Red Barn at Hampshire College Wedding

Erin and Chris got married at what has got to be one of my favorite weddings ever: The Red Barn at Hampshire College  in Amherst, MA. I’d shot there back in 2009  and was dying to go back. The venue has, obviously, a red barn, which is perfect for fun, rustic receptions for up to 120 people, but even better is the epic tree under which couples can get married looking out at the mountains. Stunning. Style Me Pretty loves the Red Barn too, which was evident in their feature of Erin and Chris’s wedding last year. I was so excited to be featured on Style Me Pretty.

But it wasn’t just the venue that made this wedding so special; it was Erin and Chris, who are two of the kindest and warmest people you’ll ever meet. Their wedding was all about family: their families have been friends for many years, so the wedding was a chance for a really close-knit community to come together and celebrate the couple.

Venue: The Red Barn  //Florist: Forget Me Not Florist // Wedding Decor Installation: Tanya Costigan of Bowties and Butterflies  // Makeup: Maria of Vici Hair Studio and Beauty Bar // Hair: Hair by Harlo // Cocktail Hour Music: Floyd Patterson Band // Wedding Dress: The White Gown, Brooklyn, New York

One thing you should know about Chris and Erin is that they are avid marathon runners. So much so that they used their bibs from each of their races as table numbers, telling the story of that particular marathon on the back. The highlight of course was the New York City Marathon, and for a very special reason: the first time, they ran the race, Chris ran it with a ring in his pocket. At the end of the race, he convinced the officials to allow him to wait on one knee at the finish line until Erin finished. But this is SO rare Erin actually thought Chris was hurt and ran over in concern. At which point, he proposed and she said yes! Natalie was particularly impressed by this story, since she only runs if being chased.

I totally bonded with Erin and Chris because we’re all huge animal lovers. Chris and Erin LOVE their cats, so instead of favors, they made a donation to the Humane Society.

Check out how beautiful the grounds of the Red Barn are as the sun goes down.

July in Amherst, MA // Weather: Hot but with relief when the sun goes down // Favorite light time for shots: 7:45pm//

Getting Ready: 2:00 // Dress on: 3:10 // Bridal Shots: 4:15 // Ceremony Start: 4:45  // Group Shots: 5:20 // Couple Shots: 5:40 //
Reception Started: 6:20 // Sneaking out for 10 minutes of killer light photos: 7:40

Venue Love: The Red Barn’s epic tree and barn-like indoor space make it perfect for a rustic wedding.

Fun thing to think about: Including kids in your wedding can be a challenge but also so much fun. How cute are the girls in this wedding?

Lesson learned: Take a moment alone sometime after the ceremony. Not only does it allow for gorgeous shots during the best light, but it also gives you a few moments to stop and smell the flowers — literally.

Best thing ever: Chris’s tears during the ceremony. I’m a sucker for tears.