Jessica & Daniel
I've always said that one of the things I love the most about wedding photography is the complete unpredictability of how a bride and groom's big day is going to go. You have to be able to think quickly and rapidly throw everything you thought was going to happen out the window with a moment's notice and that's a skill I am so thankful I've developed as it paid off handsomely at Jessica and Daniel's wedding back in April.
Moments after a beautiful first dance, Jessica and Dan were making their way to their sweetheart table for what we thought would be a nice hour or so of relaxed dinner time. Instead, thanks to some quick-thinking and observant guests at the wedding, we were suddenly running outside instead.
But, hey, when Mother Nature throws you a stunning rainbow on your wedding day, you go outside and you take photos in front of that rainbow.
Jessica and Dan's wedding day was full of little moments like that and I loved every single one of them.
I knew heading into my coverage of Jessica and Daniel's wedding that it was going to be a special day. Not only was I getting to work with dream team of Becky MacDonald from Pretty Nerdy Photography as my second shooter and my former bride Amanda as my assistant but we were at a venue I'd never photographed at before AND I was using a brand new camera I couldn't wait to try out for weddings.
And it proved worth every penny.
From almost the moment I walked into Jessica's bridal prep suite, this bride and groom had great moments in store from me and even though I wasn't on hand for the bride's hair and makeup portion of the day, we still got plenty of lovely interactions before she tossed on her dress and I'm thankful we did as it set a great tone to start our afternoon with.
One of my favorite aspects of Jessica and Dan's wedding was how well-thought the details were, even in the bridal prep area as the bride brought a special mascot from work (fully dressed in its own wedding dress), took great care to have each of the girls in her wedding party help her get ready in their own way and even took the time for an unexpected first look with her father.
By the time the ceremony began, this bride was ready to walk down that aisle and had a huge smile on her face. There were no nerves. There was only excitement and I loved that for her.
I can say the say for the groom. Thanks to having a second photographer on hand, I was able to have someone document Dan's final preparations for the ceremony and he, too, looked ready to say “I do.”
It all came to a head as Jessica and Daniel's ceremony began and I learned everything I needed to know from this bride and groom the moment Dan saw Jessica and melted in the cutest way possible.
Talk about saying everything without uttering a word.
Jessica and Daniel's ceremony was actually longer than most ceremonies I've had this year but it didn't feel like it. I love that this bride and groom took the time to really soak in the moment they became husband and wife and whether it was a couple of nice speeches from their moms or the unity ceremony where they stopped to pose for a photo, there wasn't a moment of wasted time during these nuptials.
I especially appreciated the end of Jessica and Dan's ceremony as the two exchanged vows and really struggled not to cheese and smile as the moments ticked away for their first kiss.
And once it was official?
Man. Talk about excited newlyweds.
Jessica and Daniel ended their wedding ceremony with a beautiful bubble exit (which you'll see at the end of this blog) but it was what came after said exit that stood out as my favorite part of their wedding day.
These two couldn't have been more adorable during their formal photos and whether it was with family photos, wedding party shots or even posing with their mascot Moosifer, it was clear Jessica and Dan were happy to take in these post-wedding ceremony moments and happy to celebrate with those around them.
If I had to choose my favorite photos from their bride and groom portrait portion of the day, though, those are clearly the ones we took on a bridge out on the golf course at their venue. It was a bit of a bumpy ride to get to the area we photographed, and the foliage hadn't quite come back for the spring yet, but none of that mattered as Jessica and Dan's personalities shined through beautifully for all the poses we threw together. So much so that I found myself constantly asking for “one more?” and I consider that the best complement a wedding photographer can offer a couple honestly.
With their formal photos in the book — or so I thought anyway — Jessica and Daniel made their way back to the barn for their reception introductions and I took the last few moments to set up lights and capture the last bit of details of their décor. And, trust me, it took some time because this bride and groom painstakingly customized every little bit of their room in the most beautiful way.
I've long said a couple's first dance tells me exactly what kind of wedding reception we're in for and Jessica and Dan's, set to “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett, was no exception.
Even though these two didn't move around much on the dance floor, they didn't need to as their place was in each other's arms and all you had to do was watch the emotions on their face to tell how much they were enjoying every second.
And, of course, after their first dance it was Mother Nature's time to shine.
I can't explain just how stressful it is to shoot portraits with a rainbow in the background, especially in a situation where ALL of your camera settings are set for an indoor shoot with off-camera lighting.
But, just based on previous experience, I knew we were going to need to act very, very quickly to capture the beautiful display at Jessica and Dan's wedding and, to their credit, this bride and groom didn't even question me on it … they just ran outside and got into a few poses.
It's the little things, really, and I'm so thankful we were able to capture these photos for this bride and groom to cherish forever.
With their first dance and surprise rainbow shots in the book, Dan and Jessica finally had some time to enjoy dinner and I had some time to relax before the party started and thank goodness I did because I was wiped.
But it's funny how a great meal will energize you to finish the night strong and that wasn't only true for me but everyone at Jessica and Daniel's wedding.
As the second half of their reception began, Jessica and Dan moved right into a cake cutting, two great speeches and a lovely father-daughter dance and each formality was better than the last as the time for the opening of the dance floor drew near.
As for the party portion of the evening, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Jessica and Dan's friends and family members — especially as things started slow — but once the crowd made its way to the dance floor, it was clear folks were there to have a good time.
The best part? Even though Jessica and Dan spent a chunk of time during their reception going table to table and thanking everyone who came — as well as taking tons of photos with various groups of their family and friends — they still made sure not to miss the dancing part of their night and took time to have a lot of fun rocking out.
It was the best way I can think of to end this night and I know they enjoyed every moment of that dance floor before all was said and done.
As my time with Jessica and Daniel came to an end, I couldn't help but be thankful that I had about an hour drive home as it gave me plenty of time to process how fun this day was before diving into the photos and sending off some sneak peeks to the couple before I went to bed.
Even from that first glance at their day, I knew we captured something special and that Jessica and Dan had the wedding of their dreams and I am just glad I was there to see it for myself.
So thank you Jessica and Daniel for letting me tag along and document your special wedding day and I wish you all the best on this new and exciting journey you're embarking on 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: Stephanie Amato of HairCraft Studios in Chepachet, Rhode Island; Bride's Makeup: Sam Rose of Sam Rose Beauty, Easton, Massachusetts; Bride's Dress: Party Dress Express, Fall River, Massachusetts; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Florist: Luna's Flower Shop, Medway, Massachusetts; Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Barn at Blackstone National, Sutton, Massachusetts; DJ: DJ Patrick of Cape Mobile Entertainment; Cake: Muffin House Cafe, Medway, Massachusetts.