys!!

Wedding: Kristin + Jeff | The Grandview, Poughkeepsie, NY

2011-11-29T11:04:00.010-05:00

We were psyched for this wedding! We knew Kristin and Jeff's wedding would be a good time - we knew a lot of people in the wedding and at the wedding (love that!) and hello(!), these two are just hilarious (remember their engagement session?)! We had a great fall day and, as always, loved the Grandview (and beautiful flowers by David Anthony!). Check out a few of my favorites!!

She decided that she didn't want her picture taken yet :)

Love this moment.

And this one too.

Lots of great moments :)

The guys showed off their posing skills :)

Love this pic Tim!

Kristin - love the look on your face here :)

And lastly, my favorite - and Tim's shot.

Wedding: Amy + Patrick | Highlands Country Club, Garrison, NY

2011-11-21T00:49:00.004-05:00

I definitely have a new favorite venue! Love love the Highlands! Amy & Patrick's wedding at the Highlands Country Club was our first time shooting there and we felt right at home. A perfect, relaxed vibe with a touch of rustic and sophisticated thrown in :). Amy and Patrick had a beautiful, intimate wedding on a gorgeous October day and we were totally honored to capture it for them. Congratulations again guys - here are a few of my favorites!

Hey, I know that guy! Tim got asked to join the party :)

Wedding: Meredith + Eric | Bronx Zoo, New York

2011-11-15T10:44:00.010-05:00

Meri + Eric, Bronx Zoo - we have been excited for this wedding since last winter when we shot their engagement session around NYC. And now that the day has passed and I'm sitting here looking at their photos, I'm having trouble deciding what I want to say! This wedding is really what we (Tim and I) are about. We are lucky to connect with a lot of amazing couples and while it is difficult to put into words, it is the emotions behind the day becoming part of the photo that helps to make our work real and authentic. Meredith and Eric were so happy, so in love and so excited to get married - their enthusiasm and love filled up the reception room and was infectious! We were so excited for them, so honored to shoot their story and so happy to now call them friends. Many congratulations to you guys - have fun looking through my many, many favorites (Meri - I threw in a few extra for you since today is your one month anniversary :).

Vendors:
Venue: Bronx Zoo
DOC: Jennifer Fitzmaurice
Photographer: Jade & Tim O'Connell, Uplift Photography
Band: Arcadia
Floral designer: Rachel Cho, Inc.
Lighting: Morris Grey, Shades of Grey Productions, Inc.
Videographer: Diana Diroy
Cake Designer: Baking by Jamie
Details: Lauren Panepinto (graphic designer)

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I'm posting this image first because I just love it. Tim shot this and I really think it is just so representative of the day...

Love this - Meri and her dad...

One of my favorites - shot in the elevator on the way down to see Eric for the first time!

While I was shooting the above photo, Tim was getting the photo on the right...gotta love teamwork :)

These three images from the ketubah ceremony are just perfect. Love them.

The ceremony started after sunset and lasted into dark, love both of these.

So, the reception details were just out of control, especially the amazing lighting and great room!

Wedding: Jeanne + Bob | Chateau Hathorn, Warwick, New York

2011-11-09T02:30:00.005-05:00

I'm so happy that Jeanne and Bob asked me to shoot their wedding! It was an intimate affair on the property of the beautiful Chateau Hathorn. It was my first time shooting there and I loved it! So many gorgeous little nooks to get lost in (not to mention the amazing wine cellar!). They had a wonderful day with friends and family and I'm really excited to post a few of my favorites. Congratulations guys!!

Wedding: Krystle + Anthony | The Clubhouse at Patriot Hills, Stony Point, NY

2011-11-04T12:26:00.005-04:00

Well, this post was supposed to go up last week!! What a crazy week, but we are finally back in our house and our office and business is slowly getting back to normal.

Krystle and Anthony are awesome and I had a feeling that this was going to be a fun day. A really fun and relaxed couple plus great bridal party, families and venue make for a wonderful day and I'm so excited to post some of their photos today. I'm sure they are dying to see them, so let's get right to it! Thanks everyone for their patience through SNOWtober :), and I'm so happy to get back to fall!

Love this shot of Krystle on the left that Tim shot while I was taking a few portraits of Anthony...Teamwork!

Wedding: Kristen + Mike | Beckwith Pointe, New Rochelle, NY

2011-10-24T22:13:00.009-04:00

Love the outdoor area at Beckwith! It almost makes you forget that you are in Westchester and makes you feel like you are along a rocky shore up in New England somewhere. You have to forgive me for all the sunset shots below, but after a forecast of 70% rain, we were so pumped about the gorgeous sunset and I just couldn't narrow them down :)! Love when that happens (seriously, you can never trust the weather forecast! It has been wrong this entire summer/fall).

Hope you guys are having a blast on your honeymoon right now!

Love this!

Wedding: Katrina + Tim | Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT

2011-10-11T20:56:00.006-04:00

So, it has taken me a few days to get this post up...but, this wedding was just too gorgeous! I have been sifting through the photos for days, picking and choosing my favorites and reliving all the details :). The photos of the day really speak for themselves, but I just have to say that the day was perfection - from the beautiful setting, to Katrina with her amazing dress, fun bridal party and families, all the rustic-chic details (to die for flowers!!), awesome pie display and lantern path to the water, everything was just spectacular and we were honored to be a part of it.

Katrina and Tim - thank you so much for including us as a part of this great vendor team, we were so happy to capture the first day of your married life! Enjoy!

Vendors:
Venue: Florence Griswold Museum
Event Coordinator: Sarah True & Abby Capalbo / TRUE Event
Photography: Jade & Tim O'Connell / Uplift Photography
Caterer: A Thyme to Cook
Florist: Elements
Dress: White dress by the Shore
Music: Double Down
Hair: Jennie Fresa Beauty Library

Love the shoes - and the wedge was a perfect choice for the grass!

The back of Katrina's dress was amazing, seriously gorgeous. I couldn't take enough photos of it!

Such a beautiful location.

Love working as a team - here is my view...

And Tim's view

Don't you love Katrina's veil and mitts? Totally reminds me of Grace Kelly. The mitts were passed down in her family - so beautiful. I love traditions like that.

Katrina and Tim did a first look, which gave us a good amount of time for photos and they were still able to attend their cocktail hour. Definite win-win :)

Love this double view - first pic is my view, 2nd is Tim's view.

Engagement: Bora + Jeff | Garrison, NY

2011-10-09T23:04:00.005-04:00

We could not have had a better, more beautiful afternoon for this session. Love this time of year - the light is just so gorgeous! I had a great time with Bora and Jeff and I'm really excited for their Garrison wedding later this month. Some of the images below are among my favorite engagement photos and so let's just get right to it! Enjoy & Happy Monday (or late night Sunday!)!

Wedding: Samara + Brian | Hudson Valley backyard wedding

2011-10-03T21:24:00.005-04:00

Wow, what a wedding! Samara and Brian definitely win the award for the 'most wedding effort exerted' :). After looking at the photos below, if I told you that this wedding occured just a few days after Hurricane Irene hit, would you believe me?! With half the wedding guests from out of town and plans for a tented backyard reception, the hurricane couldn't have come at a worse time. But, even after several days of no power, no water, an underwater flower farm and several fallen trees, - these guys pulled it off! With the help of some clutch vendors, a generator, lots of diy details and a super happy couple, the day was amazing - proof is below :).

Sami and Brian - thank you so much for the honor of shooting your big day. We had a blast and hope you had so much fun on your Italian adventure!

Vendors:
Venue: bride + groom's home
Caterer: Eddie Kowalski / Lola's Cafe and Catering
Photographer: Jade + Tim / Uplift Photography
DJ + Ceremony music: Stephanie + Jeff / The DJ Solution
Hair / Makeup: Patricia Luccardi / The Beautiful Bride
Flowers:

So, I pretty much love this next set. These dresses = awesome.

The 'Wedding Village'

Check out all the wedding details!!!

Love these!

Engagement: Kristin + Jeff | Bear Mountain State Park

2011-09-29T11:54:00.006-04:00

I'm pretty sure I laughed throughout this entire session - and they did too. They practiced their 'look' for the camera and now have it down for the wedding :). I had a great time shooting Kristin and Jeff's engagement photos a few weeks ago at Bear Mountain State Park (and Cold Spring too) and I'm psyched for their October wedding @ the Grandview! Lots of photo editing on my plate this time of year, so I'm going to keep it short today! Enjoy some of my favorites!

See what I mean about the laughing? I love it!! Laughter makes the best photos :)

LOVE this one!

Here is a funny set - first one = trying to be serious, second one = can't hold it anymore...

Wedding: Nicole + Frank | FEAST @ Round Hill House, Washingtonville, NY

2011-09-26T14:16:00.010-04:00

Love Round Hill! Such a gorgeous venue. The porch is always my favorite spot there because you can shoot there rain or shine :), no need for worry at all. Nicole and Frank got married at Round Hill a few weeks ago and Tim and I were honored to capture all the love and fun of the day. From Nicole's amazing smile, to the fun bridal party, amazing Round Hill staff and adorable kids running around, everyone had a blast and it totally shows in the photos. Thank you so much for having us as a part of your day guys - Sophie can't wait to meet her new buddy!! :)

Love this! As Nicole said...church shoes and party(!) shoes :)

Love this pic - Nicole, so gorgeous!

So cute!

Taking family photos with a toddler is always hilarious. Check these few out - first up, a smile! Score one for me :). Then, a bit less of a smile, but still happy enough...then, wriggling away...and then, running away!

Love love love.

One of my favorite entrance shots ever!

Engagement: Melissa + Jonathan | Norwalk, CT

2011-09-22T12:38:00.004-04:00

Well, we waited a long while to take these photos, 3 or 4 scheduled sessions and rain..every.single.time. Hurricane Irene hit CT pretty hard and just a few days before our last scheduled date -- took down portions of the dock where we planned to shoot and the power at Melissa and Jonathan's house. We had planned to go out on Jonathan's boat, and I really wanted it to be a nice day. Not a half nice day, or an overcast day, but a perfect day and we did it! They were troopers (they got ready at their gym!) and I'm so happy we didn't let the weather stop us from shooting (again).

Enjoy the photos guys - I had a great time hanging out and can't wait for the wedding!

I'm in love with this one :)

Wedding: Lisa + Christian | Liberty House, Jersey City, NJ

2011-09-19T12:34:00.006-04:00

Lisa + Christian's wedding was our first time shooting at Liberty House. Wow, I'm in love!! The view was great, but really, I love the inside of the ballroom. Such a gorgeous, clean, modern space (reminds me a lot of Locust Grove where we got married :).

The day was amazing - unfortunately, the weather forecast was not great and on the way down to NJ, rain had already started coming down in buckets. BUT, once we hit Hoboken, everything cleared and we had about 3 hours of perfect weather! I couldn't believe it, we had enough time for a first look, lots of shots in Hoboken overlooking the skyline and family portraits outside the church. Not even a moment after the family portraits, the skies opened up and the rain kicked in - I was a tiny bit disappointed because the grounds at the Liberty House are just amazing and it would have been awesome to have more time there sans rain and fog, but Lisa and Christian are total troopers and they indulged my need to walk around in the drizzle for some awesome shots anyway :). Thanks guys!!! I hope you love all the photos as much as we enjoyed taking them!

Gorgeous Lisa!!

I love these next two so much!

One of the best proposal stories ever!

This might have been a bit more than a drizzle, but Tim totally hooked me up with an umbrella to save the camera! What a trooper :)

Engagement: Krystle + Anthony | Millbrook Winery, Millbrook, NY

2011-09-17T09:08:00.004-04:00

I shot Krystle and Anthony's engagement session at Millbrook Winery - such a cute spot! You seriously feel like you are in Napa as you ride up there - looks like an awesome place to spend the day (they have a cafe open on the weekend too - so cool). Anyway, we had a great time walking around, exploring and getting some great shots. Looking forward to the wedding in a few weeks guys!!

Wedding: Marcy + Mike | Anthony's Pier 9, New Windsor, NY

2011-09-14T15:17:00.004-04:00

I feel like I've been waiting for Marcy + Mike's wedding for so long! Tim and I shot their engagement session up in Saratoga last fall, so there was a long buildup to their big day. I love getting a chance to hang out with couples before the wedding, because once the wedding rolls around, we are like old friends :). Marcy looked gorgeous (Mike tried to compete with his cool shoes - almost Mike, but not quite :), and the day was relaxed, beautiful and so much fun. We were able to stop at some awesome spots for photos too - both the Salesian Property in Goshen and the Newburgh waterfront. Thanks for a great day guys and we wish you all the best!!

(by the way, I totally predicted that Mike would come out of retirement for the wedding and the proof is below!)

Preview time!

2011-09-13T11:01:00.006-04:00

Morning everyone! This is the crazy time of year where I'm editing summer weddings, shooting engagement sessions for both 2011 and 2012 couples, shooting fall weddings, and chatting with couples about 2012 and 2013(!) events. Just crazy. So, since I have a ton of amazing couples and photos to blog about, I thought I would pop in and give a quick preview of whats coming up!

Wedding: Katrina + Tim

Engagement: Melissa + Jonathan

Wedding: Samara + Brian

Engagement: Kristin + Jeff

Wedding: Lisa + Christian

Engagement: Krystle + Anthony

Wedding: Nicole + Frank

Engagement: Bora + Jeff

Wedding: Marcy + Mike

Portrait: Delaney

2011-09-11T23:13:00.004-04:00

Isn't that such a cute name?

I'm in love with quite a few of Delaney's photos. Her mom was great on keeping me up to date with her due date and hospital situation and so I was able to meet her soon after she was born. Delaney was an amazing baby, totally content and happy to be photographed :). As I've mentioned in the past, I prefer not to do all posed baby photos, just a few cute ones (usually with hats!) and then I like to photograph the new baby as a part of the family. I just love this type of session - these moments really only last a short time and I just can't describe how amazing it is for me to capture them. It makes me so happy because I know how much these photos will be loved and cherished. Tim and I have had this type of session done and we look at the photos constantly :).

Delaney - it was my pleasure to meet you and your big sister (and parents too!)!

Wedding: Jessica + Jaime | The Fountainhead, Rye, New York

2011-09-08T09:01:00.006-04:00

Good morning everyone!! Hope you guys are all surviving this rain ok - we have a flood of water and dirt on our deck this morning :(, but I'm just happy that the weather is (hopefully!) going to clear up for this weekend! We have been working so much and have so many amazing sessions to go up on the blog (will do a preview this afternoon). Today's wedding is from a few weeks ago and I added in a few extra photos for Jessica because I made her wait a few days :).

I just knew this was going to be a fun wedding - when I met Jessica and Jaime during their engagement session, they mentioned that they were having a band. Now, most bands really make a wedding, but this band in particular was so perfect, everyone was dancing almost the entire time! A lot of Jaime's family flew in from the Dominican Republic and between the great food, beautiful setting and fun music, I'm sure they had a blast! Thanks for an awesome day guys - we avoided the rain (yes!)! We are so happy for you both and hope you had another great day at your 2nd reception!

Venue: The Fountainhead
Florist: Arcadia Floral Co.
Band: [to be added]
Video: Michael Justim Films
Beauty: Hair [to be added] and Makeup: Laura Scalere

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One of my favorite jewelry shots ever :)

Love this shot of Jaime! Go Tim :)

Jessica, one of my favorite shots - you look gorgeous!

Love this shot - taken right after the ceremony...

Love the color of the bridesmaids dresses!

The decor was gorgeous! Love the lighting.

Don't the moms look amazing! Love the dresses ladies!!

Wedding: Addy + Aaron | The Branford House Mansion, Groton, CT

2011-08-24T10:46:00.006-04:00

Ok, get prepared for a lot of photos. I have been going through these photos for about 2 weeks trying to decide what to post! Sorry for the blog delay guys, but its definitely your fault for having such an awesome wedding!

Addy and Aaron are a lovely couple and their excitement and happiness was just bursting from them all day. Add that to the tons of details, gorgeous location and fun brial party and you have a seriously amazing day. Tim and I were so happy to spend the day with you guys and your wonderful families and we hope you love this sneak peek!

Ceremony/Reception Venue: The Branford House
Caterer: Gourmet Galley
Florist: Le Francois Floral & Gifts
DJ: Power Posse
Dress: Mon Cheri
Shoes: Kate Spade (Addy) / Sperry Top-sider (Aaron)
Tuxes: Tommy Hilfiger
Cakes: Maid of Honor's father
Make-up: Spa 264
Details: Mostly Etsy!
[clutch: mabellecherie / bracelet: BGBJewelry / Cake Master tages & favor labels: girlingearstudio / Programs: gingerpdesigns / dress hangers: divinewine / menu cards: blush paperie]

Addy and Aaron did a first look which made the day flow so well - we had plenty of time for family and bridal party portraits, everyone got to attend the awesome cocktail hour (hurricane drinks and chowder station - hello!), and we even got to run out for some dusky sunset photos :)

Love love the ceremony details - they were married in front of a boat!

Almost time to head out...

While I'm at the front of the aisle, Tim is free to capture photos like this one...love.

Love the napkin knots! Such a cute touch :)

How can you not love the bowtie!

Perfect photo for a big canvas :)

Addy's dad revamped his vintage scooter for them! So cool.

Their centerpieces were cakes! They were super cute, homestyle with beautiful flowers on top. They also had an assigned 'cakemaster' at each table who would cut each cake :). They also had a loose bee theme running through some of the details (hence my ring photo above!) - but honey was the favor and the message that ran across the sky during cocktail hour was perfect!

One of my last photos :)

Engagement: Samantha + Brian | West Point, NY

2011-08-18T22:47:00.005-04:00

I love everything about this session - Samantha and Brian were awesome (and Samantha picked a super adorable outfit!), West Point is/was a great spot for engagement photos (I always shoot weddings there, but this was my first engagment shoot there, so fun), and we actually had a nice day (weather has been terrible for shoots!!! Lots of afternoon rain = scheduling and rescheduling). There are so many photos I love, it was nearly impossible to narrow it down, but I did, of course :), and here they are! Thanks for a fun afternoon guys - I'm excited for the wedding already (I should probably tone that down since I have almost a year to wait...).

And you guys said you couldn't do serious! Check this out!

Trophy point

Gorgeous.

Wedding: Gina + Gianfranco | Lazy Swan Golf Club, Saugerties, NY

2011-08-08T23:30:00.004-04:00

What can I say about Gina and Franco...they are seriously some of the nicest, most friendly and accommodating people! They were really excited for their day and so were we - it definitely did not disappoint, all except maybe the 100 degree weather :). Lazy Swan is a gorgeous venue and even with the heat, we took all the photos outdoors (the grounds are just too gorgeous not to!) - Gina and Franco were troopers and I know they are going to love these photos (see guys, it was worth it to go outside!). Many congrats to you guys and we wish you nothing but a ton of love + happiness!!

[edit to add vendors shortly!]

Love the shoes and the ring (good choice Franco!)!

Love these.

Just gorgeous Gina!

Aw, she got tired!

Gina danced with her brother and Gianfranco with his mom...

And then, Gina got a few more dance partners! One of the best wedding moments ever :)

Engagement: Katrina + Tim | Highline, NYC

2011-08-05T00:34:00.005-04:00

Best engagement location! Love Katrina + Tim's idea of the Highline. Before meeting them there, I had heard of it but hadn't made it up there to check it out. Love at first sight for me :). What awesome design - love the open space and the kind of 'brownfield' concept. So cool (Tim and I brought Soph down to check it out a few days later :).

It was also my first time meeting Katrina and Tim! So fun - we had a blast walking around and they were troopers even though it was seriously HOT. I have a ton of favorite shots and I can't wait for their wedding this fall! Happy Friday everyone!

[this first photo is probably my favorite out of all of them - its a little artsy and dreamy and there is just something about it...love it!]

Portrait: Kellan

2011-08-03T01:33:00.004-04:00

I love shooting babies! All of our lifestyle sessions, including newborn sessions, are very relaxed. The goal for both the baby and the parents to be at ease - each session is different because each baby is different. Some babies sleep the entire time, some are awake, some yawn, some snuggle :). I really love to focus on their tiny size and the parent-baby connection. My Sophie got so big, so fast and I am so happy that I took so many photos of her during her first year. Now she is running, jumping and telling me 'no' all the time :).

Little Kellan was a great baby model - he even yawned for us a few times (made his mom happy!) and took a little nap at the end of the session. Enjoy a few of my favorites!

I can't take this one! The finger :). Doesn't he look like a little professor?

Wedding: Cindy + Rob | Chalet on the Hudson, Cold Spring, NY

2011-07-25T02:12:00.005-04:00

You guys are going to love this wedding! Cindy and Rob did an amazing job of personalizing their day - from the beautiful ceremony down on the waterfront, to the custom card favors (Cindy is a graphic designer!), to the handmade jewelry for all the bridesmaids, reception decor, dress modifications...the list goes on and on. I don't think there was any part of this day that they didn't have their hands on...which is right up my alley :). This was one of the occasions where we didn't meet up before the wedding, so we were so excited to finally meet them and see all the plans come to life! After spending the day with them and seeing all their happiness and excitement, we couldn't have been happier to photograph their day!

Thanks for a great day guys and hope you enjoy some of my favorites! Love all the fun details!

Ceremony: Gazebo @ Cold Spring waterfront
Reception: Chalet on the Hudson
DJ: Ben Carlin
Florist: Lucille's
Paper products + other details: Bride
Ring pillow/Runners/Origami: Yukishop (Bride's mom)
Dress: Nordstrom's
Beauty: Dazzles Salon

I love these two - first, looking at mom, and then looking at Rob :)

Love the shoes!

Definitely a favorite.

Wedding: Sarah + Peter | Saltwater Farm Vineyard, Stonington, CT

2011-07-21T00:19:00.008-04:00

I was really excited for this wedding. Sarah + Peter are such a cool, relaxed, fun, and normal :) couple and Saltwater Farm Vineyard is definitely one of my favorite CT venues (there is not a bad spot in that place!!)... awesome couple + great venue = happy us! I was excited before I knew Sarah had two dresses and TWO pairs of shoes! How fun is that?! Tim and I were honored to spend the day with them and their amazing family and friends - and today, I'm happy to share quite a few of my favorite shots from the day. Thanks so much guys!

Venue: Saltwater Farm Vineyard
Caterer: A Thyme to Cook
Dresses: [long] Galina by Davids Bridal / [short] BCBG
Beauty: Sara Faella
Florist: Pot of Green
DJ: Todd @ Powerstation

Love this shot from their first look :)

Tim grabbed the shot on the left, which I really like - usually you can't get an angle like this! I love how you can see everyone gathered around.

I am in love with this set of portraits...

These next two are among my favorites that I've ever taken.

I don't post photos like these often, but I thought this was a nice example of a big family portrait taken during cocktail hour (grandmother and all her children and grandchildren)

We snuck outside for a few more portraits around sunset.

Engagement: Addy + Aaron | Niantic River, CT

2011-07-14T08:01:00.004-04:00

Addy had the best idea for their engagement session - her parents live along the Niantic River and all of them love to hang out on their boat, so doing their engagement session on and near the boat was the perfect option. We started in the early evening, so the light was amazing. I really love these shots -- the mood, the light, the couple and the location were perfect and I hope they love them too! So excited for their Branford House wedding in a few weeks. Check out a few of my many, many favorites and big thanks to Addy's dad for driving us around in the boat :)

These are all my favorites, but I LOVE this one. Something about it.

Wedding: Kimberly + John | The Grandview, Poughkeepsie, NY

2011-07-08T08:47:00.003-04:00

Wiffleball - check. Great families - check. Beautiful veil - check. Flash rainstorm - check! Haha. The rain was actually pretty funny - all dresses and accessories made it through perfectly, and after looking at the photos, you can probably picture 10+ people running from the dock looking for cover (there was none) with guests watching us from above :).

John and Kimberly got ready in separate houses, but they were pretty close together in distance, so Tim headed over to John's house to get the guys in action while I stayed at Kimberly's with the ladies. There are always so many great shots from that part of the day and it really is one of my favorite times of the wedding day - lots of excitement and anticipation and beautiful details (of course). The guys are always relaxing and hanging out before the wedding while the girls spend hours getting dressed - John and his crew didn't disappoint!

Thanks for a great day guys - hope you had a blast in the Bahamas!

So, we took all of our photos at the Grandview...and the girls talked their way onto a docked boat! Awesome.

Love all the nude patent heels!

I love this photo - you can see the rain creeping up on us! This is the exact moment when someone looked up, saw that, and we began to make our way off the boat and dock...

The rain stopped...and we got to come back outside for more portraits. I was about to be really disappointed if we had to take the bride + groom photos inside (although I probably would have grabbed an umbrella!) because I love the outdoor spaces at the Grandview.

Wedding: Jen + Jason | The Shadowbrook, Shrewsbury, NJ

2011-06-29T15:08:00.010-04:00

These two make a seriously cute and fun couple. We became fast buddies during our engagement session at Bear Mountain and the fun continued at the wedding! Jen & Jason rocked an outdoor ceremony at The Shadowbrook on a partly rainy day, not letting the forecast spoil anything. Love that! The skies made for beautiful light and these guys made for beautiful photos. I know that they had a great time in Hawaii and I also know that they (or Jen, at least) is dying to see her sneak peek, so let's get right to it! Congrats guys - it was an honor and a pleasure :)

[these guys met working at wilson's leather :)]

Bridesmaids are very useful!

All eyes on the groom as the bride walks in? :)

This is Tim's shot and i.absolutely.love.it.

First dance...

Jen surprised Jason with his favorite cake (from Olive Garden!) as a groom's cake - love his expression!

2011-06-23T22:34:00.006-04:00

So, pinterest is my new obsession. New procrastination tool. New favorite website. New source of inspiration. I love it! Is anyone else having a mini-love affair with it? If you are someone that surfs the web a lot (like me) - I read a ton of blogs, look at photos, fashion, art, shop, read recipes, etc. - and collects sources/photos/inspiration/etc., pinterest is definitely for you. Essentially, you create categories and then you 'pin' what you find on the web to your categories (called boards) so you share it with your 'followers' and archive the ideas for later. The archiving in one place is the best part, since I currently have folders of pics from the web on my desktop. My 'things to make' folder and list is ridiculously long...anyway, pinterest lets me keep all the things I think I'm going to make, organized :).

The point of this extended description is to tell you guys to a) check out pinterest for yourself, or b) follow me on pinterest if you are on there and I'll follow you back, and c) if you don't want to be in pinterest, you can see some of my pins here on the blog! Yay! For the start of this, I'm going to post a random assortment of my favorites, but probably from now on, I'll focus my pins on a certain category (say, weddings, baby stuff, style, etc.). Also, to keep credit where credit is due, I will list the person that originally pinned the item as well as the original source, as available.

I'm also apologizing in advance for the stream of consciousness type discussion below. My mind seriously works like this with ideas, so you'll have to live with that!

I pin a ton of things for my house! Getting the style that we want is super hard and I love all the ideas and inspiration I've been finding. I'm loving all things gray right now and Tim, if you are reading this, I would love it if you could make that apple crate bookshelf thing for whatever the next holiday is :). Thanks. I think I prefer it horizontal though.

[sources: apple-crate bookshelf, pinned: Sherryl Galt, sourced: cgi.ebay.com.au; nail head chair, pinned: Sarah Roberts, sourced: marthastewart.com; gray room, pinned: joni tyrrell, sourced: youpaidmorethanme.blogspot.com; gray kitchen, pinned: papermoon, sourced: westerbroek.nl]

Ok, some DIY projects. Love the quilt. Let's keep in mind that I have a sewing machine, and it is still in the box....since my bridal shower. But, I have good intentions. I love LOVE the wood plank on the table - definitely doing that for Thanksgiving. Love the hairstyle too - would be awesome for a wedding. Also, love the homemade sleeping bag/pad (again, need the sewing machine). The fabric embriodery hoops behind the baby are genius - super cheap, easy and you can use up all that awesome fabric you've been hoarding (or drooling over online).

[sources: tree quilt, pinned: Kaye Prince, sourced: flickr; word canvas, pinned: Paige Rennekamp, sourced: notonthehighstreet.com; sleeping bag, pinned: Toni Child, sourced: gltc.co.uk; hair, pinned: Rachel Passmore, sourced: style-hair-magazine.blogspot.com; baby room, pinned: Beth Saxton, sourced: aedriel.blogspot.com; table, pinned: Maryellen Quarles, sourced: louboosandshoes.blogspot.com]

I already bought the supplies to make the necklace! Oh yeah. Will update if it comes out nice. Love the square rings (been really into gold and stones lately). Cake is amazing - I haven't come across many specialized bakers in the area that make cakes of this caliber. And the recipes are there because they look so good! Planning on making one of them this week (I've been making a concerted effort to cook more during the week - super secret: I used to a cooking blog too!)

[sources: zucchini salad, pinned: Ekuni Mai, sourced: prouditaliancook.blogspot.com; necklace, pinned: Nicole Kathryn, sourced: ecabonline.com; cake, pinned: me, sourced: weddingbee.com; ring, pinned: T Lynn Williams, sourced: lilacbijoux.com; grilled corn salad, pinned: Mahtab Rezai, sourced: authenticsuburbancook.blogspot.com]

Wedding: Joanna + Mike | Stamford Yacht Club

2011-06-23T20:41:00.009-04:00

I was so happy when I woke up on Saturday and the weather was nice for Joanna and Mike! I had never shot at the Stamford Yacht Club before (I love seeing new venues!) and I was totally looking forward to shooting outside on the dock :) - not that it would have mattered, the inside of the Club is great too! I love when a venue has the best of both worlds - great spaces outside, but lots of cozy, warm spaces inside. It is great for a wedding any time of year and makes for less stress if you are having an outdoor event. Anyway, no worries - it was great outside and we were able to take advantage of all the space had to offer, inside and out.

And, enough chatting from me tonight. Joanna and Mike - thank you so much for having Tim and I there as part of your day. The chemistry and friendship between you guys is obvious and it was our pleasure to document the day for you. Please enjoy a few (ok, a lot) of my favorite photos!

Vendors:
Ceremony: Holy Name of Jesus Church, Stamford, CT
Reception: Stamford Yacht Club, Stamford, CT
Wedding Planner: Andrea @ Simply Elegant Occasions
Dress: Henry Roth @ Kleinfelds
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Floral design: Just for You Floral Design, Middletown, CT
Invitations: William Arthur
DJ: Rob Kelley @ 74 Events NYC

Engagement: Jessica + Jaime | Rye Town Park

2011-06-19T23:00:00.007-04:00

There are some days where the light is just perfect! I love the light in these pics, there was soft, warm light and some cool shadows around too. Lucky for us, we decided to reschedule our original session date because it was during that crazy week of all rain. I'm so happy we didn't try to fit it in between storms! The location Jessica selected was perfect for a nice, sunny afternoon - especially with the beach. I love that you can see Rye Playland in the background of the last photo too. Jessica + Jaime - thanks for a great afternoon, it was great getting to know you guys better and I can't wait for the wedding (coming up really soon!). Hope you like the favorites I selected!

These are all my favorites, but this is one of my favorites from the whole year. Love it.

Wedding: Alessia + Eric | The Garrison

2011-06-13T23:54:00.009-04:00

This is one of my most favorite posts, and while I seem to have a new favorite every week (haha), I am really excited about this set of photos as a whole. I adore everything about this day - from the stunning dress, to the late limo :), to the great speeches, fun bridal party and lovely couple - the day was perfect. The Garrison is one of my favorite venues and they just underwent a redesign of their ceremony and cocktail spaces over the winter - it is gorgeous!!! The Garrison staff and grounds are amazing and the new space just adds another plus in their column.

Alessia & Eric - thank you for having us capture your day. It was obvious that you have a ton of love and support from your family and friends and the day was an amazing start to your new life together! Congratulations again and hope you had a great trip!

[Venue: The Garrison; Dress: Lazaro from Kleinfeld's; Hair & Makeup: Beauty by Nicole, Makeup by Johanna; Florist: Forever in Bloom; DJ: Tim Reynolds Wedding Music]

Love this wallpaper (part of the newly redesigned cocktail room - so cool!)

Love these - shot from the balcony by Tim.

Their custom guestbook looked awesome!

Wedding: Christina + Vinny | The Greentree Country Club

2011-06-10T15:18:00.010-04:00

I love this set of photos! A big thanks and thumbs up to the bride & groom for creating a perfect wedding day schedule. Lots of time to photograph the bridal party, bride & groom separately and as newlyweds without rushing - we love when people are super excited about their photos and really set up the day to leave enough time to get the relaxed photos (because who can be in love, relaxed and happy in a photo on your wedding day when you are rushing! no one :). Christina was a gorgeous bride and the weather seriously could not have been more perfect. The wedding was held at the Greentree Country Club and the ballroom was setup perfectly (love love the cake topper!) - they went with a purple/gray/yellow combo that was both spring/summery but still modern and photographed beautifully.

Christina + Vinny - Tim and I were honored to be a part of your day and I hope that you love these photos as much as we do! Have a blast on your honeymoon!

Tim shot the guys getting ready...or rather, hanging out...yeah, mostly hanging out :)

I love this next shot - when the bride comes in, everyone stands up and sometimes it makes it difficult for the groom to see! I love that Vinny was checking Christina out around the crowd!

And here was his view...

We headed over to Davenport Park for some photos - love it there!

So many favorites...

One of my all-time favorite photos!

Love this shot that Tim grabbed while I was shooting the guys - and love even more that you can see Christina's blue shoes peeking out :)

The cake topper is awesome! Christina had it modeled after their exact outfits.

I love these next two shots - Christina is one of 4 girls and they were all hilarious! I love her faces while her sister is giving her maid of honor speech.

i love this day

2011-06-09T11:00:00.005-04:00

Today is the 4th anniversary of June 9, 2007 - the day Tim and I got married. One of the most amazing days of my life (and I only say "one of" because the day Sophie was born is also a part of that group :). I just wanted to pop in this morning and say thank you to my amazing husband for asking me to spend our life together 5 years ago (we got engaged in March 2006!) and spending each day working, laughing and enjoying our time together. Tim is nice, funny, handsome and easy-going - same as he was the day we got married - and it has been wonderful navigating through life. I feel so lucky to be married to someone that I both love and admire, and there is still no one that I'd rather hang out with than him. Happy Anniversary Tim! (tomorrow I'll start getting ready for next year because 5 is a big one...)

I've also been holding on to something else for a few days, knowing today was the perfect day to post. While we were in CA a few weeks ago, we had a family session with the amazing Tara Whitney. As I've mentioned many times, finding the perfect photographer is so important - for us, for you, for everyone - its the only way to really connect and show your true self in pictures. We knew that Tara would be perfect for us without even meeting her from reading her blog - she seemed to be so honest and emotional and her photos are gorgeous, simple with beautiful use of light and composition. We were really excited and a little nervous too (see, everyone gets nervous!). Our session was perfect - Tara was so friendly and made us feel right at home, was patient with Sophie and we were able to be our regular selves :). I've already said thank you to Tara - but Tara, if you are reading this, a million thank yous are not enough for these photos - they will last forever and totally capture a moment in time.

Engagement: Lisa + Christian | Hoboken, NJ

2011-05-24T21:38:00.007-04:00

Love these pics - its not that often that I get to shoot with a great view of the city! I shoot in the city a ton - I'm a city girl at heart and love shooting there, but while you are in it, you don't always get a grasp on how beautiful the skyline is from the other side of the river. Lisa & Christian live in Hoboken and we decided to do their engagement photos there as well. It was an awesome choice and I cannot wait for their wedding, which is also overlooking Manhattan (@ night! yay!). I shot this session early in the day, which is unusual for me, but I loved the challenge (bright light!) and I'm so happy with the results. Enjoy a few of my favorites guys - thanks for a great morning!

Love these!

Favorite :)

Wedding: Stephanie + Aniq | Jacky Durrell Pavilion @ Fairfield, CT

2011-05-19T22:09:00.005-04:00

What an awesome location! And amazing party! And couple!

I really enjoyed hanging out with Stephanie and Aniq when we shot their engagement photos back in January (in the snow!) - they are fun, happy and we definitely share the same sense of [sarcastic] humor! I was really excited to be a part of their wedding day and on the day-of, I realized that I wasn't the only one :). Friends and family came from around the globe to celebrate with them - Tim and I were honored to be present and document such a lovely event. We hope you guys had a fabulous time relaxing in Hawaii!

Right after their first look, love it :)

I'm so sad the trees are done blooming! April/early May weddings are my new favorite!

I love the shot on the right - its Tim's shot and the light just reminds me so much of the beach and the day.

Hello ocean!

Love the pavilion at night!

Anyone wondering why the limo is in the sand? Limo driver decided to drive down there and got stuck...don't ask questions. There are not a lot of answers, but a tow truck (or two) arrived shortly :). But the photo is funny, right?

Stephanie's mom made all these pies! How cute are the heart tops? And the wedding cake too :)

Secret Session: J

2011-05-18T10:45:00.003-04:00

We flew out to San Diego a few weeks ago for the wedding of one of my best friends - so exciting! Sophie came too which was super fun for us and we were so excited to be wedding guests :). So, while I didn't shoot the wedding (wow, it is really fun to be a wedding guest!), I did do a Secret Session for J as a gift to her new husband! We had a blast and I'm happy to post a few of my favorites from her shoot this morning - J, you looked GORGEOUS!

{side note - while there is nothing revealing in the following pics, it could potentially be NSFW}. If you missed the last Secret Session I posted to the blog - you can check it out (along with some tips!) on Best Hudson Valley Wedding Ever!

I have to post two photos I snagged during the wedding too - just because J looked so beautiful :)

Engagement: Samara + Brian | Cold Spring, NY

2011-05-17T10:05:00.006-04:00

I love love the photos from this session - Samara and Brian are awesome. They are totally in love, up for anything, having an awesome home wedding (!), and are stylish too - great combination, right?? I had a great time hanging out and chatting with these guys - we started off at a new secret location :) and then stopped at Bear Mountain quickly and finished in Cold Spring. I love that they brought a change of clothes - did I mention that I'm also in love with Samara's necklace and dress? Happy Tuesday guys - hope you like my favorites!

Love these!

And, this is my ultimate favorite. LOVE IT.

Wedding: Becky + Joe | Sunset Harbour

2011-05-15T23:52:00.008-04:00

Love family weddings! They don't come along often and I'm not usually the photographer (b/c it is nearly impossible to be a photographer and a guest!), but they are always a great time. Of course, I love weddings, but it is so fun to have all the family in one place! Becky & Joe have been married for 15 years, but never had the chance to celebrate their marriage with family and friends, so a few weeks ago, they had their vow renewal/wedding in Long Island. It was a great day, and I'm so glad we got to sneak a few portraits outdoors even though it was raining for most of the day. Becky & Joe - so happy to celebrate with you guys and hope you love these photographs for many more years to come!

I love this photo - how cute is everyone with their cameras hanging over!?

Love this! Becky's look has a such a vintage feel and mixed with Joe's uniform = perfect :)

Great use of blue! A lot of brides want to use blue as their color, but there are not a ton of blue flowers around - these blue vases from Ikea are great in bringing out the color...

Here is a pic of our little clan at the wedding! Sophie really wasn't into taking photos at this point :)

Wedding: Allison + Tim | The Clubhouse at Patriot Hills

2011-05-13T15:17:00.009-04:00

I am so excited to post these photos – thank goodness for Tim! Our electric and internet were down yesterday, and I had these all ready to go. I know Allison is dying to see them and I was dying to post them, so Tim hooked me up with a temporary connection because he is awesome like that and likes his wife to be happy :). So, while I wait for the technician, I can post Allison & Tim’s awesome wedding to the blog!

Over the last year, I have gotten to know Allison a bit – we had a great engagement session and have talked a lot about the wedding (amongst other things), so I knew all the details she was working on and was so happy to see it all come together for them. We had gorgeous weather for the entire weekend and the day was wonderful - full of happy people, gorgeous flowering trees :), golf carts, dancing and even a dress mishap (Allison said that I could mention the story here, but I think, instead, I’m going to ask her if she’d write the story and outcome for the blog!).

Allison and Tim – we couldn’t be happier for you guys! We hope you had a blast in St. Lucia and have fun looking at your gorgeous selves in the photos below!

love this!

love the color of the dresses, and the bouquets, and the flowers on Allison's dress.

also love a happy bridal party :)

Great shot Tim!

Probably my two favorites - don't they look amazing!?

No, I didn't bring this with me from home :)

Engagement: Gina + Franco | Central Park, NYC

2011-05-05T22:26:00.006-04:00

Love these guys! I had such a great time walking around Central Park with Gina & Franco. We planned the timing of the session to try and include some of the gorgeous(!) spring flowering trees...and we did it! Yay - there were beautiful trees all around and I think we found the most beautiful magnolia in the park :). Gina & Franco make an awesome couple and I'm so happy to be shooting their wedding this summer. Enjoy a few of my favorites!

love this.

one of my favorites! last frame of the day.

one of my favorite photos...ever! the hair in her face is what gets me I think.

Portrait: Sophia + 1

2011-05-02T13:06:00.010-04:00

I love love doing maternity sessions, there is something amazing about the anticipation and excitement about the arrival of a new little one :). I was especially excited to see Sophia and her super cute baby bump! Sophia was the maid of honor in a wedding I shot in 2009. I was unable to shoot her wedding last year, so I was super excited to shoot this session and catch up. We had a nice, relaxing time walking through Prospect Park with her husband Spencer (love that park!). April is such an iffy month weather-wise, but if you hit it, you really hit it! The grass was green, trees starting to bloom, and beautiful sun. Thanks for a great afternoon guys and I can't wait to hear the news!

The last photo I took and my most favorite. love the bump!

2nd favorite.

Wedding: Jackee + Joe | The Clubhouse at Patriot Hills

2011-04-28T19:04:00.011-04:00

What can I say about Jackee & Joe's wedding? It was filled with all you could want :) - a happy couple, two gorgeous wedding dresses, great car, beautiful flowers, lots of pink tulle, WWE accessories :), a firetruck, and a confetti cannon!

Jackee & Joe - we were honored to photograph your wedding and the start of your new family. Thank you for having us and we hope you can relive the day forever through your photographs!

Doesn't Jackee look gorgeous?

Love this moment that Tim caught before Jackee walked into the church

One of my favorites (ugh, Tim's photo!)

Love these two also...

Married!

Lots of reception details!

i.love.this.photo! [are they not so cute!]

Lighting makes the room look great.

Portrait: Kenneth

2011-04-25T08:49:00.006-04:00

Good morning! I'm looking to get two posts up today, so we're getting started early :). First up is Kenny! How cute is he?

Kenny is the adorable little boy of Kristin & Ken (love shooting the wedding and then the baby!). I had a great time catching up with Kristin and Ken. Kenny was about 2 months old for the session and was such a good baby to shoot :). I love baby + family sessions - it is amazing to capture such a fleeting moment in time - before we know it, Kenny will be walking around and getting into everything like my Sophie! Enjoy a few of my favorites!

Wedding: Mary + Bill | The Aqua Turf Club

2011-04-12T02:23:00.010-04:00

First wedding of the year - so exciting! We had a gorgeous day for Mary & Bill's wedding last week and a great start to the season. You guys already know how we work - great couple, great party, great timeline = happy Jade & Tim. Mary & Bill - thanks for a great day and we hope you are relaxing on the beach right now! Your smiles are contagious in these photos and I hope they always remind you of your wonderful day :).

Love both these shots. Both were taken by Tim :). The first is shot through the window of the chapel before Mary & her dad walked inside.

Love this too.

Jade left. Tim right.

I don't usually post this type of shot, but these guys look so happy :)

Bill tried to convince me that he is not photogenic...um, Bill, I beg to differ!

[preview] + facebook

2011-04-11T09:57:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a great weekend :). We were really busy, which is always fun - just wanted to drop in with a quick sneak preview of the blog for this week. I also wanted to remind you guys to 'fan or like' Uplift Photography on Facebook to see all the sneak peeks! I usually post a few photos up there before they make it to the blog, especially this time of year when things start to really get busy. Ok, off to let Sophie walk in the driveway :) - enjoy the amazing weather!

Portrait: Sophia + 1

Wedding: Mary & Bill

Portrait: Kenneth

Wedding: Jackee & Joe

Engagement: Jen + Jason | Bear Mountain State Park

2011-04-07T10:15:00.010-04:00

Morning everyone! We are in the middle of a very busy April and I have lots of photos to show you guys :). Up today is my first engagement session of the spring, Jen + Jason. I had a great time meeting these guys - we laughed pretty much the entire time and I'm psyched for their wedding this June. I also love that they brought some of their personality (gamers!) with them and that awesome hat too!

The Party

2011-03-29T13:45:00.009-04:00

Since I've been talking about it long enough, I am going to finally post the photos from Sophie's 1st birthday party. The party was great - I think everyone had a blast and we are so happy that we were able to throw this for her. She is really amazing and deserves 1000 parties (do I sound like a mom yet?). Happy Friday!

With the loose theme of the party being photos, we decided to go with a photo favor. During the year, I take tons of photos of family and friends at parties and events - with all my client work, I don't get to work on them as often as I'd like. So, Tim and I went through all of our photos from 2010 and found a photo of almost every guest (or their kids) at the party. There were more photos than guests, and a few extra of Sophie mixed in. We framed them all and let everyone take their favorite(s). It was a huge hit and people were picking and trading and choosing the entire time.

Birthday girl!

Here is the 365 book and our 'guestbook' for the party - I ordered a print from Etsy and everyone left soph a note. We plan on framing it and adding it to her art wall.

My nephew :)

Vendors

Location: Bykenhulle House (beautiful venue for a party or wedding)

Caterer: Eddie Kowalski/Lola's Cafe (love Eddie, he catered our wedding as well)

Music: Outtake (they were awesome!) Cakes: Pastry Garden

Napkins: Target

Crafting supplies (scrapbook paper, cupcake wrapers, etc.): Michaels

Online resources

Balloons: Balloon express (remember if you buy round balloons, they use way, WAY more helium than regular ballons :), and they take up a lot of room in the car...see below)

Guestbook print: Etsy (thewheatfields)

Cutlery: Greenfeet

Kraft paper/cups: Amazon

Cupcake decorations: Etsy (fondant 1's: ClineffsConfections, tulle poms picks: shortcakepartypicks)

Straws: Shop SweetLuLu

Everything else is diy - we made the goodie bags, cupcakes & all other desserts besides cakes, set-up drink table and all decor. Let me know if I missed anything, I'm happy to help!

Featured Wedding: Garden Party Sisters

2011-03-23T12:44:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! Just dropping in to point you towards a great blog - Garden Party Sisters is a blog run by floral design company in South Jersey. I met them this past November when they did the florals for Mary & Brian's Grandview wedding. They are super nice, have a great blog and are featuring our photos from the wedding today - go check it out!

{sophie365}

2011-03-21T10:24:00.008-04:00

Today I'm really excited to unveil our year-long project - {sophie365}.

I might have mentioned it a few times during the year casually, but for the last year, we have been taking a photograph of Sophie everyday. I am so proud that it is finished, no days missed, and I'm so, so happy with it. I turned 30 this past year, and had a few goals for the year. Some of them are still in progress, some I never completed, but this one is finished! Yes. I'm really happy that we did this for her and I hope she loves it as she gets bigger - the first year of life was so amazing because she grew from a helpless-needing us every minute little thing to a tall, walking kid(!) right before our eyes and I'm am so happy to have captured it for her.

Here are a few shots of the book itself and if you would like to sit through all 365 photos, I put a slideshow at the bottom (not that I expect most non-related folks to sit through 365 photos of my child!). As you check them out, you'll see that the point of the project was not to have a 'perfect' photo every day - some of them are taken with the camera phone at 11:58pm while she was asleep :). Some days we only have one photo of her and others, it took us hours to decide which one to use. The point was to just have a photo of each day, to see her grow and see what she was up to at any given moment. I took the equipment out of the equation and that really gave me the result that I wanted - real, everyday life. Our life. I love all of them. Thanks for taking a minute to check them out.

{sophie365} from Jade O'Connell on Vimeo.

Featured Wedding: Best Hudson Valley Wedding Ever!

2011-03-14T18:28:00.003-04:00

Hey all - Emily & Simon's late summer wedding has been featured on the blog, Best Hudson Valley Wedding Ever! today - go over there and check it out! Leave some comment love for them if you like the article :).

Thanks Jen from Best Hudson Valley Wedding Ever! for the feature!

Party Inspiration

2011-03-13T11:08:00.004-04:00

So, Sophie's party was a week ago and it was awesome! I'm finishing up on the photos and will be posting in the next few days (mostly decor photos), but first, I wanted to post some of the inspiration I used for the party.

Since we had a good amount of people invited, we needed the party to 'be' somewhere, as in, not in our house. Once the party is somewhere, then you need tables, chairs, decorations, etc. I was really excited for that! I've been waiting all year to plan this party :), but I had a few considerations. First, it had to be relatively inexpensive. I didn't want to buy flower centerpieces, or have to rent an insane amount of things for the party. Second, I wanted to make a lot of things (of course) and I wanted it to reflect us. I didn't want a mickey mouse theme, or princess theme or anything too artificial. Not that there is anything wrong with that or that when she is 4, she won't force me to embrace barbie or something, but for now, while I'm still in control :), we were going with a 'lack of characters' theme. So, the theme of sorts was photos. Of course. I have another post in the works that you guys will love showing a recent project that really was the basis for the party theme, but for now, you know I take a lot of photos and I really wanted to incorporate them into the party somehow. Also, the last thing - I didn't want it to be green (the color). I know it seems ridiculous, but I am a green fanatic (my house, my business, my wedding), so I really wanted to go in a different direction (at least once).

Sources:
pink ruffle cake
burlap runners (unknown)
dessert table (unknown)
swatches
bamboo plates
photos
gable boxes

Here is a close-up of the invites I created - I was going to make a really involved photo invitation, but I decided to spend the money on the party instead of the invitations (really hard decision for me, b/c I love all things paper) when I found these awesome printable invitations from target. I added the twine and mini-photo and that satisfied my urge for homemade invitations.

Uplift Products: Albums

2011-03-11T23:31:00.004-05:00

Ah, the weekend :). Warm weather, no rain or snow in the forecast. Sounds perfect. Anyone doing anything fun?

Anyways, we offer a ton of different and fun products, and most of you guys get to see the majority of them when we meet up to talk weddings :), but, with all that is going on and by the time the wedding is over, it is hard to remember what you liked! Plus, for couples looking for a wedding photographer, it is great to see as many albums and products as possible so you can try to decide what you might like. So, I'm going to kick off a blog series to show off some of our awesome product offerings, starting with some of the many albums we have created in the last few months. I'm also thinking of posting a full album soon, so you can get a feel for the flow and page design too.

I love designing albums - it is really fun for me to put the photos together in a way tells the story of the day. I take your favorites and usually a few of my own as well that help fill in all the details and the results are always drool-worthy. Our albums are both modern and traditional at the same time. I design all albums with a certain modern aesthetic in mind - a cleanly-designed layout with lots of negative space to really show off the images, but albums are also 'traditional' in the sense that I stay away from anything overly trendy and use only the best printers and materials. Then you won't have to worry about your album being outdated :).

gray

2011-03-04T01:18:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone - sorry for the lack of posts this week! Sophie has been under the weather and keeping me away from the office more than usual. She is finally feeling better, which I'm so happy about, it was so sad to see her not up to smiling.

Anyway, I have been meaning to post some photos of our renovations. Paint was the first thing on the house list. Our walls are primarily white and definitely needed a fresh look to get the house decorating party started (yeah, i went there - its friday). It has taken us so.long to decide on the colors for the downstairs, you'd think we were going with something crazy, like bright yellow or red or blue. But,...its actually a neutral. GRAY! Love gray. Bet you never knew there were this many shades of gray to choose from:

Yeah, those are all samples that I bought. Doesn't that gray on the bottom look blue? A lot of them were really blue, not gray. So unfair that I spent $3 per sample on things called gray, that looked gray on the chip, but were actually blue.

Which leads us back to why it has taken us so long to choose. I will definitely post some photos of the before (or I would have if I had taken any. Ugh, I know - but I'm sure I have some pics with walls in the background...) and the after, but for now, you can laugh at the fact that I've been back to 3 different paint stores at least 12 times in the last week and I'm still not done. At least the paint chips keep Soph busy :) - well, that and trying to stand up in the shopping cart (which she accomplished).

Since I love pics of the sophster, I'll end with a pic of her from last week before she got sick.

Happy Friday!

Featured Secret Session: Best Hudson Valley Weddings Ever!

2011-03-03T19:32:00.004-05:00

A few photos and some tips from a recent Secret Session are featured today on the awesome Best Hudson Valley Weddings Ever! blog - check it out!!!

New equipment

2011-02-18T12:56:00.003-05:00

We decided to start preparing Soph early for her role as 3rd shooter :). Now, if she would only play with this as much as she does the gigantic plastic toys, we'd be all set.

Maybe I should get one of these for myself - think it will give the photos a more natural look?

Happy Friday everyone!

ps. I'm blogging from a plane right now - gotta love in-flight internet.

Engagement: Meredith & Eric

2011-02-16T10:19:00.006-05:00

Good afternoon guys! This week has been one of those weird weeks where its feeling like it should be Friday, but its only Wednesday? Ugh. But, at least the plus side of that is that I have more days to blog! Yes!

This engagement session has been on my mind for about 2 weeks now. I'm so in love with the photos that I just have been editing and slowly choosing what I wanted to post. Few fun ones, few classic ones. Tim and I met up with Meredith and Eric on a snowy weekend in NYC for their shoot - we had specifically not scheduled it in advance because we were waiting for a snowy, but sunny day (in the winter that is possible b/c my schedule is not as crazy as it is in the summer/fall). I love couples willing to step out of the box and have a little fun! These guys are getting married at the Bronx Zoo next fall - they are fun and funny, and they don't even realize it yet, but we are definitely going to be friends :).

A few quick thoughts on engagement sessions. Most times, engagement sessions are my clients first time being professionally photographed. Everyone is always a little bit nervous - nervous that people might see them, or that they won't know how to act, or how to pose or whatever - that is totally and completely normal. Tim and I felt the exact same way during the first few minutes of our engagement session. My engagement sessions (and my photography in general) always focus on the relationship - emotion, personality, beauty - these are all things that I strive to capture in a creative and non-cheesy way. To me, this is what makes a great photograph. Your comfort level with me is what lets you guys be yourselves and helps me to capture those natural moments that occur between people. It is super important to have a photographer that you feel that comfort/normalness/connection with. Sometimes planning out the session in a little more detail can help with the comfort level as well. Kind of like when you are at a bar and you like to hold a drink instead of just standing there :). It is great when you guys clue me a bit to what you do on a normal weekend or where you hang out - so, if you have an idea of a prop, or somewhere that you like to hang out, even if it seems like it might not work, mention it to me!

Ok, I know Meredith is reading this and wishing that I would just get to the photos :). Enjoy guys - so excited for the wedding!