March 18, 2019

Katelyn + Joe | St. Patrick's Day Topsfield Commons Spring Wedding + Album | Boston and New England Wedding Photography

March 18, 2019/ Lorna Stell

Where do I even start with these two?? Katelyn and Joe are so easygoing, down to earth, and super fun to be around. Their wedding day was such a joy and I can’t wait to share everything with you! You might remember the story of how we met in the blog post about their engagement session. It’s only fitting that the three of us first met in my favorite boutique shop in Wakefield (Sweetbay), where we all live. You might also remember that their engagement session was during a heat wave…So of course to keep all things fair, their wedding day was in the 20s, windy, and snowy. 😂 One of my favorite things about their day was that they made the most of it being St. Patrick’s day, which is so fitting with Katelyn’s Irish background. My kinda girl! 🙂

After the wedding and after the honeymoon, Katelyn and Joe and I all got together at a coffee shop to talk about how they want to remember their wedding day many years from now, and what photos they can give as prints to their loved ones. They decided to order an album, which I pre-designed for them and then we customized together to make sure it was perfect. They also got some prints for themselves and to give as gifts. Since the album is a huge part of their wedding story and includes all the best highlights, I hope you’ll enjoy seeing some samples of it here and get your wheels turning about what your own wedding album could look like!

October 02, 2017

Yunsoo + Won | Intimate Cambridge City Hall Autumn Micro Wedding | Boston and New England Wedding Photography

October 02, 2017/ Lorna Stell

Yunsoo and Won’s wedding was a beautifully simple and incredibly heartfelt one. There was nothing to distract them from each other—Once the door to their private room closed and their ceremony started, it was just the two of them, the City Clerk, and me! While I do love the excitement of weddings with lots of guests, I love more intimate affairs just as much (if not more)! Having a quiet few minutes to commit the rest of your life to the one you love is always so special. I think for many couples, it allows them the physical and mental space to soak up the moment, and process the emotions and thoughts that come with stepping into a new phase of life. In short…City Hall weddings are super sweet and I love them (especially this one)!

August 21, 2017

Katelyn + Joe | Summer Sunset Lake Quannapowitt Wakefield Engagement Session | Boston and New England Wedding Photography

August 21, 2017/ Lorna Stell

Katelyn and Joe are high school sweethearts and have lived in Wakefield for years! They started dating on the night of Katelyn’s senior prom (SO cute) and the Wakefield High tradition is for the students to walk around the common by Lake Quannapowitt in their gowns and tuxes for the town to see and send them off. So, we incorporated all kinds of pretty areas and town landmarks near the lake into their session to commemorate the beginnings of their relationship! AND, we did it during the “golden hour”—Usually sunrise or sunset, and in this case, sunset—So all their photos have a dreamy, golden color. Golden hour sessions are my favorite, and you’ll see why once you start scrolling!

August 14, 2017

Phoebe + Jeffrey | Joyful Cambridge & Boston Massachusetts Spring Micro Wedding | Boston and New England Wedding Photography

August 14, 2017/ Lorna Stell

This was one of those wedding days when it was so clear that the couple’s friends and family, along with their faith, were the most important parts of the day. Phoebe and Jeffrey are friends of another couple whose wedding I photographed (blog post coming soon!) and I was so glad to get to meet them and document their day!

We met in the afternoon at Le Meridien in Cambridge for family formals and a couple’s session. The hotel’s rooftop garden was the PERFECT spot with plenty of space (and easy to get to from inside the hotel, where everyone stayed warm in between photos). This was a surprisingly chilly April day, but you wouldn’t know it from all the smiles!

April 25, 2017

Sam + FJ | Romantic Mountain Top Inn and Resort Vermont Autumn Wedding | Boston and New England Wedding Photography

April 25, 2017/ Lorna Stell

Is there anything more romantic than professing your love for your favorite person surrounded by gorgeous mountains? Sam and FJ probably think not! ;)

I was so honored to photograph this drop-dead gorgeous couple and their wedding day last November! You might not even realize this was a late autumn wedding since there was still so much green around—And lots of greenery definitely makes for a happy photographer!

I first met these two in Somerville as all of us have spent lots of time living there, but I absolutely love that they decided to get married in Vermont! They picked the perfect venue—Mountain Top Inn and Resort—Which has the most gorgeous mountain view, indoor and outdoor locations for ceremonies/receptions, and a view of a lake outside as well.

June 13, 2016

Classic + Modern Boston Public Garden, Beacon Hill, and Downtown Coffee Shop Sunrise Engagement Session | Jessica and Thomas

June 13, 2016/ Lorna Stell

When my alarm went off at 3:30am, I remember a brief period of my night-owl brain asking, “Why did I do this to myself?” After about 10 minutes passed and I could truthfully say I was awake, I remember my creative brain (who also loves people), asking, “How AWESOME is this going to be?!” I felt the tingle of nervous excitement as I confirmed with myself for the third time that yes, I did have everything I needed. This was the morning of my first ever sunrise engagement session with some soon-to-be newlyweds, and OH MAN was it worth it!

November 30, 2015

Arlington Autumn Small Business Portrait Photography | Musician and Composer Ruth Shyu

November 30, 2015/ Lorna Stell

I've created portraits for several entrepreneurs, professionals and musicians lately, and usually they're about my age in their 20s or 30s. Often, their careers or new businesses are still fairly young and they're trying lots of new things and dreaming big. Everything is new and exciting (and often scary)! Working with Ruth was different in a very cool way because she's so full of experiences, having moved across the country and put in years of hard work honing her craft, building her skills, and being her own boss. She's faced and overcome some significant obstacles over the years, so I really cherished my time with her and the opportunity to hear her stories, while talking about what it means to be creative for a living.

This was just another example for me of why it's SO important as a creative person and/or entrepreneur to be in community with other creatives and entrepreneurs! The support we can offer each other and the special ways we can lift each other up are priceless.

August 24, 2015

Boston Summer Lifestyle + Professional Portrait Photography | Mary Casiello

August 24, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Today, I'll be honest, I'm pretty psyched to share this portrait session with you. Partly because my portrait subject, Mary, and I both love how the photos turned out, and partly because this day was a really awesome one.

It all started two months after Mary's Day In The Life session with her family, when she got in touch with me again to say she was looking to get some updated photography for her website, and for posters advertising her musical performances. Let's just say I was totally thrilled to hear that!

Mary was a TOTAL trooper on this hot and sweaty August morning! We enjoyed our time taking a stroll around Larz Anderson Park and stopping where the scenery and the light looked inviting, and it made a great opportunity to catch up too!

August 03, 2015

Moving House and Creating A Home | Boston Day In The Life / Professional Portrait Photography Testimonials

August 03, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Disclaimer: I try to keep my personal "Wholehearted" posts separate from my photography-specific posts, but today's post is a little blending of the two…because sometimes, personal life and work life blend a little, and I think that's ok. So here's what I've been up to:

Andy and I spent the entire week the last week of July piling boxes in our car and taking trips to our lovely new apartment, all while sweating our faces off! It was an exhausting week, but waking up to my favorite person in a space that it finally feels right to call "home" is so worth it. We couldn't have done it without the help of some awesome friends, and without the courage to help each other take the leap into a big life change!

Since my life for the past week has been consumed with moving house and I've barely had time to get any new photos together for a more visual post, I thought I would share some awesome testimonials I received after a couple recent photo sessions! Everyone loves a good, sincere compliment, but I think these testimonials are even more than that—they show what the actual experience of a photo session is like, and why the investment in yourself (and sometimes your family too) is so worth it.

In contrast to the first section of today's post, houses and apartments come and go, but your personal story, and your family's interwoven stories, really are forever. As people, our internal memories, thoughts and feelings can be fleeting, but the visual and physical keepsakes of photographs solidify our stories and create a very special, shareable experience.

May 11, 2015

Methuen Day In The Life Family Session | The Casiello Family

May 11, 2015/ Lorna Stell

In this post you'll see: interactive book reading, silly faces and big smiles, snuggles with mom, dad playing with his kids as all good dads do (holding kids up in the air, flipping them around, and letting them climb all over him of course), a paper crown, and special appearances by the family cat. I'm so grateful to have been able to capture these sweet, loving moments of home life for this family that welcomed me in with open arms! Enjoy A Day In The Life of the Casiello Family!

April 13, 2015

Watertown Day In The Life Family Session | Sisters Are Forever

April 13, 2015/ Lorna Stell

I'm so so glad I got to spend my afternoon with these inspiring women, and so thankful they totally spoiled me with fancy beer and cookies and hours of conversation. This session was extra special because these two don't often get to have a restful weekend afternoon together in the middle of their busy lives. I love that this photo session was a way to provide that!

February 02, 2015

A Day In The Life | Watertown and Melrose Sneak Peeks

February 02, 2015/ Lorna Stell

I have started offering Day In The Life sessions this winter and it has been so awesome to see the results and experience hours at a time in clients' homes. So far they have included lots of baking, in-home gymnastics (seriously), getting dressed up, and snowshoeing, among other things. Here are some sneak peeks from two of my recent sessions to warm the heart on this freezing day! Enjoy!

January 19, 2015

Somerville Small Business | Inkwell

January 19, 2015/ Lorna Stell

This is Becka Schuelke, the craftslady behind the loveliness that is Inkwell's hand painted wooden signs. She scours the earth for wood planks and gives them new life in the form of adorable home goods, and is darn good at it. Becka is also a brilliant graphic designer (who made my wedding invitations and programs)!

January 05, 2015

Melrose Family Photography | Ruby

January 05, 2015/ Lorna Stell

Meet Ruby. You might not know it from her photos, but you're looking at a spunky little lady! I had so much fun hanging out with Ruby and her mom at a pretty little park in Melrose during the peak of the autumn leaves changing.

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