I don’t get to photograph them very often, but my absolute favorite weddings to photograph take place in fields and woodlands and gardens, surrounded by nature. They are laid back, emotional, and honest. They are true reflections of the couple getting married, and my role – even more than usual – is quiet observer and documentarian.

Stephanie and Connor got married in the field at the back of their lovely home in Wayland, MA, on a cool fall day. It was really important to them that their ceremony be private and intimate, with just a handful of immediate family members present. They wanted their reception to feel like a large scale dinner party, where they would share their favorite fall recipes that they had learned to cook together during quarantine.

Their sweet vision was brought to life beautifully by their incredible planner Sorrell Downing, of Events by Sorrell. It was such a delight getting to work with this woman who is not only a creative visionary, but also one of the kindest souls I’ve met in this industry. Many thanks to Sorrell for styling the wedding and personal details below; this is one of the hardest parts of the day for me so I absolutely love it when the planner has a talent for the styling!

After taking photos of all the pretties, I spent a few minutes with Connor as he finished dressing, then headed upstairs to see Stephanie. She was having her hair styled by her dear friend who has been the hair stylist for all of the girls in this lovely friendship group. It isn’t her job, just a talent she loves to share and gift to her best friends. These girls are just the loveliest people and there was so much warmth in the getting ready space.

After a quick first look with her dad, Stephanie headed across the street to Hazel Brook Conservation Area to meet with Connor. They wanted their first look to be as natural as possible so I chatted with them both about how we could go about that. We settled on having Stephanie call Connor’s name when she was in place; it was a good compromise between being able to capture the exact “first look” moment and staying true to their vision of having things feel authentic throughout the day.

We spent a few minutes taking some couples portraits around the pond just down the hill from their first look; what a beautiful place to have across the street from their already picture-perfect woodland home!

The ceremony was very intimate and super short – less than five minutes from Stephanie’s arrival with her parents to the end of ceremony kiss! There were no readings, just simple vows, a ring exchange, and a Greek crowning ceremony. Some of my favorite photos of the day are from Connor & Steph’s walk back down the aisle and across their field; their joy is palpable.

After some family portraits under their ceremony tree, the couple and their families joined gathered guests for an extended cocktail hour. I’m usually pretty rushed during cocktail hour (lots to photograph and not much time) so I relished the two hours I had available for detail photos of the tented reception, candids of family and friends chatting and hugging and laughing, and some final couples portraits of Stephanie and Connor in their gorgeous back yard. I was particularly enamored with the bridge connecting their front yard to the rest of the property; it featured in quite a few photos throughout the evening.

Dinner was held back in the large field and it was magical, lit mostly by candles that were placed in vintage holders found by Steph and Connor (side note: their home is an absolute dream of fabulous woodland wallpapers and vintage finds and rich moody paint colors – totally my style!) They ate off vintage china and were surrounded by gorgeous blooms – I especially loved the hanging rows of flowers above each farm table. It was just gorgeous!

My evening ended just after the bonfire was lit and the DJ started spinning some tunes; Steph and Connor, I hope you had a perfect evening toasting marshmallows and dancing under the stars (and a couple of sparkly disco balls!) Thank you for trusting me to document your wonderful celebration!