This is what I feel like when I get nice emails.

I’ve always been a skeptic. (I prefer the phrase “thoughtful.”) So those web pages on photographers’ websites where brides and grooms go on and on about how awesome their photos and/or photographers were never impressed me when I was planning my wedding.

So when I got a really great website together, I never put up one of those pages. Though we got all these nice cards and emails, I just thought no one would buy the gushing we received. (And a few thank you presents!! Nothing says thank you like a cup shaped like a lens… pictures to come!)

Well, I’ve now decided that I don’t care what you fellow cynics think! I have just been so overwhelmed by the amazing outpouring of thanks from my awesome clients lately, that I just HAD to share it with the world. Skepticism be damned! (You can see more at www.cirasphotography.com, go to “About Us” and read “What Clients Say”)

Here are two samples of emails I received in the last 24 hours:

From Julia:
“The photos look AMAZING! I am so happy with them. You and Jesse really captured everything about our wedding. Before the pictures were up, I remember thinking “that was a great moment, I wonder if they caught it” about so many different things that happened that day, and I was truly astonished that you captured Every Single One that I could think of! And on top of that, you caught so many moments that I wasn’t even aware of happening. I couldn’t be happier!!

From Cara and Nicole (wedding post to appear shortly):
“First, the pictures, amazing! Absolutely beautiful! You guys did such a great job making us look amazing! I mean the outside pictures, the ones across the street, the pictures of the kids, the pictures of the table, placecards, guests. We could not have asked for anything more! We are absolutely 100% happy with them! We are so happy to have chosen you both as our photographers. We got exactly what we wanted and more. The details of the shoes, rings, little smiles from our friends, us, us and more us. lol… We love them! You guys did an amazing job and if you want to copy and paste this and make it a testimonial, please do.

So believe what you want, fellow cynics. but I just had to brag. I mean, I cried when I read both of them, so maybe they’ll move someone else half as much as they moved me.

(I feel like I should sing “This little light of mine” now. But I’ll keep that to myself.)

Where: Winslow Estates in Orleans, MA
Food: Casual Gourmet, Centerville MA
Hairstylist – PJs Hair Studio, Eastham, MA
Dress Designer – Judd Waddell
Officiant – Pastor Tom Nelson, Cape Cod Covenant Church, Brewster MA
Florist – Merideth Fancy, Fancy Flowers, Orleans, MA
Band/DJ – Beantown, Wilson Stevens Productions

Suzie & Jeff had a chill, laid back Cape Cod wedding, which is them entirely. Their band rocked, and the dance floor was packed all night. Suzie and Jeff were complete naturals; I have a feeling they’d put on a great party if it were in a basement nevermind the beautiful Win Estates. They had also had an engagement shoot, and by the time the wedding portraits came along, they barely noticed we were there! Great party guys!

I love this photo because Suzie's in the middle, and her twin sister and mother are to the right and left of her

Jesse grabbed this awesome shot of the guys walking over to the ceremony

I normally don't show tons of "line 'em up" photos, but this one I can't resist. Each girl is wearing her own color of necklace and shoes. Such a great idea! And, when you forget your bridesmaids names, you can just start calling them by their colors! How covenient

I love this pic of Suzie with her parents. It's the perfect "informal formal" that we aim to get!

I love this because Suzie looks so amazingly beautiful. She's not one to fuss over her outfits, and I love how serene and gorgeous she is here!

a perfect Cape cake!

As the sun went down, the grounds looked exotic!!

This is what the dance floor looked like all night!

ahaa

The tent seems to almost glow here! I love how you can see the lighting from the band pouring out...

these guys were proud of their dancing and singing abilities.

What a beautiful Columbus Day! These are from Joyce and Andrew’s Warren Center wedding in Ashland, MA.

I love the way warm sun shines through a veil

You might not be able to tell, but Janelle is only a week or two away from having a baby in these photos. Everyone’s experience is different- some mamas to be are begging to get the photos done early because they’re getting larger by the second, and others, like Janelle are waiting so they can get as big as possible for the photos.

We decided to go down to the ocean, and Janelle was a trooper in the cold! It was worth it to have such dramatic photos- I love the clouds!

Jaj- Jesse and I are so excited for your baby! Hopefully we’ll meet him or her on 10-10-10!

I love how this is a little candid moment as she laughed at herself for being half naked in the freezing cold

I think this one is my favorite. Those clouds are so beautiful!

look at that belly button!

Julia & Andy’s wedding was straight from the heart, filled with more DIY touches than I had ever seen, by a crew of loving friends and family. Now, they splurged on the location (the fabulously unique and romantic Commander’s Mansion in Watertown) photography (also fabulously unique and romantic), the dress (Grace, by Maggie Sottero, which I wore at my wedding 5 years ago… a different dress, though I totally would have let her borrow mine), and a limo to get them from the church to the reception in style. Sometimes it takes a village to make a wedding, and is even better when you are surrounded by incredibly patient and talented people.

Julia took the flowers off these shoes and adhered lace that matched the ribbon on the flowers and the pews

I love this funky chair at Julia's sister's house. It matched the flowers, so we had to do a few photos here

I love this look at the church because from every other angle you couldn't see their faces

While Andy & Julia opted not to see each other before the wedding, they left ample time for portraits between the ceremony and reception...

It looks like they're in a vineyard... but it's a little courtyard next to the mansion. I love how it looks like the tree is reaching toward them...

The Commander's Mansion is a beautiful place, especially at dusk when it looks magical all lit up!

The cake topper- made by Julia & Andy themselves

Julia's little sister made all the cupcakes and the cake on top that they cut

and she hand made all the chocolate bits on top of the cupcakes

The leaves matched the leaves in the guy's boutoneirres

Julia's mom was a florist and made the bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces with help from the wedding party

Don't the flowers look great? (Oh, and the handsome man-of-honor is Jesse's little brother, Zack... who also served as DJ for part of the night!)

You may not initially know what this is- but it's the kegs of homemade beer that Andy brewed especially for the wedding!

Andy and Julia made all the favors: heart-shaped birdseed that you can hang outside

I love this photo because sometimes it only takes one quick look.

Rene and her dad are not the super mushy types- they’re the tease-each-other-because-we-live-each-other types, which I can totally relate to So while there aren’t tons of weepy-eyed photos of them together, instead, in the middle of teasing, they shot each other this look. And I loved it.

Not to mention the amazingly glowy fall afternoon light that I made sure to put them in front of. This look still would have been cute if they were in an ugly hallway or something, but it’s SO much better with the warm light flickering through the trees, right?!

Click here to see why I started this feature.