Happy Birthday notes!

Well, it was actually Friday and I fully intended to write this very eloquent blog about birthdays and celebrations. But...things change and I've been working the past few days to clean up a flooded basement. We have never had any water in the basement, but with the ice in the back yard, and all that rain... well... just never say never! There was at least 10 inches of ice cold water and everything was floating around, I had visions from the movie "The Titanic", it really was quite a freezing cold mess!! But, hey, the good news is that the furnace still works... the freezer does too. I haven't checked the washing machine yet but I'm optimistic. And just think of all the cool stuff I got for my birthday, things that weren't even on my list! A sump pump...a floor pump...24 feet of hose... sand bags... oh the list goes on and on!! I'd post a picture, but to be honest, it just wasn't all that pretty. LOL

Back to work now, time to catch up... again! Thanks for the post, Bruce! And guess who's birthday is about a week away??

~ Val
www.thesweetestdays.com

Happy Birthday, Val!

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Val...
Happy birthday to you!!!

(Sorry had to!!)

I know it's not a birthday cake but it's the only cake pic I could find with a CANDLE in it ;) (it's from Amy and Dan's wedding last year)

Val you have my permission to take the day off. No, really.

-Bruce
www.thesweetestdays.com

Snow Day!

According to the weather guru's on the news, we've had about 6 inches of snow this year compared to over 5 feet of snow this time last year!! That's a lot of shoveling!! (and I remember it all very well) So this winter's actually been pretty nice as far as that goes, but today's snowfall was just so pretty I had to get outside and take a couple of pictures! At least the daffodils know spring is right around the corner... enjoy the day!








Val
www.thesweetestdays.com

Marie and Weylin

I was down to Mystic on Saturday to shoot some engagement shots for a really sweet couple, they are getting married in December. He's been transferred to VA so we didn't have a lot of time. Luckily the weather was great, well... it was unbelievably cold down on the river, but at least it wasn't raining, snowing, sleeting... or any of the other possiblities that New England weather can throw at you in February! Awesome couple and I can't wait to cover the wedding! Oh and thanks for the beautiful flowers, that was a sweet surprise!

~Val

www.thesweetestdays.com

A Very Special Letter

I received a letter a couple weeks ago from a couple who was married in August. Christine and Tony had such a wonderful wedding and we had a great time doing the photography. Check out their slide show (click here). With their permission, I want to share the letter with you.

Dear Val,

Where do I begin?

Tony and I just finished watching our collection of photos online for about the hundredth (okay, maybe couple hundredth) time! Each and every time the photos of our wedding still amaze us…

As you may remember, Tony and I got engaged last February and planned on having a summer wedding. After seeing some of your photos taken at the Seamen’s Inne and the Mystic Seaport, we were hooked! I had my heart set on someone that was familiar with the lighting of our banquet room and the difficulty of the church we chose.

We contacted you shortly after booking our reception for August only to find out that you were completely booked for the day of our wedding (imagine that) ! I made my mom sit and watch all (yes all) of the slide shows online at your site and I can remember asking both she and Tony what we were going to do since you were the only photographer I wanted!

So we waited, and procrastinated and I remember calling Sue a couple of months later and telling her that we didn’t have a photographer. I told her that The Sweetest Days was already booked and she said let me check…

Amazing! The wedding for our date was postponed and you had just found out! Tony and I met with you the very next morning and you showed us your wedding collection.

As you know, we were able to book both you and Bruce (what an amazing team!) so we could get every shot we were looking for.

Val, I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful your work is. Tony and I have looked at our photos over and over and just love the candid, yet always elegant and emotional shots you capture. It seems as though every time we look through our album, you’ve captured everything… from our plaque on the boardwalk to before, during and after the ceremony, to the family and wedding party photos and the first dance and our cake…every moment is right there!

The one thing we will always remember is the time we spent together doing our “couples” shot in the Seaport. We had such a wonderful time walking around talking about the ceremony, and finding some fun and some breathtaking photo backdrops (laughing the whole way, of course). Our favorite photos are the ones where we didn’t even realize you were taking. As we were enjoying our first moments alone that day, you were snapping away for a perfect reflection of our day and our personalities.

Thank you for all your efforts in making our wedding memories so special. It has been 5 months since our wedding and we are so fortunate to enjoy every moment over and over again. It was an absolute pleasure working with both you and Bruce.

Best Regards,

Christine and Tony Terracciano







We really do have the BEST couples! Thank you so much for letting us be part of your day and we wish you only happiness and joy always.

~ Val
www.thesweetestdays.com

Just for Fun

We thought you'd like to see an insider's look at the glamorous life of a wedding photographer. (yes, that is a vacuum cleaner behind me!) Actually, like the title says, we really do simply love our job, it's the best! These are 2 pics from a couple of our favorite places. Have a great day!!

**Oh, and this is in direct violation of our code that we must never be in a picture!! (Bruce told me this after I posted it) oops!**

Bruce at St. Clement's Castle in Portland



Val at The Water's Edge in Westbrook, CT



~ Val
www.thesweetestdays.com

Happy Valentine's Day!

One of the best days of the year for a hopeless romantic like myself. Hey, what can I say, I was named after my great grandfather who's name was Valentine (not kidding!!) although mine is a little different than that. (thank goodness!) He was from Germany. His son was named after him as well... uh oh, that isn't such a good thing for a boy is America... so then his son legally changed his name to Jack. (smart move!)

Anyhow, have a wonderful day and enjoy it with someone you love!



P.S. The roses are from Cassie and Pat's wedding, aren't they beautiful??

~ Val
www.thesweetestdays.com

February Weddings are great!

We don't have a lot of winter weddings in New England and I couldn't wait for Cassie and Pat's wedding this weekend. This is generally the off season, but I have to say, there should be more of them! Yes, it was cold, but still....a Valentine's Day wedding in February is perfect. It was at the Seamen's Inne in Mystic and as usual it was wonderful. Sue and the staff there really take care of every little details and it shows. I gotta say, this was one rocking reception!



Yes, the river is frozen! They were freezing so these were the fastest pictures I've ever done!


Sisters!


A stolen kiss in the limo...


Party Time!!

Thanks for letting us be part of a wonderful day!

~Val
www.thesweetestdays.com

Happy New Year!

We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Sorry that we got behind on our postings and we will be catching up over the next week or two, so check back when you can! And may 2007 be the absolute best ever!!

~ Val

Road Trip!

Yesterday Val and I were in New York City to attend the Photo Plus Expo and of course I had to bring along a camera (go figure!). My little point and shoot fits in my pocket and goes almost everywhere with me.

We did LOTS of walking, did LOTS of research on equipment and suppliers, etc and had a great time in the process! Here's a few random shots from the trip.

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The train station in Old Saybrook, waiting for our ride.


Here's where we came up out of Penn Station in NYC. This picture actually helped us find our way back later since the pigeons ate all the popcorn I dropped...


Some shots from the walk from Penn Station to the Javits Center.





Lots of vendors outside the Javits Center selling hotdogs, chicken, sausage, and shish-kabob. The smells were incredible!




Inside the Javits Center.


Entrance to the show. We made it!


We shoot Nikon. We love Nikon. For us, this is the mother ship...


If we've shot your wedding, you may have noticed some plastic Tupperware looking things on our flash units. Technically, they're referred to as "diffusers". They soften the light and eliminate the harsh shadows you often see in flash pictures. The type we use were designed by this guy, Gary Fong, and we stopped by to say hello while we were there! Gary had some new diffuser models for sale, which of course we bought, then he was answering questions and demonstrating techniques. He shoots Canon but we won't hold that against him!


After the show, we walked back to Penn Station and on the way stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant, La Bella Stella. A "Mom and Pop" place, the food was incredible! We didn't leave any room for dessert unfortunately but if I had, this would have been my choice!


Some night shots from the walk back...





Have a great weekend!

-Bruce