Michaela & Sam
Hope Events on Main, Pawtucket, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
October 20th, 2024
I've had a lot of people ask me how I manage to capture what feels like such real emotion from the brides and grooms whose weddings I shoot. The truth is, it has less to do with me and everything to do with them. All I do is take photos and, once a picture is captured, wait another second or two before I take my finger off the shutter button.
It's these little moments when a bride and groom DON'T think they're being photographed that their real relationship comes through and few couples have personified that better than Michaela and Sam did during their October wedding at Hope Events on Main in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Whether it was during their super sweet wedding ceremony, their fast but fun formal photos or any of the dozen or so times they fell into each other's arms on the dance floor, Michaela and Sam were masters of the unspoken moments you only see if you really know how to look and that's why their wedding was, without question, one of my favorites of the entire 2024 season.
My time with Michaela and Sam started with an extended bride and groom prep session for both of the soon-to-be newlyweds. I'm so thankful it did, too, because as much as I enjoy Hope Events on Main as a wedding venue, it's a bit tricky to get around and most brides and grooms are separated by several floors and quite a walk from one room to the other.
Upon arrival, I met up with Michaela and saw she was in great spirits as a family member worked on her hair and makeup in a tiny, but pretty, bridal suite.
Having two full hours to document Michaela and Sam's preps meant I could also knock out some detail shots like Michaela's dress hanging up in a nice windowsill and the couples' rings, which were super pretty with the bride's bouquet.
My goal for Michaela and Sam's bride and groom prep sessions was to bounce back and forth between the two, particularly because of how tight Michaela's bridal suite was as I didn't want to hover too much over her as she got ready.
I didn't have anywhere near the same issue with the groom as Sam was getting ready in the third-floor bowling alley loft which had TONS of room and lots of nice window light for him as he got dressed.
One thing I did love about Michaela's bridal suite was the large window light that came in quite handy after she got her dress on. As we counted down the final few minutes before Michaela was set to walk down the aisle, I could see a little bit of nervousness come across her face but that's to be expected: It was an important day.
To their credit, Michaela's girls kept her spirits up and helped make sure we never let things get too stressful, even as they all ran around trying to get the last little bits of their prep in before we headed over to the ceremony location.
On the guys' side, the final bits of Sam's prep were similarly fun. As I did my final check-in with the groom and just about got ready to head to the elevator to walk over to the ceremony site, I heard a large cheer and ran back just in time to catch Sam's groomsmen psyching him up one last time before he walked down the aisle and, honestly? I dug that vibe a LOT.
I was really excited to photograph Michaela and Sam's wedding ceremony for a number of reasons but, without question, the biggest was the chance to finally get to work a wedding in Hope Events on Main's new ceremony space. I've been shooting weddings at this location since 2017 but hadn't had a chance to check out the new giant, open area for brides and grooms to say 'I do' and it more than lived up to my expectations.
I think this room was the perfect place for Sam and Michaela to tie the knot as the large space gave the bride plenty of time to walk down the aisle and gave us a ton of time for Sam to be in his feelings as he lived a moment he waited a lifetime for. And Michaela? She loved every step of that walk to her soulmate as well.
Michaela and Sam's wedding ceremony was as beautiful as their love for one another. In addition to being officiated by a close friend, every bit of this ceremony was tailor-made for the special relationship this bride and groom have.
I especially loved the little touches Michaela and Sam put into their personal vows to one another and if I had to choose, I'd say my favorite part of this ceremony was just the cheesy grins both the bride and groom couldn't help but make as their soon-to-be spouse told them what they meant to one another.
By the time Michaela and Sam sealed their love with a kiss, there wasn't a heart in that room that wasn't touched in one way or another and I think that's rather beautiful.
One of the ways I could tell just how much Michaela and Sam's love story inspired those around them was just how deep their wedding party ran. I've had some pretty big wedding parties this year but Michaela and Sam had a total of 16 people with them and while normally a party that big might make me roll my eyes, this group was great.
Not only did Michaela and Sam's family members fly through a ton of formal photos themselves but this large wedding party kept the energy in the room up and, when called up themselves, delivered the fun and kept things light which is key on a day when you're trying not to overwhelm a bride and groom during their formal photo period.
With family and wedding party formals in the books, it was time for Michaela and Sam to spend some time with just me and my assistant Amanda as we focused our attention on their bride and groom portraits.
Now, at this point, Michaela and Sam had been posing for photos for 40 minutes but, to their credit, they never seemed like they wanted to be anywhere else. I'm thankful, too, as Hope Events on Main can be a tricky place to shoot bride and groom formals as there's not one area, in particular, that feels like the best place to use for portraits.
That's why we started where they had just gotten married and, man, I'm glad we did as the arbor of their ceremony — decorated with some clear white ornaments hung vertically behind them — made for some cool effects once we started posing them together.
Now, of course, I would have been remiss to not take Michaela and Sam on a little walk around the property at Hope Events on Main and, thanks to some scouting work before their wedding, I knew I wanted to grab some shots on a balcony outside (that admittedly photographed better than it looked in real life) as well as in the ever-popular Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame walkway.
I'll be honest: The music HOF photos came up much better than I was expecting. So much so that after we grabbed some beautifully-lit poses of the two together, I knew I had almost everything I wanted from their bride and groom portraits. The only thing I would ask of them would come much later in the night as I took them upstairs to the bowling alley for some poses on the lanes (One of which you can see at the end of this blog).
With their bride and groom portraits squared away, Michaela and Sam headed back to the bridal prep suite to get ready for their reception and I made sure to head to the ballroom myself to make sure I didn't miss any details earlier in the day when I photographed the room prior to guests arriving. Thankfully, I got it all and I'm glad I did because Hope Events on Main's ballroom is a sight to behold when it's set up for a wedding day.
Seriously, look at the little touches Michaela and Sam put together for their special day. I especially loved their llama-themed cake topper because, well, obviously it's adorable.
This was going to be the perfect room to celebrate Michaela and Sam's love and this night was going to be great.
I knew from the moment Michaela and Sam walked into the Hope Events on Main ballroom that we were in for a special night and any doubt anyone may have had about that was over as the two took the dance floor to “Future days” Pearl Jam.
In fact, if I had to list my one and only gripe with Michaela and Sam's wedding, it's that they didn't just do this first dance song alone. No, they had to invite all of their friends and family up with them halfway through but, honestly, I can't blame them.
This would be a night best defined by all the special people in their life and it was only fitting that they shared their first dance as husband and wife with all of the people who helped them along the journey they took to walk down that aisle.
Michaela and Sam started the formal event portion of their reception off with that first dance but that was just one of many moments I know they won't soon forget. After taking their seats and getting ready for dinner, the pair turned the mic over to three of the special people in their lives for some truly lovely toasts that made both the bride and groom laugh, smile, occasionally cringe and even tear up a little bit.
After dinner, Michaela and Sam opened the dancing portion of their event with the traditional father-daughter and mother-son dances and both were super precious moments I know neither parent nor child will soon forget.
With the formalities out of the way, it was time for Michaela and Sam to party and, boy, did they ever.
I knew we were in for a special night when I saw the house lights come down and the DJ activate some really awesome uplights to make the room dazzle but even I couldn't have predicted how much fun this evening would be.
Everywhere I looked, there were tons of folks rocking out to some classic late 90s/early 00s music and, as the kids would say, the vibes were right this night. For sure.
By far my favorite part of Michaela and Sam's reception was how, every time I looked, this bride and groom were either dancing together or in each other's arms.
And, as the party went on, the newlyweds only let their hair down more. I've seen a lot of couples rock out this year but few have been as in the moment as Michaela and Sam were and I loved that for them so very, very much.
As I packed up my gear and said goodbye to Michaela and Sam, I couldn't help but marvel at just how fun this wedding day was from start to finish. Having just turned 40 myself, there's something special in seeing the power of young love and it was on full display for this bride and groom.
I've had a lot of weddings this year where things just feel "right" but Michaela and Sam's wedding was one where I left feeling like it wasn't just "right," it was perfect and I can think of no better way to say why I loved this day or this couple so much.
So, congratulations Sam and Michaela on reaching this major life milestone. I hope your journey together is as fun as your wedding day and I wish you all the best on the new and exciting chapter of your lives together.
-Paul J. Spetrini
