Leah and EJ were married in Andover on June 22, 2012. It was a warm, humid day and, magically, the thunderstorms held off until after the ceremony finished!
The backyard was a gorgeous maze of flowering plants trimming the edges of the lawn and the pathways. Here are a few shots I took before the ceremony, after we had set up.
I love their wedding arch, below, surrounded with green and flowering plants.
Leah and EJ chose “Turidae” flute/violin duo for their ceremony and reception. Leah specifically requested a preference for music dating from the Baroque Period – prior to 1750. She was willing to have some “more modern” selections such as Mozart and Haydn if necessary, but we didn’t deem it necessary. With Bach, Handel, Boismortier, Telemann, Corelli, Scarlatti and others to select from, Mariah and I thoroughly enjoyed putting together nearly 2 hours worth of Baroque era music! This was a unique request and we weren’t about to let it slip by without full exploration and enjoyment! Below is a shot of Mariah and I a couple of weeks later at Boyden Farm in Cambridge, courtesy of Ellen Ross Photography.
Leah selected movements from Handel’s Flute Sonata in G Major for processionals and recessionals – these movements are also identical to three movements from Handel’s Oboe Sonata in F Major – which is how Leah had known them initially. We brought the bass line in the keyboard accompaniment up a couple of octaves and found it worked absolutely beautifully as a flute/violin duet. The first movement, Adagio, worked well as processional for the wedding party, though we did a bit of extra communication to ensure that we could time it properly in order not to end with an unfinished, hanging feeling – but that worked out just beautifully. The Minuet served well as processional for the bride – an elegant yet simple sort of a fanfare feeling. And for their recessional, Leah and EJ chose the lively Allegro movement – a long time favorite of mine.
These pictures show a gorgeous sunny day, and it truly was. However, as the ceremony was finishing, the clouds began to gather and a little wind began to pick up as distant rumbles of thunder were heard in the distance. As soon as the ceremony finished, raindrops began to fall. Fortunately, the wedding planner, Megan Schultz, didn’t miss a beat and kept everyone dry and content. Everyone calmly and happily streamed into the tent with Meg’s lead, including the musicians. Meg and company set up the walls on the tent around us as we started in with our Boismortier selections for the reception, seamlessly gliding to a new location on the grounds without anyone having a moment’s worry about where to go or any other reason to hesitate, thanks to Meg’s tip top cool, friendly, professional guidance.
I just couldn’t get enough of the grounds – so lushly green, so many varieties of flowers. As I’m writing this in October, I can feel the warmth of the day surrounding me again!
