Kaitlin & Adam
Private Residence, Westfield, Massachusetts (Reception)
September 28th, 2024
One of the reasons I love shooting weddings is the beauty and emotion you get to see when a couple go from just being boyfriend and girlfriend to being husband and wife (or husband and husband or wife and wife.)
It's cliché to say that getting married doesn't change anything but, if you've ever been to a wedding ceremony, you see exactly how much that moment means every single time.
That's why I was initially disappointed when I found out ahead of Kaitlin and Adam's wedding day that they had already had their ceremony back in the spring, were already husband and wife and their late September backyard wedding was just going to be the cocktail hour and reception they didn't get to do earlier this year.
But here's the thing about me: I roll with the punches. And I knew that if Kaitlin and Adam were still going through with the party-portion of their wedding day, there was a reason. It turns out that reason was this was a marriage worth celebrating … even months later and even without a wedding ceremony itself, it was one of the most fun weddings I shot this year.
I knew from the moment I walked into bride and groom prep for Kaitlin and Adam that, even without the formalities of a wedding ceremony to look forward to, this would be a special day.
For one thing, Kaitlin was still going through the typical motions any other bride would. She was getting her hair done and making sure her makeup looked on point. And Adam? He was just as excited and having just as much fun as any other groom.
It set a strong early tone that this day still meant a lot to this bride and groom and I appreciated that for them.
Even without a wedding ceremony, Kaitlin and Adam still had several emotional moments on this day. For one, Kaitlin took time to let her bridesmaids know how much this day meant to her. For Adam, it was the little things that stood out, like asking his dad to help him get ready for some of the prep photos we were taking.
My favorite moment, though, was Kaitlin deciding to “ice” Adam's groomsmen as part of a long-standing inside joke in their friend group. To say she knocked this one out of the park is an understatement.
Kaitlin and Adam asked me to arrive a few hours before their cocktail hour began to take the customary family and wedding party photos they couldn't take during their spring elopement and I'm glad they did because this fall afternoon was gorgeous and we found the perfect place for photos: A nice, shaded area that felt so beautifully homey and farm-like.
It fit the theme of the day so well and made for some of the easiest family photos I've had to take this year.
More importantly to me, personally, though was the fact that Kaitlin and Adam were more than willing to sit through a traditional bride and groom portrait session with me despite having had one on their earlier wedding day.
I shot Kaitlin and Adam's engagement photos back in 2023 and I was looking forward to this portion of their wedding day so much and they didn't let me down. In fact, I'd go as far as to say these are some of my favorite photos of the entire year.
I mean, look at those colors! And the light coming through the background on the photos we took in the trail behind the property? Talk about beautiful.
Kaitlin and Adam were a blast to work with for these photos and I think the lack of any pressure on them timing wise or formality wise really made these shots stand out even more.
With formal photos in the books, Kaitlin and Adam made their way back to the property where their reception would be held. This gave me the perfect opportunity to grab any remaining photos of the details I had missed earlier, which is fitting because, man, these two had a lot worth sharing.
In my conversation with them two weeks before the wedding, Kaitlin and Adam really stressed to me how important cocktail hour was for them to celebrate this life milestone with all the people who matter in their life and I could see it on their face as guests began to arrive.
I especially loved the little moments where I would catch one of them talking and laughing with guests or having silly fun. To me, that's something every couple should experience and it made this day so rewarding to shoot creatively for me.
Even without a wedding ceremony, Kaitlin and Adam's day wasn't without its formalities. The newlyweds embraced the idea of a traditional wedding reception and that meant the whole kit and kaboodle from introductions to parent dances to toasts and everything in between.
By far my favorite moment, however, was their first dance and I don't know if it was the presence of all their wedding party by their side or the tent full of their favorite people looking on but it was clear to me Kaitlin and Adam's first dance, set to “Take Forever” by Cooper Allen, hit them in the feels and meant a lot to them.
The same was true for the parent dances that followed their first dance and whether it was Kaitlin nearly bursting into tears when she and her dad took the floor or Adam's mom looking up at him with the proudest look on her face, these moments meant the world to the people in them and I'm so glad I got to capture them for the bride and groom to relive forever.
Following dinner, Kaitlin and Adam had just one more formal event left on their evening: A small toast to congratulate the newlyweds.
By far, the biggest question I had during Kaitlin and Adam's wedding reception was what kind of party we were going to have and these two did not disappoint.
From the moment the dance floor opened until my time ran out, Kaitlin and Adam were all over everywhere involved in their reception. One moment, they were throwing each other around on the dance floor. The next, they were outside celebrating with drinks with friends.
It was, without question, a beautiful celebration of their love and a night worth waiting for.
If I had to pick one moment of Kaitlin and Adam's reception that stood out the most to me, it would be the moment where Adam saw his grandmother walk over to the dance floor and immediate walked over to dance with her.
It's easy to take split-second moments like this for granted on a busy wedding day but, honestly, they're my favorite to shoot as you just know – both when it's happening and afterward – that you saw something sweet and special and, to me, that's what wedding photography is all about.
As my time with Kaitlin and Adam came to an end and I started packing up my gear, I couldn't help but appreciate that these two newlyweds really went the extra mile to have the wedding reception of their dreams despite really not needing to as they were already married on the day in question.
I know I've harped on that a lot on this blog but, man, it's so special to me. To me, the fact that Kaitlin and Adam had one of the most fun wedding days I've seen this year, and did it all just because they wanted to celebrate this moment of their lives together with the friends and family members they love, is exactly the kind of reason weddings are so special to me.
So, thank you Kaitlin and Adam for allowing me to help document this beautiful day for you to cherish. I wish you all the best on this new(ish) and exciting chapter of your lives together and hope your journey together as husband and wife is just as much fun, if not more so, than the day you finally celebrated it five months after saying “I do.”
