Matt & Chelsea
Bournedale Function Facility, Plymouth, Massachusetts (Ceremony & Reception)
September 27th, 2024
A few weeks ago, I was at a country music concert with my wife and singer Tyler Hubbard shared the story behind writing the lyrics to a song that eventually became “You Make It Easy” by Jason Aldean. For whatever reason — and, honestly, maybe it was just the end-of-the-year stress of wedding season hitting me at once — the song really resonated for me.
It wasn't until I sat down to edit photos from Matt and Chelsea's wedding back in September at the Bournedale Function Facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts that I realized why: The best love stories are the ones where it's just … easy.
And easy was the best way I could describe the wedding day that Matt and Chelsea had because, as much as I love all the clients I've had so far in 2024, Matt and Chelsea had by far the “easiest” and most natural wedding day I've seen this year.
Why? Because they were just themselves. There was no pressure to make anything perfect. They had an idea of what they wanted to do, they savored every single second of their day and their love was inspiring. And fun.
And easy.
My time with Matt and Chelsea started with the knowledge that I'd be doing a LOT of walking around the property at the Bournedale Function Facility as the site is massive and bride and groom prep are just the perfect distance away from each other to be too close to drive from one to the other and too far to be thrilled about the walk.
But I didn't mind. I had a feeling it would be the only thing about this day that wasn't perfect and I knew from the moment Matt arrived and got ready to get pinned with his boutineere that this was going to be a sweet and sentimental day.
As for the bride? Well, she and her girls arrived to the property a bit later than planned but didn't seem the least bit worried as they were going for chill vibes all day and really nailed it perfectly.
I could tell how excited Chelsea and her girls were when they arrived by golf cart to the bridal prep location and the genuine smiles on the bride's face as she got into her dress told me all I needed to know about how she was feeling in the moments before her first look with Matt.
Matt and Chelsea chose to exchange notes with one another before doing their first look and I'm so glad they did as it really created a nice sense of build up to the moment they saw each other for the first time on their wedding day and though they both kept the tears in, it was easy to see how impactful each letter was to them.
And the joy Matt had on his face when he finally got to turn around and see Chelsea? Talk about a priceless moment.
One of the things I loved the most about Matt and Chelsea's wedding day was how much time I got with the bride and groom … and how it never felt too long because we had little pockets of formal photo sessions with them staggered throughout the timeline.
The first was right after their first look and led naturally into some great wedding party and family formals. Then we had one following their ceremony and another toward the end of cocktail hour. I really think this kept these two nice and fresh and never too bored with me posing them and led to some natural photos of them letting their personalities come through.
I may be bias, though, because the photos with their wedding party are some of the silliest and most fun ones I've done with a group this year.
With their first formal photos in the bag, Matt and Chelsea took a brief time out to gather themselves before the start of their wedding ceremony and I think that was the right move as it really let us settle into the reason we were all here today: To see these two become husband and wife.
I think Matt, Chelsea and their friends and family may have briefly forgot in the fun we were all having during their pre-ceremony formals just how special this moment would be for the bride and groom but those emotions came roaring back at the start of Matt and Chelsea's wedding ceremony as the tears were flowing from multiple people and the smiles were plentiful, especially with the bride and groom themselves.
Matt and Chelsea had a short but sweet and sentimental ceremony in which their super fun officiant recounted how they met, what their relationship has been like and allowed the two of them to bask in the moment in a way that showed, quite clearly, how much this moment meant for them.
I loved the way Matt and Chelsea seemingly never took their eyes off one another and the little ways they made each other crack up or look lovingly at each other as they pledged to spend the rest of their lives together.
And, after sealing their new lifelong bond together as husband and wife, the two newlyweds did the only thing that made sense as they walked down the aisle together … they danced.
Following their wedding ceremony, Matt and Chelsea headed back to the beach area at Bournedale Function Facility for some more family and wedding party formals but it was their second round of bride and groom portraits that really made me smile and the pair were so incredibly relaxed and open to all of my ideas.
I could have called it a day with Matt and Chelsea right there and then and let them enjoy their cocktail hour while I worked on detail shots but the surest sign of just how much fun they were having, Matt and Chelsea asked me to join them on a boat trip around the water at the end of their cocktail hour and I, of course, obliged.
The result? My favorite photos of the two of them together the entire day.
With their bride and groom portraits out of the way — for good this time — Matt, Chelsea and I made our way inside for their reception. But, first, I'd be remiss if I didn't share some of the detail photos I DID manage to snag in between bride and groom photo sessions because I love what Matt and Chelsea did with the little touches to their wedding and simply have to share.
I had a feeling Matt and Chelsea's reception would be just a fun time and the two of them made sure to set that tone early and often, right from the moment they walked into the room dancing the same way they left their ceremony.
Matt and Chelsea chose to dance to “Soulshine” by Govt' Mule for their first dance as husband and wife and I loved how adorable these two were as they swung around the room with their friends and family members watching nearby.
Following their first dance, Matt and Chelsea wasted no time rolling right into the rest of the other formalities of their reception, starting with a pair of beautifully-touching parent dances.
After a great dinner period, the night resumed with four equally touching speeches and a super fun bouquet toss before the dance floor opened and the party truly kicked off.
As was befitting their entire wedding day up to this point, Matt and Chelsea's wedding reception was a non-stop party from the first song until the last and, not surprisingly, the bride and groom were smack dab right in the middle of all the action.
Whether it was a slow song for the couples in the room or busting a move to the “Wobble,” Matt and Chelsea made sure there was no doubt they were enjoying every single second of this beautiful night they became husband and wife.
As I packed up my gear and wheeled my cart out of the Bournedale Function Facility and Matt and Chelsea's reception, I couldn't help but walk out of the party with a giant smile on my face.
Late September weddings can be a battle as a New England wedding photographer: your body hurts, your mind is exhausted and you're really only just in the midst of the busiest time of your busiest season.
But couples like Matt and Chelsea show why wedding photography is so special to me. It's days like this that keep me sane and keep me in a great mood and loving love and for that I am eternally grateful to these two.
So, thank you Matt and Chelsea for picking me to help document your special day and I wish you all the best as you navigate this new and exciting chapter of your lives together as husband and wife. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair & Make-up: Jaime Berkman from Eye 4 Beauty; Bride's Dress: Sorellina Bridal; Groom's Suit: Macy's; Florist: DIY with materials from Luv Sola Flowers; Ceremony/Reception: Bournedale Function Facility, Plymouth, Massachusetts; DJ: DJ Cubey of Cape Tunes; Dessert: Natasha Aschoff of Cape Batter.