Belinda & Daniel*
Parish of St. John the Baptist, Peabody, Massachusetts (Ceremony) &
Tupper Manor, Beverly, Massachusetts (Reception)
June 30th, 2024
One of the toughest aspects to second shooting a wedding, without question, is that first interaction with a bride or groom on their wedding day. When you second shoot, you never meet a couple before their big day and it can be a bit jarring to be introduced to someone one minute and documenting such a special day in their lives the next.
That's why I always appreciate when I am able to begin a second shooting assignment with groom prep and Belinda and Daniel's June wedding at Tupper Mannor in Beverly, Massachusetts is the perfect reason why.
Within moments of meeting Daniel and his groomsmen, it felt like I'd known everyone for years and, right away, they were down for any and all crazy ideas I had for photos.
To say it set a great tone for a lovely day with a beautiful couple is an understatement.
* 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 Belinda and Daniel started with one of the most fun and silly groom prep sessions I've had in years as Daniel and his guys came into the Billiards Room at Tupper Manor intent on good vibes and spent a LOT of time trying to come up with weird and whacky ideas for photos.
I always love and appreciate groom and groomsmen like this as it makes the time before a wedding ceremony fly by and even though I had a full hour between Daniel's groom prep session and his first look with Belinda, it felt like no time at all passed. It was that fun.
As much fun as Daniel, his groomsmen and I were having seeing just how good the groom was at pool on his wedding day (Spoiler alert: He was VERY good), I couldn't wait to get the show moving and get to he and Belinda's first look as I was eagerly to meet the bride and see the soon-to-be newlyweds interact.
It didn't take long to see how sweet their love is and how adorable they are together as their first look was ridiculously cute and touching.
Following Belinda and Daniel's first look, my lead photographer Becky MacDonald of Pretty Nerdy Photography stayed with the bride and groom to take care of formal photos and I headed to the church to set up everything we would need to shoot the wedding ceremony and I'm glad I did as this church — the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Peabody, Massachusetts — was stunning but also gigantic.
Still, somehow, Belinda and Daniel's traditional religious ceremony felt incredibly personal and intimate, no small feat in and of itself.
I really loved Belinda and Daniel's wedding ceremony but loved the way THEY loved it even more. From listening intently to each reading to the way they reacted after their first kiss and even a dip down the aisle, it was clear how much this moment meant to these newlyweds and that was special to see.
Following their ceremony, we headed back to Tupper Manor and it was time to capture all of the little details Belinda and Daniel put together for their special day and, I'll be honest, these details fit their venue perfectly.
Prior to Belinda and Daniel's wedding, I had never been to Tupper Manor before and, I've got to say, it's a beautiful venue for a wedding reception. This was most evident during Belinda and Daniel's first dance as the two clearly spent a LOT of time practicing for it and took over the dance floor with poise and ease in a moment that said exactly what kind of night they were expecting.
One of the things I loved the most about Belinda and Daniel's wedding was how casual the formalities between the first dance the dance floor opening were. Belinda and Daniel finished their dance together and took a seat for three speeches/toasts but, after that, the only real formality they had was a quick cake cutting and, suddenly, it was party time.
And what a party it was. While I was only “supposed” to stick around for about 10 minutes of the open dance floor portion of Belinda and Daniel's reception, I was simply having too much fun getting dance floor candids and before I knew it, a full on hour had passed. I have no regrets, though, because this was one party that just kept getting better and better.
As I slowly picked up my lightstands and packed my gear up at the end of Belinda and Daniel's wedding, I couldn't help but need a moment to catch my breathe.
I always consider it a sign of a day well spent when I leave a wedding covered in sweat and this day certainly had me running around enough to blow past my modest 10,000-step Fitbit goal. If that doesn't say everything you need to know about how much fun it was working with these newlyweds, I don't know what would.
Regardless, Belinda and Daniel's wedding was one I won't soon forget and it was an absolute pleasure to see this sweet couple say "I do." So congratulations Belinda and Daniel on a beautiful wedding day and best of luck on this new and exciting chapter of your lives together. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
