As perfectly matched as Gretchen and Brian are you’d likely be pretty surprised that they met on a blind date. Neither one usually went for that type of thing but their friends were sure that the two would hit it off. Gretchen watched the door of the restaurant nervously for what her friends had in store for her. When Brian entered, she thought to herself, “No way am I THAT lucky, if only my date was THAT guy!” But she was THAT lucky! To her astonishment the maitre d’ showed Brian to her table. Gretchen and Brian hit it off perfectly, keeping each other in stitches the whole night. The two have been keeping each other laughing ever since. I was connected with this pair through a previous Fucci’s Photos bride, Kim, who is a co-worker with Gretchen. Like Kim and Chris, Gretchen and Brian will be getting married at the beautiful Red Lion Inn, in Cohasset. When Gretchen and Brian went in late 2012 to book this popular venue they were given the option of a date in 2014 or April 12, 2013. The April date meant they’d have less than six months to plan their wedding, but 2014 just seemed too far away, so they took the plunge and choose the earlier date. I assured Gretchen at our first consultation that this was the right decision as my husband and I faced a similar decision when picking our wedding date in 2009 and couldn’t be happier with our decision. Without a doubt, planning for a full scale wedding in less than 6 months isn’t the norm, but when done in as organized and calm a fashion as Gretchen did, it is not only possible, but it can actually be less stressful than having over a year to plan. You just don’t have the time to worry about all the little details that often stress out so many brides.
For their engagement session Brian and Gretchen wanted quintessential Boston, so we headed to Acorn Street in Beacon Hill. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the light on that street is just magic. You couldn’t ask for better! Gretchen warned me in advance that Brian had a bad case of the “Chandler Smiles” and wasn’t a big fan of getting his picture taken. Anyone who was ever a fan of Friends knows what those haunting words mean. I promised her that I had dealt with many a “Chandler” before and told her to assure Brian that the shoot would be painless. The key is to make the shoot as natural as possible. Normally a groom-to-be gets a natural smile on their face when looking at their bride-to-be. So instead of having them pose with big “CHEESE!” grins on their faces like you’d ask a 4-year-old to do, instead let them be in their element. Let them enjoy cuddling with their beautiful fiance. Finding a private spot without any onlookers can really help many grooms get more relaxed. At the very end of our session on Acorn Street I briefly let out a “Hey Brian, over here”. Caught totally off guard he looked over towards me, still with his natural smile in tact. Within about 2 snaps, the Chandler Smile overtook his face. Luckily Gretchen knew in advance that I would use this little trick, so she knew to turn as well. So in the end we nabbed a shot with the two of them having great smiles together. Once we had everything done Brian told me that the shoot was so much easier than he thought it would be and it was actually fun. I was thrilled…another photo shoot convert. I told him the wedding day photos would actually be just as easy, if not easier, because on that day it’ll be next to impossible to wipe the natural smile off his face.