Elizabeth & Kevin*
The Spa at Norwich Inn, Norwich, Connecticut (Ceremony & Reception)
April 27th, 2024
There are a lot of reasons why I love working as a second photographer but I think the biggest and best reason is I genuinely adore the people I work with and work for.
Take, for instance, Becky MacDonald at Pretty Nerdy Photography. Becky and I work together as often as our schedules allow — I'm set to second for her six times this year and she's second shooting for me at least four times this year — and I know if I've got a Pretty Nerdy Photography wedding on my books that there's a better than average chance the clients will be awesome and the wedding day itself even better and that was certainly the case for Elizabeth and Kevin back during their April wedding at the Spa at Norwich Inn.
Not only was this day one of the most beautiful we had all spring but the couple was so sweet and adorable from start to finish.
And since I was just the second photographer, I was able to sit back and really focus on being creative as opposed to weddings where I am the lead and have to do everything. The results, I think, show why it's so smart to take a step back every once in a while and try something different as a photographer.
If nothing else, it was the best way I could have started my 2024 second shooting calendar, that's for sure.
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for Pretty Nerdy Photography.
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
My time with Elizabeth and Kevin started the way all my second shooting assignments do: Groom Prep. And, as is seemingly always the case when I serve as a second shooter, I arrived to find my groom was already dressed and ready to go.
Thankfully, I never mind when this happens. It just means I'm working with a groom who is super excited to get his wedding day underway and Kevin was certainly that way.
Luckily, this groom didn't mind redoing some of his basic prep and, with a flexible schedule that allowed us a lot of time before we needed to roll out to Kevin's first look, this groom prep was one of the most fun I've shot this year. It was certainly the most relaxed ... even before the alcohol started flowing.
When I first took a look at Elizabeth and Kevin's plan for their wedding day, one thing stood out more than everything else: Their plans for a first look and private vow reading. Anyone who is familiar with my work knows there is little I love more on a wedding day than a private vow reading and Elizabeth and Kevin's didn't disappoint.
I wish I could tell you what they said but I always shoot these things with a long lens specifically so the couple's private vows can stay private and between them. All I know is they both wore their heart on their sleeves during this intimate moment together and it was definitely the highlight of the day for me as a photographer getting to document it all.
With their private vows in the books, Elizabeth and Kevin turned their attention to their formal photos with their family and wedding party members and, as a second photographer, this meant my job shifted from capturing their big moments to hanging back and documenting some candids and interactions between everyone in attendance instead.
It's a sometimes thankless job to be a second photographer during this portion of a wedding day but I truly believe it makes a big difference because there are so many great candid moments that take place when a couple is laser focused on posing for photos and not paying a lot of attention to the surroundings around them and that's one of my favorite things to shoot with the opportunity arises.
As much fun as Elizabeth and Kevin were having during their formal photo portion of the wedding day, the biggest moment of the day was still in front of us: Their wedding ceremony.
Having never photographed a wedding at the Spa at Norwich Inn, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the indoor ballroom area that would host Elizabeth and Kevin's ceremony but it was the perfect backdrop for a small, intimate and personal celebration of their love.
One of the nice things about Elizabeth and Kevin's wedding was that, because they had a first look and took care of formal photos prior to their ceremony, they were able to enjoy almost all of their cocktail hour celebrating with friends and family members.
Still, I'm so grateful they gave us a few more minutes of bride and groom portraits toward the end of the cocktail hour as it was my first time to see them interacting in poses by themselves and the lighting was perfect.
With their formal photos in the books, Elizabeth and Kevin made their way into their venue for their reception. Now, I could tell based on how the day had gone so far that Elizabeth and Kevin were not "center of attention" type people — hence the reason for their private vows — but they caught even me off guard with just how much they hated having all eyes on them when, during their first dance, they wrapped up the entire dance in less than a minute.
Thankfully, I'm always ready for this kind of scenario to play itself out and I still managed to capture a handful of nice candid moments between the newlyweds in a moment I know they likely won't soon forget.
Following their first dance, Elizabeth and Kevin held a small unity candle ceremony — mostly because they forgot to do it during their wedding ceremony itself — and had three beautiful toasts that really set the tone for the night.
After dinner, it was time to kick back and have fun and Elizabeth and Kevin started the party portion of their evening off with two super sweet dances with their parents.
As is often the case when I work as a second shooter, I knew as Elizabeth and Kevin's dance floor opened up that I wouldn't be around for a lot of the party portion of their evening. Thankfully, their friends and family members wasted no time jumping right into the action and I was able to capture a good chunk of fun candids before heading out.
As I packed my gear up and said goodbye to the Elizabeth and Kevin, there was a small part of me that wishes I could have shot their dance floor for another hour or so but, honestly, whenever I'm a second shooter in these situations I never worry because I know the newlyweds have a super talented lead photographer finishing the night with them.
That was certainly the case here and, as such, I'm just glad I got to play a small role in documenting their special day so congratulations Elizabeth and Kevin on a beautiful wedding and best of luck in your future endeavors. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
