Ryan & Mike
You can plan a wedding all you want but the one thing you'll never have control over is the weather and if there's one thing that bums me out the most about a beautiful spring wedding day, it's rain clouds that come from out of nowhere and force a change in plans.
That's why I couldn't stop smiling during Ryan and Mike's May 2018 wedding at Bittersweet Farm in Westport.
Almost as if they planned it, the weather was picture perfect for this couple on their big day. And I don't mean it was a nice day. No, on a weekend of nonstop rain in the area, Mike and Ryan had their photos done and got married in a perfectly-timed reprieve from the rain drops. And then, as if that wasn't enough, lucky timing paved the way for an incredible rainbow photo at the end of the night.
It's almost as if Mother Nature worked with them to plan this day out and considering how lucky this bride and groom are to have found their perfect match in one another, I think it was only fitting.
My coverage of Ryan and Mike's wedding day began a few miles north of Bittersweet Farm as both the bride and groom were getting ready at a hotel in New Bedford.
I really enjoyed this time working with Mike as I don't get a lot of time to chat with grooms before they say "I do" and Mike was not only in good spirits but cracking jokes and getting more and more excited as the countdown to his wedding ceremony ticked away.
How relaxed was Mike before he wedding? Well, he didn't even let something as potentially major as still having to construct the arch he and Ryan would stand under get to him.
No, he and his friends arrived at Bittersweet Farm confident they'd get it built with plenty of time and they sure did.
They even managed to finish it with 25 minutes to spare before Ryan and Mike's beautiful first look.
I really enjoyed watching Ryan and Mike's first look. I wasn't sure if Mike would cry or not when he saw his bride for the first time but I did know she looked stunning and I could see the nervous anticipation on his face before she tapped him on the shoulder.
Thankfully, the first look didn't take long and we were treated to some incredible light for photos with the soon-to-be newlyweds. I loved this part of the day the most as Bittersweet Farm looked amazing in the cloud-covered setting.
By the time we finished Ryan and Mike's first round of formal photos (We would attempt some more after the ceremony), it was rapidly becoming time for them to say "I do."
This was, by far, the trickiest part of the day schedule wise as the clouds were turning ominously grey with each passing minute and this bride and groom looked poised to deliver a half-hour ceremony or more.
Thankfully, not only did the rain hold off for Ryan and Mike's ceremony but the fast-approaching storm provided enough of an overcast feel that their ceremony photos look super rich and vibrant.
But enough about the photo jargon. That's not why you're here. Let's talk about the ceremony.
It. was. fantastic.
Ryan and Mike were super emotional from the start to finish of this ceremony and whether it was combining dirt from their home and Bittersweet Farm for a special tree ceremony or the exchanging of rings, there was rarely a moment when the bride could keep it together or the groom could take his eyes off of her.
With the end of Ryan and Mike's ceremony came a mad dash to finish family photos and, luckily enough, we only had a few left because once the rain came down, it was impossible to shoot outside.
This led to me spending way more time inside at cocktail hour than I'm used to for a wedding but, I've got to be honest, I didn't mind.
Bittersweet Farm is one of my favorite venues in the area and Ryan and Mike really put their stamp on it with some awesome decorations that highlighted the rustic barn feel and complimented the theme of the wedding so well.
I love Bittersweet Farm for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I've yet to see a boring wedding there.
I adore the country/rustic vibe it has and Ryan and Mike played off it perfectly with a cocktail hour set list of country songs that had me tapping my toes.
And speaking of dancing, man did I love their first dance.
While I only had a brief moment to photograph Ryan and Mike on the dance floor alone before they invited all of their friends and family members to join them, the barn setting worked wonders as I was still able to move around and get some really fun photos of the bride and groom lost in their own world with each other.
My favorite part of the evening, however, was stalking the weather outside to wait for the rain to stop. It paid off in a huge way as I got the rainbow shot you see below.
All told, we had three minutes to capture that rainbow but, boy, did we hustle and pull it off.
To me, that rainbow shot perfectly sums up Ryan and Mike's wedding day. Because even in the worst of weather, there's always hope for a brighter day.
If that's not a great message to have on your mind on your wedding day, I don't know what is.
-PJS
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
Tags: Bittersweet Farm, Outdoor Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings, Westport,
Paul J. Spetrini Photography
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Ali & Gary
Roger Williams Park Botanical Center,
Providence, Rhode Island.
Date: May 5th, 2018
Location: Meadowbrook Inn,
Charlestown, Rhode Island.
Date: May 1st, 2018
Nathan & Amy
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North Kingstown Rhode Island.
Date: November 18th, 2017
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