Interview

IF I HAVE A FREE SUNDAY I WOULD SPEND IT… I would love to say sleeping in, but it simply isn’t the truth these days with a 1 and 4 year old. Sundays I usually wake up to the sound of my daughter playing legos at the dining room table and my son giggling about one thing or another (he really is just the “happy to be here” type). This season of life really is all about finding beauty in the shuffle of running a business and household while raising two children. It’s not much different than a wedding day - lot’s of shuffle, lots of laughter…. Various in-between moments that if you aren’t careful you’ll miss. It’s why making time stand still is such important piece of my work. Sundays are usually days filled with small adventures in Mystic, Connecticut and that’s just how we like it.

MY MOST MEMORABLE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE WAS… I studied abroad in Oxford my last semester of college and I would say all of this time, as well as the travel I did before, during, and after the term, are some of my very favourite travel memories. My now husband and I trekked around Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, and England and while studying I traveled all around England, took the Chunnel to France, visited the Christmas markets in Belgium, France and Germany. This time transformed the way I view culture in a lot of ways, it solidified my love of going (literally anywhere anytime), and fostered an independence that remains a big part of me today in the way I tackle daily life with little ones. Traveling with my husband was also a wonderful opportunity for us to strengthen our foundation, learn communication skills we may not have otherwise come to have, and gives us incredible memories to look back on almost a decade into our marriage.

THE COUNTRY I MOST WANT TO VISIT IS… this question is such a hard one for me. I think top of my list right now is actually returning to Ireland, but this time with my husband and kids. I was recently there photographing an editorial, but I took the work trip without my family and while it was honestly great to find that independence again I can’t wait to bring them back and my daughter asks about it almost everyday. 

WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT MY JOB IS… the people. 100% the people. I cannot overstate my gratefulness more for all of the couples that have trusted me in this season, shared their hearts and souls and allowed me the honor of a front row seats to some of the most beautiful love stories the East Coast (and beyond) has ever seen. I am lucky for the kind-hearted, intentional, hardworking, and compassionate clients this business has aligned me with. Not a day goes by that I’m not in awe of the joy and purpose this career has provided me. 

IF I DIDN’T DO THIS FOR A JOB I WOULD BE/DO… my original intention (before meeting my husband and having the trajectory of my life change a bit) was to continue on in the academic world in the field of neuroscience. My undergrad degree is in psychology and there’s no denying that I love the classroom. Spending hours locked away in the historic libraries at Oxford was entirely a dream come true and I probably would have continued on that path.

IF I COULD GIVE NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLES ONE PIECE OF ADVICE IT WOULD BE…enjoy your engaged season as your engaged season and work hard to turn it entirely into “wedding planning season.” This is such a special season in your relationship - be intentional with your time and save space for letting yourselves enjoy it fully.

I LOVE WHERE I LIVE BECAUSE… If you’ve never been to Mystic, Connecticut….well, add it to your list. And once you’ve been here you won’t even need to read my response because I believe this place captures most people the same way. It’s definitely a full circle life moment that even though I grew up in New Hampshire, with our family having a sailboat moored in Rhode Island I remember sailing to so many of the places my family and I now frequent and that hold many memories over the years. Mystic, Newport, Block Island, and Nantucket are all places that have significance from my childhood and now I get to capture love stories in these places. I love the coast, the quick access to saltwater, and that adventure is only a few minutes away. Additionally, one of the things I love most specifically about where I live is how quickly I can get to a few of my other favorite places. Boston, New York City, and Newport are all easily attainable for a day trip and places like New Hampshire, Vermont, Philadelphia, Washington DC also all feel accessible for a long weekend.

IF I COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IT WOULD BE… buckle up for the cheesiest of responses. I love to travel and the idea of living abroad, well I’m pretty sure I have dreams about it every night, but the true answer to this question is literally anywhere with my husband and kids. We’ve worked hard to create an environment that feels safe and stable and to fill our interactions with warmth - the road isn’t always smooth - but I would truly go wherever they are. That being said I would move to England or Ireland in a heartbeat. I’m pretty sure most of life’s troubles can be solved with a few hours at an English pub with good friends and snuggling around the fire with a cuppa tea.

MY FAVOURITE MOVIE IS? The Italian Job or National Treasure. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Maid of Honor, Leap Year, Miss Congeniality and any Christmas Hallmark movie with a happy cheesy ending are also all at the top of my list for putting on the TV if I need a “feel good” movie.

MOST MEMORABLE MEAL I’VE EVER EATEN WAS… my husband and I absolutely love food. We love the experience of good food, of researching new places and of trying local cuisine when we travel. I say all of that to express that I’ve had a lot of very memorable meals, but at the top of the list is a place we went a couple of times from the hotel we stayed at flying in and out of London. It’s this little place called Ye Olde Six Bells and we walked in the dark on a path through some woods to find it the first time. Aside from the food being absolutely incredible I remember it being some of our most cherished quality time together. Perhaps it was the reality of being about to say goodbye every time as my husband headed back to the States, or just that there really are no words to describe how sitting in a true English pub for a few hours can transport you. The other meal that comes to mind is a restaurant in Austria that we went to a few different nights, the first place I tried filet mignon, and we had the waiter several times over the course of our stay and by the end of it he had us doing a shot of Jägermeister with the caps squeezed to our nose.

THE PETS I OWN ARE… we adopted our dog Archie a little over 7 years ago. The rescue organisation had given him the name Archie and we kept it. It’s a good thing we did because he’s now more of a “King Archibald” the way he runs our house. He’s incredible with our kids and we can’t imagine life without him.