What a wonderful year of fearless bridal shoots for the JUXTAPOSITION project. Many thanks to all who followed through on their photo sessions and introduced me to wonderful new locations around Boston.

juxtaposition001 :: lindsey  [ link ] Worcester, Burncoat Middle School
juxtaposition002 :: tiffany [ link ] Boston Sand and Gravel, Chinatown
juxtaposition003 :: carol [ link ] the Fells, Winchester rail station
juxtaposition004 :: marilyn [ link ] George’s Island, Fanueil Hall
juxtaposition005 :: melissa [ link ] West Boylston, Old Stone Church
juxtaposition006 :: brittany [ link ] Frankin Park Zoo
juxtaposition007 :: sarina [ link ] L’Espalier, Newbury Street
juxtaposition008 :: kristen [ link ] Fenway Park, parking lot
juxtaposition009 :: deanna [ link ]  Canobie Lake Park (Salem NH)
juxtaposition010 :: gwen [ link ] Lanes ‘n’ Games, FACES, Alewife
juxtaposition011 :: colleen [ link ] Wellesley College parking garage, bathroom, cemetery
juxtaposition012 :: mikki [ link ] Boston North End
juxtaposition013 :: rachael [ link ] Salem MA waterfront
juxtaposition014 :: lindsay [ link ] Cambridge MA, Boston MA
juxtaposition015 :: sarah [ link ] Sudbury MA old grist mill
juxtaposition016 :: jill [ link ] Dover MA

And ummm… this dress-trashing session in NYC looks so perfect. I have always wanted to go to Coney Island for a shoot. Takers? And, if you need to convince your husband or anyone else why you’d want to do a shoot like that, just show him that crazy video. Pretty sure he’d be willing to take off work for that. Or, um, show this one. (Day-um stillmotion, you guys continue to amaze.)

I wanted to let you know that I absolutely LOVE the photos that you put up in my bridals gallery.  I love my wedding photos, but realized after the fact that somehow none were taken of just me or just my husband, and I was really bummed to not have that.  The bridals that you took are absolutely stunning and I’m so grateful to have them to add to my [wedding] photos.  (Looking back, I wish I had thought to find a way to have you at our wedding, along with our photographers)  You just have a way of catching the life, beauty and silliness inside of people and using it to make them even more beautiful on the outside (if that makes any sense?)  Thank you for all of the work that you’ve done, from boudoirs to bridals for myself (and for my husband… he’s equally as grateful)…

-M

We started off in the parking lot behind Kristen’s condo. We could have ended there – so many fantastic, old urban angles to shoot. Next we walked over to the area around Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox), a few blocks away. Then we were invited inside Fenway Park. Well, that was unexpected.

To say the husband was jealous… probably the Boston-based understatement of the year!

I was really happy that Kristen not only had Sarah work her magic on the hair, but hired Tricia to come along on the shoot for on-shoot styling. Tricia was our key to success — because of Tricia’s connection with someone whose office is inside Fenway Park, we were enthusiastically invited inside the park to shoot. Um, wow.

JUXTAPOSITION.008

location: parking lot, Lansdowne Street, Boylston St.(?), Fenway Park, Absolut Lounge
recent bride: Kristen
photographer: Rachel Hadiashar
assistant and shoot stylist: Tricia Askew
hair and makeup: Sarah Bortner, Athena Salon
many thanks: to the folks at Fenway Park and the Absolut lounge who invited us in.

[ more photos here and here ]

Brittany used to work at the Cincinnati Zoo, so it was a natural choice for her to want to do her bridal session at Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo. Franklin Park, though not downtown Boston, is for all intents a city zoo. We got a lot of attention from zoo visitors, and assistance from friendly zoo employees – they helped us do a shoot in the butterfly house and on the carousel. It was a fun day, a unique location, and a day filled with exhuberent city kids on field trips, some of whom actually thought Brittany is a living Cinderella.

Thanks for a fun shoot, Brittany!

[ more photos here and here ]

My absolute favorite from Sarina and Brian’s JUXTAPOSITION fashion bridal session is this one inside Boston’s L’Espalier. This image gets its own post.

Sarina knew exactly where she wanted to do our juxtaposition session. She and Brian adore the old Boston restaurant L’Espalier – every anniversary they celebrate with a special dinner. Since they’re moving locations from the near-Newbury side street, they wanted to do a shoot to commemorate this Boston institution.

I was impressed (and surprised!) that the folks at L’Espalier were accommodating enough to let us shoot inside their very busy kitchen as the staff was preparing for dinner rush.

On our way to L’Espalier from Athena Salon, of course we shot along Newbury Street, Boston’s upscale trendy shopping district.

hahahahaha those gnomes! I told Brian to ‘look scared’ — and I love that he actually did!

And after shooting at L’Espalier, we walked over to Old Trinity Church in Boston’s Copley Square.

Location: L’Espalier, Newbury Street, Ice Cream Truck (Copley Square), Old Trinity Church – BOSTON MA
Photography: Rachel Hadiashar
Assisted by: Jessica Jones
Bride and Groom: Sarina and Brian
Hair and makeup: Sarah Bortner, Athena Salon

What? You want to see more?

[ here and here ]

Hi Rachel,

You have no idea how hard it was for me to pick a few pictures for an order; it’s been a few weeks since you posted the pictures and every night I would spend time reviewing and deciding which ones to get.

I absolutely love them !!! Even John is excited, he was talking about how I should frame them and where I can hang it in the house last night !!

Thank you soooooo much again, I finally have bridal pictures that I am proud of showing everyone !!!
Talk to you soon,

Xoxo

C

I love using my fisheye lens on these bridal shoots since they’re more art-fashion than documentary-editorial. Here’s a shot from Melissa’s shoot out in West Boylston MA where the vertical orientation, plus the crazy location and space creates the illusion of drama and weirdness. I call this ‘the alien shot.’

We have been incredibly lucky to get into some unique and surprising Boston locations for the JUXTAPOSITION project!  Just in the past week we got to shoot in fancy restaurant L’Espalier near Newbury Street, Canobie Lake Park… and the rumors are true… we were even invited inside Fenway Park right before a game! Those photos won’t be available until after I have processed and posted images from my past two weddings (hi Mike and Sofia, Beth and Dave!) but let’s just say it’s going to be incredible.

Meanwhile, today I am preparing for a shoot with Gwen in the Alewife area of Cambridge. Since she loves bowling, we’ve been invited to shoot inside Lanes and Games. I also hope to do some shots at FACES next door, which is that crazy burned out abandoned-since-the-80s nightclub property. But I don’t want to get busted by the police, so I’ve been trying to get official permission (hi Mary Lou).

Also, girls recently suggested a shoot in an apple orchard (yay!) and a shoot riding a horse. Can’t wait!

Just found this AMAZINGLY unique and wonderful updo featured at offbeat bride.

NOT MY PHOTO – unsure of photographer and hair stylist

( more photos here )