jessica & joe

my connection to jessica and joe is actually made up of a few layers... jessica and joe were guests at natalie and jeff's wedding last year. both natalie and jessica went to my high school. at natalie and jeff's wedding, a man came over to me and asked if i was 'michelle arlotta' and of course i replied that i was, not recognizing the man, i wasn't sure if it was good or bad that i was michelle arlotta. it turns out that man was jessica's dad and jessica's dad worked with my father back when we were kids. you can poke through my blog if you want to understand more about that part of me, but my father died many years ago on a business trip for the company that jessica's dad and my dad worked for.  i immediately felt a warmth and sympathy from ernie and his wife, lois. 

a few months later, jessica wrote me because she was getting married and wanted me to shoot her wedding... her wedding took place a few miles from where i grew up in ny in slate hill at catlin gardens

love this...

the girls get together for a pic for ernie...

sister shot...

beautiful windows and a beautiful bride...

unfortunately joe had to have his picture taken while his friends all stood there and watched, but i think he did a great job...

this often happens when the bride is walking down the aisle... at some point dad looks over and takes in the moment and the smile of his daughter...

i love how they are both smiling through their kiss...

such a shy crowd...

this guy is all sorts of happy and i love it...

lois gets whisked away...

when jessica and her dad finished their dance, lois came right over to me and gave me one of the warmest hugs i've ever received. i was so touched to have someone take a moment out of their very special day to think about me. thank you, lois...it meant the world to me...

a very sweet and tender dance between joe and his mom...

{insert joke about hand gesture here}

 ...and then i got punched...

 i had such a wonderful time working with jessica and joe and their families. it's always fun to see past brides and work with people you have many connections to... always a unique experience.