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The Palace at Somerset Park Wedding Photographer: Sofia & Paulo

This romantic, Spring wedding centered on family & was overflowing with emotion…
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When I first met with Sofia, she said she was looking for a photographer who was creative, with vibrant, dramatic, crisp photos that would capture all of the romance and emotion of her wedding day.  She loves that I am able to show a variety and range from soft romantic images to bold, vibrant photos, you will see both here.
Sofia & Paulo are amazing people, they are both smart, stylish (in the fashion industry together) and have a deep rooted love for eachother and their families.  They are both Portuguese and visit their families in Europe as much as possible, usually every year or two.  Their reception was held at The Palace at Somerset Park.
I’ll open with a photograph of their wedding rings on the vintage 1920’s baby grand piano in Sofia’s parents’ home.  I believe it will set the stage for the charming, nostalgic, tender images to come & give a nod to the importance that music played in Sofia & Paulo’s wedding day…
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Sofia has always loved her mother’s wedding dress.  Her mother kept it in her parents home in Portugal.  When Sofia was small, she would spend her summers in Portugal, she would play “dress up” with her cousins and sneak the wedding dress out of it’s bag to try it on.
Sofia brought her mother’s dress back to the United States and  hung it next to her own wedding gown.  She presented her mother with an album of photos of Sofia wearing her mother’s wedding dress, beautifully photographed by her cousin.  It brought back so many memories!  Here they are both tearing up…
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Sofia’s grandfather passed away last year, he and Sofia’s grandmother were married for over 60 years.  Sofia’s family lent her his wedding band to sew into her dress as an omen of good luck and of a long lasting marriage.  It was also a reminder of her grandparents and a way for them to be at her side during her wedding day.
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What an absolutely stunning bride!!!!  This is one of the many beautiful portraits I photographed of Sofia.  I like image because you get a feel for who she is– a strong, bright, beautiful women who is simultaneously soft and fierce; she loves with all of her heart.
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The bridesmaids wore floor length blush colored gowns and carried lush garden roses.  Everything was soft, romantic and light, even their mood.  🙂  Here they are standing in The Colonial Park Gardens in Somerset— such a pretty Spring backdrop for these lovely ladies!
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These ladies have played such important roles in Sofia’s life, Monica (below, on the right) introduced Sofia and Paulo (I’ll actually be photographing her wedding soon), Rosa (between Monica & Sofia) is Paulo’s sister and now Sofia’s sister-in-law, Cati (to the left of Sofia) is her longest and best friend, Natalie is a very close friend and actually the one to introduce Sofia & I, (I photographed Nathalie’s wedding a few years ago).
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Paulo & Sofia were married at St. Genevieve’s Parish, where Sofia has performed all of her sacraments, sang in the choir and taught CCD, so it was a natural fit.  This photo is actually of the stained glass windows reflected in the Holy Water.
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I loved their dramatic entrance into the church– light streaming through the door and stained glass window, and the three entering together (Sofia, her mother & father) so humbly and very small in the frame…
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The sight of Sofia in her gown brought tears to Paulo’s eyes, here he is wiping away one of them as she proceeds towards him.   They shared that they were feeling so many emotions– overwhelming happiness, nerves (the good kind), love, everything all at once.
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I get goosebumps just remembering this young woman and her inspiring voice…  One of Sofia’s bridesmaids, Nathalie Pires, is an accomplished Fado singer– she has performed in Carnegie Hall & internationally– the Boston Globe has called her “the fresh face of Fado.”
Nathalie sang Ave Maria in Portuguese during the traditional “Rose to the Blessed Mother.”   I have heard her perform before (during her wedding and her cousins’ wedding) and each time I need to wipe my own tears as I snap pictures.    Here is her new music video– you will love Fado!!!
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The flower girls were so pretty– they looked like little dolls wearing their floral crowns!  Here is a candid photo showing the flower girls during the ceremony, Alex is praying while Lily (Sofia’s Goddaughter) watches Sofia & Paul and Joanna (the little peanut behind them) is playing with her petals while her parents watch.
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Cheers to the happy couple!!!
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It was important to Sofia that we capture a photograph with all of the wedding guests in it as they are so seldom together, being that many of the guests traveled over 4,000 miles to be there.  Another big thank you to Nathalie for helping me to gather everyone so quickly!
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Sofia and Paulo were blessed with an amazing Spring day, the sun was warm and the sky was a lovely shade of blue– it felt like a fairy tale.  Here are photos of Sofia & Paulo and their bridal party at The Palace at Somerset Park.
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Paul calls Sofia “Pollito” or “Quail” and quails became the theme for the wedding as they found invitations, cake-toppers etc. with quails– their centerpieces were gold bird cages.
One of my favorite items that really shows of the elegance and creativity of the decor along with the gold & glitter is the seating chart.  Sofia made this herself!
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Guests were greeted with Sofia & Paul’s signature drinks, Lychee Martini (Sofia) & Tom Collins (Paulo) and buttled hors devours, including sushi and other tasty food items.
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The decor on their sweetheart table really pulled the whole theme together with the blush roses and baby’s breath bringing softness, and the gold framed silhouettes adding that timeless elegance and drama…
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Sofia was drawn to The Palace at Somerset Park because of its chandeliers and classic, dramatic interior.  I photographed part of Sofia & Paulo’s dance from the balcony above to capture a photograph with the full view of the dance floor.  They danced to “At Last” by Eta James, the same song Kris and I dance to at our wedding.
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Sofia’s dance with her father was off the charts amazing!  They danced the waltz beautifully– Sofia’s father has always had “fancy feet” and loved to dance with his little girl.  They looked so elegant!
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Thriller– the entire party received dance lessons and danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” together, what fun!!!
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the-palace-at-somerset-park-wedding-photographer-35Sofia & Paulo, it was such a pleasure to work with you and your family and friends!  Thank you for choosing Kris and I to be at your sides on your wedding day and for being your fabulous selves.  I hope that these photos will allow you to re-live this day over and over again for many years to come!

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