Ned Jackson Photography Blog

I was fortunate to have booked an unusually high number of December weddings this year (usually things wind down towards the end of Oct/early Nov).  One of the things that makes winter weddings so much fun is that they are a totally new challenge from most of the weddings during the summer.  That’s because they’re usually almost 100% indoors – and almost always at night, which changes the game a bit.  I love it because you have to think a different way and rise up to the challenge.  Alexis and Ryan got married on a chilly December evening at the Omni Parker House.

Now that being said, it doesn’t hurt to have fantastic clients!  Speaking of which, Alexis and Ryan were/are two of the nicest people out there.  When I showed up Alexis was beaming!

Here’s a few of my favorites from the day:

What a gorgeous ring!

Taking portraits of the bride is almost always one of my favorite parts of day.  They always look stunning!

I met Ryan downstairs near the ceremony room and we found this awesome stairwell.  To me, this just captures the feel of the Omni Parker House perfectly.  The elegant winter wedding.

I love veils…. something about the texture, the light… love this shot.

Alexis and Ryan didn’t know it, but they were the lucky couple who were the first to benefit from my new upgraded Nikon 70-200mm.  The lens really allows me to gain two or three more stops of light – which helps me keep the feel of this room.

This was shot with the same lens.  What an elegant place to get married!

I was joined by my friend Doug Levy who snapped these next two shots.

Of course I HAD to go back to the stairwell after the ceremony!

Alexis and Ryan really loved the feel of the lobby at the Omni Parker House.  So we headed down during the cocktail hour to catch these shots.  This one seems so classic to me.

We also ran over for a quick shot outside the Old State House.

Doug caught this one on the way back into the hotel.

This look just sums it all up to me.  Great catch Doug!

What wedding isn’t complete without a little bridal party singalong?

Ryan knows how to get DOWN.

See what I mean?  These are called “Dance-floor Angels.”  Learn something new every day.

Don’t take my word for it… check out the slideshow to see the full story of their wedding day and to see more great shots!  Make sure to double click on the arrow to get it going.

Alexis and Ryan – thank you so much for including me in your wedding day!

I love when I show up to a wedding already feeling connected to the couple in some way.  In Kristen and Tom’s case, I had photographed the wedding of Kristen’s sister, Alyssa, in 2008 (see previous post).  So showing up at the hotel to catch some pictures of Kristen getting ready was a bit like catching up with old friends.  Their wedding took place at Harrington Farm in Princeton, MA.  Both Kristen and Tom were an absolute delight to be around on their wedding day and I had such a blast helping to capture some of their memories.

Of course when I arrived, Kristen was looking radiant!

I always love this moment of the day.  As my wife, Amanda, joked, “It takes a village to make a bride!”  In some ways she’s right.  The bridesmaids work together to help make the day perfect for their friend… and they take so much pleasure in the look of happiness on her face.

I thought these two portraits just perfectly captured the energy of these two.

I was joined by my friend Doug Levy who served as an excellent second shooter.  He nabbed this detail as I was taking a portrait of Kristen.

To any prospective brides who are on the fence about the merits of a second shooter at your wedding:  these images are a perfect example of why it is such a great addition.  To me – having a talented shooter along to help out like Doug allows either your main photographer or the second shooter to move more freely and to focus on moments like this.  These shots were taken by Doug again as I took the portrait above.  Now, mind you, it doesn’t hurt that you couldn’t get Kristen to NOT smile!

So I wanted to share a quick portrait of the sisters…. Kristen and Alyssa

And, better yet, the angle that Doug grabbed as we were joking around while taking the portrait above.

We took about five minutes to grab a few quick moments before packing into the cars and heading to Harrington Farms for the ceremony.  These were two of my favorites.

As we pulled up to Harrington Farms – this was the sunset!

Not a bad day to get married – eh?

Kristen got ready in the old small colonial house attached to Harrington Farms.  Here Kristen prepares herself for the ceremony just before heading downstairs.

Certainly a beautiful spot for an intimate wedding.

Doug grabbed this great shot.

The first dance:

One from Doug:

After dinner, we headed outside to the front porch of the old colonial house.  Kristen and Tom stole a few moments of personal time to simply enjoy their newlywed status.

Again, relaxing before heading back to the dance floor.

I thought this was fitting end to the evening.  Flying off into the night!

Be sure to check out the slideshow for more! (Double click if it doesn’t play)

Thanks so much to Kristen and Tom for allowing me to share in the day and capture these great memories!  Also, special thanks to Doug Levy for pinch hitting (like the baseball reference Doug?)!

I’d like to congratulate one of my couples from 2008 – Alyssa and Bryan.  Their beautiful wedding was recently just published in The Knot: Boston.  Bryan and I went to college together and photographing their wedding was such an honor, and a ton of fun!  Check it out on newsstands now!