Krista and Darren at Linden Place (New Year's Eve) Part 2

After the ceremony, we ducked back into the mansion for some "formal" photos. Here is the whole gang, warm and dry. We had the whole house to ourselves, which was nice. Meanwhile, the caterers were breraking down the ceremony and setting up the reception while the guests enjoyed the cocktail hour...

A little snuggling on this fantastic couch...Isn't the bottom of Krista's dress terrific?!

A classic portrait... got to have it!



Now it's time for the party so we head back over to the carriage house where cocktails await!

But first a quick pic outside these fun doors...

Fun, yes... but also very heavy! Darren is ready for a cocktail!

One of the best moments is always when the bride and the groom see their venue decorated for the first time- here Darren and Krista are taking it all in... a sneaky photo by Trish, I love it!

Nice detail of the place cards- love the cork, very festive for new years!

These table arrangements are terrific too, I don't know what these papery "sticks" (for lack of a better word) are called but I think they are really cool.

More sticks! And little birds on the cake- adorable and wintery!

Krista's bridesmaids gave a funny toast about her indecisiveness about the wedding planning, but absolute decisiveness about Darren being the guy for her!

sweet.

Just so we don't forget what's going on outside...

The countdown for New years with a champagne toast!

Midnight!

What a great way to kick off the new season! Hurray for 2009!

Coming up next, Krista and Darren brave the coldest day of the year for some photos the morning after their wedding....

Sassy Pink Poodles

It's been dreary here lately, so I thought I would show you a bright, happy cookie to fight the blah's!

I made these a few years ago for a little girl's birthday party. I was nervous, to be honest, about making poodles, but really happy with the way they turned out.

To make the poodles:

• Outline poodle body in bright pink royal icing using a #2 tip, making separate outlines for the head, leg, tail, neck "poufs" and ear (AmeriColor Electric Pink).
• Thin bright and light pink icing (AmeriColor Deep Pink) with water to the consistency of syrup. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit several minutes.
• Run a rubber spatula gently through the bright pink icing and transfer to squeeze bottle. Fill in "pouf" areas and ear. Use a toothpick to guide into corners.
• Using the light pink icing, transfer to squeeze bottle as above and fill in the remainder of the body.
• Let sit overnight.
• Using a mixture or meringue powder and water, paint the bright pink areas with a small paint brush. Shake on bright pink sparkling sugar. (Click here for how to set up a "sanding station.")
• Using a black food coloring pen, add the face details (AmeriColor Gourmet Writers).

Table for 8 (or more...)

I am absolutely loving this dining room. I adore the pairing of rustic and modern elements in the space and the simple, clean lines of the table.

This table also looks like a possible DIY project, and, in times when we're all keeper tighter tabs on our pocketbooks, who doesn't love a more budget conscious option?

Melanie Acevedo

And since the bench provides the ability for people to "squeeze in," it is perfect for a large family and is also forgiving of any last minute additions to the guest list; with this set up, there is always room for one more!

Krista and Darren at Linden Place on New Year's Eve... Photos by Mariah & Trish Part 1

Well, a snow storm is always an interesting way to start of the New Year! I was thinking that a light dusting would be kind of cool for the photos- but that's not exactly what was in store for us. Krista and Darren weren't expecting this either, but it made for some pretty dramatic photo moments!

These are Krista and Darren's wedding bands, which Darren made!

I was supposed to go and photograph Krista and Darren's wedding all by my lonesome- but Trish agreed to come along and be my second shooter and lighting expert extraordinaire! Thank goodness! This was NOT a one person job! Here we are looking very glamorous in our winter attire. It was freezing in Bristol on the water!

We snapped this shot of Darren across the street from the hotel. The whole town felt like it was shut down... I love that about a storm. Darren was very accommodating to pose in this weather, or is he just frozen?




Here are the boys making their way up State Street to Linden Place... too cool for coats?




I love this bouquet, so festive!




Trish and I gasped (with excitement) when we saw Krista's dress hanging... I am absolutely insane for the little fur shrug, it's very Hollywood Glam!

Very clever program... nice idea.

Getting ready upstairs at Linden Place...

So excited!

Here's a little portrait of Krista, she's pretty sparkly.

The gals striking a pose...

Here she is with that jacket! She's going to need it! (see photo below)

See what I mean? Trish got this photo as Krista made her way from the mansion to the carriage house for the ceremony. (I was already all toasty inside!)

Warm and glowy in front of the fireplace.

A little more warm and glowy.

They did it!

Back across the drive for pictures... I think this moment is so cute...

This one is even better! Krista and Darren having a few seconds to themselves before everyone else arrives for photos. One of my favorite pics from the evening.

Coming up next, Part 2, formals & reception. Also, Krista and Darren were brave enough to meet me the morning after their wedding for another photo shoot. I really wanted to get some pictures of them in the nice daylight- not an option on New Year's Eve! Turns out, New Years day was even colder- but we got some terrific shots of that too, so stay tuned!

A Long December

I am a little behind with this post, but with the dawn of a new year and the end of another, it always seems to be the best time to reflect on the year that was and to look to the year ahead.

Craig Fordham

2008 was a year of great highs and lows for me, and I believe it may have been the same for many of you.

It's funny how the path where life leads is often surprising and unknown. At the beginning of '08, I could never have imagined that one of the brightest spots in my year would be the support I've found in the blogging world. I certainly couldn't have imagined the friends and connections I have made over the past months or how important this community would become to me.

While I have said it before, I must say it again- I have all of you who come here to read my words, all of you who comment, and all of you who have reached out to me with words of encouragement to thank for that very bright spot.

Anna Wolf

Wherever life's path takes me in the coming months, I am ready to discover what lies ahead in 2009! My greatest hope is for a year filled with more peace of mind, and, in the words of the Counting Crows, "there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last."

Here's wishing all of us a new year filled with hope, joy, and lots of love.

Happy New Year (I'm still here!!!)

Happy 2009!!! We are still unpacking boxes, but my sprinkles and food colorings have a new home. :) This is a marked improvement over the box in an armoire where they have been residing!

I've been saving glass jars lately...I'm not sure why (is this a sign of middle age?). Using them, instead of plastic bags, for sprinkles is a lot more festive!

More baking to come once we are unpacked. In the mean time, take a look at this KILLER CAKE my sister made for Christmas!!! I can't remember what it was called, besides heavenly, and 5 pounds per slice!

snap! you're it! camera visits LA with Stephanie and Jason

Happy New Year everyone! I think that 2009 is going to be fantastic. Let's just plan on it.

So to kick off the new season here at Snap! we thought it would be fun to get our fabulous clients involved in our blogging and to share some of their lives with us. Since we see them mostly on their wedding day, which is NOT a normal day in their lives, we thought it would be fun to get a peek into a day that IS normal.

Presenting..."snap! you're it!" The camera that comes to you unexpectedly in the mail and then gives you 24 hours to snap away and return to sender.

Our first couple to get the snap-cam were Stephanie and Jason, they are getting married in May at Oceancliff. You may remember them from their fun Thayer street portrait session. They live in Los Angeles and found some fun things to snap, so here are their photos...

I think that chandelier street lights are definitely an LA thing! I love this shot!

They had Chinese on Christmas Eve...

A little Hanukkah candle lighting...




For a little info about Hanukkah, click here.



Going to the airport to pick up Jason's sister... I really like the lines and contrast in this shot, although I don't know that that was what Stephanie was going for...



Their puppy Huston with his girlfriend Winnie. How cute are these doggies?!

Thanks so much for sharing your day with us, can't wait for your wedding, it won't be long now!