Rhode Island Family Holiday Portraits in Warwick

What a cute one this is! When one of your favorite couples comes back to you year after year for family portraits…that’s when you know you love your job! I photographed Heather and Conner for their engagement, wedding, holiday photos and now two rounds of maternity portraits. I’ll leave newborn sessions to those magic making experts though! I was so excited they wanted to make the trip down from Massachusetts, and had to cross everyones favorite bridge under construction, to come hang with me. I was even more excited when I got to see their son, Gabriel, for the first time since he was just a tiny dude. We had a great time frolicking in the leaves and catching up on all the wonderful things happening in our lives!

The holidays are the perfect time for family photos to send to your loved ones in Christmas cards or to frame and put on the mantel. I’ve still got my work cut out for me to get my favorite little buddy to smile for me!

A Summer Engagement at Sachuest Point in Newport, Rhode Island

Not only is Sachuest Point in Middletown, Rhode Island one of my favorite places to photograph and hike, but this session is especially special! I’ve known Greg since we were kids, we went to high school together and everything, so it was an honor to be asked to photograph their upcoming September wedding. They are the absolute CUTEST! And of course, champagne was popped and they were adventurous enough to brave the tall grasses for those dreamy sunset photos. I love engagement sessions because it gives me a chance to interact with couples before the big day and get them used to posing for the camera so on the wedding day we can grab those just married photos quickly and get them on to cocktail hour and joyfullness. Congratulations Logan and Greg!

A Narragansett Summer Wedding at The Towers

Oceancliff Wedding | Newport Rhode Island Wedding Photographer

Terrydiddle Farm Fall Wedding

Roger Williams Park Family Portraits

It’s always exciting to see my couples years after their wedding as their family grows! I saw Heather and Connor in the Spring for maternity portraits, and now in the Fall for a Christmas card session at the beautiful Roger Williams Park in Cranston, Rhode Island. The air was a bit chilly, but the sun was shining and it was one of the warmer days in November.

I just loved meeting their little one and it was fantastic to see these two again!

Jamestown Rhode Island Summer Wedding | Linda + Dennis

Congratulations Linda + Dennis on your beautiful coastal wedding and for making me feel like family!

Photography: Alicia Laird Photography

Florist: Michelle Jeanne Floral Design

Reception Venue: Our Table Restaurant

A Snowy Winter Engagement Session in Rhode Island

Winters here in New England can be “snow” much fun! When Sara expressed that she wanted to have her engagement session on freshly fallen snow, I was definitely game! We couldn’t set a date and had to just play it by ear and wait for the weather to do it’s thing! We both saw a forecast coming in for a few inches on a Saturday and thankfully because it was winter I wasn’t booked so we set a date. Well, the clouds delivered the most perfect snowfall and some flakes were still flying as we walked around Roger Williams Park. It was definitely a shorter session with some breaks to bundle up and get warm, but these two definitley were great sports and the cold didn’t seem to bother any of us!

Hair and makeup by the fabulous Kristen Green & Company!

East Bay Rhode Island Maternity Session

A little something different on the blog today! It seems like it’s been ages since I started portrait photography with the expectation of working with families and newborn babies. Well, it turned out very quickly babies were NOT my calling but the couples in love having them were! I don’t do many maternity sessions, but when one of your favorite past brides reaches out to say they’re expecting, I could’t be more excited!

I met Heather and Connor back in 2018 for their engagement session in Newport and their wedding at Lake Pearl in Wrentham. We became instant friends and I enjoyed every minute of their wedding. Not only are they kind and caring people, but loads of fun! We’ve kept in touch over the years and I was thrilled to hear they were expecting a little boy. We walked around the East Bay area to find some abandoned train tracks and ocean views, with Spring blossoming all over. It was a little windy, but no worries at all, these two are always up for an adventure, plus we all got excited for the families of ducks that were close to shore!

So while I won’t be doing their newborn photos (the beauty of referrals, that one takes a specialist!) I can’t wait to see them and continue to capture their family as it grows! Congrats Heather and Connor, and it was SO GOOD to see both of you (we definitely have to do a double date soon)!

How To Get Wedding Photos You Love! | Wedding Planning Tips from Alicia Laird Photography

How to Get Wedding Photos You Love!

 By Alicia Laird, Owner of Alicia Laird Photography

Your wedding day is going to be one of the most memorable and exciting days of your life! All the planning over the past months or even years comes down to a day that will pass in the blink of an eye. When the vows have been made and the cake has been eaten you are left with memories and your wedding photographs. You will look back on these photographs for years to come, and they will spark reminders of exactly how you felt in these special moments. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to choose a photographer that you can connect with, who has a style you love, and who you can completely put your trust in. The following tips will help you sort through all of the different types of photography and guide you in making the perfect choice for your big day!

1. Go Professional Over Bargain

There is a reason why some photographers charge $500 per wedding and some charge $5,000 per wedding and everything in between. It takes years of practice and perfecting the craft of capturing a wedding day, as well as investing in equipment and education. Passionate professional photographers will put every ounce of their being into educating themselves through workshops, schooling, and second shooting to become the pros they are. We all started somewhere, but chances are someone who is shooting at incredibly low prices is probably just starting out, and may not have experience and equipment to handle different lighting situations on a wedding day. Do your research to make sure they have experience! A little breakdown on what you are paying for, since it’s not just the day of the wedding work:

​1. Education, equipment, advertising and experience it takes to run a business

​2. Pre-wedding consultations, questions and planning

​3. Engagement session travel, the actual session, and editing afterward

​4. The wedding day (4-10 hours on their feet with little rest), and the hours of culling,  ​​​editing, providing sneak peeks, uploading the gallery and blogging the photos.

So when a professional is charging a rate that gives them a livable wage, you know you have a competent business owner with experience that you can trust, and that won’t run off with your photos and money. I recently heard a story about something like this happening to a friend and my heart aches for them! 

2. What to Ask at a Consultation

At your wedding day consultation, before you book, the photographer should as you lots of questions to get to know you and what your expectations are of them. This usually takes place at an in person meeting, or a phone call or Zoom chat. This gives you a chance to get to know your photographer personally, as you will be spending a lot of time on your big day with them! Ask as many questions as you like, most professionals will be happy to spend time with you and answer all of your questions. Some common questions Brides ask are:

​1. How long have you been photographing weddings?

​2. What kind of equipment do you have and do you have backups? How do you back up images?

​3. Do you specialize in weddings?

​4. What does a wedding experience look like with you?

​5. Do you have a second shooter/ assistant?

6. How long will it take to get my images/ see sneak peaks/ see a blog to share?

Most photographers are happy to chat about their experiences, show you full wedding and engagement galleries that align with their style, and answer any of your questions.

3. Style

When you Google wedding photography, you will see work from hundreds of different photographers pop up in the images section. Some of them may look like they belong together but chances are, since it is work from all different people, it will not. Looking at a photographers style is one of the most important things when you want to see how your photos will look. 

There are two different kinds of styles, how they edit and what approach they take to your wedding day. Some editing styles are bright and airy, moody, bright and colorful, dramatic lighting, and rich color. Search these terms and see what style you like and what resonates with you! When you look at their portfolio, you should see consistency all around, and not see work that looks like it was edited with 10 different filters by 10 different people. It should generally have a consistent mood and feel. Photographers are usually passionate about their style, so if one tells you they have a bright and airy style and love natural light, don’t expect them to set up a bunch of lights or create dark or dramatically lit photos for you.

The second type of style is how the photographer approaches the wedding day. Some styles are artistic, editorial, or photojournalistic. An artistic photographer is one you will see with the most unique angles and compositions. An editorial photographer will pose, perfect every little detail with styling, and make every image look magazine worthy. A photojournalist will try to be as discrete as possible and let the moments unfold exactly how they happened, wile capturing all the emotion along the way. These are all wonderful styles, just think about how you want your day captured and make sure you discuss it with your photographer, so everyones expectations are on the same level. I consider myself an editorial photojournalist.

I will style details in the bridal suite, pose you like a pro for portraits and family formals, but be discrete as possible during the ceremony and reception and capture the action as it happens!

4. Anti-Pinterest

We all love Pinterest for inspiration, and if your photographer sends you boards they have created so that you can see ideas and inspiration that is great! Going back to trusting your photographer and their artistic vision, if you don’t see photos and poses you love on their site and have to resort to sending them tons of stuff from Pinterest, you may not have a good fit. Remember, photographers post on their site the work they love the most and that represents them and their work. If you don’t see dresses hanging in trees, jumping bridesmaids, a blurred out ring with a kiss in focus in the middle, sepia tone or selective color in their portfolio, it is probably because this is not their style. Never fear though, there are so many types of photographers that work in all different ways. You should trust their style and vision to pose and create images you love, so you can relax, enjoy your day and have the most fun ever!

5. Personality and Connection

There is nothing worse that not getting to know the person you will be spending the majority of your big day with, and meeting them for the first time on your wedding day and realizing your personalities completely clash! Not that everyone has to be exactly alike, but a lot of “box store” photography studios will just send you whoever is available and you won’t even know their name until a few weeks before your wedding day. A personal interest and connection is such a huge part of the experience. Weather it’s chatting in person, on the phone or through e-mail correspondence leading up to your wedding, you want to get a good sense of their personality, and make sure you will enjoy spending time with them on your wedding day!

So don’t be afraid to do some digging and research to find a style you love and several photographers that you can meet with, that have that style, so you find your perfect match. You’ve already found your perfect partner, now finding your perfect photographer should be easy!

Cheers!

Alicia

A Trip to Block Island in the Fall

It was a blustery day. The wind swept against my face as the ferry pulled out of Narragansett and made its way out into the Atlantic. I could smell the salt air, and feel the rock of the waves beneath the ship. The gulls called from all around as they searched for fish or scraps of food. As we pulled out of port and into the wind and the waves, I was so glad I was on my way to my favorite place. A place with a small town feel, but even though there are many tourists, everyone still makes you feel like you’re at home. A place where everywhere I look screams “re-decorate your apartment like this”! And a place where I feel at peace and free.

Normally when we think of Going to Block Island, we picture summertime! Live music, having food and drinks at Ballards, running and biking the shoreline and of course hanging out at the beach. After my Summer trip to the Island to photograph Katie + Seth’s wedding I literally fell in love with the quaint coastal vibe, adorable shops, and art and was so inspired I went home right away and booked another trip. Well as most of us are aware, hotels on the Island are expensive during the Summer, and I wanted to stay at this ADORABLE B&B with ocean views called The Darius, right across from my favorite Persephone’s Kitchen (unfortunately closed for the season this time). My room was number 21 (my lucky number!) and had a great view of the ocean across the street and of the sun setting over town.

The ferry ride in was smooth sailing! I usually take the fast ferry, but it wasn’t available so I had an hour at sea with the breeze and wonderful views.

Of course it was National Ballet Day the second day I was there, so I spent a lot of time taking some fun ballet pictures around town! My first day my room wasn’t quite ready, so I stored my bags and headed down the street for some lunch and some local brews at Old Island Pub where I had an amazing turkey sandwich and some trusty Shipyard. I then headed back to The Darius and got settled into my room, changed, and headed out to get a bike since I needed to get my exercise on the island! I saw a small trail to the ocean after getting my bike and decided to have a look.

After that I had to go explore some more! And with sunset approching, somewhere pretty by the sea was at the top of my list, so I headed to the South Lighthouse.

It was starting to get windy and super chilly as the sun was setting, so after photographing the lighthouse at sunset, I headed back to The Darius where I walked in on the end of complimentary cocktail hour (really, does it get any better than that??!)

For dinner I ended up at the Poor People’s Pub because it was off season and not many places were still open. A burger and fries was just what I needed after a long day of adventuring!

My plan was to get up early and photograph sunrise, but with the insane winds and the lack of clouds in the sky I stayed in bed until breakfast. The breakfast served was delicious, with juice and coffee, egg muffins, muffins, keish, yogurt and eggs. All were easy to grab and go but I choose to sit in the kitchen in the sunshine for a bit.

It was even windier the next day, but I still wanted to get out and explore. I started by walking around town a bit and doing some shopping hoping that the wind would die down. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I grabbed a quick lunch of a sandwich at the Three Sisters, and started biking up to the North Lighthouse. First I took a walk on the beach across from the Inn and found some adorable Piping Plovers and some starfish sunning themselves on the rocks!

The bike ride up to the North Lighthouse was quite the workout, which after taking a break from cardio after running the Newport Marathon, felt great! Viewing the homes along the way, got me thinking about wanting to one day be able to buy my own Block Island beach house…even if it was just the smallest little shack! Seeing as my house is already decorated in teals with a beachy theme, I think I would fit right in!

I parked my bike and started the mile or so walk to the lighthouse. There weren’t many people around and the side of the lighthouse as I was approaching was breezy, but the dunes were blocking the worst of the wind. As I got closer it got much more windy, but I was kind of starting to get used to it and was warm from the bike ride and walking anyway! The lighthouse was boarded up and closed for the season, but still great to see. All I could think about was how cute would an engagement session here be?! Also because it was National Ballet day, I had to grab some ballet inspired selfies!

The sea had seemed pretty calm until I ventured to the northern side of the lighthouse. There the wind howled and waves crashed like there was a hurricane (with no rain and lots of sunshine of course)! The spray from the thrashing waves had my constantly wiping my camera lens. It was almost a little scary, so thank goodness I had my zoom lens because I was almost afraid a giant wave was going to come out of nowhere and swallow me whole!

While I love the turquoise seas around the island, the wind was definitley a little much for me and I was ready to head back and make a stop at the Labyrinth on the way.

The Labyrinth is good for the soul! Following the winding path in quiet and solitude, finding positive messages, reading the log book, and finding a place for the stone was like doing walking yoga. Actually, doing yoga here on a warmer day would be lovely!

I wanted to catch the sunset at an abandoned pier I passed the day before over near The Spring House, which has a rich history I learned about. I am an avid reader and one of my favorite genres is historical fiction or even stories surrounding history (I’m currently binging The Gilded Age on HBO as I’m writing this)! But first, it was back to The Darius for a snack and cocktail hour!

From cocktail hour to breakfast, The Darius will not leave you disappointed!

Once I had something to hold me over I headed back out on my trusty bike toward the pier.

The pier is located behind what used to be The Spring House pump house, which was damaged badly by a storm in 2011. In the late 1800’s, the pump house was the water system for the Spring House Hotel, the oldest hotel on the island still open to the public. Now the only thing left of the pup house is a plaque after plans to preserve and restore it were abandoned.

After finishing another windy excursion, I went back to my room, changed, took a hot shower and headed out for dinner. I thought of trying a new place but it was full, so I went back to the Poor People’s Pub because I liked the causal bar vibe (and thank you to whoever bought me a glass of wine from across the bar!) and the food is delicious. Full and relaxed I walked back to the Darius to go to bed early and get up for sunrise.

The wind whipped all night, and the skies were clear so I slept in because the sunrise didn’t look like it would be spectacular and I don’t like to get up at dawn unless there is going to be a beautiful pink sky. My ferry was at 12, so I had my last breakfast at the Inn and said goodbye for now. I grabbed a coffee at the Oddfellows Cafe before boarding the ferry for a ride back to the mainland.

It’s always sad to say goodbye to a vacation, especially at one of the most relaxing places around. But I know I will be back before long! So long for now, Block Island! I can’t wait to come back for more wine, weddings and adventures!

A Boho Beach Wedding at The Cushman House Block Island

It has been years since I’ve been to Block Island, I haven’t actually gone there since I was a kid and we took a Girl Scout day trip to the beach! I hardly even remember that trip, but I will always remember this one. Katie and Seth were planning their wedding for 2020, when 2020 had a mind of it’s own and forced so many couples to cancel and re-schedule. Thankfully I was available for their new date and ready to sail away!

The Cushman House is a beautiful historical Victorian home with a wrap around porch and sweeping views of the ocean for as far as you can see! Down a path of flowering trees, a White Way of Delight if I must say, the path to the beach rolls up a dune to the ceremony site on the beach. From the scene decorated with gorgeous florals from Painted Rock Flowers and rentals From Uniquely Chic Vintage, to the perfect temperature and shining sun, this really was the best day ever!

I love a good first look, and Seth’s reaction to seeing Katie in her wedding gown was definitely one for the books. We then snuck away for some seaside portraits and so the couple could see their ceremony set up before the guests arrived. The day was full of love, laughter, friends and of course their adorable doggies! Congratulations again, Katie and Seth, and thank you for having me sail away with you!

Vendors

Photographer - Alicia Laird Photography

Venue - The Cushman House, Block Island

Planning Team – Summer Sisters Weddings & Events

Vintage Furniture Rentals – Uniquely Chic Vintage Rentals

Band, Reception – Clockwork Boston

Cake + Desserts – Sugar Rush

Catering – Block Island Gourmet

Flowers –Painted Rock Designs

Hair – Foundation Hair Studio

Makeup – Pro Radiance Artistry

Musician, Ceremony – Golden Scroll Soloists

Rentals, Tables + Chairs – BI Party Rentals

Transportation – Kody’s Cab

East Greenwich Graduation Portraits

When your best friend graduates college you have to celebrate with some awesome photos! Her supportive husband Mike (you guys have totally seen them all over the blog before!) and their adorable Golden Retriever, Millie, joined in for the fun too! We went to a cute little spot near my house that had a variety of nice grass/ woods, stone features and gorgeous Spring evening light. That filtered through the trees sun glow is my favorite light to photograph in.

Sabrina + Mike will be moving to California next month and I’ll miss them like crazy so I’m glad we got to do this last shoot! You know I’ll be flying out there to visit them and capture more of their memories and probably a lot more, because…vacation! I love you guys and will miss you! Congratulations on your graduation, Sabrina!

University of Connecticut UCONN Engagement

Sylvia + David met during their years at UCONN on the volleyball court one fateful night, so what better place to have their engagement session! I had never been to the campus so I was excited to see it, and also meet their mascot the Husky, Johnathan. It is so cute how everyone freaks out on campus when Johnathan is around! We had so many students coming up to us asking if it was okay to pet him (I think he deserved all the pets and loves!) and he was the perfect model even though it was a warm day with thunderstorms rolling through.

We started their session at the dairy farm and made friends with a cow and enjoyed the rolling pastures and picket fences, then moved over to the volleyball court where they met. A storm came through when we got to the courts, so we hunkered down in the car and waited for it to pass before making sure they got some super meaningful shots on the court with their dorm rooms behind it.

After that we headed over to meet Johnathan, and spent some time with him and his iconic sculpture! It was so hot that day and he was such a good sport. Finishing with a little lap around campus to the engineering building (David’s major!) and then said goodbye until the wedding day. I’m so excited for their wedding in Stonington this year! Congratulations Sylvia + David, I’ll see you in June!

A Beautiful Backyard Wedding in Boston

Jamie + Jordan are MARRIED!

And what a beautiful backyard wedding at Jamie’s family home! OMG did I love this wedding! From Jamie’s dog to the beautiful backyard FULL of gorgeous flowers, the all of the love and joy (and awesome dance moves!) shown by their family and friends.

These two met while working for the Military in Virginia and going on group motorcycle rides, and have been together for about 6 years. He was shy and said no the first time she asked him out! But of course he changed his mind! Though deployments separated them for 6 months, they moved in together and rescued 2 dogs (one of which you will see pictures of on here!) and got engaged in Costa Rica!

I loved all the personal and meaningful details they put into their wedding day. The Fall colors, flowers, family signs and decor in the barn were so perfect. It rained while we were doing the couples portraits at a super cute local park, but we used an awning to make it work at a historic home that was the prettiest colors!

Congratulations Jamie + Jordan, you guys were so much fun!

The Barn on Bensons Pond Wedding | Middleborough Massachusetts | Felicia + Chuck

White and greenery rustic elegance wedding | Middleborough, MA

Felicia and Chuck are MARRIED!! It was a warm and sunny day at the end of September when you would think Fall would be in the air but this felt more like a summer day! The Barn on Bensons is tucked off a quiet country road in Massachusetts and had the most beautiful and elegant vintage details from the bridal suite to the reception space. These two are just so adorable, full of love, joy and appreciation that I was sad their big day was over but full of joy while I drove home! Before the wedding even started, Felicia gave me a hug and was like “I love my wedding! I love my wedding vendors!” and as someone who puts her heart and soul into her small business, that meant the world to me!

The whole day was special, but my favorite part of the wedding was Felicia’s Dad telling stories of her childhood where they wrote and recorded music together. This made the Father Daughter dance that much more special when the song cut out to a track Felicia’s Dad wrote and recorded for her! I cried! How amazing!

Congratulations again Felicia + Chuck! Wishing you the very best and all the happiness in the world! xx

Creative Team:

Venue: The Barn on Bensons Pond

Flowers: The Petal Gypsy

Invitations: Zazzle

Bridal gown: Angela’s Bridal Boston

Bridesmaids attire: Christina’s

Hair Stylist: Courtney Parsons

Makeup Artist: Stephanie Howard

Rentals: The Oak Whisky and Wine Barrel Garage

Jeweler: Longs Jewelers

Catering: Keane’s Wood Fired Catering

Desserts: The Flaky Crust Pies

DJ: Event Experience - DJ Erik