Name | Bill & Linda
Date | 10.06.12
Wedding | Proctor, VT
Venue | Wilson Castle
Vermont wedding photographers | Scott & Penny

Vermont Wedding Photography

We are beginning to think that we are cursed or something.  Why you ask?  Well the last 3 weddings we photographed it rained either a part of the day or all day long.  On October 6, 2012 it was no different.  Our day started out pretty relaxed as Linda and Bill chose the Wilson Castle in Proctor, VT as their wedding venue, the Wilson Castle is 3 miles down the road from our house.  We made our way through Proctor and over the marble bridge to the West Proctor Rd to arrive at the castle.

The weather was starting to turn; we knew it was only a matter of time until the rain poured down on us.  Linda and Bill were prepared to have the ceremony under the cover of the entrance way, but decide to take a chance and have it outside overlooking the beautiful foliage filled mountain side.  We made our way through the castle up to the room were Linda had planned to get ready.  When we walked into the grand bedroom in this old castle we saw Linda’s dress draped beautifully from the fireplace.  We grabbed our cameras and started getting the detail shots for the day.

 

Soon after we began shooting, Linda arrived upstairs and proceeded to get ready as the rain clouds made their mark directly over the castle.  Linda and Bill were determined not to let rain ruin their big day and decided to proceed with an outdoor ceremony.  We shared a quote from an Inn Keeper at a previous wedding we shot “a wet knot never comes untied “, a smile came over her face.  The wedding was set in motion and it was almost ceremony time.

As the guests took their place outside the rain picked up.  Off in the distance we overheard Bill and the guests asking about umbrellas, as most guests didn’t have one with them.  Scott remembered the bag full of umbrellas we always carry with us just for situations like these.   As the last umbrella was handed out, Linda made her way down the grand staircase, out of the castle to the ceremony site where Bill was awaiting his lovely bride.   As the ceremony began, the rain continued and we soon realized it was not so easy photographing and holding an umbrella at the same time so we ditched the umbrellas’ and continued on. Linda and Bill said their vows, the family performed the sand ceremony and at the end Bill and Linda was joined as one.

Following the ceremony all in attendance moved inside the castle.  We began taking formals inside the castle since the rain was still coming down.  We took shots on the grand staircase and in the second floor hallway.  When the rain let up a bit, we decided to venture out and get some shots with the foliage in the background.  Throughout the day the rain came and went which led to photographs on and off the veranda.  As the reception was getting ready to start and food was coming out our time with Linda and Bill was coming to an end.  We grabbed some photos of the couple and their wedding cake and said our good byes.  Congratulations to Bill and Linda and thanks for allowing us to be part of your day you two are truly a fun couple and we had a blast.

PS: Tell Hannah we won’t forget we owe her a few PB&J sandwiches for being so good at letting us take her photo

Name |Drew & Emily
Date | 09.22.12
Wedding | Ferrisburgh, VT
Venue | Button Bay State Park
Vermont wedding photographers | Scott & Penny

Vermont Wedding Photography

Saturday, September 22, 2012 was the first day of fall; it was also the day that Emily and Drew were joined in matrimony. The morning started out with us watching the weather radar for the day. All week we had been seeing rain in the forecast. We were not surprised as the previous two wedding we photographed it had rained. Looking at the hourly forecast that morning it showed the rain holding off until later in the day. Emily and Drew chose Button Bay State Park, nestled along Lake Champlain as their venue. As we made the drive up Rt. 7 towards Vergennes the sky was overcast, but there was no rain in sight. We made our way down the corn lined farm roads to Button Bay we knew it was going to be a great day.

When we arrived and unpacked our gear we took the time to grab the detail shots of the venue. As family and friends were arriving, time was growing near for Emily to walk down the aisle where Drew was waiting for her.

As the guests looked on and the vows were said you could see the love on Emily and Drew’s faces. After all was said and done and the happy couple had their first kiss they made their way back up the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Drew and Emily Reynolds.

As guest left the ceremony area, they were greeted by Emily, Drew and the wedding party for the receiving line. During the receiving line there were many hugs and kisses and even a few tears. The amount of love and support that surrounded this couple was plentiful!

When the last hug was given, we headed out to take the formals. The wedding party was a lot of fun. This really made for a laidback session, which went very smoothly.

After the group formals were done it was time to concentrate only on Emily and Drew, to capture those magical moments that they will cherish for a lifetime. We took photographs of Emily alone, capturing her beauty and admiring her gown. We learned later that Emily was quite the seamstress and had made her own gown; she even made her head piece the night before the wedding. As we photographed Emily, it was obvious why Drew fell in love with her, she is beautiful on the outside, but she has a beautiful spirit that was shining through.

When we moved on to photographing Drew alone, we figured out he was quite the model and had some moves! We think his buddies would agree.

After we finished up with Emily and Drew’s formals it was time for them to head into the reception, greet their guests and start the party. Before they headed into the reception we asked for their rings to get some detail shots. Drew had a little trouble getting his off due to his swollen hand, he explained that the night before he camped out at the park and didn’t have firewood, and he took it upon himself to chop off part of a tree and injured his hand in the process. When we do ring shots we try to be creative and incorporate them into the scene for a more personal touch. Finding a water spigot nearby made for a cool shot, as did an apple we took off the buffet table. Drew’s ring was handmade locally and Emily’s is an estate piece Drew purchased in Burlington.

As we finished up and headed into the reception the party was in full swing. The drinks were flowing and laughter was heard everywhere.

The announcement was made that it was time for Emily and Drew’s first dance. As the couple made their way to the dance floor Emily’s younger sister Bridget took to the stage. Talk about a magical moment, Bridget’s voice was incredible and she sang from the heart in honor of her sister and brother in law. Following Emily and Drew’s first dance, as the band played in the background, Drew and his Mom took the stage. You could see the pride and joy in his Mother’s eyes as they danced.

When it came time for dinner and then dessert, we were amazed at all the different pies that the couples friends and family had made for the special occasion. One pie even had bacon in it, and we all know everything is better with bacon. The wedding cake was chocolate and was very tasty!

As the activities were winding down Emily and Drew had a surprise in store and it was for the children. We had noticed 2 hearts hanging from the ceiling over the catering station, which we believed were part of the decorations. Emily and Drew took them down and moved them into position; it was then that we realized they were piñatas! The children took their swings as well as Emily and the first heart was finally cracked and the candy spilled out. The second heart was for Drew, Drew wound up and took a hard swing and the candy flew. As the children (young and old) ran to the ground and grabbed their goodies we knew it was the perfect ending to the perfect day for us.

We would like to congratulate Emily and Drew on their marriage and say thank you for allowing us to be part of their special day.

Name | Dan & Lindsay
Date | 09.08.12
Wedding | Waitsfield, VT
Venue | The Farm on Mad River
Vermont wedding photographers | Scott & Penny

Vermont Wedding Photography

On Saturday, September 8th Scott spent the morning sitting at the computer watching the weather report when a tornado watch had been posted!  Normally this would be of concern, but that day it was of particular concern as we had a wedding scheduled to photograph. Not so much about us, but about making sure the bride and groom get the photos they deserve. So we packed our gear and headed to the beautiful Farm on the Mad River in Waitsfield, VT. Along the scenic drive up RT 100 we noticed the sun peeking out of the clouds as hope for a picture perfect day. As we get into Waitsfield the clouds are getting darker and we stop off to grab some details shots of the surrounding area. Next thing you know the rain starts.  We are resolved that this is how the day is going to be.  Turns out the rain passed quickly.  We grabbed some snacks to have for the day and headed down the dirt road to the Mad River.

It started to drizzle again so we found a spot to keep our bags dry and grabbed our cameras and proceeded to get a lay of the land for the ceremony. As we walked down the winding stone path to the river bed we noticed the chairs getting dried off so we knew the ceremony was happening rain or shine. As we looked around it became apparent that this venue is beautiful and we can see why Lindsay and Dan chose it. From the Mad River flowing in the back ground to the rock ledges surrounding the area, we were sure to get some great shots.  Once we had an idea of the day’s events we headed up to the reception tent to get the detail shots of the place settings and the awesome hand painted rocks that indicated where guests were to be seated.

 We later found out that Lindsay and Dan had collected these rocks every time they went out fishing or just for a walk in nature. As we heard this it brought a smile to our faces as we had just done the same thing. When were in York, Maine a week before for a little R&R we had collected some cool rocks from the beach and planned to hand paint the date and the hotel name on them to remember our little adventure together. As we finished up inside the reception tent we noticed people gathering around a tree off to the side of the property. Upon further inspection we saw that Lindsay and Dan had clothes pinned a bunch of photos of them and all their friends and family around the tree. This was such a great idea as it was their life’s branches, sort of their tree of life.

As all this is taking place the clouds were actually breaking up and the sun was peeking through. As ceremony time approached we headed down to the river and awaited the wedding party’s arrival.  With the musicians playing in the background and Dan and the rest of the wedding party waiting Lindsay made her walk down that stone path just as the sun came back out and graced her beauty as she was about to marry her best friend.

After a few tears were shed and the vows were made, Lindsay and Dan kissed for the first time as a married couple. As the wedding party gathered and preparations were being made for the formal photos we carefully watched the sky as it was starting to turn again. We clicked off some shots of friends and family which was made easy, thanks to the help of Susan who took control of gathering all the important guests and family members for the photos (Thanks Susan!)

As we were finishing with the friends and family we noticed the sky clouding up again.  It was time to move on to the bride and groom and get their formal pictures done.  After a few different shots and poses it got really dark and we knew any minute the rain was coming. Next thing you know the rain came down so quick we all scrambled to get under the tent, the wind was gusting so hard that the tent sides were flapping. Now even though our time with Lindsay and Dan was cut short we managed to get some amazing shots they will remember for a lifetime.

The rain slowed down a bit as Lindsay and Dan were announced to their guests and then the party was on. With all their friends and famiy gathered around, toasts were made and laughter and tears were had. One toast that stood out to us was the one given by Lindsay’s Dad, with the mention of her moving to Vermont with her Volkswagen! Now to most people that wouldn’t have much significance, but to us it hit home as we both own Volkswagens and are avid Volkswagen enthusiasts who attend several shows a year.  As the speech carried on Lindsay’s Dad mentioned that he didn’t feel that a Volkswagen and Vermont were compatible, which is ironic since when we arrived to shoot the wedding we discovered there was no way our Volkswagen was making it down the hill to the parking area. Not too long after Lindsay’s arrival in Vermont, her Dad received a phone call that her Volkswagen needed to be fixed.  She found someone to fix the car for free, that person was Dan.  Lindsay’s Dad also mentioned the first time he met Dan and how he was like a Tony Stewart wanna be. Tony Stewart is our favorite NASCAR driver and we had just met him back in Charlotte, NC during Memorial Day weekend at the Coca Cola 600. With all the references throughout the day from rocks, to Volkswagens and NASCAR we knew were the right fit to capture this amazing day. As the food was served and more speeches were had the rain settled into a moderate drizzle and stayed that way for the reminder of our time there.

As we headed home we were reminded of something that was told to us at the last wedding we photographed in the rain, that is: “always remember a wet knot never comes untied!”  Lindsay and Dan, you are an amazing couple and it is obvious that you are meant for each other.  Congratulations!

Scott & Penny