Ever since moving to Boston I’d been dying to photograph a wedding at the Boston Public Library. I’d been there several times to take wedding photos, but it’s just not quite the same as having it be the actual venue. I was therefore thrilled when Kate and Dan booked me last summer to photograph their June 2014 wedding; although the ceremony would be held at Harvard Memorial Church over in Cambridge, we’d have the library all to ourselves for an entire evening. Finally!

I started my day at the Fairmont Copley hotel with Kate, her mom and sister, and her bridesmaids and bridesman (that’s what you call a male member of Team Bride, in case you didn’t know). Mom Kathy was frantically checking the weather which showed signs of rain that afternoon, but we needn’t have worried; the afternoon remained dry, and the gray skies just made for softer, prettier light for Kate and Dan’s first look in Harvard Yard.

Instead of giving you a play by play of the wedding day, I’m going to talk about some of my very favorite photos today instead. The Boston Public Library staircase was my favorite spot for wedding photos, and the first photo of Kate and Dan walking down the stairs between posed pictures is my very favorite of the day. I loved how excited sister Sarah was during the getting ready time, and especially when she brought out Kate’s absolutely gorgeous Vera Wang dress … love her expression! I had the exact same expression when I first saw the ensemble – including both the awesome shoes and the custom lace bodice that she wore for the ceremony. So beautiful.

As Kate was leaving the hotel, I grabbed a couple of quick shots. I really love the candid/street feel to this photo, and I love that I caught the cyclist in the frame, checking out the bride as she walks out into the street. Coordinator Erin is holding the door open on the left side of the image, and I’m really happy to have captured her helping as she was such an integral part of the day. She’s also just a fantastic person that I hope to work with again.

I had an awesome second shooter, Earl Christie, helping me out, which freed me up to do a couple of things I wouldn’t normally be able to do – and he also took a few of the photos featured above of course! I also had my summer intern Mads with me, so while she and Earl were photographing the recessional (the photo from above of Dan’s father shaking his hand is by Mads) I was able to set up opposite the church to see what I could capture when Kate and Dan exited. I was well rewarded with huge smiles and an impromptu kiss on the steps … perfect!

The next photo is another favorite, a simple shot of the bride and groom entering their Boston Public Library wedding via the grand entrance on Copley. During cocktail hour, Kate and Dan enjoyed their first dance in the courtyard, then everyone gathered for a big group photo which I took from the Juliet balcony at the library. If you have a high vantage point at your venue, this is a great photo to take; we have one of all our guests from our own wedding and it’s one of our favorites from the day.

My final absolute favorite photo from this Boston Public Library wedding is of Kate and Dan dancing together right after the father daughter dance. Dan’s expression is so fun, and they are really feeling the music – which was fantastic; Soho Band really knows how to rock a dance floor! Thank you Kate and Dan for trusting me to document your beautiful wedding, and a special thanks to the amazing vendors we got to work with, especially Erin at The Catered Affair, and Mike and Whit at Boston Wedding Films, who were just a dream to work with (I cannot recommend these guys highly enough!)