Kevin & Monique
Mount Hope Farm, Bristol, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
November 10th, 2024
By the time November rolls around, I am quietly counting down the days until the last wedding of the season but, this year, it wasn't because I was looking forward to some much-needed time off (though, admittedly, that's a bonus.) No, it's because I knew my last wedding of 2024 would be Kevin and Monique's and their special day was one I had been looking forward to since the very first time the three of us talked.
Kevin and Monique are one of the most adorable couples I've met in quite some time and I knew their day would be full of love, emotion and a whole lot of silliness but what I didn't know was just how special watching them say “I do” at Mount Hope Farm in Bristol, Rhode Island would be.
Not only was their wedding one of my favorite weddings of the fall but it was one of my favorites of the entire year and the perfect way to cap off a wedding season I won't soon forget because when you're around two people this happy and this joyful, and who complete each other this perfectly, all you can do is watch with a smile as they experience one of the most fun days of their life.
Well, that and take photos. Lots and lots of photos.
My coverage of Kevin and Monique's wedding day started with a slight bit of deja vu for me as their bridal prep was at the Bristol Harbor Inn, a location I had just photographed a beautifully fun wedding three weeks earlier. And, much like Melissa and Nick's wedding at the venue on that chilly fall afternoon, I knew Kevin and Monique's day would be one spent with lots of laughter from the moment I took my first photo of the day.
Kevin was one of my most accommodating grooms all season and was ready to hit the ground running the moment I showed up. My favorite part of his prep was his slightly panicked expression when he wondered if he should change the glasses he was wearing because his soon-to-be bride liked the pair he had in his car more than the ones he was wearing. That level of wanting to make Monique happy told me all I needed to know about this groom and I couldn't wait to reconnect with him for their first look at Colt State Park after sending him on his way.
But, first, we had a delightful bridal prep to photograph.
Honestly, delightful might not even be a sweet enough word to describe how fun watching Monique get ready for her special day was.
From the second we walked into the bridal suite area where she was already in her dress, I could see the slight mix of anticipation, nervousness and genuine joy on Monique's face.
She did a great job of keeping everything together and I couldn't help but laugh as she kept trying to flag down random wedding guests to say 'hello' to when she saw them outside of her window but by the time we rolled out of the Bristol Harbor Inn and prepared our own journey to Colt State Park, I knew this was a bride was who wasn't just ready to get married but counting down the minutes to do so.
I've said more times than I can count that I don't have a preference between a bride and groom who do a first look or those who wait to see each other during the start of their wedding ceremony but I am so glad Kevin and Monique went the first look route as I could tell they were both incredibly eager to see other and share some time together before saying “I do.”
And, as expected, Kevin and Monique's first look was just as adorable as their love for one another.
Where Kevin and Monique's decision to have time together really paid off, however, was during their private vows.
I've said it a LOT this year but I think my favorite new trend of 2024 is this concept of couples sharing their true vows with one another with no one else around. It allows a bride and groom to have a special moment together, away from everyone else, and lets them get as personal and vulnerable with one another as they want without fear of judgement from others looking on.
Kevin and Monique's private vows were my favorite part of their entire wedding day and I think they'd say the same as this moment between the soon-to-be newlyweds was sweet, sentimental and full of emotions … both the crying kind of emotions and the laugh-out-loud kind of emotion. It a word, it was perfect.
Following their private vows, I simply *had* to take bride and groom portraits of Kevin and Monique in this part of Colt State Park. Despite most of the best foliage in the park having already fallen, this little location where the two shared their private vows (Near the Chapel for those of you in the know) was the perfect fall backdrop for some sweet couple portraits.
More so, I wasn't entirely sure how much time Kevin, Monique and I would have for portraits following their ceremony. I'm glad we took these photos before the day got out of hand as they were some of my favorite shots of the entire wedding and, I think, really showcased their personalities well.
Following their bride and groom portraits, Kevin, Monique and I made our way from Colt State Park to Mount Hope Farm and though it wasn't a long drive, it was clear when we arrived that we would need to pivot in our plan to knock our their family formals prior to their ceremony as guests had already started to arrive and the bride and groom didn't want to be seen.
I can't say I blame them and it was nice to have a little break in the action. More importantly, I was glad Kevin and Monique had some time together before the ceremony to just relax as I knew once their ceremony began, it would be go-go-go for the rest of the night.
And it sure was.
Kevin and Monique's ceremony started with a beautiful, touching gesture as Monique laid a flower in memory of her father and that was just the start of the emotions for these nuptials.
Kevin and Monique's wedding ceremony may have been one of the best I saw in 2024. I loved how much joy the two shared throughout the process of getting married and you couldn't have asked for a nicer day … especially not for mid November.
What I loved the most about this 20 or so minute period was how clear it was that both Kevin and Monique were savoring every second of this life-changing event and so truly in the moment.
By the time the two of them walked down the aisle as husband and wife, you could see the genuine happiness both felt and how eager they were to celebrate their love with their friends once the reception began.
But, first, we had some formal photos to knock out. To Kevin and Monique's credit, they braved a bit of a chill in the air for their family formals – the temperature chance in Bristol in mid November once the sun sets is no joke – and, as such, I didn't ask too much from them in terms of post-ceremony bride and groom formals but we did grab a handful just to complete their photos.
As soon as we finished, though, I watched both Kevin and Monique make a bee-line to their cocktail hour as they waited a lifetime for this celebration and were set to make the most out of it.
I loved that so, so much for them.
While Kevin and Monique celebrated with their friends and family during the back half of cocktail hour, I made my way into the barn at Mount Hope Farm to capture the details they put together for this wedding and I'm glad I did because there were a ton of them.
Still, I loved the little touches this bride and groom had to make their reception special.
Not that they needed them, of course, because this night was about to get a LOT more special with each and every moment they had planned.
Following cocktail hour, Kevin and Monique made their way into their reception barn and immediately Monique was overwhelmed with emotion seeing all the special people in her life gathered under one roof.
It would be a theme throughout the night as Monique really wore her heart on her sleeve at a variety of moments in this beautiful evening full of love.
I can't say I blame her. Right from their first dance, where four of their close friends sang “Orpheus” by Sara Bareilles live, it was clear this night would have a personal touch that really made every single moment feel heartwarming and beautiful.
Kevin and Monique's wedding was full of special moments, both before and after dinner. Not only did the newlyweds have four special toasts and a low key cake cutting but they showed off their funny side as well with one of my favorite silly things I saw at a wedding in 2024 when they held a Royal Rumble-style lottery to determine who among their guests would sign as a witness to their wedding.
Not surprisingly, the moment was a lighthearted hit and really set a tone for how the dance floor would be later.
Before we could get to the dance floor, however, Kevin and Monique still had to experience one last real formality on their wedding day: their parent dances.
Kevin's dance with his mom was lovely and sweet, as you'd expect, but it was Monique's parent dance which really hit me hard.
Monique lost her father prior to the wedding and while there were a lot of little moments where you could see that his memory was top of mind, it was the spot where the father-daughter dance would have been where she really felt emotional and, in one of the most emotional moments I saw all year, Monique's mother stood in her father's place and gave the bride a chance to let loose all the tears she stored up and just exist in the emotions of the moment.
It was a touching dance I won't soon forget and one in which the photos still tug at my heartstrings to this day.
With the formal portion of the evening in the books, it was time for Kevin and Monique to party and party they did.
I've worked at a lot of venues this year but I don't think I've seen a dance floor as tightly packed as Kevin and Monique's was and, while it was tough to get around, there were so many fun moments happening everywhere I looked that I couldn't help but try to capture everything, everywhere, all at once.
My favorite part of Kevin and Monique's dance floor was just how dialed in the two were in the middle of it all. Every time I looked up, either the bride or the groom were front and center in the mix of it all and I adored that for them.
As I got ready to pack up, though, the pair asked me for one last batch of photos as they got ready to take a shot with their friends that they knew wouldn't taste well but wanted to do anyway and I can't think of a better way to have capped off this night as the resulting photos were hilarious and a great way for me to close out the evening's festivities.
As my assistant Amanda and I made our way out of Mount Hope Farm and officially closed the books on our 2024 wedding season, we were both in our feelings a bit and a tiny bit sad that the year was over.
At the same time, though, both Amanda and I were incredibly grateful for all the amazing things we got to see this year. Through 32 weddings of my own, three elopements, seven weddings as a second shooter and seven engagement sessions, this year was a wild one unlike any other I've ever had and I don't think I could have ended it any better than by helping the document the special day Monique and Kevin had.
So, thank you, Monique and Kevin for being the cherry on top of an amazing wedding season and thank you to all my 2024 brides and grooms for the best year of my career yet.
I can't see the future so I don't know how the 2025 season will go but I do know one thing: next year's brides and grooms have their work cut out for them when it comes to making special moments and memories.
I look forward to seeing them try. Happy New Year and see you in 2025. :)
-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 & Make-up: KMD Beauty; Bride's Dress: Spark Bridal; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Florist: Garden Hills Florist; Ceremony & Reception: Mount Hope Farm, Bristol, Rhode Island; DJ: Arpeggio; Cake: Wildflour Vegan Bakery.