Karen and Albert had this amazingly personal, perfectly choreographed wedding day on Saturday at the always gorgeous Strathmore Mansion. Though the wedding was scheduled to take place on the back lawn, the rain moved it inside. They had a string quartet, an opera singer (the bridesmaid) and a youth choir perform throughout their ceremony, so being inside the mansion with great acoustics made the elegance and emotion of the ceremony even more astounding.

Karen, Albert and I wanted to do something a little more unique than the traditional “first look”. Typically, if the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony, we have the groom stand somewhere photogenic, and the bride comes up behind him, wherein we snap their first expressions when they see each other. Often though, this can get a little awkward and isn’t as intimate as when the bride first walks down the aisle. So in this case, we came up with this idea inspired by something I saw on Pinterest (many apologies that I couldn’t find photo credit for the photographer). We picked a location in Karen’s home that allowed for them to be physically close enough to hold hands, but not see each other. They each wrote each other a letter, and when in position, read the letters to themselves. They then grabbed hands and were able to turn to see each other. Check out the gallery for the images.

Karen and Albert, it was my absolute pleasure to work with you both. Here’s to many happy years ahead!

And now, onto the pictures! Click the link and scroll down to see my favorite 70 of the over 2000 that I and my fabulous second shooter, Christine Barker shot that night.

http://staceyvaethphotography.pixieset.com/karenandalbert/

The amazing vendors:

Second Photographer: Christine Barker, Christine Barker Photography

Videography: Zinnia Films

Hair and Makeup: Posche Hair

Flowers: Distinctive Floral Design
Creme Fraiche Designs (invitations, programs, table placecards)
Cake: Stella’s Bakery
Music: Sage String Quartet, Bialek’s Music
Venue: Strathmore
Event Planners: Bellwether Events