Plane & Simple: A Playful Boston City Hall Elopement on Film and Digital with Meenah and Mark

Meenah and Mark met studying abroad in Spain, and right after our Boston City Hall elopement session, they were headed to the airport to celebrate where it all started.

We met outside of City Hall with the late-morning sun casting interesting shadows across the plaza. I had both film and digital cameras on me, so the day would be a blend of both. The first thing I noticed was Meenah's beautiful veil, which she had been debating wearing. I'm so glad she did because it became my grounding piece throughout the day.

We began with portraits outside and explored areas I hadn't quite shot in before. I always try to find new spots and keep things fresh, even at places I've photographed before. The light provided plenty of drama, and mixed with Meenah's veil, the concrete architecture and surrounding city scenery felt romantic and cinematic. We moved between portraits, walking, and little moments together, letting the light and location shape what came next.

After revisiting some of the best moments on film, we headed inside to settle in. I decided I wanted to play with flash for this session. I haven't done so much at a Boston City Hall elopement because I usually view them as tender and sweet, but with Meenah and Mark, the vibe was playful, young, and very much we're about to fly to Spain after this.

We moved from unassuming corners to concrete walls, with the flash providing light and character, before heading into the ceremony room. The ceremony itself was short and sweet, a little teary and a lot of fun. There was still plenty of laughter and personality in between the more emotional moments, which felt very true to the energy they brought to the entire session.

As newlyweds, the energy is different, so even the same locations we had photographed outside before suddenly had new meaning. Riding that wave, our next stop was The Dubliner for celebratory shots of Bailey's: one Keenan, one Murphy, and one O'Brien.

From there, we moved into Beacon Hill, where Meenah and Mark live. I learned they had recently bought a house and would soon be moving, so a new sentimental quality took hold and started to inform how I saw the remaining part of the day. The streets around their neighborhood weren't simply scenery anymore. They were part of the life they had built together in Boston.

We ended the session with their pets outside their first home together, knowing they would have these photographs to remember it all by in their new one. After City Hall, a few drinks, a walk through Beacon Hill, and plenty of photographs on both film and digital, they were off to the airport, newly married and on their way to Spain.