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well….i have spend the last year trying to find what works best for me as far as coffee table books and i have finally found it. the pictures really do no such justice to the stunning quality of this album. ultra thick pages, beautiful color, and just an over all luxurious feel.

for clients who purchase albums, i offer a slideshow so they can view it directly on their computer or tv and check out every little detail of their book and photographs before ordering.

check out Brian and Melissa’s slideshow by clicking the link: http://labellavitablog.com/brian_n_mel/index.html

i met caroline and nate in a coffee shop in portland this summer. from the moment i met them, i felt something comfortable and familiar. i couldn’t put my finger on it at first…it was something in the way they talked and smiled. we continued discussing their special day. nate mentioned how much they loved the ocean, and how they had both grown up happily in mid-coast Maine. it isn’t weird that people feel a connection to the ocean. . . its huge. however, to find a couple from home…completely out of the blue…is unique. a wave of relief fell over me the second he said it.

even though we are from different towns in the area, we understand the culture and community is still the same. growing up there is an experience and blessing filled with endless stories that you tell your children and grandchildren for years to come. it is, indeed, a small world. and when i learned that nate’s mom was actually my home room teacher in the 7th grade at Thomaston Grammar School, it felt all the more minuscule.

nate proposed to caroline at a red sox game. yeah…talk about every new england girl’s dream, right?!

i found this quote….when i read it, i knew it was for nate and caroline…

daily mantra: “the spaces between your fingers were created so that another’s could fill them in”…..{unknown}

ooooo…..tis the season for mailing out wedding packages to all of my stunning brides. getting prints, products, and albums in the mail is like Christmas EVERY DAY. for me, seeing it all come together is the greatest reward i get for all of the hard work. (i’m not tooting my own horn, but readers, it has it been a crazy summer, and these prints and products are like my babies).  but, alas, it is time to part with them and send them into the hands of my very deserving couples. this is the item that ALL of my brides receive with any package they choose. i always feel it is so important to put something physical in the hands of my clients. they too worked hard to save, plan, and design their wedding.all boxes are custom created and designed.

when my husband and i left our little city life to move to Rumford 5 years ago, we were basically starting over from scratch. we had no immediate or distant family in the area, we had no friends…not even acquaintances.  to say the least, it was isolating. however, over the last couple years we have melted into our small, mountain town life as if we have always lived here, and our newly found friends have molded into more of a family than we ever expected. whether it was simply just hanging out for fun, or help with the girls, or moving {you really find out who your friends and family are when you  move}, or helping us paint, scrape, babysit, our close friends have sincerely made our life here a genuine home. brian is definitely a huge part of our family life and day to day existence…Mike works with him every day and our girls simply adore him. and when melissa came into the picture a few months ago, she too was instantly welcomed and loved as a very wonderful addition to Brian’s life…and in turn our family.

to: brian and melissa.  with all my love and all my soul… {mandy}

daily mantra: “love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship. it’s not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end.”  {unknown}

words cannot begin to express how excited i am about my 2010 couples. yet again, i feel blessed with amazing brides, all unique and amazing in their own ways, and next year promises to be diverse and magical. i was so glad to meet up with natalie and kier, an August wedding couple for next season, on probably one of the last days we will have such warm sunshine here in Maine. they are such a genuine and beautiful couple, inside and out, and i can’t wait until next summer!

Andover is a beautiful little town just 15 minutes from my home…tucked securely under a belt strip of mountains, all glowing with fall color.

{i.love.love}

daily mantra: love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship. It’s not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end….{unknown}

on Saturday morning I woke up to a shocking surprise. something beyond comprehension in the realm of my wedding season. something…..bright. it was the sun. after a very rainy spring and summer, the fall had blessed Jamie, Shane, and {ME} with the warmth of its presence.  Jamie and Shane met over 7 years ago, so their relationship is proof that love works and perseveres through it all…through growth and change, college and jobs, good times and bad. i could not think of a better way to end my wedding season this year, than with this amazing couple.

i just loved their stunning rings….simple but all about them…

every detail of this wedding was perfection…right down to the shoes….

not everyone was happy to see Jamie married off…

gorgeous flowers…calla lilies are my absolute favorites!

{the.ceremony} took place in probably the most gorgeous church i have ever been in. Moody Memorial Church is the place that Jamie dreamed of getting married since she was a little girl….i can definitely see why…stunning frosted and stained glass windows from floor to ceiling, the smell of mahogany intertwined with old paper and books….it was heavenly.

Jamie and Shane had such an amazing wedding party….up for anything!

you guys know how much i love animals so when i heard that Remington, Jamie and Shane’s puppy, was at the wedding, i couldn’t resist getting a few shots with him too. the other pup belongs to bridesmaid, Carolyne, and is Remi’s brother… i LOVE puppies….

{jamie.and.shane}

one last {wedded} kiss of the season…..

daily mantra: ” a jouney of a thousand miles begins with a single step”….{lao.tzu}

The morning starts out as all wedding mornings have this season. With rain; me assembling my emergency weather kit,  my husband checking the weather radar in fifteen minute intervals; my brides sending emails in panic. But today, the rain didn’t bother me. I knew I would be shooting at one of my favorite locations, with a very special couple, and enjoying delicious and amazing company the entire time. Chelsea and Jason were referred to me by Lindsay and Jared (see 4 weeks back to their beautiful wedding); Chelsea was her maid of honor, and Lindsay was Chelsea’s…so this was a homecoming of sorts for me.

Chelsea had her own flair to her beautiful, classic attire….

I just loved this sentiment on Chelsea’s ring! {from.the.heart}

Let me just say that when Chelsea told me almost a year ago upon booking that she was getting a trolley, I started counting down the days of her wedding…

it doesn’t get any better for a photographer than a trolley…seriously.

{the.ceremony}

Married….

{mr.and.mrs.smith}

dear Chelsea and Jason…

when i got home and uploaded all of your photographs, i was instantly brought back to your truly beautiful day. there has never been a ceremony more genuine and emotional. my heart was so touched by the obvious love that you two share together…a connection i know will last a lifetime and beyond. Chelsea, I have watched you and Lindsay, Jason and Jared…share so many profound moments this year, and i just can’t feel any more blessed than i do right now as a photographer, and as a person.

all my love to you both,

amanda

daily mantra: put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard…{anne.sexton}

all weddings are special. every single one is different and timeless in a different way. but, this one…this wedding…is beyond special for me. not only did i get to go back home to shoot a wedding, but i get to do it for one of my amazing friend Kali and her soon-to-be hubby, Matt. after my rough weather last weekend, it was blissful to awake on saturday morning to nothing but blue skies, sun, and a gentle sea breaze.

i traveled all over downtown to find the perfect spot for too shoot these gorgeous flowers (notice the small yellow flowers??? its DILL, so all i did was want to snack  on the bouquet the whole time i was photographing it). i found a beautiful door in the Farmsworth Museum area. notice the number….

i just loved Kali’s tattoos on her wrist. obviously…ready for marriage in every way…the two most important elements permanently placed on her body and in her soul.

did i mention it was a perfect day….

she is such a gorgeous bride…you could see it on every man’s face in at the wedding {even Noah’s…the ring bearer}

they literally glow…

anyone who knows Kali, knows what a great sense of humor she has. i think she is going to fit right into this family…

{as a side note, i will be photographing Matt’s sister and her finance this fall…she is seen at the bottom of this set. i can’t wait!}

its so amazing to watch someone you have grown up with…someone who you have seen change and succeed, find the love of their life. 

daily mantra: love is what dreams are made of….{anonymous}

RECEPTION PICS TOMORROW…..

I knew from the beginning that Heather and Kirk’s wedding was going to be fun and different. The way Heather described the event at our first meeting sounded amazing and full of family and friends. Every detail was interconnected with someone they know and love. While the weather was not cooperative this past Saturday, the event was just as blessed and beautiful as I had thought it would be.

We started out early….the salon was overflowing with talk of pre and post wedding events. Other clients at Serendipity Salon in Bangor were chiming in with their well wishes, and past wedding and marriage experience and advice, and the Heather’s bridesmaids attended to little details to make the day go smoothly for her.

I had been hearing about the shoes all morning. Like any girl, I love shoes {ok…i love them ridiculously too much…the smell, the look, the feel of a new pair of shoes…you get it…i love them}. Well, they did not disappoint. Blog readers, I think you will feel the same. LOOK at these shoes!

Of course…galloshes were more appropriate foot wear. So…she brought those too. Even those were fabulous.

the rings…

The arrangements were…without a doubt, stunning and unique.

The kids thought up this pose all by themselves! They just loved the camera…so of course, I wanted to take them home.

Heather’s brother actually sums it all up. Here he is seeing her for the first time in with her dress on, and she is stunning.

I think when the dress goes on, it just gets more real…

This ceremony, without a doubt, was the most beautiful of all I have attended. They wrote their own vows, and their wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The whole thing was personal and heartfelt, and most importantly, true to themselves. Oh, and that arbor that you see in the photos….Kirk BUILT it. He is, apparently, good at everything…people mentioned that a lot throughout the day.

One good thing about a tropical storm on a wedding day…you get to use umbrellas and they make a great prop!

{heather.and.kirk}

The reception was so incredible. When I first met Heather and Kirk , one of the reasons I fell in love with them was their mutual love for animals. Their golden retriever Bailey is a frequent subject of conversation and a big part of their life. They decided to donate all of the money from their dollar dance to the Bangor Humane Society. Each person paid for a dance with the bride and groom and people were lined up to give.

some people decided to dance solo…others were just there for the games…

Bouquet toss….

and finally…{my fav}

probably my favorite one….ever.

I met Jared and Lindsay almost a year ago, and the minute I booked them, I knew this was a once in a lifetime chance to be part of a more than extraordinary wedding day. Why? Not only do they both have just amazing hearts, but they are high school sweethearts and have been together for 10 years. Their families and friends  have watched them grow, change and evolve, not only as individuals, but as a couple. This wedding not only married Lindsay and Jared, but two families who love each other just as much. As I wound down through the sweet downtown of little South Berwick, my heart was filled with more excitement than ever before.

The weather was…ridiculously perfect if there is such thing…

This wedding advent calendar was a gift to Lindsay….I just love how personal and genuine it is…and you know I am sucker for the quote!

I could not get over these bouquets…just gorgeous.

Lindsay just has so many amazing friends…all were just as excited as she was for this day. I loved this shot of her and her mom too….it is so clear how close they are.

and the guys got ready across the street….

The wedding took place at the stunning Hamilton House in South Berwick…

My fav….

I was SO lucky to have a fun group willing to try anything…

I just love these girls…

Jared and Lindsay…

dear Lindsay and Jared…

i feel so blessed to have gotten the chance to know 2 extraordinary people over the last year. your wedding day was so special for all involved, and it was a reflection on your inner beauty and the amazing relationship you both have cultivated over the last 10 years. i wish you both the most divine happiness together, and a lifetime of the same love {and even more} that i saw on your wedding day. thank you, thank you, thank you.

all my love,

amanda

daily mantra: “love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.” {kahlil.gibran}