Amy & Donald
St Thomas More Church (Ceremony), Narragansett, Rhode Island; Aldrich Mansion (Reception), Warwick, Rhode Island
June 24th, 2016*
I'm a firm believer that the place you choose to get married in, and the place you choose to have your reception, say a lot about you on your wedding day. For some couples who seek a big and lavish event, booking an oceanside location in Newport brings their thoughts to life. For others, it's all about the party and a tent wedding can really get that vibe started right from the jump.
For Amy and DJ, who got married back in June in an absolutely gorgeous and small church in Narragansett and had their wedding at a breathtaking mansion in Warwick, the theme of the day was tradition and spirituality and it fit them to a tee.
And that's why I loved their wedding. Simple. Elegent. Timeless.
Who could ask for more?
My coverage of Amy and DJ's big day began about an hour before their ceremony at St. Thomas More Church in Narragansett and the extra time beforehand really let me get a feeling for the building.
Unlike many lavish Catholic buildings, this one had a small and intimate feel where you could quite literally hear sound made. But that's what I loved about this building. And the beautiful and modern paint scheme only enhanced the feel of the day.
I knew right away we were in for a beautiful ceremony.
It didn't take long for me to confirm my thoughts. Amy and DJ had a touching ceremony in front of their friends and family members and the message of the mass was all about building and strengthening your bond together, a beautiful theme for a glorious wedding between two wonderful individuals.
With Amy and DJ's ceremony in the books, it was time to make the trek from Narragansett to Warwick for the reception. Now, if you've ever been in Southern Rhode Island on a warm summer day, you know this is a recipe for disaster as beach traffic makes getting around next to impossible. Luckily, the newlyweds planned for this and while it took well over an hour to get to the site of the reception, there was plenty of time before the big events kicked off and it only took three seconds of looking around upon arrival to know the drive was absolutely worth it.
Take about an amazing place to have a wedding reception. Wow.
I'd never been to Aldrich Mansion prior to Amy and DJ's big day but the sheer size and scope of the place blew me away. Add in to that the fact that the grounds of the building is laid out as such that the sun is immediately behind you in the afternoon, giving a nice, cool shaded site for cocktail hour, and you have a beautiful place to party.
Not to mention, the grounds were stunning and made for an amazing backdrop for the bride and groom's formal photos.
What I loved the most about Aldrich Mansion was the vast number of gorgeous little spots you could sneak away to for photos. And they all looked different from one another. You could shoot near the water, in the sun, inside on a beautiful deck, upstairs on top of an amazing stair case. The possibilities were endless.
The outside area also made for one of the coolest "dance floors" I've ever seen as Amy and DJ shared their first dance as husband and wife in front of all of their wedding guests in the backdrop of the mansion.
The slanted hill gave way to a nice tiled floor and the sites for this outdoor first dance were the likes of which I've never seen before.
I truly LOVED this couple's first dance and the spot made the toasts stand out too.
It was the perfect location inside of the perfect location and made for a stunning start to this memorable reception.
My coverage of Amy and DJ's wedding stopped at the beginning of their wedding reception and I can honestly say that was the only disappointing part of the whole experience as I can only imagine how crazy these guys got once everyone loosened up and the party started.
Amy and DJ were such a sweet couple and I could tell from my limited time with them that they were in for the start of something beautiful together.
More than anything, though, I'm looking forward to getting back to both of their beautiful venues in the future. Talk about a wonderful choice for a wonderful couple.
And on this beautiful summer evening, there simply was no better place to be.
-PJS
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.