Niki & Wentao
Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, Connecticut (Ceremony & Reception)
November 9th, 2024
As we approach the end of 2024, I've started to think a lot about how this year will be remembered. I've done a lot of cool things this year, both personally and professionally, and I've photographed a lot of cool weddings but, above all, I think I'll remember this past wedding season mostly for the awesome locations I got to explore for the first time.
And, thanks to Niki and Wentao, I can finally add Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut to that list.
Niki and Wentao said “I do” at the aquarium back in November and it was a unique day that not only fit their relationship perfectly but, honestly, a wedding that went so far against the grain of what I shot this year that it's hard for it not to be one of the most memorable. And that's before I factor in the Beluga Whale who acted as a witness to their nuptials or the baby penguins who stole the show at cocktail hour.
I don't know how cool you may be but I promise you, you're not “baby penguins at cocktail hour” cool. Few, sadly, are.
My time with Niki and Wentao started with arguably the craziest, loudest and rowdiest bride and groom prep session I had in 2024 and, honestly, I didn't mind it one bit.
Niki and Wentao chose to buck the trend of couples who don't want to see each other prior to their wedding ceremony and not only got ready in the same place but were actively spending time with one another and with their children during the prep.
That meant everyone from both sides of the wedding was under one roof and, in the chaos of getting ready, the house was rocking. Thankfully, neither Niki or Wentao seemed to mind and their prep had the feeling of a family sitcom in the very best way.
I loved a lot about Niki and Wentao's dual bride and groom prep but what I loved the most was how involved their family members were. My two favorite examples were watching Wentao's mom help him with his hair and help him put his tie and jacket on and, of course, the adorable way Niki and her daughter interacted as she got her dress zipped and we got ready to head to their formal photos at a nearby park.
Those formal photos would prove to be the hardest part of Niki and Wentao's day as the brightly-lit water may have LOOKED nice and warm on this November afternoon but the weather conditions were closer to winter than fall and high winds made standing around for an hour or so taking family and wedding party photos quite the challenge.
To their credit, Niki and Wentao never complained and we were able to capture some nice shots of them with the ones they love the most, setting a great tone for the rest of the afternoon.
With family and wedding party formals in the bag, I finally had a chance to work with Niki and Wentao alone and discovered, rather quickly, that they were introverts who felt a little uneasy in front of the camera … aka my favorite type of clients.
I loved watching Niki and Wentao get more and more comfortable with posing together and, to their credit, they were down for whatever ideas I had and I'm grateful they were because after a few minutes shooting them in front of some tall grass, I decided I wanted to switch up the look, changed locations and got my favorite shots of them of the entire day.
I loved these simple bride and groom portraits because they feel so authentically them and as we made our way to their ceremony and reception venue, I took a deep breath knowing that the first of two potential lighting obstacles of the day was over and done with.
The second obstacle, however, I had less control over.
Prior to Niki and Wentao's wedding, one of the first things I discovered about their venue Mystic Aquarium was that I wouldn't be able to use any flash or external lighting whatsoever as the folks running the aquarium didn't want to negatively impact the animals who call the venue home.
It was an obstacle that I sat with for MONTHS before Niki and Wentao's wedding as I knew they were set to say “I do” right around mid afternoon at a time of year where the sun sets really quickly.
As I got ready for Niki and Wentao to walk down the aisle, I hoped the light would hold out just long enough for us to get everything we needed and the moment Wentao got in position and the ceremony started, I kept my eye on the couple, sure, but also on the rapidly fading sun.
Niki and Wentao's ceremony was one of my favorite this year for a lot of reasons but, above all, I think it goes without saying that the backdrop was unique and, in many ways, one of the most fun you can have for a wedding.
Niki and Wentao got married right in front of the tank of Mystic Aquarium's Beluga Whale named Juno and watching a whale look on in wonder and seemingly enjoy a wedding ceremony was simply one of the cutest moments I've ever seen as a wedding photographer.
But that's kind of the entire theme of Niki and Wentao's ceremony, honestly. These two had a sweet time saying “I do” with a lovely, personal and intimate celebration of their relationship and whether it was their touching vows or the adorable way they included their children in on the proceedings, it was hard for anyone watching not to think Niki and Wentao's ceremony was you'd remember forever.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the lighting, though. Thankfully, I was smart enough to upgrade my camera gear to top of the line Nikon bodies this year and, as Niki and Wentao exchanged beautiful words with one another — and the sun behind them all but disappeared — I had just enough light to capture their ring exchange, unity ceremony and first kiss without issue.
The moment it was over? Talk about a feeling of relief. Both for the couple and myself.
Following their wedding ceremony, Niki and Wentao made their way inside the aquarium for their cocktail hour and that gave me time, finally, to see how exactly one decorates an aquarium for a wedding reception. Turns out, it's not that hard and the many fish and sea creatures only serve to give your special day and even more special look to it.
My assistant Amanda, meanwhile, a noted animal lover couldn't have been happier to take me on a mini tour of her favorite spots at the aquarium, pointing out all the creatures I absolutely had to photograph for her, err, I mean the couple.
It was a great way to start what I was sure would be a memorable night.
Despite having worked with Niki and Wentao for hours by the time their reception began, I still had no idea what to expect from the night. The two struck me as super introverts and I was sure this would be a reception unlike most I've photographed but, to their credit, Niki and Wentao opened up their festivities with a fun ice-breaking dance together before launching into some of the more traditional events you'd expect to see from a bride and groom on their special day.
Oh, and by the way, even if this dance didn't go well, no one would have minded because shortly afterward, the aquarium brought out the aforementioned baby penguins and the delight was palpable.
Niki and Wentao kept the formal events of their reception fairly low key. After two lovely toasts from Wentao's family and Niki's maid of honor, the pair sat down for dinner and spent time catching up with friends and family in attendance.
After, they jumpstarted the second half of their program with a low key cake cutting, a dance with Niki and her family, a dance between Wentao and his mom and, of course, the bride and groom's official first dance as husband and wife set to “It's You” by Henry Lau.
The moments were all touching and couldn't have gone better.
Once their formalities were over, it was time for Niki and Wentao to open their dance floor and I knew I didn't have much time to capture whatever dancing there was as I was set to leave shortly thereafter. Thankfully, their friends and family members were super chill and had a great time immediately once the music started, making my job in the final few moments a breeze.
As I called it a night with Niki and Wentao and packed my gear up, it was hard not to laugh just a little bit at how strange and unique my 2024 wedding season has been. I can't say I ever pictured shooting a wedding in an aquarium but, this year, it was not only on brand but seemingly perfectly fitting.
And I truly don't think any couple I worked with this year would have been a better fit for that aquarium vibe than Niki and Wentao, a decidedly off-beat and unique pair whose love for one another is adorable and beautiful to see.
So, thank you Niki and Wentao for including me as part of your special day and I wish you the best as you embark on this new and exciting chapter together as husband and wife. :)
-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: Ashley Marzul; Bride's Dress: Flora and Lane; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Ceremony & Reception: Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, Connecticut; Cake: Gingersnaps Bakery.