Denis & Lawrence
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
October 13th, 2024
One of the first things I do whenever I start coverage of a couples' wedding day is walk into their venue and take a look around. To me, this first glance of how everything looks tells me everything I need to know about how a wedding day is going to go and, in the case of Denis and Lawrence's October nuptials at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, Rhode Island, I barely made it past the front door before I saw the kind of day I was in for.
Why is that? Well, seconds into walking into Rhodes, the first thing I saw was a table FULL of miscellaneous glassware that the couple spent a year collecting at various thrift stores and yard sales and were giving away to their friends and family members as keepsakes from their special day.
It's a small touch but one that speaks volumes to the level of attention and care Denis and Larry put into their wedding day and, true to form, that level of love and care translated to the entire day as a whole as these two grooms had one of the sweetest and most wholesome weddings I shot in 2024.
Oh … and it was definitely one of the most stylish as well.
My time with Denis and Lawrence started with their groom prep and to say this portion of their day set the tone is an understatement. Not only were Denis and Larry planning on dressing impeccably in beautiful traditional kilts but they were getting ready together and that meant getting to watch their adorable relationship in real life as they tried to figure out how all the buttons, switches and decorations worked in real time.
I really adored getting to see Denis and Larry in their natural environment in the hours before their wedding ceremony and their cool and calm demeanor carried through all afternoon long.
It was especially prevalent during their formal photos prior to their ceremony as the pair had a small number of family members on hand for these posed shots and we spent the rest of the period taking shots of the two of them together.
I think what I loved the most about Denis and Larry's couples' portraits was how easy it all felt. Not only did these two just feel connected but they didn't want or ask for a lot in terms of posed photos. We stayed at one location on the Rhodes property, kept the posing as natural as possible and went inside when the couple felt they had everything they needed.
It was just about the easiest portrait session I had this year and, without question, one of my favorites.
With their formal photos out of the way, Denis and Larry made their way back inside of Rhodes and prepared for their ceremony.
I, meanwhile, was greeted with a lovely last-minute surprise by their officiant that no photography would actually be allowed during said ceremony, despite the fact that we weren't in a church and the couple wasn't told about this change until the day before their wedding.
Now, while I absolutely respect religious weddings and will abide by whatever rules a couple wants for their ceremony, the idea of an officiant dropping this as a surprise right before a wedding is asinine to say the least.
To their credit, and as a testament to how awesome and go with the flow Denis and Larry are as a couple, we did manage to recreate some of the photos of their ceremony after the actual ceremony.
It didn't quite have the same impact for me as a photographer who specialized in candid moments but I aim to please and to preserve moments and memories for my couples so, sometimes, you just have to go with the flow.
With their ceremony and their “ceremony” in the books, Denis and Larry made their way to their cocktail hour and I could tell this was a moment the pair were eagerly looking forward to as they finally got to celebrate with their closest friends and family members.
The hour also gave me the opportunity to finish up my photos of the many details they had on display at the wedding. I really loved the way Denis and Larry made their day stand out and could tell they spent a lot of time and thought in how this day was presented.
Denis and Larry's reception was one that I could tell was a lifetime in the making, especially with how the pair began. Rather than going right from their introductions into a first dance, the newlyweds chose instead to open their reception with dances with their mothers instead.
I thought this was a beautiful touch and really showed how much they care about the people closest to them.
What I also loved about these moments was how clear it was on both Denis and Larry's faces how much these dances meant to them. They waited a long time for this moment and, in said moment, you could see the full importance of it hit them as they moved from one side of the dance floor to the other.
Talk about special.
Denis and Larry kept that same energy going for their first dance as Mr. and Mr. as well. Set to “With you I am,” by Reba McEntire, the pair shared a lovely and special moment in front of all their friends and family members and the grand spectacle and old school feel of the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet ballroom made things all the more sweet.
Following their first dance, Denis and Larry took a seat and turned the floor over to their respective best men, who both delivered beautiful speeches about how caring and loving the two grooms were. I can't think of a better tone to set as we headed into dinner.
After dinner, Denis and Larry kept their program super easy and simple. The two had a brief cake cutting and went straight into opening the dance floor up.
And though it started a bit slowly, once their guests had their dessert and warmed up, the party heated up as well.
What I loved about Denis and Larry's wedding reception was it was clear the two didn't want to do a ton of dancing themselves this night, choosing instead to spend a lot of time socializing with their guests, but they also made it a point to do SOME dancing and I think that speaks volumes to their desire to experience it all on this wedding day.
And as my time began to come to an end, Denis and Larry wrapped their night up with a TON of large group shots in the hallway at Rhodes. I can think of no more fitting way to cap this wedding day's coverage.
As I packed up my gear and headed out of Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Denis and Larry were still outside for what felt like forever talking with their friends and sharing laughs and, honestly, I loved that for them so much.
As much as I love an over-the-top non-stop party night, I find that's not the vibe for all of my couples and at the end of the day, I just want my brides and grooms to have the wedding day of their dreams. I can say, with 100 percent certainty, Denis and Larry's was that and I can think of no couple that deserves it more.
So thank you Denis and Larry for including me on your journey down the aisle and I hope this next chapter of your lives together as husband and husband is full of laughs, life and plenty of thrift store finds to warm your hearts. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
