Brittney & John
Bittersweet Farm, Westport, Massachusetts (Ceremony & Reception)
September 6th, 2025
If I had to define one single common characteristic among my couples that I think is most likely to lead a happy marriage, it's pretty simple: They match each other's weird.
It might seem trivial but finding a partner who can not only embrace but one up your silliness is one of the traits I've found most common among my most fun couples and that's a trait that defined both Brittney and John and their wedding day.
Whether it was the bride immediately making silly faces as soon as I started photographing her during bridal prep, the groom ridiculously playing with his chin fat at the start of the wedding ceremony or the couple doing their best prehistoric dance during one of my favorite wedding reception moments of the entire year, Brittney and John's wedding was an absolute vibe of silliness and I was here for every second of it.
Oh, and they also love each other. Like a lot.
I had a pretty strong feeling how Brittney and John's wedding day was likely to go when I walked into the Hampton Inn hotel in Westport, Massachusetts and saw how both were in great spirits starting out.
My first task was finding a place to hang Brittney's dress, which is never easy in a Hampton Inn and we ultimately settled in the hotel lobby area. After that, I checked in with the bride and caught her in good spirits before heading over to her groom.
I could tell we were in for a unique day when I walked over to John's groom prep and saw him in a sleek and stylish white suit. I always love when grooms change things up from the standard attire on a wedding day and the white coat/orange tie John was rocking just popped so well.
Honestly, I think it might just be my favorite groom ensemble of 2025.
Circling back to Brittney following her hair and makeup prep, I was pleasantly surprised to find a bride still super excited and not the least bit nervous to get her wedding day underway.
Even the standard moments where most brides have nerves, like the dress getting zipped, were full of nothing but laughs and smiles from Brittney and I thought that boded well for the way things would play out the rest of the day.
Brittney and John had a fairly extensive itinerary for their wedding day but, thankfully, they planned it perfectly with a really beautiful first look kicking things off once we got to Bittersweet Farm and we got roughly half their formal family photos finished before their ceremony began.
I'll take that as a win, especially given how adorable the groom looked with a wide smile on his face the moment he turned around to see Brittney in her dress for the first time.
Because we were at Bittersweet Farm, I knew heading into Brittney and John's wedding that we were either going to be greeted with the sunniest wedding ceremony known to man or a dark and gloomy one as those are the only ceremonies I've ever had in over a decade of shooting weddings there.
What I didn't know was we'd get both as the clouds parted just long enough to welcome Brittney down the aisle.
I won't complain though. For early September, this was perfect weather as an even better ceremony.
Brittney and John kept their “I dos” pretty chill and low key and I loved that for them. By the time they sealed their love with a kiss, I knew they were both itching to party.
One of the most underrated aspects to a good wedding day is having great people behind you and I truly believe Brittney and John's wedding party was one of the best I saw in 2025 … and not just because one of my cousins was a groomsman either.
Brittney and John's formal photos after their ceremony were a breeze and it allowed us to get a little silly with their wedding party, all of whom were up to the challenge.
As fun as the photos of Brittney and John with their wedding party were, I really couldn't wait to get the bride and groom by themselves and really see what we came up with and, once I did, I had a blast.
I love working with couples who can perfectly walk that line between sweet and romantic and utterly silly and Brittney and John did it perfectly.
I especially loved the photos of them walking along the trail behind the iconic Bittersweet Farm white fence. They were some of my favorite formals of the year by far.
Before we headed inside, John had one request for the final photos with Brittney: He wanted to take some shots with his car. How could I say no? Especially once Brittney popped on her jean jacket over her wedding dress. Talk about an awesome look for an awesome couple.
In keeping with how every wedding I've ever shot at Bittersweet Farm has gone, practically the minute I finished up with Brittney and John's formal photos, it was time to go right into their reception introductions.
I always hate when this happens as I like to settle into a rhythm and get some detail shots before transitioning into the back half of the night but I could tell Brittney and John were itching to let their hair down and rock out and that was clear from how much of a party vibe they brought walking into their reception space.
Their first dance, set to “Corner My Confidence” by Coheed and Cambria, only helped set the tone for how this night would be: A beautiful, sweet but unique vibe that “breaks the mold.”
Following their first dance, Brittney and John finally took a seat and it was time for two beautiful toasts from their closest friends that really showed how loved these newlyweds were.
I love shooting toasts at Bittersweet Farm as the lighting in that spot, and only that one spot, is a delight to work with and these two toasts were top notch.
After the conclusion of their toasts, I finally had a chance to walk around the reception hall and capture Brittney and John's wedding décor and detail and, as expected, these two really made the most of the space.
I especially loved the simple yet beautiful look of their sweetheart table and seating charts in particular as they complemented the room perfect.
With dinner in the books, it was time for Brittney and John to knock out some of the last-remaining formalities of their reception and I knew we were in for a fun, party-vibe night based on their cake cutting alone.
But, first, both Brittney and John had unexpectedly emotional dances with their parents. I say unexpectedly because I think Brittney and her father and John and his mom were all caught off guard by how much these dances meant to them and, honestly, those are the best kind of wedding moments.
Of course, there was simply no way this wedding was going to be defined by serious emotion.
Moments after John's dance with his mom, it was time for the newlyweds to get back to the fun party of their reception and they did this with one of the more ridiculous garter/bouquet tosses I saw in 2025. This really set the tone perfectly for the rest of the night.
Brittney and John opened their dance floor with a beautiful anniversary dance but the sweet moment was just a tease for what was to come.
Anyone who has followed my wedding blogs long enough knows that my favorite part of any wedding reception is seeing a bride and groom let loose and take over a dance floor and of all the weddings I had in 2025, none made me laugh as hard as Brittney and John did when they brought their unique sense of humor to the party.
I low key expected the bride to be front and center of the room and rocking out but when the groom showed up wearing a dinosaur head hat and then proceeded to tear the house down to “Walk The Dinosaur,” I just about lost it.
That one moment was a top five highlight of the year for me and absolutely the first thing I think about anytime I think about Brittney and John's big day.
I was so glad Brittney and John had that moment and even happier than they spent the rest of our time together on the dance floor as their friends and family made the most of the awesome playlist and solid 90s vibes.
As my time with Brittney and John came to an end, I decided I wanted to try one last thing before I left. I asked the couple to come out to the Bittersweet Farm gazebo for a nighttime gel shot, something I've really spent a lot of time working on in 2025 and I'm glad they did as I loved incorporating the orange and purple vibes of their wedding day into some nice formals before I headed out.
But that was just kind of the energy of the entire day, to be honest. Brittney and John were a wonderful couple to work with and it made shooting their wedding both a breeze and a shoot where I knew we could have some fun and try some creative stuff.
I can think of no better compliment.
So thanks Brittney and John for a wonderful wedding day. I wish you all the best on this beautiful chapter of your lives together.
-Paul J. Spetrini
