Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts— 2021 —
Bournedale Function Facility Wedding Photos
Allison & Joe
Bournedale Function Facility, Plymouth, Massachusetts
November 20th, 2021
A weird thing happens in New England when the calendar turns from October to November. Suddenly, the busiest part of wedding season appears to be over and, perhaps more inexplicably, the weather almost always abruptly changes from beautiful and fall-like to cold and wintery.
Because of this, I am always a bit apprehensive about weddings scheduled to take place in November, especially late in the month as you can never tell if you'll get a nice day or a frozen one and it takes a VERY special couple to get me excited about shooting outdoors this time of year. Thankfully, Allison and Joe were that couple.
Allison and Joe were married at Bournedale Function Facility on a gorgeous November afternoon by the water and not only did they luck out with pleasant temperatures but they had a fun, casual wedding day that fit them perfectly. In fact, I can't think of one way their wedding could have been more "them." It was a perfect event that would have been beautiful regardless of where it fell on the calendar.
To say that's high praise coming from a wedding photographer who hates being even a little bit chilly is definitely an understatement.
My time with Allison and Joe began a bit unconventionally as I arrived to photograph the bride's final prep stages but found Allison wasn't quite ready for me. No matter. I'm a guy who doesn't mind adapting on the fly and so I drove over to Joe, instead, and captured the last few moments of his prep.
I'm glad I did as I was able to see the little bit of nerves he had before his first look with Allison and shot some nice photos of him getting help putting his tie on before he made his way down to the beach.
I didn't have a long time with Allison before she was ready to go — she was already in her dress when I arrived back to her prep area — but we made the most of it as I captured some nice candids of her getting her necklace and veil placed. Allison was in great spirits before we headed out to her first look and I could see she was looking forward to seeing her groom-to-be and showing off her amazing dress.
Speaking of that first look, Allison and Joe's lived up to the hype and was one of the sweetest I saw all year. I was genuinely touched to see the look of excitement Joe had when he turned around and I was so glad no one else was around for these two to share a beautiful moment together before the day got super busy.
With their first look out of the way, Allison and Joe were ready for their bride and groom portraits. I was initially a bit concerned about this part of the day as I had never taken photos of these two prior to their wedding day and they both admitted to being a bit nervous in front of the camera but, within minutes, they were like seasoned pros.
I'm especially grateful that Allison and Joe's family members were so easygoing and efficient as we tore through bride and groom shots, then family photos, and still had more time for photos of the soon-to-be newlyweds before their ceremony began.
With a late November wedding, you never want to leave the possibility you won't have any sunlight left for bride and groom portraits after a ceremony and I left Allison and Joe's session knowing we had plenty ... but still hoping for more time with the two of them after they said "I do."
One of my biggest concerns about Allison and Joe's wedding day was that their wedding ceremony was scheduled to be right on the water ... a worrisome idea for a late November event that could easily take place on a cold day and be even more miserable with just the slightest bit of a breeze.
Thankfully, we really lucked out on this afternoon as there was no wind and while the shade of a slowly-setting sun made things a little chillier than I might have liked, it was almost unnoticeable once Allison and Joe's ceremony began.
And what a ceremony it was.
I knew we were in for a sweet and sentimental event when Allison and her father walked down the aisle and shared a special choreographed handshake that made everyone smile but things got even sweeter from there.
Allison and Joe's ceremony was just over ten minutes long but in that time, you could see everything you needed to know about their relationship and how much this moment meant to them just by looking at their eyes.
My favorite part of Allison and Joe's ceremony was watching the excitement on their face as they walked down the aisle to cheers from their friends and family members. I could tell these two were really looking forward to spending time with their guests at cocktail hour but, thankfully, they indulged me for some sunset photos on the dock before we went inside.
I'm so glad they did as these dock photos, and the photos on the beach, were easily my favorite shots of their entire wedding day.
With their bride and groom portraits complete, Allison and Joe made their way inside the Bournedale Function Facility to spend time with friends and family members during their cocktail hour while I captured the little details that made their wedding so special.
I was pleasantly surprised at how cool this venue was as I wasn't expecting a country club type ballroom but this facility was the perfect blend of classic/timeless and intimate and it showed with Allison and Joe's big night.
From the moment Allison and Joe made their way into the venue, I knew this would be a casual night different than most of my wedding receptions.
The bride and groom shared their first dance to “Big Blue Sun” by Adrian Belew and while that's not a song I typically hear for a first dance, it fit this one so well. It didn't hurt, of course, that Allison and Joe danced and laughed in front of beautiful, bright string lights. This dance was a vibe and I loved every second of it.
And, more importantly, it set the tone for their evening together perfectly.
One of the things I loved about Allison and Joe's wedding reception was it was so laidback and relaxed. The two really weren't big on the "typical" moments of a reception so, apart from a pair of nice speeches by Joe's sister and Allison's brother, the night was basically just an opportunity for the bride and groom to go table to table and thank those closest to them for being there for their big day.
I'm always worried I won't have much to do during these types of wedding receptions but, thankfully, Allison and Joe had a bunch of fun family members who took full advantage of the great live singers performing 80s and 90s hits to make for quite the fun dance floor.
And, to my surprise, the bride and groom themselves made several appearances in the middle of the dancing as well.
By the time my coverage of Allison and Joe's wedding was over, I left feeling super thankful I had such a great wedding to kick off the last stretch of my 2021 season.
I'm a photographer who is always a little apprehensive about the shift from fall to winter wedding wise and I can't think of a better couple to have eased me into that transition than Allison and Joe. And what a day it was.
So thank you Allison and Joe for including me on such a fun and touching wedding. It was my pleasure to document this day for you and I wish you the best as you begin your life together as husband and wife.
-Paul J. Spetrini
