Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts — 2021 —
Bittersweet Farm Wedding Photos
Quinn & James*
Bittersweet Farm, Westport, Massachusetts (Ceremony & Reception)
June 26th, 2021
There's nothing I love more than a groom who is as excited, if not more, than his bride when it comes to photos on his wedding day. But, I'm a guy and I know guys. That sentiment is so rare that it stands out.
More commonly, the grooms I work with are of the 'grin and bear it' mentality so, when I do get a groom who isn't as into photos as I'd like them to be, all I ask is they do what they can to get through it.
That's one of the reasons I was so thankful to be a second shooter at Quinn and James' June wedding at Bittersweet Farm in Westport, Massachusetts as James, a Massachusetts firefighter, was one of those 'serious' grooms. I'm glad I was the second shooter working that day as I was unable to understand where he was coming from and work well with him to get a bunch of great shots that might not have been possible otherwise.
To me, that's one of the most fun challenges in wedding photography: understanding those you're photographing and, at the end of the day, all that matters is getting amazing photos they'll cherish for a lifetime and, in that regard, Quinn and James' wedding day came out exactly as intended and I couldn't possibly ask for more.
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for George Street Photography
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
My coverage of Quinn and James' wedding day began at the Hampton Inn Hotel in Westport, Massachusetts. I knew seconds into walking into James' room exactly what kind of day we were in for as he and his groomsmen were a lot of fun and enjoying their time together by watching golf, talking sports and drinking beer.
What I didn't know was how cooperative they'd be for my ideas but I really can't complain. These guys were great and did a wonderful job letting me do my thing without razzing me too hard and anytime you're in a room full of New England dudes and trying to get "artsy" wedding photos, that's always a risk.
More importantly, once we left the hotel and headed to Bittersweet Farm, these guys were like machines when it came to knocking out groom and groomsmen photos. I was so thankful, too, because it gave James plenty of time to relax before the start of his ceremony.
Speaking of Quinn and James' ceremony, it was easily my favorite part of their entire wedding day ... and not just because the sun popped in for a little cameo right as the bride made her way down the aisle.
I loved how classic Quinn and James made their ceremony. It was set at the outdoor gazebo area at the farm, which is probably my favorite spot on the property because of all the cool angles you can get of the bride and groom as they exchange vows.
Add to that the fact that Quinn and James' ceremony was short and sweet, but full of emotional and playful moments — like when James struggled to get his bride's ring on her finger — and it's easy to see why it was, to me, the highlight of their entire event.
The one question I had when it came to Quinn and James' wedding photos would be how tough it would be to get James to engage in bride and groom portraits. Sometimes, when you have a camera shy groom, it can be like pulling teeth to get genuine emotion and moments from the couple in question but James was a champion.
He was super upfront and honest about which poses he didn't like and both the lead photographer and I made sure to rapid fire a ton of shots to get as much variety as possible without making the bride or groom uncomfortable.
It doesn't hurt that we had some of the best light and foliage I've had at a wedding this year, either. I love Quinn and James' bride and groom portraits and love the deep, dark and rich coloring Bittersweet Farm provided on this hot and humid summer afternoon.
Speaking of Bittersweet Farm, this venue has always been one of the trickiest ones for me as a photographer. Full of wood and decor that is the very definition of rustic, Bittersweet Farm is so far from my aesthetic creatively but it's a fun challenge to overcome.
Quinn and James' simple decorations really helped me achieve this goal as they played well off the color scheme of the walls and really popped visually.
More important than the decor, though, was the was Quinn and James had an absolute blast once their party started. I loved watching these two share the floor for their first dance and the yellow string lights above them made for such a nice touch to some of my favorite photos of their entire day.
I thoroughly enjoyed how stress-free Quinn and James' reception was. Aside from a pair of fantastic speeches by the maid of honor and best man, and a pair of parent dances between Quinn and her father and James and his mother, there weren't a lot of big signature events in this reception. Instead, the two made sure to spend as much time as possible with their 48 wedding guests in an intimate and relaxed environment.
That relaxed vibe really paid off, too, once the party started as it didn't take long for Quinn, James and their guests to hit the dance floor running.
By the time I headed out from Quinn and James' wedding day, I knew they were having an absolute blast celebrating their love with the wedding reception that fit them best and I loved that for them.
Bittersweet Farm is such an amazing venue for smaller, intimate weddings and Quinn and James really made the most of it for a great night I know they won't soon forget. So congratulations Quinn and James and best of luck as you begin your journey together as husband and wife.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Mark & Julie
Our Lady of the Rosary Church,
Providence, Rhode Island
June 12th, 2021