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Weddings

Kelli and Mike’s Wedding

Nov 5th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
3 comments

Kelli and Mike have been a couple for about 11 years- But their long engagement came to an end last month, when they were married at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond. It was a very soggy day, but the fall colors were still vibrant and rich.

Of course, it was a Fall themed celebration, complete with pumpkins, apple cider and a traditional turkey dinner by the awesome folks at Bevo Catering.

The ceremony was Very short… and the celebration was long and super fun! DJ Jim Provost of Moonlight Entertainment kept the party in full swing all night.

The evening was full of laughter, and many memorable toasts and moments:

Here’s a slideshow recap of the day’s events:

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If you’d like to see all of the photos from Kelli and Mike’s celebration, please click HERE (but get the password first from the bridal couple!)

As always, Thanks to my assistant, the uber-talented Jennifer Kiewit, for all of her great images and for being my indispensable right-hand (wo)man!

Jessica and Grey’s Wedding

Oct 27th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
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Jessica and Grey: Super cool, beautiful, laid back, fun, mega smart and, boy, do they know how to throw a wedding!

It had been a few years since I shot a wedding at the Castle Hill Resort and Spa down in Ludlow and I forgot how totally gorgeous it is and especially how beautiful it looks during Foliage season.

I just love weddings that explode with unique details that capture the couple’s personalities and this was definitely one of those days. Everything was stunning, from Jessica’s gown and sparkling Jimmy Choo sandals (paired with the flower girl’s gold and jewel studded Rapunzel wedding shoes) to the custom fresh flower leis flown in from Hawaii for the wedding party and family members, to Grey’s silver monogrammed Tiffany cufflinks (a gift from his bride).

I should mention that the bridesmaids all looked gorgeous, too!

Look how cute Grey is! (I think he looks like a young Donny Osmond!)

Grey’s dad presents Jessica with her bridal lei.

The ceremony, though a bit on the rainy side, was beautiful, blending cultural traditions of both the bride (Chinese) and Groom (Hawaiian) and I also loved the pastor’s colorful garment, adorned with a large “JOY” stitched on the front!

After cocktail hour inside the castle, the rain let up and guests made their way to the tent for an amazing dinner reception. Food was delicious and DJ Newton Peak from Peak Entertainment kept the party in full swing all night with great dance music.

I love this picture of Grey dancing with his grandmother and Jessica in the background with her father!

Showing off the wedding bling!!

The flower girl (Jessica’s niece) almost outstaged the bride on the dance floor. She was like the energizer bunny, refusing to run out of battery power until the bitter end!

The following is a fun slideshow recap of Jessica and Grey’s celebratory day- with a little old Pet Benatar (“Here Is My Heart”):

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If you’d like to see all of the photos from Jessica and Grey’s wedding, please click HERE (and make sure to get the secret password to the gallery from the bridal couple!

PS…Jessica and Grey, thank you for my beautiful lei! I was so honored to wear it!

Katie and Barbie’s Lake George Wedding

Sep 9th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
3 comments

Katie and Barbie were married in Lake George last month, at a venue I have never been-the Fort William Henry Hotel & Conference Center.

It’s a large resort in the Andirondacks, right next to the Fort William Henry, which, I learned, commanded the southern end of Lake George from November 1755 to August 1757. The Fort’s history is short but its final tumultuous days were retold in the “Last of the Mohicans” by James Fenimore Cooper. Anyway, it’s a very cool place and a really fun and funky town!

The brides both wore long white gowns, though very different from each other, reflecting their unique styles and personalities. And to the delight of–and giggling from– friends and family, Barbie wore her signature Black sunglasses along with her dress!

haHaha..

There were so many little details that the couple implemented and the hotel staff really outdid themselves in making the banquet hall look warm and inviting. The colors of the day–Purple and green– looked fresh and fun, just like Katie and Barbie!

I do like this picture of the bridesmaids before the ceremony:

I now pronounce you… Married!

They are such a sweet couple. I just loved watching them smile all day and how happy they were to finally be legally married!

OK, there is no way I could resist using the canon as a prop in at least some of the “formal portraits.”

Introduced as “Mrs and Mrs” for the first time…

And the first dance…

It makes my heart sing…

I have so much darn fun with these glasses as wedding!

How great when the bridal couple does a “costume change” during the reception. It makes for a whole new set of pictures!

Here’s a really fun slideshow looking back at Katie and Barbie’s Celebration (using their FIRST DANCE song, “A Thousand Years” sung by Christina Perri):

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If you’d like to see all of the pictures from the couple’s wedding day, click HERE (This is a password-protected gallery, so it’s for their friends and family only)

Kari and Stephan’s wedding

Aug 29th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
1 comment

Kari and Stephan were married last month at Basin Harbor Club on one of those gorgeous sunny July days. For Kari, it was like coming home. Born in Monkton, Kari moved overseas with her family when she was 9-yrs-old.(her parents taught at international schools). Though she has lived out of the U.S. for most of the last 15 years, her family has always returned to Vermont each summer to vacation on Lake Champlain.

Kari and Stephan are actually high school sweethearts, but their high school was in Israel! To make their romance even more international, Stephan is German, raised in Germany, and now, the couple lives in Doha, Qatar! That’s right-Qatar! Quite a commute to Vermont to get married!

The couple looked stunning, with Kari in a form-fitting white gown (and bright blue shoes for a touch of color!) and Stephan in a sharp navy suit and light pink tie. The gardens at Basin Harbor were in full bloom and we definitely took advantage of that as a setting for their pre-ceremony portrait session.

All of the details were perfect, of course, and Basin Harbor outdid themselves with the food, with appetizers like yummy figs and prosciutto and nori rolls and then dinner which including salmon, filet and an amazing pasta bar!

The bridal party was a hoot-including many who came from various countries to celebrate with the couple! And, since everyone speaks the language of love, there weren’t any apparent communication issues!

This was a partying crowd and the dance floor was busy all night, with the help of DJ Jim Companion from Top Hat Entertainment.

I love this picture of Kari and Stephan’s moms and a family friend channeling their inner “Mama Mia” and singing ABBA songs into their makeshift microphones!

I hope you enjoy this fun slideshow, recapping this glorious wedding celebration: (Slideshow is FLASH, so you cant see it on your Ipad or Iphone. Quick, find a computer!!)

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If you’d like to see all the photos from Kari and Stephan‘s wedding day, please click HERE (but you’ll need to get the password from the bridal couple in order to view the gallery)

Mattison and Jill’s GRAND wedding

Aug 22nd, 2012
by kpikephoto.
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Jill and Mattison were married last month at the Grand Isle lake House and I’m so excited to finally get this wedding on my blog! This celebration was a long time coming, as Mattison had proposed to Jill countless times over the years and finally, SHE SAID YES! This became Mattison’s mantra during their next 12 months of wedding planning.

Look at these gorgeous rings from Von Bargen’s by designer Todd Reed.

Everything at the Grand Isle Lake House was perfect- as always- and all of the food by Executive chef Sheryl Eddy was as beautiful as it was delicious. Dinner at The Lake House is a foodie paradise (And I am a big time foodie!)

Jill and Mattison both looked elegant in their white summer outfits and Jill carried a stunning bouquet of flowers by Gwen and Minner Hobbs at Flowers In Season. (the table centerpieces for also jaw dropping!) Gorgeous hair and makeup were done by friends Shelby Ferland and Ashley Black.

The ceremony was heartfelt from beginning to end. As Jill walked from the front of the inn to meet her betrothed and continue on down the aisle together, Mattison and all of the guests serenaded her with Train’s “Marry Me”. Accompanying the group on guitar was the talented John Sochin (who also performed during the cocktail hour!)

Oh, how I love doing the big group portrait!

The cocktail hour and dinner was fun, funny and festive– Everyone had a ball and the laughter and smiles were infectious!

I took Mattison and Jill down to the beach after dinner to take advantage of the beautiful end-of-the-day light.

It was over 90 degrees, even in the shade, and guests kept as cool as possible outside with the supplied parasols and fans. Once inside and dancing to the great songs played by DJ Rob Douglas, the sweat started to pour and everyone just embraced the heat and let themselves go. It was a great party (and probably- once my camera and I were gone- some late night skinny dipping to cool off!)

I love to travel with fun props and my favorite MOBILE FRAME for some giggle pictures.

Mattison’s SHE SAID YES banner hung from the cupcake table for a final reminder to all! The Cake and Cupcakes were made by Liane Mendez of Let’s Pretend Catering and they were AMAZING!!

Here’s a super fun slideshow of Jill and Mattison’s wonderful wedding day, to a mashup of Train‘s Marry Me and Ingrid Michaelson‘s Everybody:

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If you’d like to see all of the photos from Mattison and Jill’s GRAND wedding, please click HERE (password available from the wedding couple)

Much love to you both, Mattison and Jill, and congratulations!

Felicia and Dana: A story of True Love

Aug 16th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
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“Sonny, TRUE LOVE is the greatest thing in the world-except, maybe, a nice MLT (mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich), where the mutton is lean and the tomato is ripe.”
–Miracle Max, ‘The Princess Bride’

This is a story about True Love.

Once upon a time (1975ish) in the land of far, far away (Newton, Massachusetts), a young princess (13-year-old Felicia Sanchez) entered Warren Junior High School, where she met a young prince (13-year-old Dana Lukens). While the princess spent much of her time playing flute and acting in school plays, the young prince was busy with Track team and soccer. Still, each watched the other from afar, becoming more and more enchanted as time went on.

Like many storybook romances, however, the prince and princess each got swept up by other events in their lives and they were both too young and shy to reveal their true feelings to the other. In 1980, they graduated from the royal Newton North High School and each went off to different kingdoms to pursue their dreams.

Years went by (about 33 of them!) and the young prince and princess had grown into amazing and vibrant adults, with interesting lives, thriving careers, beautiful castles and, for Dana, 2 wonderful sons (this is a modern fable so, yes, both had married along the way but realized that they were not with their true loves ).

MOST importantly, as we come to the climax of this story, they both had Facebook pages.

Author’s Notes:

A. Felicia (who, as kids, we all called “Leachy” ) is one of my oldest and dearest friends, from as far back as elementary School and we have remained close until this day.
B. Dana and I were friendly back then, but I remember him more as the boy who Leachy thought had great legs.
C. Dana and I reconnected a couple of years ago on Facebook and have become friends.
D. I love to play matchmaker (“So, Dana, you should really connect again with Leachy. She’d love to hear from you…”)

On July 28, 2012, Thirty-five years after Leachy wrote in the Warren Jr. High yearbook that she’ll always “remember D.L.”, I drove with my wife to Portland, Maine to attend their WEDDING!!!!

Now how’s that for a Love Story?

I hope you enjoy this slideshow of the royal couple’s celebration, which I made with love, accompanied by Maxine Nightingale singing her 1976 hit, “Right Back Where We Started From.”
(note: slide show is in flash, so you won’t see it on your iPad!)

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Congratulations, my dear friends and, like the storybook says, may you live happily ever after.

To see all of the photos from Dana and Felicia’s celebration, please click here:

Holli and Corey’s Wedding

Aug 9th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
12 comments

Holli and Corey are the definition of the phrase”perfect together”. They have known each other since grade school and they are so comfortable together and so happy with each other that everyone around them cant help but be happy also.

Their wedding was held at the Quechee Club, on a gorgeous day at the end of June. The bride was stunning in her white gown– and a snazzy pair of Cowboy boots!- and the groom looked like something out of GQ in his Calvin Klein suit and Fedora. It was a party from beginning to end and everyone had an amazing day. From the time Holli and Corey met and did their portrait session until the last cupcakes were gobbled down and the music stopped for the night, they never stopped smiling (except to cry a few tears in Church when they said their vows).

And, with the help of my great second photographer, Jennifer Kiewit, we managed to shoot way over 2000 photographs. I edited them down to about 1200, and that was tough! So, since I am eager to get these photos online for Corey and Holli, I will forgo my banter and just let the pictures speak….





Here’s a super fun slideshow recapping this awesome day, accompanied by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros singing, “Home”:
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If you’d like to see all of the 1000+photos from Corey and Holli’s celebratory, please click HERE (and get the password from the couple!)

Helen and Toni’s Wedding (and 25th anniversary!)

Aug 4th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
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Helen and Toni have been a couple for 25 years… So, what better a way to celebrate that milestone than to get married!

Yup, these two southern belles– accompanied by about 25 of their closest friends and family– traveled from Kentucky to Woodstock, Vermont for their long awaited LEGAL exchange of marriage vows.

It was a gorgeous June day and the ceremony took place on the front lawn of the enchanting Woodstock Inn. It was short and sweet (very sweet!) and then it was time to get down to the business of celebrating– not just the wedding day, but also 25 wonderful years of love and joy together.

A very happy matron of honor:

The flower girls were too cute for words!

They just had to do it! :)

Here’s a really fun video slideshow recapping Helen and Toni’s celebratory day:
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If you’d like to see all of the pictures from Toni and Helen’s Woodstock wedding celebration, please click HERE (and be sure and ask the brides for the secret password to the gallery)

(check out the m&m artwork below!)

Lora and David’s Basin Harbor Wedding

Jul 27th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
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I adore Lora and David! They are so sweet and so in love, and I had a ton of fun being around them!

What stuck with me most about the couple when I met them last year for their E session was how playful and uninhibited their are together and how much fun they have. This was even more apparent at their wedding and it shows in every picture we made during the day.

I love this moment during the portrait session…

Not only are David and Lora fun, but their friends and families are also joyous and loving and full of life. It was a party from start to finish.


It was one of those perfect June days at Basin Harbor Club and Resort and the bride and groom were married under a tent on the dock, overlooking Lake Champlain and The Adirondack Mountains.

You may kiss the bride (and what a kiss!!)

A perfect example of how cute David and Lora are together– At the end of the ceremony, the guests threw bird seed as the couple made their exit. Much of that bird seed went down the front of Lora’s wedding dress, so David decided to be a good husband and help her out (haha):


We’re hitched!

Apparently, there is a long history of a wedding Gnome who makes an appearance at all family nupials, so Jennifer Kiewit, my amazing Second Photographer extraordinaire, turned him into the ring barer…

Let’s Party!!!

Awesome dancing tunes all night provided by Peak Entertainment:

I LOVE my mustaches…

It’s not a Basin Harbor wedding without the sunset and Adirondack chairs…

Here’s a look back at Lora and David’s celebration, accompanied by the gorgeous voice of Sara Bareilles:

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If you’d like to see all 1000+ photos from Lora and David’s wedding day, please click HERE (but you need the password from the couple to get into the gallery!)

Your Photographers at work:

Karen (left) and Jenn (right):

Ron and Cris’s Wedding

Jul 17th, 2012
by kpikephoto.
No comments yet

“Style” is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Cris and Ron. Their wedding, held on the North Hero House pier and then the reception at the North Hero Community Hall, was nothing short of spectacular. The Couple, down from Ottawa to celebrate their nuptuals, transformed the hall into a blinggy ballroom fit for royalty. And Cris really looked like a princess!

This wedding was all about love and family, tradition and making memories. Every detail was thought out, from the tuxedo-folded napkins to the (faux) diamond studded platform built for the bride at the ceremony (Cris is about 5 ft and Ron is over 6 ft!). The food, catered by North Hero House, was as yummy as it was beautiful and the band, Dance Knights Orchestra from Montreal, provided amazing entertainment and dance music for the crowd.

Cris and the bridesmaids got ready at the inn, while Ron and the groomsmen dressed at the couple’s South Alburg lakeside retreat. I love this angle as Cris gets help putting on her dress-

Such a sweet moment-the flower girl was completely mesmerized by the bride all day.

Second Photographer Extraordinaire Jenn Kiewit took great pictures of Ron and his crew getting ready!

The idea was for the men to travel to the ceremony by boat, but not every plan goes accordingly when making a wedding…

The boat stalled out about 200 feet offshore and, after a bit of a delay, Ron and his crew were rescued and delivered to the pier!

Look at this scene-gorgeous or what?? And what a perfect day…

Yup, when’s the last time you watched a couple serenade each other at their wedding! Wow!

I love catching those out-of-character moments during the ceremony:

Lots of fun portraits after the ceremony before heading to the reception hall…

After cocktails at North Hero House, the whole crowd proceeded down the road to the Community Hall…

Not only did Ron and Cris sing during the wedding, but they also performed an amazing waltz at the reception. It was like watching “Dancing With The Stars”–

Lots of toasts and lots of tears, just as it should be…

Go, Cris!

I LOVE to make slideshows for my blog, and, because they are done in FLASH, it breaks my heart that you can’t see them on an IPAD or IPHONE (I’m working on it!). And this slideshow is super special, because Cris and Ron did the vocals! Accompanying the photos here is their redition of “When God Made You“, the song they sang to each other during the wedding ceremony. It’s pretty great and Cris has an amazing voice (Ron’s not too shabby, either!!)

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If you’d like to see all of the pictures from Cris and Ron’s wedding day, please click HERE (and you will need the password from the bridal couple to enter the gallery)

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