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Jess & Dan’s Wedding

I don’t know exactly when we became the unofficial Ethel Walker’s alumni wedding photographers--but after photographing Jess and Dan’s ceremony in the chapel on campus--it’s pretty safe to say “‘08 Don’t Hate!” That was the hilarious motto for Heather’s graduating class, which was less than 40 students. I love watching Heather talk to her old classmates and share the questionable teenage stories that are made of pure nostalgia. It’s like listening to The Goonies talk about their adventures, or hearing “Green Onions” come on when The Sandlot boys are walking on their turf to talk some trash. Nostalgia is so powerful because it connects senses (smells, tastes) with memories that immediately transport us back to a place in time. I’m just happy to be taking photos and coming along for the ride.

I’ve learned as a photographer that the lighting in churches is typically terrible. That being said, the chapel on Ethel Walker’s campus has pure New England church vibes. It has that immaculate white spire that pierces cloudless blue skies, and clean, dark wooden pews that contrast with all the white on the inside. The large, long windows allow natural light to pour in from all directions. There was an aura in the air during Jess and Dan’s ceremony, almost like an atmospheric halo floating above their guests’ collective heads. It’s probably one of the most divine scenes that I’ve experienced in a church.

After the ceremony, we borrowed Jess and Dan and took them up the hill from the church to take some romantics. The sun is already setting so early so we have to be precise when it comes to golden hour in the beautiful fall months. Jess and Dan danced around in the same space that Heather used to jump horses, with a quintessential New England backdrop in the background. Every time we have one of these perfect moments it makes me sad that Heather and I never quite got a romantics session for our own wedding. Between hosting it on Heather’s uncle’s farm, the on-and-off rain, and welcoming our guests, we simply didn’t carve out enough time. It does make me immensely happy to help deliver this experience to our couples like Dan and Jess, though!

From there we headed to The Riverview in Simsbury, Connecticut, a venue that we have worked at a few years ago. We rolled right into cocktail hour as the night came on quickly. Heather and I got to catch up with a few more of her classmates before dinner was served and dances and speeches began. Once the music kicked off people hit the dance floor and it was all partying from then on!

Heather and I are enjoying the connections she has to Ethel Walker and the friends of her past. We got a small tour of the gorgeous campus before Jess and Dan’s ceremony and we even found a mural that Heather painted back in 2008. It still hangs in the infirmary, right behind one of the nurses that has worked there since Heather was a student. As our partnership goes into its seventh year it’s always wonderful to see sides of Heather I haven’t seen before. Judging by all of the interactions with her friends and teachers it’s obvious that everyone knew that Heather was going somewhere. I’m just grateful that she was heading towards me.