Stella and Shane at Harkness Mansion in CT Part 1

Posted by Melissa:

I had the pleasure of doing Stella and Shane's wedding AND rehearsal dinner. On Saturday I headed down to New Haven, CT to the Royal Palace. They were having an authentic Chinese wedding banquet for the rehearsal dinner. Stella and Shane were dressed for the occasion. We couldn't miss getting some shots in these outfits!

I LOVE the colors! I think they both look amazing!

It's pretty much guaranteed that if something is red I love it! How beautiful is Stella's dress?

Shane was really getting into his outfit! Here he is trying out some kung fu moves.

I have a couple of new favorite photos after this weekend. This is one of them! I'm crazy for it!

We spied these characters on the side of a Japanese restaurant. I know it's not Chinese, but we figured it still matches. Unfortunately none of us could read Japanese. This probably says "Miso Soup", but it looks pretty. That's really all that matters.







Day Two: The wedding!!! Stella's shoes by Kate Spade (nice choice, Stella!)







Stella's cousin, Allison, did all the graphic design for the wedding. Beautiful job!







I'm a big fan of the wedding dress with a sash and a broach! It always looks so elegant.

Finishing touches...

A lot of people say that one of the big moments on the big day is when the bride puts on her veil. Here is Stella right after hers was put on. She was worried about crying on the wedding day. I understand why! Stella shed many tears of joy throughout the day!! This was the first incident.

Nothing can make a little girl happier than a ride in the limo!!

Stella and Shane opted to do their photos before the ceremony. Always a smart move! Shane was so nervous as Stella approached!

John got these great reaction shots of Shane when he first saw Stella! I may be going out on a limb here, but I think Shane thinks Stella is pretty. Just guessing!

John caught a more intimate shot of their first meeting...

while I got this angle! (FYI this would be the second time that Stella cried. She is so cute! Shane used his tie to catch the tears before any makeup was ruined!)

Harkness is AMAZING!!! I love this place!

I loved the design on this ceiling! Sort of became obsessed with it! It looks so great!

John got this photo of me taking...

...this photo! Told you that I loved it! This one is another favorite for me!

My friend, Tabitha, was helping me make everyone smile.

She did a good job.

The beautiful bride

John got this shot of the girls while...

...I was taking this one of the guys.

John was being super fancy! I love this photo!

Sun flare!

Can I go to Harkness every weekend? This place is so great!

They look like something crazy is flying above them! It's just John's camera!

Stay tuned for the ceremony, beach, reception and more tears of joy in Part Two!