Come On Over

To the NEW and IMPROVED all-in-one MKP site.

From now on it's just one click to all MKP has to offer at www.melissakoren.com.

I can't wait to see you there!

~Melissa Koren

One of those moments.

I'm in awe of my job nearly every day, but there are some days, some moments, when I'm just completely dumbstruck but the awesomeness that I get to be privy to.

Like this.



As I'm editing Stephanie & Mike's wedding as fast as I can, this photo came up on my screen and I welled up with tears.

Mike is just about to kiss his bride, to be pronounced husband & wife, and he knows it. He's excited and proud and maybe still a touch nervous, but mostly excited and overjoyed. And while I was quite a bit away, he looked up and right into the camera and shared it with me.

It's an amazing feeling to experience that trust and comfort in one of life's larger moments. And I got to be there. Completely dumbfounding.

constantly humbled, ~melissakoren

Did you know?

MKP on Facebook! The spot is open for my 100th fan - could it be you?



And just in case you were wondering what goes on, this about sums it up.



I'm so excited to share shots from the weddings of Kristan & John, Kim & Bryan, Stephanie & Mike, and Heather & Chris as well as more of Rachel & Jason's engagement shoot and other things that have been going on! More to come soon! (no really... )

~MelissaKoren

Just a Sunday Hello

I'm off to pray to the rain gods and shoot Rachel & Jason's engagement photos - and have some yummy Ice House!

But before I go - here's a hello from Avery. She's such a peanut - we never have tiny babies in our family and it's so fun to see something so little! I can't believe she's already 4 weeks old tomorrow. May was a blur. A complete blur!!



Well I'm off while the sun is till out! More posts coming soon!

~MelissaKoren

April Showers bring...

May Flower Girls!

Ok, so these weddings were last weekend in April, but the abundance of cuteness in the flower girls was just too much to handle!

First Isabel stole the show in Kristan & John's wedding ...

and then Justine (aptly nicknamed 'Tini') twirled and danced her way all they way down the long isle at Kim & Bryan's wedding to capture her curious George prize at the end.


I can't wait to share more from these weddings with you! But first it's off to Stephanie & Mike's York, ME wedding at the Dockside! The rain has held off and it looks to be a perfect day!

~Melissa Koren

A Beautiful Day!

After all the rain yesterday, this morning is a wonderful surprise! Warm and lovely!
The weekend forecast promises to be even better, and that's just fine with me because I have two weddings this weekend!

I'm going through wedding withdrawal and SO excited to get back in the saddle in the next few weeks. Kristan & John, Kimberly & Bryan and next weekend Stephanie & Mike! I'll have all sorts of new shots for the blog so check back often! I'm also going to be overhauling the website and seeing if I can summon my inner web designer to rock it out!

I've also been getting in touch with my inner boxing superstar. I'm addicted to cardio boxing on our Wii! Hopefully it will help keep me strong and agile for darting around ceremonies & receptions in stealth mode!

And since posting with out a picture is unheard of, I leave you with this shot I grabbed after a family portraits shoot last summer in Prescott Park. It was just so perfectly the embodiment of warm weather - and a great re-purposing idea!!

Enjoy your day!
~Melissa Koren

Taylor's Maternity Pictures

I'm going to be an aunt! Again!!

Shortly before our adorable nephew Killian turns 2, he's going to get to be a big brother!





He's excited about being a big brother, but after a long Easter morning full of candy and pushing it past nap time, he had NO interest in taking photos with us. But he was stuck.


Taylor rocks these shoes. I LOVE them. She looks amazing for 37 weeks!


My brother's a lucky guy. So pretty!




Woah Baby!


Only a few short weeks til her little girl joins our family!


Hurry up baby! We can't wait to meet you!

~MelissaKoren

Kimberly & Jeff 02.14.2009

I've had this nagging feeling I've been forgetting something. All of a sudden, it dawned on me - I've posted so many things ABOUT Kim & Jeff's fabulous wedding and the great weekend we had there, I never posted their actual wedding!!

So with out further ado - -

The beautiful Kimberly, getting ready


Her dress was made of the most gorgeously detailed lace.


Her something Blue!


And speaking of blue - her mother's dress was such an amazing color.

I love this moment. The moment when everything becomes just a little more real.


The complete, perfect package!

Meanwhile, the guys were down in the bar .. calming their nerves ..

Jeff & Kimberly decided to see each other before the ceremony. This was the first time I'd done this "formally" - it was SO exciting - I love Jeff's face as he waits for his bride to be to knock on the door.

Here she comes.....

I'd say they approve!

Then off to the ceremony. The fireplace was such a great backdrop!

Everything about the Mountain View Grand is amazing.

And the view is most certainly Grand!

AYKM!?!? GORGEOUS!!

This is my favorite shot. In the stairwell to the wine cellar. I love everything about it. The feeling, the texture, the colors - amazing.


A toast to a job well done!


They had some very cute nieces & nephews! I just love babies in bowties!


Advice & congratulations from family.


Then on to the cupcakes! I love the 'don't you dare' finger.






Dance with dad

And with mom

And then they all let loose and danced into the night! Here you'll note the gentleman on the floor. The song was footloose, and he put his ALL into it! I love the reactions on every ones faces!


A job well done Kimberly & Jeff, it was a wonderful wedding!

~MelissaKoren

How to celebrate a birthday

Part 1: Let them eat cake.

Cake? Cake you say?


I like cake -and being nearly 2 I can feed myself with a fork. Small bites are for babies.

You know what else is for babies? Forks. I don't need no stinkin' fork, it's just not working fast enough.

Aha! See, I've done it! I've become one with the cake!!

Not to be outdone on her birthday, Nichole decides this is a good idea and she requires a faster method of eating the cake also.


Now that was great fun, haha, posed for the picture.


but wait - - - while i was taking the picture, my brother and my cousin got up from their seats and came around to her side of the table and with lightning speed....

WHAM!

Admittedly the pictures are blurry, but you must forgive me because I didn't see it coming and once it happened I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, but still trying to take pictures.


Her clearly indented cake. (p.s. Best Cake EVER - Coldstone Creamery's Cake Batter Confetti)

After we cleaned them up, my cousin redeemed herself by presenting Nichole with her fabulous birthday gift: The Snuggie (the child is only our nephew, we had to give him back)


Part 2: Eat, Drink & Be Merry

Our very very good friend Allison helped me plot and execute a 6 course wine dinner for Nichole's birthday. We cooked and one of our other good friends Annie helped with the wine.



Allison-tong-hands. She was tending to the pork roast.

Course 1:

Annie talking about the accompanying wine.

Course two:


And here's where I failed. After course two was the risotto, which I was in charge of. So for 30 minutes I stirred and stirred and stirred and I made BRILLIANT risotto, however, Annie had topped off my glass repeatedly and my focus got ..er.. distracted, and I forgot to take photos of the rest of the courses as I was too busy eating amazing food and having a great time with our friends. I very much regret not having photos of everything, but I can't be too upset because that was the only thing that went awry!

With that I leave you with the menu card from the evening:

Happy Birthday Nichole!!!

Love,

All of your Nearest and Dearest

A Private Wine Dinner from Around the World Just for You

First Course
Mionetto, Brut Prosecco, Italy
Mixed Greens Tossed with Fresh Strawberries and Almonds

Second Course
Tohu, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
Seared Scallops with a Citrus Butter

Third Course
LaCrema, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Monterey, California
Risotto with Fresh Peas, Pancetta, and Parmesan cheese

Fourth Course
Candor, Merlot, Paso Robles, California
Beef Tenderloin Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese,
Caramelized Onions, and a Balsamic Reduction

Fifth Course
Yalumba, Barossa Shiraz, Barossa, Australia
Roasted Pork with a Port Wine Reduction and Figs

Dessert
Grahams, LBV Porto, Portugal
Lemon Torte and Homemade Dark Chocolate Torte

And that, is how to celebrate a birthday!

The Bachelorette (Party)

As I mentioned a few posts ago - we were lucky enough to be invited to our friend & client Kristan's bachelorette party in Boston last month. After being taken the very round about way by the GPS we arrived safe and sound at the parking garage. Not knowing where the night would lead us, I felt it was vital to take this photo:

The 1st part of the party was at Finale in Park Plaza. I'd never heard of this place before and the more I looked it up online the more excited I was to go. I am a dessert junkie - and this was HEAVEN. This cake/torte/decadence was one of the most amazing things I've eaten.

Kristan's sister orchestrated this whole affair, the evening started for Kristan by being surprised by a limo at her house and the got to Boston in style!

Check out those shoes - I covet them!


I've slowly but most surely become a red wine lover, my newest fascination is port and Finale had the perfect thing for me!


They were all tasty, but the 2nd one from the right was my favorite, it tasted like pure maple syrup with a kick - I wanted to pour it over vanilla ice cream - or better yet, fresh fallen snow!!

Kristan & her sister Katelyn (photo by Nichole)

After drinks & dessert we climbed in the limo and headed on to part two

Jaques Cabaret! We had front row seats and a hilarious time!


Kristan & the 4 other Bachelorettes that were there that night got called out up on stage.


The certainly put their all into their acts!


Ah, the life of a starlet!


I am SO SO excited for Kristan & John's wedding later this month at the Bedford Village Inn, I can't wait to share the photos from that!

Annie's Angels Heavenly Ball

To view the full gallery and purchase any prints please click here.

I am honored to be the "official photographer" for the Annie's Angels Memorial Fund. The work that Bill, Di & their crew do is amazing. This years fundraiser was the 1st Annual Heavenly Ball at the New England Center in Durham, NH.

Welcome!


Bill & Di's daugther Stephanie came up from NJ for the occasion and I finally got to meet baby J. He's such an adorable chunky monkey! Stephanie was my first bride ever and she will always hold a very special place in my heart! It's so exciting to keep in touch with her and watch her family grow!

The Ball was packed with great items you could bid on.





Meet Bill - one of the kindest most warmhearted people you will ever meet. He gives a great hug!

A good friend of the Memorial Fund, WERZ's Ralphie Marino was the MC for the evening.


WHEB's JR was the fabulous DJ for the evening. He did a great job keeping people up and dancing. Shortly after that one of my October couples booked him for their wedding. It was purely coincidence but I was thrilled to hear they'd chosen him and I look forward to working with him again!



And BOY did they dance!! This couple had moves like no other! They rocked it out on the dance floor all night long complete with dips!



Bill's wife, Di -one cool cat!

Stephie has a ritual of singing at all the Annie's Angel's BBQ's so they asked her to sing at the Ball and of course she obliged. She totally nailed her rendition of Black Velvet.

Bill lets loose!




This was the most ANIMATED and amusing enactement of Paradise By The Dashboard Light I have ever seen.
Batter Steps Up to the Plate and Here's the Pitch (Photo by Nichole)


Let me sleep on it?

I gotta know right now!!


It was an amazing event and a great time was had by all. Their already planning for next years - I'll let you know when so you can save the date!

Spring Sale Begins Today!

Phew - we made it through March! Hopefully April showers will help spring come into full bloom ASAP!

Today starts the sale!! 10% off all prints ordered Fri 4/3 - Sun 4/5! (Prints Only) That's just 3 days so act fast!!

What? 2 discounts?! It's True! Enter the code SPRING10 at checkout through April 30th and get $10 off any order $35 and up. (Prints & Products!) These two offers CAN be combined!

If your event was nearing deadline I've extended it so you can take advantage of these great offers! To check it out go to melissakoren.instaproofs.com.

Also, don't forget to spread the word about the discout cards: $50 off any event package and $25 off any portrait package. If you can't find one near you, shoot me an email! I'll send you a few to keep and pass around!

Ok, here's the handy summary list one more time:

• 10% off all prints orders April 3-5
• $10 off any purchase of $35 or more through April 30th
• Be on the look out for event and portrait savings cards
• Pass these savings on to your friends and family!!

Happy Spring!!

~MelissaKoren

Spring Sale @ MKP!

We've finally made it through winter here in New Hampshire (they swear it's going to get warmer any minute now!)

To celebrate and welcome the spring temperatures I'm offering 10% off all prints ordered April 3 - 5th!
In addition, enter the code SPRING10 at checkout through April 30th and get $10 off any order $35 and up.
These two offers CAN be combined!

If your event was nearing deadline I've extended it so you can take advantage of these great offers! To check it out go to melissakoren.instaproofs.com

I've also started creating some discount cards: $50 off any event package and $25 off any portrait package. If you can't find one near you, shoot me an email! I might just have some extras here so you can use the savings yourself and then pass them on to a friend!*

Because I like lists, here are the important bullet points:

• 10% off all prints orders April 3-5
• $10 off any purchase of $35 or more through April 30th
• Be on the look out for event and portrait savings cards
• Pass these savings on to your friends and family

And since a post isn't a post with out a photo - I leave you with a shot of the FABULOUS desserts at Finale in Boston.

We went down there on Saturday night to help our friend & client Kristan celebrate her Bachelorette Party - It was such a blast, we can't wait till her wedding to John next month!

Happy Spring!! ~MelissaKoren

*offer applies to all customers new & returning on new event & portrait bookings only, cannot be applied to previously scheduled events.

MVG Animal Barn!

Part of our morning adventure when we went to the Mountain View Grand was to go down to the barn, on suggestion from our waitress at breakfast (oh, the breakfast! I still have dreams about that buffet!!)

It didn't occur to us to drive down, since we could see it from our room, but by the time we got there we realized it was probably only 10 degrees out and WINDY! We survived, and the animals were totally worth the trip.

These two were so cute!


Those eyes!!

Even the animals were c.c.c.c.cold! This poor llama was making 'smoke' with his breath!


These are the rare curly sheep - so much wool! The waitress said 'kind of like your hair!' but she meant it in the nicest way possible :)
We were much more fascinated in them than they were in us!


I LOVE the construction of barns - this roof was just amazing, I was mesmerized!

As we were about to leave we found the hot cocoa station. It made our walk back to the hotel much warmer!

I'm nearly finished with Kimberly & Jeff's wedding, I keep finding favorites and I can't wait to make a full post!!

~Melissa Koren

Upcoming Events!

Next Saturday I'm going to be photographing the Annie's Angels Heavenly Ball at the New England Center in Durham, NH. I decided to make up some promo cards so I can let the attendees know where to find the shots after the event and that a percent of the proceeds will go back to Annie's Angels. I'm pretty excited about the way they came out - and how FAST! I ordered them on Friday, and they were here on Monday - in the snow storm none the less.

For more information on Annie's Angels & The Heavenly Ball, check it out here - you can even find out how to win free tickets.


Hope to see you at the ball!
~Melissa Koren