I’ve compiled a list of my favorite engagement session locations in Boston. They are in no particular order of preference.

1. Harvard Square/Harvard University campus

Harvard square can be a little busier than other places listed below, especially on the weekends, but you can always find somewhere picture-worthy. For starters, there are many great cafes and restaurants to start the session with a drink or two – great way to loosen up, especially for guys. Harvard campus is right next to the Harvard Square T stop. It’s terrific for young, hip, and fun couples. Sometimes there are music festivals on campus and you can bust out a few moves. Check out some photos from Christina & Dave’s Harvard Square engagement session.

2. Carson Beach/Castle Island

Carson Beach is one of my most favorite beaches in Boston. It’s clean, rarely crowded, and conveniently located by the JFK stop on the red line. I used to go to Castle Island a lot, which is a small walk from Carson Beach. The sunset there is spectacular – perfect for romantic engagement sessions. Like I mentioned above, beaches work especially well on overcast days. Don’t believe me? Go see it for yourself and check out Ben & Justin’s engagement session at Castle Island.

3. New England Aquarium waterfront

There’s pretty much everything you can find in the North End, from awesome Italian restaurants to famous tourist attractions, there’s nothing not to love about this place. One of my absolute favorite places to hang out in the North End is the New England Aquarium waterfront. There are so many fun things to do there you can never get bored of this place. Lizzie & Neil’s engagement session at the New England Aquarium waterfront was the perfect example.

4. ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art)

The ICA is perfect if you like contemporary arts and films. The first time I was there was in middle school when I took a summer film-making class. We were assigned to make a short film in the surrounding areas and I instantly fell in love with that place. Also, because of the way the buildings are structured that provides big open shades, there’s awesome natural light no matter what time of the day or year. Take a look at Melissa & Jan’s Boston ICA engagement session to see it for yourself.

5. Arnold Arboretum

If you’re a nature lover, Arnold Arboretum is right for you. It’s a gigantic park with lots and lots of trees, I mean it’s so big you can’t explore the whole place in one day. I’ve been there several times and I still get lost. Expect to excise those calf muscles of yours because there’s a lot of walking. If your engagement session happens to be in the fall, this place is even prettier with golden orange and red leaves. You must take a look at Erin & Pat’s engagement session at the Arnold Arboretum.

6. Fenway Park

Red Sox fans, you might want to consider this place for your engagement session. What I love most about Fanway Park are its vibrant colors and rich culture. This is one of the images I shot for Panorama Magazine and I just love how vividly colorful it is. The only thing to watch out for, especially on the weekends and game days, is how crowded this place can get. Make sure you check their schedule before you schedule your engagement session.

7. Your own backyard

Engagement session with the comfort of your own home? Check! This works best if you hold special memories of the place or even your parent’s place. Like Allison & Ryan, who spent a lot of time at their parent’s house in Quincy, decided to do their engagement session there. They had a nice swimming pool and a pretty backyard so it worked really well. The good thing about this is you wouldn’t have to worry about holding your purse or carrying your extra outfits. Switch up those shoes whenever you want. Too sober? Open that fridge and crack open a beer :p Your home, your choice!

Bonus:

I put together a Pinterest board with some wardrobe inspirations for those of you who would like to style it up.

You’ve probably wondered if you should send a save-the-date and invitation to your wedding vendors. While I can’t speak for anyone else, there’s actually one good reason why you should sent them to your photographer – he or she can photograph them so there’s one fewer thing to remember to bring on your wedding day. Believe it or not, a lot of people forget despite my numerous reminders. There are so many things to bring, from the obvious ones (your wedding dress, shoes, jewelry, etc.) to the miscellaneous (see 10 Wedding Details You Don’t Want to Forget), it only takes an envelop and a stamp to cross that on your to-do list.

One more reason you should send it to your photographer is so that he/she can pick a meal preference in advance so it saves your planner or venue coordinator’s trouble to find out last minute. What if your photographer’s allergic to certain kinds of food? (just FYI, I’m not allergic to anything.)

Thanks Allison for sending along these cute save-the-date and invitation :) I can’t wait for your wedding at the Log Cabin in September!

Aside from lighting, there are many other things to consider when deciding whether an outdoor ceremony is right for you. As with many things in life, there are pros and cons to it. The importance of each one depends on each individual couple, some outweigh others, you just need to decide what’s more important to you.

Pros:

• Beautiful scenery – this one is obvious. There are no limits on where you hold your ceremony: in a garden, at a beach, rooftop, the sky’s the limit.
• More personalized - If you want to go the extra mile, you have the freedom to decorate your ceremony spot, maybe a DIY backdrop, flowers, and/or columns, to make it more personalized. Churches usually have restrictions on decorating interior space. With an outdoor space, you can almost be as creative as you want.
• No mixed lighting - Church lighting can be difficult because there are two sources of light – the interior (artificial) incandescent light is usually orange-y, and the (natural) light comes from the windows is blue, mixing the two of them may throw off the white balance. Whereas outdoor lighting has only one source of light – the sun. If your ceremony is in an open shade or around sunset time, it’s bound to be gorgeous.
• Cost effective - Outdoor ceremonies are usually free, especially at a public space. Most reception venues have beautiful backyards or gardens that let you use for your ceremony for a small add-on fee or are sometimes complementary. It’s a win-win.
• Accommodate more guests – Depending on where your outdoor ceremony is, a beach or garden can possibly accommodate more guests than most churches if you don’t want to cram your guests in a confined space.

Cons:

• Sound – one of the major drawbacks of having an outdoor wedding ceremony is that it can be difficult to hear vows and speeches, especially when there are a lot of guests in a busy/noisy area. Outdoor ceremony works best for intimate to medium-sized weddings as guests can either make a circle around the couple and officiant, or have them seated without the last row being too far away.
• Unpredictable weather - one of the must-haves for planning an outdoor ceremony is a backup plan in case of unfavorable weather. Need I say more about how unpredictable New England weather is?!
• Extreme temperatures – in hot summer days, the temperature can get quite high, this is when having an outdoor ceremony might not be favorable to you and your guests. They’ll love you for having it indoors with air conditioning.
• Lighting limitations - we covered this earlier. It might not be the best idea to do an outdoor ceremony if there are no open shades on a sunny day. The shadows under your eyes and chin aren’t flattering. Keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to take your photographer for a walk-through before you finalize/book the location.

These are just some of the more important aspects to consider when planning an outdoor wedding ceremony. I hope you at least learn something new from the photographer’s perspective. If I missed anything important, please let me know in the comment below :)

Raise your hand if you or someone you know hired a friend with a nice camera because they couldn’t afford a professional wedding photographer, and it turned into a tragedy. From time to time, I get emails from people saying how unhappy they were with their wedding photos and wished they had hired a real wedding photographer. It drove me nuts hearing such tragedy and seeing friendships being damaged. I wholeheartedly want you to not only have a successful wedding but also beautiful, timeless images to take home and cherish forever. So here I have two very important reasons why photography should be a top priority in your wedding planning.

1. It’s the only tangible memory left after the big day.

After the cake is eaten and bouquet tossed, your wedding photographs are the only tangible memory left. They’re going to stay with you for the rest of your life. To me personally, it’s extremely important that your photographer’s style matches your personality. Having photographs that speak you and allow you to relive the moments is priceless.

2. It’s not just for you, it’s for everyone who loves you.

Hiring a wedding photographer isn’t just about having someone with a nice camera; it’s certainly not about documenting the day for just you to see. It’s also for your parents, grandparents, relatives, children, grandchildren, and friends to cherish. You want to have timeless images and quality albums for your future generations to remember you with.

After photographing numerous weddings, I’m sharing my experience with you about some of the important wedding details you absolutely don’t want to forget. Having a successful wedding is all about planning everything right from staying on schedule to the smallest details that’ll ensure your day to go smoothly and stress-free.

1. Hair – start early with getting ready. Allow extra time before the ceremony to change or re-do your hair if you don’t like it. You can also avoid competing for bathroom time with your bridesmaids if you start early. This will allow plenty of time for bridal party photos as well.
2. Wedding emergency kit – include the following (optional) items in case of wardrobe malfunction.
• • bobby pins, safety pins
  • brush, hair spray, curling iron, and dryer
  • mini sewing kit
  • mouthwash
  • breath mints
  • pack of tissue
  • deodorant
  • band aids
  • duct tape
3. Postal stamps – when sending out those delicately-made wedding invitations, include pre-stamped return envelopes if you want your PSVPs back in time.
4. Hanger for your wedding dress – you’ve spent a fortune on your wedding dress and your photographer is going to photograph it before you put it on for sure. Make sure your hanger is photogenic. Having your fiance and your names coiled on the metal wire is definitely a way to be personal.
5. Food for the bridal party – from the moment you start getting ready in the morning to the reception at night, you’re going to be hungry in between at some point. Prepare some snacks so you don’t starve yourself.
6. Directions/signs – put up road directions near your venue so your guests won’t get lost; it’s also a good idea to put up a sign especially when your venue has multiple entrances.
7. Visit your dentist – consider having a professional teeth whitening if you want that sparkle in your teeth, ding!
8. Visit your eye doctor – if you wear glasses and are not used to contact lenses, be sure to get a few months of practice.
9. Vendor meals – check with your venue to see if they provide vendor meals for your photographer, DJ, planner, etc. Some venues do and some don’t, make sure you and your photographer eat at the same time so he won’t miss important moments (cake cutting, bouquet tossing, etc.)
10. Comfy shoes – unless you don’t mind dancing in your 3-inch heels at the reception, have comfortable flats ready under your table for easy access when you’re ready to kick off those heels.

It really matters to me that you have a successful wedding because the smoother your day goes = the happier you are, which translates into better photographs. So there you have it, let me know if this helps at all.

However, if you’re unsure about it, I really want to stress the benefits of doing a first look. I want you to consider all your options and their pros and cons so that you make your decision with confidence, because once you do it, it’s done, you can’t get it back. There are far more beneficial reasons to do it than not.

I’m sure there are more reasons why you should do a first look on your wedding day, but here are three of the most important ones:

1. Not miss out on cocktail hour – if you choose not see each other before the ceremony, the only bridal party photos you can get are the bride with her bridesmaids and the groom with his groomsmen. When you look at your wedding album or photos to hang on your living room wall, the most important ones are probably the ones of the bride and groom together. Doing a first look 30 minutes to an hour before the ceremony will free up some time for bride + groom portraits and once you’re done, you can enjoy your cocktail hour without having to worry about missing out on mingling with your lovely guests, as a result, I can get more candid photos as well.
2. Control - First looks can be done anywhere. You have the option to choose the backdrop/scenery and lighting. You can also determine the energy around you, whether you want to make it very intimate, just the two of you, or you can have the bridal party surround you, which can be very energetic and cheerful, as opposed to seeing each other for the first time at the ceremony, where you have no control over lighting and everything else around you.
3. More time - You have more time than just the 60 seconds that you walk down the aisle to really soak in this special moment that you’ve been waiting for so long. And to be able to take the time and say to each other “OMG, we’re getting married!”, it’s priceless; you won’t get the chance to do this during the ceremony.

So there you have it. I hope you found some useful information here and are able to decide whether a first look is right for you. Comment or email me if you have any questions at all, I’d always be happy to provide some pointers.