Elizabeth & Eric Are Married....with a little help from MySpace and Nana

I fell in love with Elizabeth and Eric as soon as I met them. They are simply the kind of couple that makes you smile and so I knew their wedding would be a wonderful event to document. I particularly loved the story of how Elizabeth and Eric met and how they got engaged. Their story is truly a blend of old and new and this was reflected in many ways throughout their wedding day.

Elizabeth and Eric met when they were in grade school, were friendly but then lost touch as they went off to college. After college, Eric found Elizabeth on MySpace and "friend requested" her. This lead to their first date and the rest is history. When it came time for a proposal, Eric's surprise plans to pop the question during a hike were spoiled when Elizabeth mentioned something about getting engaged during a hike. It was all for the better, though, because Elizabeth's Nana ended up surprising Eric by giving him her own engagement ring to give to Elizabeth. (Is your heart melting yet?)Well, the story gets even BETTER. Eric decided to propose to Elizabeth in front of Nana, hitting the surprise quotient out of the park and creating a memorable, uniquely meaningful start to the rest of their lives together.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago....Elizabeth is getting ready for their wedding, still not believing that she is actually the bride today. You can almost hear her saying it here as she looks at herself in the mirror.



Just giddy.



Her dress had the most unique details...a bit vintage in style.



With a modern cut that fit Elizabeth beautifully.



Still sinking in that she is the bride.



You just have to smile with her when you see this, right?



And the giddiness is returned by Eric as he watches his bride arrive.



A ceremony filled with happy tears and laughter. Perfect in my book.







A peaceful moment.



The energy here is just awesome.



The right angle and the right lens MAKE this shot. (And a stunning couple, of course.) And I love it.



This picture with Nana was at the top of my list.



A little romantic moment along the Hudson River.



This image (and the preceeding shot) were taken just a few steps from the church (St. Augustine in Ossining). The architecture of the church was amazing, as were the views. And thank you to the man upstairs for the gorgeous sky that day.



Some more shots that elicited a cheesy grin from yours truly. Click click click.







Eric's looking good.



Fun bridal party shot. Love the colors.



Best friends since Kindergarten. (See what I mean about the details behind this wedding?)



A fun group.



Girlie girl shots.





Alone again...



I love the casualness of this shot. And how the train of Elizabeth's train fans out in perfect, soft folds.



Shooting in the bushes has been working out for me lately, so in I went.





I like the off center composition here to add a bit of interest to this look-at-the-camera shot.



Joy. Pure and simple.



There's a lot to be said for a traditional bridal shot.



Another vintage element to their day. Love it!



Ready to party.



Romantic moments on the dance floor.







Unknowingly replicating Erics' parents in the background. Sweet.



And your loved ones smiling the whole time. (In this case, Elizabeth's brother.)



Smiles all around during the wonderful best man and matron of honor speeches.



Once again, a contagious smile.



A lovely room setting at The CV Rich Mansion in White Plains.



A pretty literal old and new depiction, but I think it works well.



I love how you can totally picture Eric and Elizabeth in jeans and sneakers in this shot. So much cooler in a tux and wedding dress, though.



Multiple things happening in one shot is fun. It's Eric and Elizabeth's facial expressions in the background that really make this image.



And my favorite shot of the day....this is what it's all about.



Elizabeth and Eric, it was beyond pleasurable to photograph your amazing wedding. I am STILL smiling and know that you will be doing so for many, many years to come. Congratulations!

Luisa & Sean - Married!

I had such an amazing time shooting Luisa and Sean's wedding that it's going to be hard to blog about it without posting a zillion photos, but I will try my best. (And yes, I know I have yet to blog about all my Fall weddings but I will get to it - I promise!)

Luisa was cool, calm and smiling from the inside out from the minute I showed up (and I'm sure beforehand, too).




I had to keep myself from doing the happy dance with the amazing light that was spilling into Luisa's bedroom as she was getting her final touches of makeup. Her eyes were literally sparkling.



LOVED this simple bouquet of flowers with a bold color statement.



Luisa's mom, sister and aunt all thoroughly enjoyed getting her ready. Her family is clearly one of very close women. This moment between Luisa's mom and aunt is a favorite of mine, a reminder that Luisa and Sean's day is special for everyone.



Shooting in the mirror was an easy way for me to snap this shot without Luisa realizing it and also makes for a somewhat unique composition.



Luisa was about to leave for the church when I quickly squeezed in this shot by her french doors. My name is Ro Rappa and I'm addicted to natural light.



Walking up the stairs with dad just moments before the ceremony. (And what a day - thank you Mother Nature for being so kind in February.)



Sean taking in his bride. Ladies, this is how every husband should look at his wife. Am I wrong?



Great architecture in the church. I think it's important to capture wide church shots as it portrays the ceremony as a truly grand part of the day.






Married!



A special moment with dad. Hugging with your eyes closed is more than just a hug.



I find myself often shooting a silhouette shot like this after a church ceremony. It's actually very easy and always comes out as a favorite.



Onto the formal photos at the beautiful CV Rich Mansion in White Plains. This shot was actually Sean's idea. I originally set it up with just the guys and after I shot that, Sean asked to include Luisa. I like it...thanks, Sean! (More on Sean's camera interests below....)



This shot was taken amidst a series of formal family photos. Luisa and Sean were always "in the moment."



I think Sean was trying to do a cheesy pose with Luisa here but they just couldn't keep a straight face. I love the lighthearted and carefree nature of this documentary shot.



Taken a millisecond later....love when a bride cracks up like this.



One of my many favorite rooms to shoot at CV Rich Mansion is the library. A nice setting for a formal photo. Also, staggering heights of the group with the sofa adds visual interest.



Luisa, I just want to pinch you!



Sean is one of four brothers so we took some fun shots of boys just being boys.





I like taking bouquet shots that are more than just bouquet shots.





CV Rich Mansion really provides a warm "house" atmosphere. The possibilities are endless for me with so many great doorways and details.





Most people don't take their own wedding pictures....except Sean! As I found out later during the maid of honor's speach, this is classic Sean behavior. And I got the shot to prove it. ;-)



Grooms deserve a nice formal portrait, too.



An intimate moment.....not posed by me. Luisa and Sean being Luisa and Sean.



We were blessed to be able to shoot some photos outside.





I ran inside quickly to change my lens and these two were at it again. Click!



Luisa's "something old" was her grandmother's pin. What a nice touch to her bouquet.



Back inside taking advantage of the last moments of natural light for the day.



Perfect wedding ambiance.



Party time!





In this shot I think it's cool how your eye naturally goes to Luisa and Sean because everybody else's back to the camera frames the couple.



The best man's toast was hilarious - I was laughing pretty hard myself. Luisa and Sean were married 18 years after they met in college and the best man (Sean's brother) was clearly looking forward to harping on this. He noted that the continental shelf has moved three feet since then! Made for a great reaction shot for me.



What do you get when a dad has all boys? Lots of great daughter-in-laws.



Family having fun.



Sean, put down the damn camera! ;-)



Just a few friends from Boston College.



Lots of happy faces at the reception.









Tons of dancing.....





....and some rather creative moves.











Well,I guess I didn't do such a great job at keeping this blog to a few shots, but sometimes too much of something is a good thing. ;-) Congratulations Luisa and Sean on the beginning of the rest of your life together!