Ella & Elijah: Rustic Vermont Engagement (Extended Sneak Peak)

Ella and Elijah's engagement session took place on a perfect summer day on Ella's family farm in Vermont. We settled upon the idea after a brainstorming session for a location ran the gamut from hiking to the top of Fall Mountain in Walpole, NH to a trek in a state park. 

One thing is for sure: Ella and Elijah love the outdoors. Sure, a lot of engagement sessions take place outside, in a park or otherwise public space, but Ella and Elijah's final decision provided dozens of acres of fields and greenery, beautiful photogenic backdrops of barns, silos...pretty much anything and everything a photographer could ask for!

We had a great time shooting them in nature and we think it shows! Take a look below at some of the great moments from their beautiful engagement session. And, as always, congrats to Ella and Elijah!

Sylvia and the Bridge of Flowers

Sylvia and I headed to the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, MA for a mini-shoot on a muggy summer day. The Bridge of Flowers is a beautifully arched, former trolley bridge that was converted into a walking path and perrenial flower garden by the Shelburne Falls Women's Club in 1929. 

The arched bridge is always a beautiful place for a shoot, with dozens of varieties of flowers always in bloom, as long as one is aware that the shoot will require a little finagling. The bridge is something of a local attraction: during the spring and summer it is frequented by walkers admiring seasonal flora, fauna, the 400-foot span over the Deerfield River, or the beautiful scenery of nearby Buckland and the quaint Shelburne center.

After dodging walkers and working around some heavy storm clouds, we got some great images from the bridge! We even tried out the Brenizer Method when we had a lull in traffic.

(Page down for some nice moments of Sylvia's friend and her shy son).

And the Brenizer Method photo we had been experimenting with between groups of bridge-goers.

Kaylee: A Woman and Her Mustang

When Kaylee and I brainstormed atmospheric portraits, we threw around several ideas. There are a several rural towns nearby, and we discussed some shots with fields (cliche, I know), streams, orchards, or whatever the bucolic landscape could provide.

One thing Kaylee knew, she wanted her car included in some way. I was excited about that detail because her car would make the session unique to her.

Kaylee also made it clear that her car was her baby. 

"I'm picky when people take pics of my car," she said. 

So, after a quick jaunt to a town with some great scenery for portraiture, we started a mini shoot with (in my opinion) some very nice results! Scroll down for some more of Kaylee and her Mustang!

(Hopefully we did the car (and the model) some justice!)

Wedding Destination! The Tully Mill Banquet Hall: An Upscale Venue in Orange MA

The Tully Mill Banquet Hall resides in a historic 1924 hydro-powered table factory that has been lovingly and painstaking refurbished since July 2013 by the Bardsley family. The location, at 245 Tully Road in Orange, MA, rests at one end of Tully Pond, on the mill pond that once powered the building's machinery.  It is now a multi-use facility that features a "rustic and elegant banquet hall, restaurant and pub, and Nana's Country Store," according to the business's website.

For event coordinator, Heather Golosh, she says that the banquet hall, which comfortably seats 150-160 guests, appeals to brides because there is "no other place around like it," and they offer amenities and finishes that are a "high-end" option in the area.


What can brides or function goers expect? The function hall has a built-in dance floor along the back wall, high, arched ceilings with exposed beams and large windows encompassing the room. The kitchen on the banquet hall floor is helmed by Chef Howard Snitzer (another full kitchen sits on the ground level for the Boiler Bar and Grille), and the main function area has full bar spanning most of the front wall, with views overlooking the mill pond to the building's rear.


Golosh says that the hall aims for a "country-home feel," with its decor and finishing choices, and the The Tully Mill Banquet Hall, staffed by the Bardsley family and friends is "a family affair, so that adds to it."


Outside is a grassy patio area with ample space for cocktail hour tables in front of the mill pond, and a timber frame gazebo for ceremonies. In all, the venue has retained some of the historical features of the mill building, while adding in upscale elements, such as an indoor stone waterfall around the water flow that once powered the mill. 

It is definitely worth the time to check out the Tully Mill Banquet Hall if you are looking for a venue for a wedding or event in the Franklin County area of Massachusetts.

This post complements a series on our blog of local vendors and venues that we would recommend to brides. 

Chris & Gretchen

Chris and Gretchen: A Sneak Peak

The April 18, 2014 wedding of Gretchen Schillemat and Christopher Guzman

Shot in Belmont MA, and Nelson NH