Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2022 —
Quonset 'O' Club Wedding Photos
Kayla & Michael*
St. Paul Church, Cranston, Rhode Island (Ceremony) &
The Quonset 'O' Club, North Kingstown, Rhode Island (Reception)
October 22nd, 2022
I've said it a lot this year but second shooting really is an invaluable way to keep your skills sharp as a wedding photographer. Even in this bonkers 2022 wedding season — by far the busiest of my career — the five weddings I was lucky enough to work as a second shooter helped me reset creatively and all seemed to come exactly when I needed them most.
Case in point: Kayla and Michael, who said 'I do' in the middle of October ... right around the point I was the most burned out creatively.
Kayla and Michael's wedding day, which I shot with the always amazing Jess Hosey of Jessica Hosey Imagery, was my fifth and final wedding as a second shooter this year and exactly what I needed to recharge my creative batteries as this bride and groom were a ton of fun to be around and took their wedding day in the most relaxed way possible.
Whether it was their church ceremony down the street from my house or their reception at one of the venues I feel most at home, this was one wedding I knew would be stress free and where I could just focus on taking fun photos. And, boy, did I ever.
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for Jessica Hosey Imagery
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
My coverage of Kayla and Michael's wedding day started with an unexpected dash of bridal prep, thanks in large part to Kayla and Michael getting ready across the street from one another.
As I like to introduce myself to a bride and groom before walking into the most intimate moments of their life, I was glad I had a chance to say hello to Kayla as she finished up her hair and makeup preparations and I knew the moment I walked over to Michael and his guys that this was going to be a fun day as both sides of the wedding party were laughing and having a great time.
In short, there was no stress from either the bride or the groom about being on time. They got ready, cracked jokes with their friends and kept their spirits up. It was exactly the kind of prep session I love to see.
Even as we got ready to head over to their ceremony, neither Kayla nor Michael were really watching the clock, choosing instead to just go with the flow and let their friends and family members keep them on target.
In fact, the only traditional "big moment" prior to Kayla and Michael's ceremony was a first look between the bride and her father, which I just so happened to catch as I got ready to let the bride and the lead photographer know I was on my way to the church. Talk about good timing.
Kayla and Michael said "I do" at St. Paul Church in Cranston which, despite some tougher lighting conditions, is one of my favorite old school churches to shoot at. Not only does the aisle seem ten miles long but there's a lot of room to move around and capture great angles on all the major moments of the ceremony without feeling like you're in the way.
Kayla and Michael's wedding ceremony was as traditional as it gets and I can't blame them. I love that church and it just makes every wedding there feel grand and special.
The moment Kayla and Michael left St. Paul Church, the wheels on the day fell off and I mean that in the best way possible. First we stopped at Roger Williams Park for some traditional formal photos. Then, in a somewhat unexpected turn of events, Kayla and Michael asked to go back to the original prep locations for sentimental photos in their parents' backyard.
By the time we got to Quonset 'O' Club, all that was really left to do was a few remaining formal photos and having some fun and the bride and groom took full advantage of getting the 'must have' photos taken to really let their hair down once it was time to be more casual.
In fact, those Quonset 'O' Club photos might have been my favorite of the day ... and not just because I finally had time to grab some shots of the bride and groom together.
Kayla and Michael were just silly during this time and you could see their relationship shine through with every pose we put together and funny moment they had ... including a somewhat unexpected butt grab that made for one of the funniest photos I've taken all year.
With formal photos out of the way, I made my way into the "O" Club to grab details and I have to say, Kayla and Michael knocked it out of the park with their fall themed wedding decor. It looked great.
I knew heading into Kayla and Michael's reception that I didn't have a TON of time left to capture the night for this bride and groom but thank goodness I was there for their first dance because that was, without question, my favorite part of their wedding and made for my favorite photos.
In fact, despite shooting at the "O" Club dozens of times, I've never had first dance photos I liked more than Kayla and Michael's. Looks like I may need to park myself over by the windows and shoot into the crowd for that moment more often because it looked awesome.
Before heading out, I was also lucky enough to capture the toasts for Kayla and Michael and I can't think of a better way to have capped my coverage as both the best man and maid of honor's speeches were funny and lighthearted and set a great tone for the rest of the night.
As I gathered my gear and headed out of the Quonset 'O' Club, I couldn't help but smile knowing that I made the right decision to open up as much of my calendar as I could this year for second shooting opportunities. It's an important lesson to remember: Sometimes it's nice to do something for yourself creatively.
I had a LOT of weddings and engagement sessions to shoot after Kayla and Michael's wedding day and I can confidently say working with them made me a better photographer for my own clients.
So thank you Kayla and Michael for a memorable wedding day and one I had an absolute blast photographing. And, of course, thank you Jess Hosey for always being so much fun to work with. I look forward to seeing you again in 2023 and seeing if we can top the great weddings we were lucky enough to shoot together this year. See you next year!
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Crystal Lake Golf Club,
Mapleville, Rhode Island
October 15th, 2022
Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Warwick, Rhode Island
October 9th, 2022
Hampshire House,
Boston, Massachusetts
October 8th, 2022