Lauren + Jay = Married

The love Lauren and Jay have for each other is infectious. When we met them last spring, it was clear that they shared a special bond. When we shot their engagement session this summer, we had the privilege of getting to know them even better and it seemed as though they had always been a part of each others life. Lauren and Jay. Jay and Lauren. They were so natural together. When we shot their unusually warm December wedding a few weeks back, it became clear that their love was rooted in a larger picture. Both of their respective families were just so loving and warm. As an outsider, we often don't' know who's family belongs with what side of the bride and groom - but we can honestly say that the entire party just seemed like one large family fun fest. Everyone was there to shower their support on Lauren and Jay, and it pretty much left a perma-smile on our faces throughout the entire day. After getting ready with their respective bridal party and family members (with rooms exactly next to one another! The anticipation!) they each got on separate wedding trolleys and headed for the sweetest little church in Littleton, MA. Jay's eyes welled with tears as Lauren walked down the aisle with a huge grin on her face. The ceremony was filled with laughter and ended in song, as so appropriately stated by their officiant after their kiss: "Lauren and Jay felt that the only appropriate action after this moment was to celebrate with music." The celebration continued with a fun bridal party trolly ride (this trolly was decked.out....a fireplace...fog machine...light shows....need I say more?) and a gorgeous reception at the Barn at Gibbet Hill in Groton. One of our favorite moments was Lauren and her dad's first dance, which they decided to go a bit further and personalize the tradition by replacing it with a duet, with Jay as the lead guitar. Talk about sweet! There wasn't a dry eye in the house. We had a great time shooting and even decided to snap a few portraits of them with some twinkle lights since the sun had long past set by the time they were able to have a moment to themselves. Congrats you two! We know you'll share many years of happiness together.

Editorial Shoot with Whim Events

If this day wasn't already exciting enough with our new site, photo shoot giveaway, and the super cute engagement session we posted earlier we thought it would be fun to end the day on the highest note possible. A few weeks ago, we had the honor of shooting an editorial shoot with the ladies from Whim Events - set inside a whimsical garden. Natalie and Moria were amazing to work with and the shoot (and weather) could not have been more perfect. Styled shoots are an excellent way for vendors to work together since at real weddings it's often chance of who we get to work with, and even when we know them, their process doesn't usually involve us until the day of the wedding, so this gives us a bit more time to control the environment of a shoot and just have fun doing what we love. We had a great time and left with a feeling of absolute gratitude. We feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work doing something we love, and on top of that, with people that are downright awesome. Being a photographer can be a lonely life, editing in front of the computer most days, but having opportunities to work with such great vendors and clients always leaves a smile on our face, and for that we are blessed.

The bride's and flower girl dresses were provided by Flair Bridesmaid Boutique, hair and makeup were done by the amazing Ashley of Ashley Brecken Hair Styling & Make-up Artistry, located at Salon Marc Harris, the birdhouse escort card design was done by local artist Jill Hoy, the venue was Weezie's Children's Garden at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, floral design, styling and coordination by Whim Events and photography by us.

New Website!

  Welcome to the all new Summer Street Photography website!!! We're delighted you stopped by, and we hope you take a moment to explore all of the new parts of our virtual home. It's still the same Matt and Kendra, but we've been working with some personal trainers of sorts to get our new site looking like a total and complete makeover. (psst....You'll want to read all the way to the end - there is a surprise down there as well! )

Let's start at the beginning. Meet Melissa and Jonathan, the master minds behind the Brooklyn based design firm, Makewell. They are getting married next June at her step-dad's farm in New Hampshire, and guess who gets to photograph it? Yep. That's us. Check out this too cute for words photo that Jonathan's brother took:

Photo by: Jordan Motzkin

Aren't they cute? When they contacted us this summer about shooting their wedding next June, I couldn't help but notice their work title line on the very bottom of their e-mails. Graphic designers you say? I clicked into their site. And fell in love.

And so it began. Our site was in need of something a little more cohesive and professional. A little more, 'design-savvy'. So We hired them. Well, actually, we hired each other. We started working on the new site in July, and now, almost four months later to the date, we have a new baby. A new, virtual baby that is. Melissa and Jonathan were amazing to work with.  We got to help with the fun stuff, but they really were the masterminds behind the entire site. We love that the website is now much more technically fluid and functional; incorporating our portfolio alongside our current work as well as has handmade details like Melissa's calligraphy in our new logo and other parts of the site.

In short, we couldn't be more happy. Read on for a few new features, and then go see them in action! (p.s. if you're my mom, remember these images below are just screen shots, and you'll have to go into the main site to see them in action).

Here's the home page. Happy.

Oh hi. It's us. Bet you didn't know Matt does Karate. Venn Diagram for the win!

Jessica's dress and Abena's perfume. Part of the Portfolio sections. See that little portfolio icon to the left of our logo? Let you mouse rest on that and a drop down menu of various portfolio goodies will appear for your choosing.

More portfolio. Claire. Pretty, pretty Claire.

The new blog! We'll still be posting all of our recent work here, so this part of the site will be constantly updated with our new work. See those cute little handwritten links on the side? All Melissa. If you click on categories, a little genie will show you the various post categories. Nice and tidy.

The thing we're the most excited about with our new blog is the 'See More' feature. We'll be posting a single image from our shoots, and then you can click 'See More' to see the rest of the shoot. If you want to 'See Less' you can, with a click of a button. Also, something that we really really wanted was the ability to expand and collapse the posts without leaving the main blog page. On most blogs, when you click 'See More' or 'Read More' you're redirected to a new tab or window, and then you need to hit the home button or the back button to go back where you were. Not here. You can expand and collapse as many posts as you like without leaving the page. Amazing. Totally amazing.

Our contact page. Pretty self explanatory. This is how we get most of our inquiries, so now we're comforted by the fact that there is a nice photo of Jay and Lauren in a field instead of just text. win win.

So fun huh? We are head over heels in love with this new little baby. To celebrate the new website's arrival we've decided to do a GIVEAWAY!

We will be giving away one photo shoot to a random lucky recipient! If you win, here's what's in it for you:

-A 1 Hour Photoshoot with Summer Street Photography

-You'll receive 50 edited images on a high resolution disk with a photo release to use the photos for personal use

-Can be used for an engagement, newborn, maternity, head shot, senior, pet or fashion photo session. If we are shooting your wedding in 2011 or 2012, you can also enter to win an additional hour of photography coverage on your wedding day. Don't want to be in front of the camera? Gift your sister a maternity session! Win an extra hour of photography for your friend! You can gift your prize as well as use it for yourself. Shoot must be in the Boston area - but we will also be in Minnesota and South Dakota this winter, so if you're out there, you're eligible as well. As always, if you live in France, just fly us out and we'll shoot all day for free.

-Here's how to Enter:

-Like Our Page on Facebook, or invite three friends to 'Like" Summer Street Photography on Facebook. Once one of the three people you invite follow through, you have your golden ticket. Then those people can enter the contest as well.

-Leave a Comment here telling us what your favorite part of the new site is

A winner will be drawn at random and announced next Friday November 18th - or when we reach 1000 likes, whichever comes first.

Now go explore the new site! And come back this afternoon, we'll be posting two more fun posts!

Sarah + Chris = Married

Sarah and Chris are the type of people everyone loves. They are the true definition of kind-hearted, and their hobbies span a wide range of admirable activities. For example, Chris proposed to Sarah at mile 24 while running the Boston Marathon. Sarah and Chris planned almost their entire wedding this summer while she was researching in India and he was back in Boston. They will be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this spring as their honeymoon. So it came as no surprise when they wanted their wedding to boast the proud Vermont colors of fall and they decided to forgo a traditional DJ for a Contra Dance. Even though it rained for most of their wedding day, it only made the foliage brighter and the mood cozier as the exchanged vows under a picnic shelter. The rain stopped just in time to capture a few vibrant portraits of the two of them – just Sarah and Chris, out in nature, and happy to be married.

Katie + John = Married

Katie and John, oh Katie and John. These two are so sweet together. They have completely stolen our hearts. Their Indian Summer October wedding day was quite literally full of sunshine and happiness. Fruitlands Museum out in Harvard, Mass provided a quintessential ‘New England in the Fall’ backdrop for them to exchange vows and celebrate with their closest family and friends. Their love for each other radiated into each detail they carefully planned throughout the day. I could go on, but I’ll keep the chatter to a minimum and let you see for yourself just how great Katie and John are together.

Liz + Jimmy = Married

Liz and Jimmy are high school sweethearts. At their reception, they had two large picture frames, one featuring a photo from their engagement session with us (awwww…) and the other, sweetly displaying a photo from when they were sixteen years old. Both sitting in the back of a pickup truck, shyly looking at the camera, unaware that moment would be displayed years later on one of the biggest days of their lives together. It was clear that they not only had a rich history together, but that their families and friends had watched them grow and develop together toward their wedding day. What a happy day they had. After getting ready at her mom’s house in Milton with her best friends and bridesmaids, Liz and her girls took a trolley to St. Agatha Church for the ceremony. Jimmy, nervous yet calm as a cucumber, welcomed his bride with a smile and a tear in his eye as she was escorted down the aisle by her grandfather. In Catholic Wedding ceremonies, often the couple will say their vows and exchange rings and kiss before the Priest has finished the ceremony. Immediately after Liz and Jimmy kissed, the biggest, most energetic applause roared from the audience. And it didn’t stop! People clapped for probably a minute straight. It was pure happiness. Once the crowd quieted down, the Priest exclaimed, “That was the best applause I have ever heard! And in church no less!” It was true. We were grinning from ear to ear. So were Liz and Jimmy. We also have to give a shout out to our dear friend, George from George Rivera Photography who joined Summer Street for the day to help capture their wedding. He is an amazing photographer and a super laid back person to work with. We loved seeing his artistic eye spruce up our style. The second photo of Jimmy was taken by George, and I think it’s my favorite Groom shot to date!

Marie + Mike = Married

This wedding. I'm telling you. GORGEOUS. Every inch of it! What's more, is that for these two, it was not about that, but their love managed to infuse every inch of their day making it beautiful from the inside out. From the beginning, one of the first things Marie and Mike were excited about in their wedding planning process was their ceremony. The solemnly grand backdrop of St. Mary's Dominican Friar's Church provided an elegant and sacred space to exchange vows. The excitement beamed on their faces as they exited the church and we took a stroll through Yale's campus capturing some portraits which were again GORGEOUS - but how could they not be when we had subjects as stunning as Marie and Mike? Their reception was held at the Union League Cafe and really felt like one large dinner party with french food, a four piece band and croquembouche - could it get any better?

Maggie + Louis = Married

Having been to a good number of weddings this year, we have observed that the events where the couple takes the time to infuse their personalities into the day always leads to the best guest (and couple!) experience. We love it when we leave a wedding and say, "that was an awesome day, and it was so them." That's exactly what happened at Maggie and Louis' Harvard Square Wedding. It was classy yet approachable....playful but collected...formal yet fun. Having had the pleasure of knowing Maggie and Louis first as friends and then as clients, we were able to shoot their day in a way we felt reflected their taste and personalities. They both got ready at the Mary Prentiss Inn (which has a soft spot in our hearts since we did the same for our wedding) and had a first look in the Harvard Law School Yard, just steps away from where Louis' Grad school building is, and of course on Maggie's alma mater grad school turf. After the first look, we made our way over to the Harvard Memorial Church for the signing of the the Ketubah and their ceremony where they had friends read some of their favorite passages in French and English - including reading the text from 'Aladdin's' A Whole New World. Best. Ceremony. Reading. Ever. Since the weather was practically perfect, we enjoyed our time through the Harvard campus and the square capturing some of the first moments the two of them had as husband and wife. The evening was completed with a first class dining experience at Upstairs on the Square which made a vibrant backdrop for a wedding party.

Ly + Kieran = Married

It seems like we do so much gushing over here that by now you either think we are super excited all the time or that we're making up how great our client are. Fortunately for us (and you) neither are true. The truth is, we feel absolutely blown away by how much we love our job and our clients. Take Ly and Kieran's wedding. We had so much fun at their wedding that we decided that if we had to re-do our own wedding, we'd probably try to emulate the spirit of their wedding day. Ly and Kieran live in Ireland (she's American and he's Irish) and threw a spectacular celebration in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire with their closest family and friends - complete with 50% Irish Accented Guests. They rented a large vacation home on Lake Winnipesaukee and started their day off with a heartfelt Vietnamese Tea Ceremony. During the Tea Ceremony, the Groom and his family and friends enter the Bride's house with gifts and offerings. It was so sweet to watch Ly and her sister giggle with excitement as Kieran's family drew closer to the home. The couple serves Tea to their parents and grandparents and the bride's family presents their daughter to the groom. Ly admitted to not fully knowing what was going to happen during the Tea Ceremony, as did Kieran, making the service full of laughter and anticipation.

After the Tea Ceremony the wedding guests were invited to relax around the property until the Western Ceremony. We took full advantage of the time getting every little detail and taking a million photos of Ly's gorgeous dress and ensemble. The mood around the property was so laid back, people mingling, talking, listening to music and dipping their toes off the edge of the dock into the lake.  Their Western Ceremony was filled with more laughter and love, followed by some sunset portraits in a nearby field and a rocking tented reception with some of our favorite dancing photos of the season. Ly and Kieran, it has truly been a pleasure working with the two of you. We hope you're enjoying your African Honeymoon Adventure and hope we can cross paths across the pond!

Lauren + Neil = Married

Lauren and Neil were married on a Sunday. We love Sunday weddings because they are like big family reunions. People eat slower and talk more. They hug abundantly and laugh with gusto. We loved watching the way their guests cheered them on as they celebrated their first day as a married couple. They held their wedding ceremony and reception at the Crystal Lake Golf Club in Mapleville, RI - and it was an ideal venue. They had a ceremony in a tucked away wooded area and took a boat back to the reception site. Some people have getaway cars...Lauren and Neil had a getaway boat! After a few portraits with their beloved Dog, Morgan - they had a lovely reception with some of the cutest centerpieces and probably our favorite cake of the season. Lauren and Neil, it was such a pleasure capturing your day - we wish you many years of happiness together with Morgan and Batman (and maybe even some human babies too!) !