Sucharski Wedding | Traditional Polish American Catholic Wedding Photography | October 2023

They say it is important to be friends first.

We echo this sentiment.

Why? Well.. the roses will fade as the winters come, challenges will rise, and if you are friends first with your spouse, rather than just focused on romantic interests, you’re more likely to endure and rise, above. With that, you can of course expect more success to endure the trials together if God is at the center.

Afterall, no matter how beautiful a wedding day is, it is still just one day. The real commitment and life starts after the wedding day - as you continue to do life together. And we recall that it is best to find someone you are compatible with - someone you can suffer with in this life and endure. (“Compatible” come from the Latin term “Compati” which means “to suffer with”, thanks @JasonEvert for that important love and life tip!)

We were so honored to be the hired photography team to capture not just their Engagement session but also their Wedding Day, for the wonderful Mr. & Mrs. Sucharski. Their whole day was filled with joy, laughter, and true heart, as they were truly dialed in on the adventure of a lifetime: the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. We also were so honored to work with TeQoa of Blaq Pearl Photography as our second photographer for this long and fulfilling wedding day.

Their day started out at a private residence in Wilbraham and Ludlow, MA for bride and groom getting ready (so helpful to have a second photographer to capture both!). Then, we helped set up a “First Prayer” moment for them, where they could be together for a moment of prayer and offering the day to the Lord in thanks. The Love was so palpable and we all tried not to cry! Of course, then, the big moment— the Bride and Groom were married at the gorgeous Divine Mercy Parish in Three Rivers, MA, presided by Fr. Stefan Niemczyk (who was not only reverent but also very funny!!). Lastly, they celebrated this new chapter with friends and loved ones at Old Country Banquet in Enfield, CT.

Without further ado, here are some of our photography favorites from their traditional Polish American Catholic Wedding Day.

Best Rainy Day Photoshoot Locations in Connecticut

Your photoshoot is scheduled. You are ready. You have everything you need. And then, you check the forecast, and it starts to show signs of rain on the way. You hope. You pray.

What should you do?

Ideally, when you schedule your photography session with us, we will also have a backup date and/or back up location, in case of inclement weather. If it is drizzling, we can still go ahead with the shoot, if you are comfortable with it (as we have some protective gear for our equipment). If it is downpouring, then, that is a different story. We can either reschedule if we have the time and available - or we can move our photoshoot to some awesome indoor locations. The following list of ideas comes found after doing some research and interviewing experienced photographers.

So, you might be asking yourself: What are the best rainy day photoshoot locations in Connecticut? Here are some of the best suggestions for locations for your photography session for an unexpected Rainy Day photoshoot- both indoor and covered outdoor locations in Connecticut:

1. Hotel lobby: Try finding one with a fireplace or some interesting artwork and décor. Just call ahead and tell them what you are looking for.

2. Favorite Restaurant, coffee shop or Bakery: Try finding one with a covered garden café area, like Victory Sweet Shop in Queens, New York, or elegant staircase like The Library Wine Bar and Bistro in Wallingford, CT (which, by the way, is where we hosted our first styled bridal photoshoot!). You may also want to consider your favorite restaurant, or where you had your first date!

   • Our personal favorite for an indoor photoshoot would be a coffee shop you love, with good lighting, some amazing coffee, tea, and pastry treats. Some we love are:

     • Ashlawn Farm Coffee, Old Saybrook, CT

     • Dom’s Coffee, Avon, CT

     • Qawa, Middletown, CT

     • Cafe Atlantique, Milford, CT

     • Cedarhurst Cafe, New Haven, CT

     • Book Trader Cafe, New Haven, CT

3. Libraries : There are few people who don’t enjoy the smell of a good book, both new and old. With that, a library is a cozy and meaningful place for a photoshoot, especially the Romance section, or for new parents, the parenting section!

4. Greenhouses: A perfect location to keep the moodiness of the rain and greenery. There is a small greenhouse in Elizabeth park, Hartford, CT near their outdoor rose garde. Also, both Logee’s Greenhouses in Danielson, CT, and Edgerton park’s Community greenhouse, in New Haven, CT, come highly recommended by our photography friends.

5. Covered bridges: This provides shelter from the rain and offers a wonderful location. Just be mindful of lighting, so either bring your own, or find a bridge that lets some light in. Check out this article for some images of possible places all over the state.

6. The church you will get married in: This would be our first go-to indoor location for rainy days. This is super meaningful to your love and would capture your holy union to come in a profoundly beautiful way. We photographed K+A in their church and the grounds of the church also offered many beautiful locations.

7. The Carousel, Light House point park, New Haven: This location might only be available during the Summer - but worth it if you want something more fun and colorful! Visit here for more information, including who you might need to contact, and be sure to visit ahead of time as you plan.

8. Art museum: If you and your loved one are fans of museums and art work, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, CT also comes highly recommended from our photographer community. The architecture is beautiful and the art is worthy - be sure to call ahead of time!

9. Ender’s Island, Mystic, CT: This is our new favorite photography location in Connecticut - particularly because it is beautiful and holy. This is a retreat center, and open to the public. It was our first time visiting just recently for J+J’s engagement session. We called ahead of time to make sure we understood the expectations and that we followed the center’s protocols with flash photography. Also, to make sure there was no retreat going on and that we could travel the grounds for the engagement session. It was a beautiful rainy day and still beautiful experience for the couple we were honored to work with. (Stay tuned to our blog and Instagram for upcoming photographs from this session)

We hope you found this list very helpful. We made this list because of our latest session for J+J, where we had rescheduled due to inclement weather two times already, and could not reschedule again as their wedding is soon! We quickly got some great feedback and suggestions from our community of pro-photographers and wanted to have a place on the internet that we could easily reference in case we need a back up photoshoot location in case of rain or inclement weather, and all for locations in Connecticut. Please leave us some comments if you found this helpful, or have other places to add to this list!

#withscenescerity,

Tim+Steph

MATT+EMILY, YANKEE STADIUM, SURPRISE PROPOSAL and ENGAGEMENT SESSION

When we first received Matt’s inquiry through our website here on our contact form, we were at first in awe! We couldn’t believe that this opportunity was presenting itself. When we finished our consultation with Matt over the phone, we were then so overjoyed and excited, as it was very evident how much he loved Emily, his girlfriend, and how intentional he was about proposing marriage to her!

See, Matt was flying with Emily from Kentucky to New York, where one of their special visits was a private tour at Yankee Stadium. But this was a set up! Matt was in cahoots with the great team at Yankee Stadium, and when he hired us, we were to pose as the other winners of the private tour. The plan: snap some discreet photos during the tour, and then when we got behind home plate (what!! we couldn’t believe it!), he would pop the question and #shesaidyes ! This was all a perfect set up for his girlfriend, as she is a huge Yankees fan! (This was really also fun for us, despite Tim being a die-hard Red Sox fan, and Steph being a Queens-bred Mets fan).

Then the moment was nearing, and Tim was Steph’s practice model to test for lighting behind home plate, where Matt would pop the question! Matt and Emily walked over to pose for a picture with the tour guide (like we did), but Matt pulled out a heart felt letter, and ended with going down on one knee, to ask her to marry him. The board read “I may strike out, but Emily will you marry me?” It was so beautiful guys!! and we were overjoyed to be their photography team (of course making sure not to step on the grass, strict rule, or climb on the bench in the dugout - oops!).

We have been looking forward to deliver their gallery, and now that we have, here are some of our absolute favorites from their Surprise Proposal and Engagement session at Yankee Stadium. Love!

There were many sweet moments on the tour for the two of them and we had a blast too! It was actually quite an adventure for us to work together and pretend like we were taking pictures of each other, when we were actually taking pictures of Matt and Emily. What a rush, she almost caught us about three times (haha!) We visited so many cool spots in the Stadium, where we were particularly excited to walk through Monument Park, and even sit in The Judges’ Chamber. Being there was just that much more exciting because Matt and Emily’s proposal and engagement session was actually our very first full photography job as husband and wife (since we officially were married in May 2019 !! — more to come on that on our Catholic marriage blog).

Please join us in congratulating Matt + Emily on their engagement, and praying for them during this special time in their lives as they prepare to enter into marriage.

Their love for each other inspires us, and we really want to take the time to thank them for saying Yes to each other, and for all the couples who are making this commitment too. It’s so important to remember what you’re saying Yes to, and we are so grateful to photography such meaningful moments for the couples we have worked with. Married life is such a beautiful Grace, through the ups and down, but always together.

Our Photography Favorites | 2018

Um, what? We cannot believe that it is yet another year of us getting to do this, and to do it together. God is blessing us in this storm and we are so GRATEFUL for the opportunities we have had this past year. Well, the last months of this last year have been so needed, and refinement and pruning is a necessary process yall (Can I get an ‘Amen?’).

We do have so much catch up to do with sharing more images on our blog, but here are just some our 2018 FAVORITES. This will be so fun to look over in the years to come, to see our progress and our growth, and to reminisce in the beautiful memories of the beautiful couples and families, and persons, we have met along the way.

We hold you in our prayers. May this new year , 2019, be UNPRECEDENTED in Love for you and your loved ones.

The New Year is a good reminder, that just like every new day, you can start over, be better than the year before, than the day before. And that it’s always worth it to continue: onward and upward!

Mother duck with ducklings NatGeo

Engagement Photography Session, Hubbard Park, Meriden, Connecticut

Yale, New Haven Engagement Photography Session

Yale, New Haven Engagement Photography Session

Yale, New Haven Engagement Photography Session

Styled Bridal Portraits, The Library, Wallingford, Connecticut

Bridal Portrait, Wedding Photography, Wallingford, Connecticut

Bridal Gown, Bliss Bridal, Connecticut

Happy Bride, Bridal Portrait, The Library, Wallingford, Connecticut

Baby girl portrait, New York, Custom Balloons

Baby girl portrait, New York, Custom Balloons, Rose's Mama Creations

Musician portrait, Headshot, Maspeth, Queens, NY, Katelyn Richards, Rockstar portrait

People portrait, Honduras, grandmother (Stephanie's grandmother)

Lifestyle portrait, Honduras

Christmas Family Portrait photographer, Connecticut

Central Park Engagement Couples Photographer, Best Friends in Love Photography Session

Winter Engagement Photographer, Brookfield Mall, DUMBO, New York

Glamour Maternity Motherhood Session, Central Park, New York

Fall Motherhood Maternity Photography, Central Park, New York

Christmas family portrait photographer, Connecticut

This is our first picture together as an engaged couple! So this is our favorite picture of all time so far. Just a couple more months <3 2019 we can’t wait!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

With love and scenescerity,

Tim + Steph

your photographers

Styled Bridal Portraits | The Library, Wallingford, Connecticut

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We recently had the crazy wonderful idea to put together a styled bridal shoot. We were partly influenced by our own amazing wedding photographer and partly influenced by the fact that we are getting closer every day to the start of our lifelong marriage! Perhaps in a later post we will write about 'How to plan a styled shoot,' but for now, we have some words of appreciation for the fantastic vendors we collaborated with.

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We have been immensely blessed by such an amazing and intentional team. We want to personally thank each of them for their willingness to work with us, to trust us to deliver images that matter, and for their time and talents. 

Thank you to Melissa from The Library Wine Bar and Bistro in Wallingford, Connecticut. This venue was the perfect place for our styled bridal shoot, offering gorgeous lighting and many wonderful locations for each of our brides. The private event space was particularly welcoming. The staff throughout the day were so helpful and we have immense gratitude for partaking in this shoot with such a high calibur venue and location. We recommended working with The Library's dedicated staff for your Wedding Day! 

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Thank you to Tammy Rose from The Wallingford Flower Shoppe, for the gorgeous bouquets and boutonniere, customized for our models. These flowers were beyond what we could have imagined. Tammy is incredibly talented at creating and tailoring the bouquets that are beyond your expectations, and Wallingford Flower Shoppe is a team of trusted and dedicated florists and artists. The wedding day bouquet is an opportunity to express so much in such a delicate way. Flowers as art, and they embodied just that. We are grateful.

Thank you to Bliss Bridal Connecticut, the unmatched bridal boutique in Cheshire, Connecticut. Jess and her team from Bliss Bridal was so great to work with, offering us stunning wedding gowns from such a great selection of wedding dresses. They ensured that we'd have the best gowns to choose from to make our dream bridal shoot a reality. Any bride would be so blessed to find her dream wedding dress here!

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Thank you to Averi, our amazing hair and make-up artist. She is incredible to work with, she brought our bridal beauty vision to life in each of our already stunning models. We are happy to hear, too, that she travels, so hopefully she will join us for our own wedding day next year (shameless plug haha).

And last but absolutely not least, to our wonderful models: Katelyn, Lauren, and Tristan. They were each a pleasure to work with, bringing their talents to shine forth in each image. They are also some of the nicest people we have met. We recommend working with them for your next photoshoot as well, and we look forward to working with them again if they will have us! 

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In all honesty, we could not have been more blessed with the fantastic team we were able to collaborate with. Thank you to all of you for saying "Yes," to being a part of this styled bridal photoshoot, a dream for us now a reality--and all thanks to you. (To see more images from this styled shoot, be sure to check out our portrait and couples gallery).

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Personal reflection: As you can tell, we have been overwhelmed in gratitude, for the opportunities that have come our way, as we continue to venture together.

We are #buildingwithgrace after all (referring to God's Grace, and Mercy of course). With that said, we are grateful to continue growing in our craft and in our relationship.

Please continue to pray for us during these trying times, that we (and you) can be encouraged in this way: whether through the fires or the storms, we know that God is good, and always with us. We believe that All things are possible through Christ, and we will continue to "pray, hope, and don't worry," trusting in the One who Loves us beyond all measure.  We are confident that the darkness will not overcome, and that Love will lead us through to the end. 

with scenescerity,

Tim+Steph