Crista Acosta Photography »

Salena and Danny got married a few weeks ago at the absolutely lovely Hermitage Inn located in Vermont.  They had an intimate ceremony filled with laughs, love, and a teary eye or two.  The chemistry between them is nothing short of incredible, and it’s so abundantly clear that they have found their partners, their match – in each other.  The weather was amazing as they stood with the mountains as their backdrop, and once the night air got cool, they headed in for one of the most memorable receptions we’ve had this season.  Lovely toasts, seriously incredible food, and a crowd of friends and family that were dancing so hard they literally started dancing the floor apart.  That’s the kind of wedding I can get down with!  At one point their was a little audio glitch, and ever the entertainer (partly because he’s in a super awesome band), Danny grabbed the mic and started singing a capella to the crowd.  Amazing night, amazing couple.

Salena and Danny, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your wedding with us.

A ridiculously huge thank you to Barbara for shooting this wedding with me… for your attention to detail, creative ideas, and keeping me sane in the midst of busy season… thank you!!

Can I just for a second gush about our 2012 couples?  I absolutely adore every.single.one. of them.  We are in for an amazing year of weddings, and I can’t wait.  Tim and Kate are way high up the list of super awesome couples we get to work with, and their engagement session was just a little taste of how wonderful their wedding day will be.  These two have such an ease together, he with his infectious sense of humor, and she with her sweet smile.  My cheeks actually hurt when I left this session from smiling so much.

We started our session off in downtown Essex, and because of the unpredictable September weather were able to get two totally different feels for their engagement session.  First a little fall vibe, and ladies – can we gush about Kate’s boots?  I may or may not have scoured Zappos for 2 hours trying to find them.  These first few have such a quintessential New England vibe to them… l love the setting here.

Then we headed over to Tim’s family’s house on the beach and the stormy sky was just gifting us such beautiful light!

Thanks again guys, I can’t wait for your wedding!!

Greg and Andrea, a simple and sweet love story that played out on a beautiful September day.  A day that was filled with quiet stolen moments, little stories about the new bride and groom, and one of the sweetest sermons I’ve ever heard at a wedding.  An amazingly thoughtful couple who was sure to include a special birthday treat for close loved ones, a touching speech by Andrea’s dad that left me in tears, and hands down one of the best groomsmen toasts (or serenades, if we’re being accurate!) that we’ve had all season.  An awesome group of guests who hit the dance floor hard, but most of all… Andrea and Greg, who are so incredibly matched that their happiness poured itself all over that beautiful day as they pledged their lives to one another.

Thank you both for having us, and to Barbara – as always, thanks for being my second shooter extraordinaire.

Bride’s Dress: Mariella’s

DJ (who rocked the house!!!): Ryan Kristafer Entertainment

Venue: Avon Old Farms Hotel

Videographer: Fran Gagnon Films

At least once during planning, every bride hears “something will without a doubt go wrong on your wedding day, you just have to accept it and keep your eye on the big picture”.  No amount of planning or prepping could have predicted that on Brian and Maggie’s wedding day a massive hurricane would be slated to hit Connecticut.  As their wedding day grew closer and the newscasters’ hype of Irene grew bigger, I touched base with Brian every few days to be sure that nothing had changed.  They had been planning this wedding, this one perfect day forever – and in the end – even if it was just the two of them there, they were going to get married.

Despite missing a few of their guests, and losing power once or twice, they had the perfect day.  Their wedding day.  A day that would never be forgotten by anyone that attended.  Not so much for the fact that it was in the middle of a big storm, but because when presented with a huge obstacle, Brian and Maggie had only one solution.

To laugh, and dance in the debris of the storm.  As leaves swirled in the wind showing their under bellies, and huge trees floated down the river, this happy couple and their guests celebrated love.  Love that couldn’t be stopped by any obstacle.

From the very first email inquiry I got from Mollie about her wedding, I knew I loved her.  We just clicked instantly, and when I finally met her and her fiance Paul a little over a week ago, I knew why.  Together, they are one of those couples that you meet on vacation and feel like you’ve known your whole lives.  They both have infectious smiles, and clear, kind hearts.  They are both incredibly easy to talk to, and I absolutely cannot wait for their wedding next year.

Also, ladies… can we just stop for a second and gush about Mollie’s hair?  It’s even more amazing in person, I swear.

Christina and Mike are one of those couples that you can’t help smile when you’re around.  Possibly the two sweetest people on earth, it’s no surprise that they found their forevers in each other.  She with her classic beauty and infectious enthusiasm, he with his kind soul and gentle smile.  It was an honor to be a part of their wedding day.  A day filled with love and laughter, thoughtful and touching speeches, a beautiful song written by the bride’s brother for the new couple and performed as a surprise for them during the reception, and dancing to the grooves of ETA Music that nearly shook the historic and elegant Union League Cafe to the ground.

I need to pause here and give a big shout out to Barb for the picture below.  I love this shot so much, I wish I had taken it!

Christina and Mike, congratulations on your beautiful wedding day, but more importantly on your marriage.  This is only the start of the best adventure you two will ever tackle together!

Lastly, a huge shout out to the Weddingistas for their amazing attention to detail and help coordinating this amazing day.

Amanda and Jake… I’m not really sure where to start with these two.  From the first moment I met them, I knew I wanted to photograph their wedding.  The way their eyes lit up when they talked about becoming husband and wife, the amazing details they planned to incorporate, but more than anything who they were together.  Their wedding day was filled with incredible hand made items, from the flowers and favors cut from a plant that a beloved teacher had given Amanda many years ago, to the silhouettes of the bride and groom at their bridal table, the hand strung paper hearts, beautiful antique window seating chart, the teacup planters used to line the aisle, but perhaps most impressive the aisle itself the Jake painstakingly laid stones and cut moss to allow it to grow over the rocks for his bride to be to walk down on their wedding day.  There was magic in the woods that day.

Undeterred by a morning of heavy rain, and a slightly muddy ceremony site, the love shined through the trees as Amanda and Jake promised their forevers to each other.  As the day grew dark, the temperature dipped and the rain picked up again, fancy shoes were traded for waterproof ones, socks were added to outfits and jackets were pulled from trunks – but the love of the night still hung heavy in the air, balking at mother nature’s attempt to put a damper on the day.

Amand and Jake – thank you so much for having Barbara and I as a part of your wedding day.

You know those people you meet that 3 seconds into your first conversation you feel like you’ve known them forever?  The ones that become instant friends because there just isn’t an option not to be, almost as if it were already mapped out for you?  Amanda and Jake are those people.  From my first chance meeting with Amanda, I just knew that I wanted to be a part of her wedding day… and when I met Jake and saw them together, I was 100% certain.  These two have “it”.  That chemistry that you can’t deny, the love that is so visible you are forced to take notice.  During their engagement session, I did minimal directing… they just knew what to do – to be together and in love – and it shows.

We had originally planned to try and do a snowy engagement session, thinking just a dusting on the ground with snow softly falling around them… but well, we all know how this winter turned out.  So we went a totally different route, and I’m so glad we did.  Love these images.

The hat, the lamp posts, the kiss.  Love this one!