Lisa Frechette Photography

Frozen Clam Polar Plunge

2012-01-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

Ah, the first blog post of the year. It was supposed to be a recap of 2011, but maybe this post is even more appropriate. I'll get to that recap soon enough. There were polar plunges going on all over the state here on January 1st, but my cousin Ryan, also starring as the groom in Ryan and Laurie's wedding here and here, organized the first annual Frozen Clam (polar plunge) which benefitted the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership, a non profit organization offering mentoring services to RI's youth. The plunge had a great turnout and was a big success! I'm not sure if he bribed all his family members or what, but they all took the plunge too! On a side note: you could NOT pay me enough money to plunge! I'd be way more likely to take the plunge if it was held in August. Think that's a possibility? No? Hmm, well I guess I'll just be offering up my photography services instead then. A lot of our extended family also came to participate in or support this year's plunge....

My cutie nephew James

Ryan making some Frozen Clam announcements

My Livvie

The National Anthem

Ready, set, go!

My cousin Tess

My cousin Kayla (Ryan's sister)

My cousin Ali (Ryan's sister also) -- I love her hat!!

Ryan's brothers

Ryan's fam

Matt and Avery

I must admit, observing was fun. And that's about the extent of my participation in any of these crazy...err, I mean exciting polar plunges! See you (with my coat, hat and gloves on) next year!

Sarah + Chris's Engagement

2011-12-10T14:31:00.001-05:00

Sarah and Chris wanted to have photos taken in East Greenwich, which was fine by me. I love that little town and I am always game to wander around and find new and interesting places to shoot. Sarah and Chris were game too -- and pretty much indulged my every whim. Now that's my kind of couple! Oh, not to mention they are sweet and funny and love to laugh almost as much as I do :)

Sarah and Chris's wedding is next fall, which seems far away now, but I'm willing to bet it will be here before you know it, and I can't wait!!

Kristy + Kenny, part 2

2011-12-01T10:03:00.001-05:00

If anyone has ever been to Chelo's on the Water in the summer on a Thursday night, you know how much fun it is to hear Those Guys play! They definitely know how to keep the crowd singing and dancing, and apparently they play at weddings too! What a fun night for Kenny and Kristy, who is, hmm, let's say.....ENTHUSIASTIC on the dance floor! You go girl!

Congratulations and best wishes to Kristy and Kenny! Your wedding was so touching and inspiring, and I am so honored to have been a part of it!

Kristy + Kenny's wedding

2011-11-29T20:34:00.001-05:00

Weddings are not just about the dress, the flowers, the food, the music; they are also (and mostly) about friends and family. And while most couples' wedding days focus on the importance and value of family, Kristy and Kenny's version of family was particularly special to them on this day. See, they were combining two families into one: Kristy and her son Alex, and Kenny and his daughter Sloan. Once separate, now together, they truly exemplify what a wedding really symbolizes and how family really begins....

Whispering Pines in West Greenwich was the site for Kristy and Kenny's wedding celebration, Kristy's brother officiated the ceremony, and flowers were by The Open Door in Warwick....

Up next, formals and the reception....

Alaina + Greg, part 2

2011-11-21T20:40:00.001-05:00

Finishing up Alaina and Greg's wedding.....formals by the Towers and the reception at the North Beach Club House with Anthony Crocenzi keeping the dance floor hoppin'!

Congratulations to Alaina and Greg on a fun-tastic wedding and many years of married bliss!

Venue: North Beach Club House

Caterer: Culinary Affair

Music: Anthony Crocenzi

Video: Mike Picard Videography

Wedding Planner: Planned to Perfection

Alaina + Greg's wedding

2011-11-19T08:44:00.001-05:00

Alaina and Greg's wedding day was beautifully sunny but wildly windy -- and I'm not talking veil gracefully blowing in the wind windy; I mean sand on the beach blowing in your eyes blustery! Wind, like rain, will sometimes force a bride-groom-photographer team to assess the situation and make some changes. I love a couple that just goes with the flow, and that definitely describes Alaina and Greg -- sweet, easy going, and maybe even a little silly! I mean, how many brides and grooms do you know that spontaneously break out into club dance right in the middle of formals?! Oh, and I l-o-v-e Alaina's birdcage veil! Attention all brides! If this is up your alley, please and thank you!! Oh, and Alaina's gorgeous hair was done by one of my former brides, the lovely Tara McCabe! Alaina and Greg's ceremony was held at the North Beach Clubhouse in Narragansett......

Cute pic of the boys taken by Sheleen...

Up next, more formals with Alaina and Greg, and the reception in Narragansett!

Holiday Portrait Sessions

2011-11-11T14:31:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is getting Christmas cards in the mail! Let's face it, getting mail from friends is definitely a lost pastime, but technology hasn't made sending Holiday cards obsolete. Not yet anyway. With my personal Christmas cards, I hope to elicit a few reactions from my friends and family. First, "Ohhhh, look at how beautiful Olivia and Avery are! The girls have gotten so big!" Second, "Wow, Lisa is right on top of getting her Christmas cards out on time!" Third, "I love this photo!" Let me say that again, "I love this photo!" On second thought, that may be the first reaction I want to evoke, but that's the photographer in me talking!! In any case, I want YOU to get that kind of reaction from your family and friends too! That said, I have decided to open up one day devoted to you and your Christmas card photos! Here are the details:

•the date will be Saturday November 19th

•there will be time slots available in 30 minute increments between 10am-3pm, let's call them "mini shoots"

•the fee is $100, and with that you will be able to view your photos online, and then receive five high res files of your choice that you may use to build your own card (and have the option to purchase a dvd of the session at a later date)

•you will be notified of the location once you book your time slot

To book a time slot, please email lisa@lisafrechette.com, and write Holiday Portrait in the subject line.

Here are a few pics from last year's Christmas card shoot. (This year's will have to wait until the card comes in the mail!)

Don't forget -- family portraits are a great Christmas gift for the grand parents too! ;)

Ryan + Laurie, part 2

2011-11-07T14:29:00.001-05:00

Finishing up with Ryan and Laurie's fantabulous wedding...formals and the reception at Quidnessett Country Club, flowers by The Flower Pot, and music by Anthony Crocenzi.....

Kelly's view...

.....my view

Apparently, Ryan likes to climb trees. Anywhere.

Love that Laurie changed her hair for the reception!

I'm loving this pic by Kelly

Congrats Ryan and Laurie! You guys definitely win this year's award for happiest bride and groom! It was an honor and a pleasure to photograph your wedding! Wishing you the best always!

Ryan + Laurie's wedding

2011-11-06T08:07:00.000-05:00

I had been looking forward to Ryan and Laurie's wedding all season, primarily because Ryan is my cousin and there's nothing like a great, big family wedding, but also because, after a seemingly long engagement (it was only about a year!), everyone was so excited that the BIG DAY had finally arrived! We have a really big family....Ryan alone has three brothers and two sisters....oh....and more cousins than you can shake a stick at (on both sides of his family!), and Laurie just fits right in so seamlessly. Laurie was the most exhuberant, happiest bride I have ever seen! (My mom always says that I was the most excited bride she has ever seen, but heck, I think Laurie gave me a run for my money!) She couldn't have been more happy to be getting married to Ryan, and he couldn't have been more excited to have Laurie become his wife!

Kelly of KM Photography shot with me and met up with the guys while I was hanging out with the girls...

I heart this photo.

See how happy?

The next two photos are Kelly's...

Kelly's too...love

Kelly again....

See what I mean? So happy!!

Stay tuned for formals (including a super cool photo location) and the reception...

Briana + John's wedding

2011-10-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

OK, well this post is mostly about Briana, for a couple of reasons. First, because I wasn't actually the photographer in an official capacity, and another reason being, because she is my lovely sister! And I wanted to be free of photographic responsibility at her wedding for several other reasons! One, my girls were the official flower girls, and that, in itself, was a lot of responsibility; two, I didn't want to wear my typical photographer ensemble to my sister's wedding, three, I wanted to get my dance on and enjoy the wedding with no photographic commitment! Call me selfish, but you other photographers out there know what I mean when it comes to your family's weddings, right? Ok, this intro is long on explanation and short on photos right now, so let's get to it. I offered to shoot "getting ready" for Briana, so don't be surprised when a couple of cute flower girls show up a little more often that usual ;)

SMIZE!!!

Beautiful Olivia and Avery

My gorgeous neices, Madison and Nina

Livvie loves to help

She's got the devil in her ;)

Yay Briana and John! The wedding was SO MUCH FUN!! Wishing you a marriage just as amazing as your wedding! Love you!!!

Caitlin + Ryan's wedding, part 2

2011-10-21T11:47:00.001-04:00

More of Caitlin and Ryan's Warwick Country Club wedding......reception entertainment by Music Express.....

Caitlin and Ryan -- you are the best!! Congratulations on an amazing wedding day and a happy life together!!

Caitlin + Ryan's wedding

2011-10-19T09:58:00.000-04:00

Caitlin and Ryan have known each other practically their whole lives. They met in first grade, lived in the same neighborhood and began dating when they were 16. Insert "Awwwww" here. How sweet (or crazy) is that? Well, if you spend any amount of time with them, you can see how much they care about each other, and see how much history they share. Warwick Country Club was the setting for their ceremony and reception, and Laurel Lane provided the amazing flowers. Here's part one:

Kelly of KM Photography rescued me (thank you Kelly!!)

when I was down an assistant for the wedding...this is her shot:

Kelly's photo too:

LOVE this one by Kelly

Stay tuned for Part two with Caitlin and Ryan!

Kristy + Kenny's Engagement/Family Portrait

2011-10-18T08:49:00.000-04:00

Kristy and Kenny's wedding is coming up in a few short days, and, I'm thinking after some deliberation, they decided to do a combo engagement/family portrait a couple of weeks before the wedding. Kristy has a son named Alex and Kenny has a daughter named Sloan, and pretty soon they will all be one big, happy family!

See you guys at the wedding!!

Foster Family

2011-10-15T08:10:00.002-04:00

The Fosters are a sweet, really close knit family who genuinely like to be together! (At least that's what I thought!) We met at Goddard Park for these fun portraits.....

Caitlin + Ryan's engagement

2011-10-14T12:12:00.002-04:00

I met Caitlin and Ryan on a perfect summer evening at Beavertail in Jamestown for their engagement photos. A few words that describe Cate and Ryan: cute, sweet, adorable, fun, happy, silly, and....in love! You may not get all that from these photos, but trust me, it's true!

Stay tuned for Caitlin and Ryan's wedding coming up soon!

Nicole + Eamonn's wedding

2011-10-13T11:19:00.000-04:00

I love when couples add personal touches to make their wedding unique, even if it's only one super big special touch, like a....shiny, red 1957 Chevy! (I only know what year it is because I showed the pics to Matt and, as he is a classic car enthusiast, can name you the make and year of any classic car you put in front of him. I think it's a 1957...well, if it isn't, my apologies to Matt and all you classic car buffs out there.) And along with personal touches, I love when special guests are thrown into the mix too, like a....super cute baby boy!! Nicole and Eamonn have baby Riley who was born earlier this year and he is just the sweetest little guy! I guess he gets that from his mom and dad :)

Nicole and Eamonn's wedding took place at Hawthorne Country Club in Dartmouth MA. Flowers by Garlington Florist, desserts by Sweet Retreat....

Photo taken by my assistant (and friend!) Kerri

(Kerri's pic)

Love this pic by Kerri

Congrats to Nicole, Eamonn and baby Riley for a beautiful wedding day and a happy lifetime together. Thank you for letting me be part of your day.

Kim and Roman - part 2

2011-09-30T09:28:00.002-04:00

Kim and Roman's reception was a beautiful intimate gathering of their friends and family, that included lots of mingling on the deck and dancing in the ballroom of the Chief Hosa Lodge in Golden CO.

My fave.

Kim's family friend made this amazing cake.

Home made cookies also made by other friends and family members!

And a mariachi band!!

Me and Kim!!

Kim and Roman, I wouldn't have missed this wedding for the world! And I got to go to Colorado...score! I had an amazing time and your wedding was a true celebration for you, your family and your friends. Congratulations! RI next???

Venue: Chief Hosa Lodge, Golden CO.

Everything else: Kim & Roman & Family & Friends!

Kim & Roman's wedding

2011-09-29T17:15:00.000-04:00

Ok, so my friend Kim (AKA, "the bride") could be the official master of the DIY wedding. As a wedding photographer, I do not always have the pleasure of having a personal relationship with the bride or the groom, so I tend to be an outsider who gets a candid glimpse into the lives of two amazing people on one special day. In this case however, I am an insider! Kim and I have been friends for years, since college -- let's just say flannels and Converse were all the rage! (Did I give too much away there?) From start to finish, I was witness to all the DIY set up, and yes, I even put my camera down to help. Never have I rolled a table into a venue room or arranged a place setting for a wedding I am shooting, but Kim and Roman enlisted everyone they knew to help, including me! This wedding was unmistakeably about family and friends, and the joy they bring to Kim and Roman's lives, and truthfully, they really wanted to share that notion on their wedding day, and make it a true celebration of happiness and love. One more thing, did I mention we were in Colorado??? Oh Rhode Island, if I wasn't so loyal to you, you'd have some serious competition on your hands!!!

A shout out to Kim and Roman's dog, Stella!! She loved me! (as most dogs do,for some really odd reason!!)

Roman's father officiated the ceremony...

Stay tuned for more with Kim and Roman and their fabulous "mountain chic" wedding!

Briana & John's engagement

2011-09-27T15:46:00.000-04:00

My sister Briana is getting married to John in five short days in Providence, and in keeping with that theme, such was the location for their downtown engagement session. Briana is sweet, spirited and a little sassy, kind of the perfect balance to John's quiet, relaxed presence. And Briana can laugh with the best of 'em. Trust me, I know; I'm one of 'em......and our family can definitely attest to that! If we have to hear, "you guys are laughing so loud, you're scaring small children" one more time.....

Hooray for Sunday!!

Erica & Daniel's engagement

2011-09-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

I met up with Erica and Dan at Warwick Country Club after rescheduling with them five times, yup, you read it, five times (!) due to (mostly) weather, but I think there was an illness thrown into the mix somewhere! But it was worth the wait for this beautiful, sunny day by the water! Erica and Dan are getting married next June at Castle Hill, and while that seems far away now, it will be here before you know it! And I am really looking forward to it!

Lindsay and Elliot

2011-09-05T10:10:00.000-04:00

Finishing up Lindsay and Elliot's wedding.......

Congratulations Lindsay and Elliot!

Venue: Squantum Association

Music: Sweet Tooth and the Sugar Babies

Florist: Wild Flower Florist

Cake: Isabel Braga

Bridal Gown: Davids Bridal

Lindsay & Elliot's wedding

2011-09-02T12:44:00.000-04:00

Lindsay and Elliot were married on a super hot summer day! Yes, it was sweltery (is that a word?), but the skies were blue and there was not a drop of rain in sight. Hot air and blue skies? Yes please! Adding a unique touch to their day, Lindsay arrived to the ceremony on a boat....how cool is that? The Squantum Association in East Providence was the setting for their outdoor ceremony and reception......

Formals and reception to follow!

Lindsay & Elliot sneak peek

2011-09-01T10:24:00.000-04:00

On a hot summer day (a REALLY hot summer day), Linsday and Elliot tied the knot at the Squantum Association in East Providence.....

Elyse and Ryan at Glen Manor, part 2

2011-07-31T09:43:00.001-04:00

Elyse and Ryan made it just in the nick of time for photos before the rain started coming down! But the rain never got them down, and the party was happening all night!

Thank you Elyse and Ryan! Congratulations on your wedding and wishing you a lifetime of happiness!

Reception: Glen Manor House

Caterer: Glorious Affairs

Florist: Sayles Livingston Flowers

Cake: Sin

Music: Search Party

Bridal Gown/Accessories: Allegria Bridal

Elyse and Ryan at Glen Manor

2011-07-30T10:41:00.000-04:00

Elyse and Ryan's wedding took place at Glen Manor House on a day of, let's say, questionable weather. Will it rain? Will it not? Should we move the ceremony inside? Should we take our chances outside? Well, Katie at Glen Manor was keeping an eye on the radar and suggested that Elyse and Ryan go for it, and with that, the ceremony went off without a hitch! (Well, except for yours truly slipping on wet cement steps and almost making a painfully humiliating scene....crisis averted though. Whew. Unobtrusive? Not so sure....) Officiated by his father, Ryan and Elyse's ceremony was not only personal and genuine, but it was sweetly touching and laugh out loud funny; it was a truly special experience for all of their friends and family.

Here's Elyse, over come with emotion as the sun peeks out through the rain clouds, just in time for the ceremony to begin....

Couldn't get enough of that luminous window light!

Love this photo of the girls by Sheleen...

Stay tuned for some formals and the reception, up next!

Bragger Family on Block Island

2011-07-19T13:57:00.000-04:00

When I was approached to shoot the Bragger Family portrait by Tracy, mom of three of the Bragger grandchildren, and also a Facebook friend and fellow hometown highschool graduate, she warned me that it wasn't going to be easy. I thought to myself, hmmm, how many times have I heard that before? But some of Tracy's FB posts had me, well....let's say, slightly concerned, so I took action. On the off chance that her claims held water, I took my good friend and fellow photography enthusiast Kerri (and long time friend of Tracy too) along with me for reinforcements. Turned out she was an amazing assistant, wrangling run-away kids, holding snacks for ransom, keeping kids occupied, all the while still snapping some great shots! Normally I shoot family portraits sans assistant, but Kerri was a great asset on this shoot! And a trip to Block Island for a family portrait ain't too shabby.

Little Tiernan wanted nothing to do with staying put for a photo!

This is Tracy's sister Lisa and her family....

Tracy's brother Eric and his family....

Tracy and run away Tiernan

Tracy, her parents, brother and sister

And Tracy's family!

There goes Tiernan again!

Grandkids!

It was great shooting the Bragger family on Block Island! The kids were great and the weather was perfect! Thanks again to Tracy for giving me an excuse to go to Block Island with Kerri! We had a blast!

Momentary inspiration and a toothless grin

2011-07-15T22:52:00.000-04:00

I looked up from reading my magazine this afternoon, and glanced over at the girls, just sitting quietly on the deck after playing in the pool, and somehow became instantly inspired to take their photos. Sometimes, it just doesn't take much at all to gain even a little inspiration and grab my camera and just shoot off a quick bunch of frames of the kids. I think it was their fleeting quiet solitude that I wanted to capture. A mom knows how quickly a moment like that passes ;) Plus, Olivia's new toothless grin is kind of cute, and it's little things like that that I want to remember when she's 17 and she's got a new boyfriend and I might need some leverage, and......ok, getting ahead of myself........

I'm dying over this one of Avery!!

So darn adorable with that big ol' gap in her smile!!

I know I say it over and over, but it's always about the "little things" in life that make me happy! And being able to appreciate it is what living life is all about.....

"Photo Shoot" part two

2011-06-07T21:02:00.000-04:00

First round of the photo shoot: big purple flowers with Natalia. And now for round two: a post sprinkler portrait with Ava. Ava is Olivia's BFF, so they don't mind getting in pics together. To a point. Sometimes I push the limit, and well....that's just who I am. I have a knack for turning my kids into tired anti-picture people. But let's face it....we all kinda sorta do that, right? I mean, it's not JUST ME. I know it!!! Anyway, here are some cute close ups of the girls (similar to part one) but today's theme was wet.

This was Avery's first, and dare I say last, attempt at cooperation. Oh, you'll see.

Here's Ava, BFF to my Livvie

Ava is always so cute and loves these girls! (They love her too!)

Love the expressions in this one.

????

Not sure what's going on here either.

Silly faces.

So that's it. We're just lovin' summer now that it's here. Although the hot, hot, hot is coming, and we'll probably be confined to air conditioned indoors for a few days...it's never easy in New England. Yup, we're lovin' summer and making sure we remember it. Well, I am anyway. Remember, it's always about the little things.

"Photo Shoot" with the little ladies

2011-06-07T09:17:00.000-04:00

The blog has been rather neglected lately, and I am here to rectify that situation ASAP! So I took my girls and their friend out to enjoy yesterday's beautiful weather, and an impromptu photo shoot was born. Just picked a few flowers off of daddy's pretty bush, and a photo theme, too, was born! (Don't worry, there's plenty more flowers where that came from.) The girls were not always 100% cooperative, but sometimes, that's ok. Sometimes, that's when Avery's best sad, pouty face emerges.

Olivia and Avery, with their friend Natalia

Love.

This kid's eyes kill me.

Natalia wanted to do her own pose

And this was Liv's

And here's me trying to get a nice shot of my girls.....

....yeah, not so much. But dang, I still like it!!

Liv likes to do jumping pictures

And Natalia got in on the action!

Overall, I think it was a successful "photo shoot" with minimal props, but props that added just the right look for my "vision." I am a huge advocate of photographing the "little things" in life, and if it's just something like sticking a big purple flower in your daughter's hair that gets you an image that makes you happy, well, then, you've done what you set out to do. Hooray for summer!!

Portraits are Fun!

2011-05-01T08:21:00.000-04:00

I am always using my neices as guinea pigs for shoots I want to experiment with, and last fall I roped them into yet another experimental shoot. This one involved my sister as well, but I just want to focus on the images of my neices for this post. Anyone who's sat for a portrait session knows it can be uncomfortable and awkward in the beginning, but one you get going, feel comfy with your photographer, and get your groove on, then the shoot can produce the results you are hoping for. Well, obviously my neices have no problems being comfortable around me, and not for nothin' (spoken in true RI form), they looooove being in front of the camera. Who wouldn't if your tall and beautiful, right? Anyway, I wanted to share a couple shots of them that I thought were really and truly playful and fun. You can mix it up a little and really get something great!

Isn't this fun? I love this image. For me, it totally works as a super fun portrait.

It did take us a few tries to get a good shot though.......

And of course, the classics are always a staple in any portrait session too!

Don't be afraid to have fun or be wacky! Most photographers are completely open to anything that's different, challenging or fun!

A portrait for Kelly

2011-04-08T17:12:00.000-04:00

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, K-E-L-L-Y.....why? Because your Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly......anyone getting the reference? Cheers? No? Yes? Anytime I hear the name Kelly, THAT is what I think of. Thank you Woody Harrelson. Or Woody Boyd, I suppose. Anyway, I digress. Recently, I had the rare opportunity to hang out and shoot with another photographer, and yes, her name is Kelly, Kelly Meyer of KM Photography. We became friends at a local bridal show a couple of years ago and just kind of keep on top of what is going on with one another. Well, I am in the middle of reviewing, rebranding, and revising, as is Kelly, and we both knew we needed new photos of ourselves for our website, because....you're as curious to see what we look like as we are to see what you look like, right? Eh, it's just human nature to be nosy. So we set out to do just that. We headed up to Providence, and wandered around looking for interesting backdrops. Here are a few of my faves of Kelly.......

Ok, here we were just being silly....

Kelly is a Canon girl and I am a Nikon girl, and yuuuup, we're still friends.

Fave.

Isn't she cute?? Kelly is super sweet and a really great photographer. Happy new website photo to you! And thanks for returning the favor! Stay tuned for a whole new look for me, including MY NEW WEBSITE PHOTO too!!