Ned Jackson Photography Blog

Sophie and Declan got married last month at one of my favorite places – Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, CT.  There’s just something about Tyrone that makes a wedding day seem a little bit more relaxed.  Although I think Sophie and Declan had a lot to do with that as well!  Their ceremony took place on the farm’s property, while dinner took place in the tent behind the main house and finally the guests made their way to the barn for a party!  This allowed the day to flow seamlessly and made for a great relaxed party.  I tried to pick some of my favorites below, but make sure you check out the slide show!

One of my favorite moments of a wedding day is when the bride gets to see herself in her dress for the first time.  Here’s a few of Sophie below:

Declan’s stylin’ suit.  I just loved the juxtaposition of his suit against the red of the barn.

Just before the ceremony I was able to grab a few portraits of Sophie in her dress and veil.  This was just a quick catch as she grabbed her breath before heading outside.

Sophie waiting for her ride!

Friends of Sophie and Declan provided this fantastic getaway ride.

Sophie being escorted down the isle with her parents.

A few favorites from the ceremony.

So – evidently Declan’s friend has a knack for ruining all of their shots together.  So we thought – why not embrace it!

Just love this one of the barn.

Every time I’m at Tyrone Farm I can’t believe how amazing the light is…. well- here’s what I mean!  This is the tent behind the main house.

I couldn’t resist a quick shot out in that beautiful sunset.

Sophie during her father’s toast.

After dinner, the guests moved over to the barn where Declan said a few words to welcome and thank their guests.  Eric caught this shot of Sophie on the right.

The first dance:

Sophie’s dance with her father.

A few from the party:

Some of my favorite little colors, details and textures of the day.

Make sure to check out the slideshow!  Click here if you have problems playing it below.

Sophie and Declan – thank you so much for inviting me to photograph your wedding!  Also- a special thanks to Eric McCallister and Ian from Tyrone Farm!

This blog is about to get busy!  I’ve been scrambling all August to catch up from my vacation (which was lovely – thank you) and I’m getting ready to start putting up some absolutely great weddings.  I’m really happy to share Jess and Rich’s wedding with you.  From our very first meeting, I knew their wedding would be a blast.  They both placed a high value on photography and wanted to make sure that it was a priority on their wedding day (totally honored that they invited me)!  Not to mention I got to photograph in one of my favorite venues, Tyrone Farm, which is an absolutely fantastic place to get married. Stunning scenery and great spaces make it a perfect place for any type of wedding.  You also get to work with Ian, who runs things to perfection.

Without further adieu – some of my favorite images from the day.

Jess getting her hair done:

The dress!  Love the way this dress flows:

Getting the dress on:

I was so happy to be joined by Lara from Studio Nouveau who grabbed this great shot of Rich getting ready:

A quiet moment before he had to leave for the ceremony:

Jess and her father took a horse drawn carriage to the ceremony!

The ceremony took place in the Chapel at Pomfret Academy.  I must say it’s one of the most stunning little chapels in New England!  Lara grabbed this great moment before the ceremony.

The doors open as Jess enters the chapel.

What a great space!

A GREAT catch by Lara just outside the chapel doors.

See what  I mean about the chapel?

I couldn’t resist using the ivy of the church with the pop of the umbrella.  This was a real moment as the two headed over to the spot where the next pic took place.

My favorite of the day:

Having a little fun with the bridal party.  Thanks to Lara for the funny faces!

Jess and Rich took the carriage back to Tyrone Farm.

I think I’m hooked on making these!  A few colors and details from the day.

For some reason – the light at Tyrone Farm is like none other.

As dinner was served, this sunset fell behind the barn:

Back outside for one more quick shot!

The first dance:

If you’re a fan of the Office – you know Jim and Pam had a dance at their wedding.  Let’s just say I think Rich and Jess put them to shame!

Make sure you check out the slideshow below.  Click here if you have trouble viewing it.

Thanks so much to Jess and Rich for inviting me to capture such a great day.  Also thanks to Lara from Studio Nouveau and Ian from Tyrone Farm!

I am so excited to share Erin and Dan’s fantastic Cape wedding with you!  The reception took place at the Popponesset Inn in New Seabury, MA.  If you’ve been there – you’ll now that the term ON the beach is very literal.  The tent is just feet away from the water so the feel of the wedding is undeniably beachy.

I thought this was the best way to start.  How can you not love these shoes!?

Playing with the window light in the room.  On the right, Erin’s Vera Wang gown was just stunning… both on the hanger and on her!

One of my favorites while Erin was getting ready:

A few quick window – lit portraits before we hustled off to the church.

How cute is this look?

The flower girl carried this beautiful hand-made Nantucket basket:

There are so many things I love about this picture…

A little fun with the rings at the reception:

As the sun fell the light got nicer and nicer:

Probably two of my favorite images from the day.  I just loved the pops of pink!

Dan stylin’ for the camera:

Gotta love the shoes!

Ok… maybe these two are my favorite!

Tiptoeing for a kiss!

How good do they look?!

Playing with the sun!

In to the reception for the first dance.  Not sure even these pictures do justice to how emotional and cute these two were during the dance.

Like I said – the Popponesset is LITERALLY right on the water!  Love the paper flowers:

The fun cake toppers.  Doug Levy joined me for the day and caught this really fun set up with the rings on the right.

The scene from outside:

The moon rose up over the water as the guests ate dinner.  It glowed in a golden light and reflected against the ocean.

So I’ve always wanted to pull together an inspiration board like this – I just loved all the little details that help tell the story of their day.

Cliche…. yes.  And I love it.

Last, but certainly not least – you need to check out this slideshow!  Click here if you can’t get the link below to work.

A very big thank you to Erin and Dan!  I can’t wait to start working on the album!  Also – special thanks to Doug as well… even if I couldn’t get you to eat shrimp or lobster tacos!

I’m so excited to share this wedding!  I know you’re all going to love this amazing combination of light, laughter, love and an absolutely AMAZING space!  I first met Casey back in 2006 at a wedding I photographed in Topsfield for a good friend.  After seeing him at two more weddings since (for two other sets of his friends) – I felt like I knew him pretty well – so I was massively excited when he informed me in 2008 that I was going to photograph his wedding as well!  He mentioned that his fiance was a fantastic girl who was in vet school in Canada (he and Christy were doing the long distance thing).  This wedding was like a visit with old friends.  Christy and Casey’s families were both so warm and welcoming and their friends were a blast.  You’ve got to make sure you check out the slideshow to see their rockin’ party.  Their reception was held in an absolutely spectacular place called Mechanics Hall in Worcester.  Take a minute to check out some of my favorite photos from the day!

This was my absolute favorite, so of course I had to put it first.

Christy getting her makeup done.  How about that light?!  Of course it didn’t hurt that she looked stunning

Doug Levy grabbed this great one of Christy’s sister and father getting prepped.

The dress is on!

The church had this beautiful stained glass window in the back that I knew I wanted to incorporate into the shot:

Exiting the church – Casey see’s the party bus for the first time!

A little fun with the veil:

Doug grabbed this great angle.

This was how playful these two were the whole day!

Downtown Worcester in front of Mechanics Hall:

I climbed up the hill across the street to get this cool vantage of the facade of Mechanics Hall:

Doug grabbed this great angle of the tables:

The second floor in Mechanics Hall had these rooms filled with this gorgeous window light:

What a stunning first dance!

I love the triptych!

Doug grabbed this great one of Mechanics Hall:

Christy’s dad giving the first toast (shot by Doug):

The reaction:

Love this look!

At the end of the night Christy and Casey fell into this adorable romantic dance:

One of my favorite moments of the day:

Be sure to check out the slideshow by clicking here. (Or double click on the window below)

Casey and Christy – thanks so much for welcoming me for the day and for being so much fun!  Thanks to Doug as well for all your help!

Back in 2008 I had the privilege of shooting a wedding for a good friend Sarah, who I used to work with back in my days at Fleet Bank (Bank of America) [Note - it's her flowers at the top of the blog!].  That’s where I first met Meghan and Adam.  Adam is Sarah’s brother and I was so excited when he and Meghan called me last year to invite me to photograph their wedding.  The ceremony took place in Springfield, MA and eventually wound up at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, MA.  I grabbed a few of my favorites from the day!

Without a dobut -the time where the bride is getting ready is one of the most fun times to shoot.  So much visual variety!  I couldn’t get enough of the way the light framed Meghan’s face:

Meghan’s dress:

How cute is this smile?!

I just love this one.

Check out Meghan’s expression!

The flower girl had to join in for a peek!

Some beautiful bridal portraits in the glow of the sunset:

Such anticipation and happiness in one shot:

Meghan getting into the Rolls:

Just as we got to the log cabin, the sun was pouring in a beautiful orange glow:

One of my favorite dance shots from the night:

Be sure to check out the slideshow:

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Thanks so much Meghan and Adam for inviting me to share in your day!  Also a special thanks to Eric for helping out again!

I have some more exciting studio news to share!  I was recently invited to join the Best of Wedding Photography site, an invitation-only site for the world’s top wedding photographers, created by some amazingly talented photographers like Ben Chrisman, Anna Kuperberg, and David Beckstead.  I’m pretty flattered and honored to have been included, especially when you read their criteria:

“Every invitation we issue represents a consensus among peers that a given photographer ranks among the best in the world.”

You can see the site here.  Hoping everyone is having a wonderful summer so far!  Check back next week for more wedding posts!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  So, earlier this year I learned of a national contest sponsored by Livebooks, the company who so excellently created my main website.  Unlike a lot of contests which focus on individual images, the Emerge Contest was designed to allow photographers to show their skills over the course of an entire wedding.  I’m pleased to announce I won third place in the Favorite wedding category!

Also a special thanks to Monica and Dave for looking so fabulous on their wedding day!

Talk about having a knack for dialing in beautiful days – I think Tracey and John have the game nailed.  I met these two last September on a gorgeous, clear day in Boston.  Our engagement session was a blast and I knew the wedding would be worth the wait!  What I didn’t know is that they have some special trick to dial in absolutely perfect weather!  The wedding reception was held in the beautiful Oceancliff Hotel in Newport, RI.  Take a look at some of my favorites from the day and be sure to check out the slideshow!

I couldn’t resist sharing a few from the e-session from Sept:

Now the wedding day.  Check out those eyes!  The light in Tracey and John’s apartment was absolutely perfect.

I felt so honored to be allowed in the room as Tracey’s sister and mom helped her get into her dress.

There were some emotional moments as Tracey got into her dress:

Tracey’s sister helps keep the dress dry!

Once in the dress – Tracey was simply radiant!

Doug Levy came along to help out and caught this great moment of John waiting in the church.  Great shot Doug!

Like I said….. light!

A few favorites from the ceremony:

Seriously – how cute is this girl?!

This church was BIG!  Check out the interior shots in the slideshow.

After the ceremony, John, Tracey and I were lucky enough to have had access to a beautiful private home right on the water at sunset.  I caught this moment as the limo dropped the couple off at the front of the driveway.

The sun was coming right off the water, with a beautiful golden hue.  Hard to resit taking more pictures of a bride!

One of my favorites from the day:

For those of you who heard it – you know John’s best man had a little trick up his sleeve for the toast.  Check out the expression on Tracey’s face.

This one doesn’t need explanation!

Tracey’s dance with her father:

You gotta love the stuff!  John’s got a great sense of humor and took this totally in stride by making his new wife (a die-hard Yankees fan) don a Red Sox jersey for a dance.

Love this one that Doug grabbed:

Definitely make sure you check out the slidehsow.  You can view it directly by clicking here or by clicking play on the slideshow below!

After what seems like an eternity – I’m back in full effect!  I’ve been busy over the last few weeks shooting three weddings in four weeks.  This summer is just starting to heat up – so expect MUCH more from me on the blog.  Not to mention big exciting changes for me (on a personal level) begin to take effect very shortly.  I’ll be spending more time with the things I love in life – family and photography!

On to Mark and Christen!  Mark and Christen are one of those couples that are just fun to be around because you can tell they are so comfortable around each other.  We met back in the fall to go apple picking and to do some engagement shots.  Here’s a couple from that day -

Somehow Christen and Mark dialed in the most absolutely perfect May day.  Beautiful blue skys and nice warm weather.  The reception was held in the NEW! Fairmont Battery Wharf in Boston.  Christen started the day by getting ready in the bedroom of her childhood home:

Mark got ready at their home.  Eric grabbed this shot:

So many times I’m just looking for light.  Good light.  What does that mean?  You know when you see it… like below.  It’s just something that gives you that warm feeling inside.  I know that eventually at some point – Christen is going to walk into that beautiful light-  and, presto… I’m ready!

Again – never fails to be one of my favorite moments of the day.

After the ceremony we headed in to Boston to take some shots in Columbus Park in the North End.  I love this shot with the city in the background.

Right?!  Here’s a couple of my favorites that we took in the park:

And – we had to use the cool pier at the Fairmont.  Right out on the water!  Literally!

Some fun and elegant details:

The dance floor at the Fairmont has this cool skylight on the top – hard to beat that as a ceiling!

Check out the slideshow below.  Be sure to click on it – or click here to launch it in a different window if it doesn’t play for you.

Christen and Mark – thanks so much for making the day so fun and for inviting me to share in your wedding day!  I can’t wait to get started on the album.  Also – thanks to Eric for helping out as well!

So I’m way behind on my blogging,  BUT I am so excited to share this great December wedding that wrapped up my 2009 season!  I first met Julia through one of my previous great couples Steph and Bobby (who are the first image on my main webpage).  Julia was a bridesmaid for Steph back in 2008.  Julia and Jimmy decided to have a wintry wedding and have their gorgeous reception at the Providence Biltmore Hotel on a cold Friday evening.  The ceremony took place in a small church and we left immediately after the ceremony to go to the Providence public library to take some formals.  Check out some of my favorites from the day!

The day started at Julia’s parents’ house.  I couldn’t resist grabbing this silhouette of Julia as she got her dress adjusted.

Sometimes the most beautiful portraits come when people don’t know their having their picture taken.  Here Julia was having her dress adjusted again.

How can you not immediately love these two?!  Such a great energy between mother and daughter.

I think this is the literal definition of a glowing bride!

Julia’s parents’ bedroom made the perfect location for a beautiful, window lit portrait.

During the ceremony, Julia and Jimmy kept trading these glances and giving these great smiles!

Do I need to say anything?!

The Providence Library has this beautiful marble staircase which made for a great spot for some quick portraits.

When I walked in the room, all I said was “WOW!”  Thanks to Doug Levy for grabbing this room shot while I got my lights ready.  Dead on Doug!

The Providence set the scene for a spectacularly elegant first dance.  Thanks to Sarah for providing my lighting!

One last kiss before the end of the dance:

As Jimmy and Julia listened to the toasts, I watched from a far and grabbed tons of great moments!

One of my favorite moments from my 2009 season.  His look says so much.

Julia and her father during their dance.

Julia and Jimmy were treated to a little surprise performance from this fantastic Irish step dancing group.

Again – great reactions while the watched the dancing.

Julia and her mom gettin’ down!

Jimmy taking flight!

No formal last dance, but just a great moment as the evening wound to a close.

You have to watch this slideshow!  That’s an order!  Double click on the arrow, or if that doesn’t work, you can link directly to the show by clicking here.

Jimmy and Julia – thanks so much for your hospitality and for making the day so fun!  I am so happy I could be there to share in your wedding day. Special thanks to Doug Levy as well for his help!