North Point Park + Harvard University | June 21, 2020
Alyssa reached out a little over a week in advance of her elopement plans to see if I would be available last minute to document their ceremony. Not only was I available, but I also had a pretty good feeling I’d vibe well with Alyssa given her bubbly personality and the fact that she is also a former independent school teacher. Turns out my intuition was right, and I had an absolute blast photographing Alyssa + Gabriel as they made the most out of the current situation and tied the knot six years after they met in Pompeii while enrolled in a spoken Latin program in Rome. Alyssa’s bridesmaid and good friend, Kelsie, performed the ceremony and played the role of MVP as she carried around the backpack, water, and masks (all necessities in the current COVID-era) and also moved unattractive objects out of shots.
While I totally recognize eloping isn’t for everyone, it is right up my alley. It’s low key, there’s no real timeline to keep aside from making sure it happens before sundown, and it’s a lot of fun. We had a game plan for the ceremony to be in North Point Park in Cambridge at a spot Alyssa and Gabriel scoped out while on a walk. After nestling ourselves along a path enveloped by greenery with an awesome view of the Zakim Bridge in the background, the ceremony started at 6:30 with friends and family tuning in from a far. A walk down the “aisle”, heartfelt vows, and a meaningful kiss rounded out the ceremony events, and it was honestly perfect.
Afterward, with no real plan aside from capturing some awesome portraits, we wandered around North Point Park (only once did we get interrupted by a large flock of geese) and Harvard snapping photos. Take a look at the highlight reel below!
Alyssa’s kind words: “It’s hard to put into words just how lucky we feel to have had Ellen recommended to us and to have had her as the photographer for our spontaneous COVID mini-wedding. With less than two weeks’ notice, Ellen not only agreed to photograph our elopement (which alone would have been amazing enough), but also she immediately began helping us brainstorm the ideal timing and location for the ceremony and additional picture-perfect spots in Cambridge for photoshoots immediately afterward. Setting aside her incredible talent for capturing love on camera and visualizing hidden gem backdrops, her personality was the highlight of working with her. She’s funny, charismatic, and so genuine in a way that made us feel completely relaxed and natural as we posed around her (she also gives fantastic posing instructions!). We had an absolute blast spending a couple hours with her, are so grateful for the breath-taking pictures we’ll forever cherish, and can’t wait to highly recommend her to everyone we know!”
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