Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts — 2019 —
Attleboro Elks Lodge Wedding
Rebecca & Chris
St. Mary's Catholic Church (Ceremony) & Attleboro Elks Lodge (Reception)
November 9th, 2019
There comes a moment before almost every wedding ceremony where you can see the magnitude of the day suddenly hits a bride and a groom. For most people, it's an unexpected wave of emotion that can yield a wide variety of responses, usually in the form of tears or anxious deep breaths.
For Rebecca and Chris, those moments came about an hour and a half apart and said a lot about their day.
Rebecca, having just gotten zipped up in her wedding dress, stood in front of a mirror with her eyes closed as a smile casually emerged on her face as she thought about what this day meant to her.
Ninety minutes later, her soon-to-be husband would be standing with his hands crossed at the altar waiting to see her and in an instant, his expression changed from a nervous stare off in the distance to a deep and affectionate look of love as his bride walked into the church.
These are the moments that make a wedding day and, in Rebecca and Chris' case, these are the moments that best describe their love and life together.
My coverage of Rebecca and Chris' wedding day began with a relaxed bridal prep session. I could tell right away Rebecca was excited for this day and stress free as she finished her hair and makeup and joked with her hair stylist about how she thought the day would go.
If she had any nerves, she did a great job concealing them as she looked cool, calm and collected in the final hour before she left for her ceremony.
Of course, it's easy for a bride to look relaxed before the pressure of the day really hits, so I was curious how Rebecca would fare when she got her dress on.
Even then, she remained excited.
It wasn't until we got to her grandmother's house for some pre-ceremony photos with her family and wedding party that the emotions of the day really started to come to the surface but, even then, there was a positive attitude for everyone around the bride and I think that set a wonderful tone as we headed to the church to get Rebecca married.
Rebecca and Chris chose to say "I do" at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Norton, Massachusetts. Though I had never stepped foot in this building before, I knew just from looking at the exterior as I parked my car that we were in for a beautiful ceremony.
Talk about a special building.
Speaking of special, that's the only way I can describe Chris' reaction when he saw Rebecca for the first time. I told him before the ceremony any nerves he had would go away when she started walking down the aisle and it was clear from his facial expression that is exactly what happened.
Rebecca and Chris chose a traditional Catholic ceremony and it really fit perfectly with their day as a whole.
I loved this church and its unique architecture so much and had a blast photographing this wedding ... even if the giant window in front of the bride and groom presented some unique challenges.
While I enjoyed shooting Rebecca and Chris' wedding ceremony, it was their formal photos which worried me the most as the pair chose to stop at Rebecca's cousin's house along the way for their family and wedding party portraits.
I am always concerned when I'm tasked with shooting such important photos in a spot I've never been before but, thankfully, the location was a great one and provided a sweet barn background that really emphasized the rustic nature of this couple's special day.
I've got to give Rebecca and Chris a lot of credit. By the time we were finishing up their bride and groom portraits, it really felt like it was November and we were all a bit chilly but you'd never know it by their attitude. These two kept trucking along and were open to all of my suggestions. And I'm glad they were because the final photos we took during this portion of the day were some of my favorites.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to getting inside though and once we arrived at their reception venue -- the Attleboro Elks Lodge -- I was excited to capture all the great decor Rebecca and Chris chose to accentuate their rustic theme.
I wasn't quite sure what kind of reception Rebecca and Chris would have but their first dance song choice of "Your Song" by Elton John clued me in a little bit.
Rebecca and Chris weren't big on being the center of attention but they had a beautiful first dance and the orange uplighting in the Elks Lodge proved surprisingly nicer to photograph than I anticipated.
After their first dance, Rebecca and Chris opened the dance floor up for the members of their wedding party to join them. It was a theme for the rest of the night as this couple's friends and family members played a key role in all of the formalities left in their reception.
I especially loved Rebecca's dance with her father, which ALSO incorporated a portion of open dance floor for some of Rebecca's family members.
This should have been my first clue as to what kind of night we were going to have as, once the party started, the dance floor was packed all night long.
Led largely by the kids at the reception, Rebecca and Chris' dance floor was nonstop and full of great candid photos which really made me laugh. A lot.
And while they spent some time with their seated family members, the bride and groom made sure they got in on the action at times as well.
As my time with Rebecca and Chris came to an end, I couldn't help but be thankful of the fun day I was lucky enough to document.
Rebecca and Chris are a really sweet couple and I could tell they spent a lot of time planning this wedding day in just the way they always imagined.
That it went off without a hitch is a testament to those plans and I have no doubt this day was everything they wanted and so much more.
So congratulations Rebecca and Chris and best of luck in your journey together as newlyweds.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Tags: Indoor Weddings, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Norton, Attleboro Elks Lodge, Attleboro,
Massachusetts Weddings, Catholic Church Weddings, Paul J. Spetrini Photography
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair: Bionda Salon, Canton, Massachusetts; Bride's Dress: David’s Bridal; Groom's Suit: Men’s Wearhouse; Ceremony Location: St. Mary's Church, Norton, Massachusetts; Reception Location: Attleboro Elks Lodge, Attleboro, Massachusetts; DJ: Armand Berube, A B Entertainment Services, Fall River, Massachusetts; Caterer: Young’s Catering, Seekonk, Massachusetts; Cupcakes: Just Desserts, Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Pies: Johnson's Farm, Warren, Rhode Island.