Karen and Craig at the Harding Allen Estate

Last weekend we got to launch into spring with not only a gorgeous, warm day, but with a wedding that rivaled all that mother nature served up. We spent the weekend at The Harding Allen Estate, in Barre Massachusetts capturing the wedding of Craig and Karen. Tim arrived the night before in hopes of catching a little of the morning "fun run" put on by the bride. I was travelling from a decidedly farther origin, flying in from a Mexican photographic adventure with not much time to spare. Due to some surgical planning, some good luck and perhaps a few karma chips cashed in, I put together a chaotic mix of planes, buses, and rental cars to show up at the event. With a half hour to spare I had time to walk the grounds, meet all the major players, and fall into a comfortable rhythm with the Groom and his men. With Tim covering all that happened with the ladies, and me with the guys, we were both having a blast utilizing the landscape and grounds of this wonderful estate. Craig and Karen were not only laid back and a lot of fun to work with, they were also up for pretty much anything we could toss at them. We shot separately for two hours before the wedding, utilizing every inch of the place and still managing to keep the bride and groom from seeing each other. The effort of keeping them apart while still shooting both sides of the party and using each part of the grounds was well worth it when Craig saw Karen pass through the arch into the garden. He lit up into the most pure smile imaginable.
The day was idyllic on every level. After it was over, all the guests had departed to a parade of sparklers, and we had enjoyed a few quiet moments with Craig and Karen in the soft light surrounding the reflecting pool , we then joined the families and wedding party(as we were staying at the Estate), kicked off our shoes, and enjoyed a cold beer as we listened to Buffett(the groom is a full-on parrot head) sing the praises of the Carribean life that the couple was headed to on their honeymoon.
The morning came too quickly and with it came the other half of what is considered a typical New England spring day. The gray and drizzle didn't deter these guys. Karen donned a "throw away" dress we brought for her and we headed out for a brief trash the dress session with them. They even volunteered to jump into the rather chilly water of the reflecting pool. Okay, so maybe they eased in....

As we rode home to Maine we chatted about how much fun these two were, how great it is when a couple gives us the time and energy to get beyond the norm, and how most of all we couldn't wait to see the images. These are just a tiny sampling of our "favorites".

Click this link for a slideshow sampler of the day.
http://www.rileyclients.com/slideshowk.php?path=Karen+and+Craig
Thanks Craig and Karen(and families!) for being so fun, energetic, and willing.