Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts— 2024 —
Five Bridge Inn Wedding Photos
Mary & Tommy
I'm a big believer that you can tell a lot about a wedding day from the vibes you get in the first five minutes of your arrival. It's a feeling that has prepared me more times than I could guess for the day I have in store for me. Sometimes, the vibes are chaotic and you know it's going to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of day. Other times, the vibes are super anxious and you can tell your couple is incredibly nervous.
For Mary and Tommy's wedding, all it took was one look at the groom and his groomsmen and the way they were laughing and joking around to tell that the vibes on this day were going to be fun. But even I couldn't predict how much so.
Mary and Tommy said “I do” back in May at Five Bridge Inn in Rehoboth and it was, without question, one of the most adorable, sweet and delightful weddings I've shot this year. A day full of love and laughter, I can't think of many couples who had more fun walking down the aisle than Mary and Tommy did and, honestly, it's only fitting for a couple that is so sweet and perfect together.
To say this wedding is going to be a highlight of my season is an understatement. It set the bar for all other 2024 and it set it VERY high.
I knew heading into Mary and Tommy's wedding that we were going to be very busy, very quickly and that started from the moment I arrived. After exchanging a couple of pleasantries with the groom, I made my way over to the cottage area where Mary had just finished getting ready and we rolled right into their first look.
Honestly, most times I hate getting right into the action of a wedding day within minutes of arriving but for these two, it made sense. We had a lot of special things to shoot before their ceremony and I didn't want to waste a single moment.
And special is exactly how I'd describe this beautiful first look. From the moment Tommy turned around, he and his soon-to-be bride couldn't stop laughing and joking around and I loved that so much.
With their first look in the books, Mary and Tommy took a few moments to share private vows with one another and, honest, while this act might be kind of a newish trend, I think private vows are becoming one of my favorite things to photograph as a wedding photographer.
There's just something so deeply intimate and personal about a bride and groom deciding to keep their vows just to each other and, when done right, this little private moment sets a beautiful tone for the rest of a wedding day.
Mary and Tommy had what might be my favorite private vow sessions ever because I didn't need to hear a single word of what they were saying to know how meaningful it all was.
There was the way they looked at each other. And the way they held hands. And the way they leaned up against each other. It was magic. It was beautiful. It was love.
Following their private vows, Mary and Tommy made their way over to the first portion of their family and wedding party formals and I'm glad we split a lot of this in half between the time before and after their ceremony as it was a VERY hot day and we were all sweating ... even in the shade.
Still, Mary and Tommy's friends and family members were all troopers and super fun to work with during this portion of the day, yielding to some really nice photos before I tucked the bride and groom back to the cottage as guests arrived.
One of the nice perks of Five Bridge Inn and being able to tuck Mary and Tommy away while their guests began to show up for the ceremony was we were able to get into some beautiful bride and groom portraits with no one else around and I really think that's why Mary and Tommy's photos during this portion of the day came out so beautifully.
Honestly, they might be my favorite photos of the year so far because Mary and Tommy were just so cute together and having so much fun. I mean, look at them. How can you not love these two and their beautiful relationship?
I could have spent the rest of the night just in this one spot working with Mary and Tommy but, alas, we still had a wedding ceremony to get to.
I knew from previous weddings in this portion of Five Bridge Inn that, if the sun cooperated, Mary and Tommy's ceremony would be beautiful and, boy, was it ever. It's not often you have beautifully-lit, full trees in your background and perfect shade where you need to look but this ceremony spot was giving me everything I could ask for and then some ... as was the groom who looked so incredibly sweet as he saw Mary walk down the aisle.
Mary and Tommy's wedding ceremony was really sweet and touching and full of cute little moments between the bride and groom. I especially loved the rope tying ceremony they had as that's one of my favorite little wedding traditions that I think is so symbolic and so cool to see.
More importantly, though, I loved how in seemingly every moment, Mary and Tommy had an ear-to-ear grin on their face. These two were in this moment 100 percent and having the time of their lives and I loved that for them.
Following Mary and Tommy's wedding ceremony, the pair made their way to more formal photos with family members, to a bit a cocktail hour and, at last, to the barn area of Five Bridge Inn where they would have their reception.
I didn't know exactly what to expect from Mary and Tommy in terms of a dance party but I knew from looking at the details of their wedding that they spent a LOT of time making sure everything looked amazing in this barn and that time paid off because they nailed every bit of the decor for this wedding.
Speaking of things Mary and Tommy nailed, the two had the perfect first dance to set the tone for their reception. Mary and Tommy chose to dance to a cover version of “Mary and the Soldier” and I loved how their first dance started full of laughs and smiles and slowly turned more emotional the longer it went. It was the best way they could have began this night and really summed up their entire wedding perfectly.
Following their first dance, Mary and Tommy took a seat for the toasts and blessings portion of their reception and, I'll be honest, I don't think I've seen more toasts at a wedding than we had here.
Not that I can blame the folks who spoke, of course.
Mary and Tommy had a LOT of love in the barn at Five Bridge Inn and you could hear it in the way everyone who took the mic talked about their relationship and talked about who Mary and Tommy are as people.
I thought this was really to see and to shoot and I know it meant a lot to the bride and groom at the center of this evening's celebration.
After dinner, Mary and Tommy had a fairly laid back reception, with the only formalities left on the day's program being that of the mother-son and father-daughter dances.
As expected, both of these moments came with their own bit of pomp and circumstance but, more importantly, were incredibly touching to witness. I loved seeing the way Tommy and his mom embraced each other as they twirled around the dance floor and Mary and her father were so clearly looking forward to their moment together for years and it was well worth the wait as well.
With their formalities officially out of the way, Mary and Tommy took to the dance floor and I knew right away that, with the help of the Brooks Hubbard Band, this would be a fun night as seemingly everyone followed them.
I love a good reception and this one was pretty top notch. Not only were Mary and Tommy all over the dance floor but every single time they stepped outside to catch their breath and/or to cool off, they got roped into a ton of photos with friends and family.
Why? Because this was a night that everyone in attendance loved and enjoyed every moment of and they ALL wanted to remember it. Hard to think of a better way to cap a wedding than that, honestly.
I feel fortunate that I was able to stick around until the very end of Mary and Tommy's wedding reception as these two were a blast to work with and it was so sweet watching the way they really embraced those final few songs and the reality of the day took hold.
I've had a lot of weddings so far this year but Mary and Tommy's was easily one of the most fun I've been able to photograph because this bride and groom were intent on having the time of their lives and did just that.
So, thank you Mary and Tommy for a wedding I know I won't soon forget. I hope it's everything you ever wanted and much more and I wish you all the best as you start this new and exciting chapter of your lives together. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair and Make-up: Odessa Weddings; Bride's Dress: Ivory Bridal, East Greenwich, Rhode Island; Groom's Suit: Suitmen, Providence, Rhode Island; Florist: Bayberry Blooms, North Dighton, Massachusetts; Ceremony & Reception: Five Bridge Inn, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; Band: Brooks Hubbard Band.