Cheryl Richards

Simply lining up the members of the bridal party by height is not Richards's style, which is more akin to photojournalism than traditional wedding photography. She captures every moment in dramatic black and white, from a miniature ring bearer playing peekaboo over a wing chair to a bride's quiet moment of contemplation. The resulting images might seem more at home in a gallery than on a coffee table. Maybe that's why Richards has flown as far away as Poland to document the special days of the rich and the famous—and why it's a good thing for Boston newlyweds that she spends most of her time on this side of the Atlantic.