Justin & Anna
Chinese Church of Rhode Island (Ceremony) & Providence Marriot (Reception)
February 21st, 2026
I have a love-hate relationship with winter. On the one hand, it's the only time of year I can stay home and relax. On the other, it's cold, snowy and downright miserable most of the time in New England. Heading into this winter, though, I was thrilled to embrace the season as I was buried under a mountain of photos I needed to finish and needed some real time away from weddings to catch my breath and catch up.
That's why I was a little hesitant to respond to an email from Justin and Anna inquiring about wedding photography for their February 2026 wedding. While I love shooting wedding, I've generally found any weddings before early April are risky propositions at best. But Justin and Anna sounded like my kind of couple. Namely, they wanted the most relaxed wedding day possible and had just a few requests of me as a photographer.
I knew walking into Meaghan and Chris' wedding day that BOTH the bride and groom were likely to be a little bit stressed. In all of my conversations with Meaghan and Chris prior to their big day, it was clear to me that they both had high expectations for how things would go and a clear vision for what they wanted.
I wasn't fully prepared for how much Chris looked like he was running a small business as he got ready though, with the Bluetooth piece in his ear going off as he scrambled to get last-minute details just right but, honestly, that made me laugh because it just showed me how much he cared.
And Meaghan? She was insistent on having things run on time and the more I told her not to worry too much because weddings can't start without the bride, the more she seemed to panic.
I never take offense when couples are a little bit anxious before walking down the aisle. It's a stressful thing and I knew, without a single doubt, that once we got this ceremony started, both Meaghan and Chris would laugh at how crazy it is to stress on a wedding day.
One of the first things I fell in love with at Meaghan and Chris' wedding was their color scheme. These two were getting married a few weeks before Christmas and made the perfect call in incorporating reds and greens into their theme. I especially loved how it looked on the corset back of Meaghan's dress. It really popped beautifully and, thankfully, once we got Meaghan in her dress, I could see the worry melt away from her. As it should.
Meaghan and Chris concluded their ceremony with a fun photo holding hammers at one another and, for a brief time in the lead up to the wedding, I felt like they were going to hold one up to me every time I suggested going outside for their formal photos.
Meaghan and Chris had a clear vision for how they wanted to do their family and wedding party formals. They didn't want the typical "Everyone stand in a row" shots and chose, instead, to do some more casual photos sitting on furniture outside the lounge area of the Mill.
That didn't mean I was going to let them get through their wedding without going outside for some sunset shots once we finished the formal ones though and the SECOND we opened the doors of the Mill and saw how amazing the sunset was — and, arguably it was the best one I had all year long — they were so thankful I insisted.
Meaghan and Chris' sunset shots were some of my favorite bride and groom photos, not just of the day but of the entire season. Why? Because we got through them in five minutes, got a bunch of the poses I wanted to get in in AND, most importantly, left time for them to be their silly selves and have fun with it.
I think both Meaghan and Chris were worried this part of their day would feel like pulling teeth but, afterward, they told me how much they loved these shots and I have to agree. They were something special.
Meaghan and Chris had a pretty elaborate wedding reception planned, with a lot of high concept formalities but my favorite, by far, was the one that showed just how sweet and caring they are as people. In a moment where a traditional first dance would take place, Meaghan and Chris threw the spotlight on one of their children who never got to experience a traditional prom dance because of the pandemic.
It was a beautiful surprise that set the tone for the evening quite well.
I could tell from the moment I arrived to the Pond House Cafe for Jennifer and Eric's wedding that this wedding was going to be much different than most I shoot. For one thing, it was a Sunday morning wedding and everything was set to be over with by the time I'm typically getting started on a bride and groom's big day.
More importantly, though, this bride and groom were so laid back that they asked me not to even bother with basic bride or groom prep photos because they didn't care about documenting those moments at all. Instead, I was tasked with beginning my coverage with their first look and, when the two arrived, I totally got it as they showed up with no fanfare and no big splashy celebrations.
Their first look was super casual, super relaxed and we rolled right into some easygoing and chill portrait of the soon-to-be newlyweds with no stress and no fuss and I loved that for them.
I could tell from the moment I arrived to the Pond House Cafe for Jennifer and Eric's wedding that this wedding was going to be much different than most I shoot. For one thing, it was a Sunday morning wedding and everything was set to be over with by the time I'm typically getting started on a bride and groom's big day.
More importantly, though, this bride and groom were so laid back that they asked me not to even bother with basic bride or groom prep photos because they didn't care about documenting those moments at all. Instead, I was tasked with beginning my coverage with their first look and, when the two arrived, I totally got it as they showed up with no fanfare and no big splashy celebrations.
Their first look was super casual, super relaxed and we rolled right into some easygoing and chill portrait of the soon-to-be newlyweds with no stress and no fuss and I loved that for them.
And that's not where the special moments ended either. After Meaghan shared a beautiful dance with her father, Chris had my favorite moment of the night by surprising his mother during their mother-son dance with rocking ponies they used to ride when he was younger. It was one of my favorite moments during a reception all year and something that no one in the room could help but smile at/laugh at/cry at.
Add in a toast from one of the couple's children and a cute cake cutting and I'd say these two really nailed the big moments of their reception quite well.
I could tell from the moment I arrived to the Pond House Cafe for Jennifer and Eric's wedding that this wedding was going to be much different than most I shoot. For one thing, it was a Sunday morning wedding and everything was set to be over with by the time I'm typically getting started on a bride and groom's big day.
More importantly, though, this bride and groom were so laid back that they asked me not to even bother with basic bride or groom prep photos because they didn't care about documenting those moments at all. Instead, I was tasked with beginning my coverage with their first look and, when the two arrived, I totally got it as they showed up with no fanfare and no big splashy celebrations.
Their first look was super casual, super relaxed and we rolled right into some easygoing and chill portrait of the soon-to-be newlyweds with no stress and no fuss and I loved that for them.
The only question I had heading into Meaghan and Chris' wedding was how much dancing there would be as, honestly, I couldn't get a read on their crowd. And while things started a little bit slow, once the party picked it, it PICKED UP.
I loved seeing Meaghan and Chris finally cut loose and enjoy their time with friends and family members and the joy on the dance floor was simply beautiful.
I could tell from the moment I arrived to the Pond House Cafe for Jennifer and Eric's wedding that this wedding was going to be much different than most I shoot. For one thing, it was a Sunday morning wedding and everything was set to be over with by the time I'm typically getting started on a bride and groom's big day.
More importantly, though, this bride and groom were so laid back that they asked me not to even bother with basic bride or groom prep photos because they didn't care about documenting those moments at all. Instead, I was tasked with beginning my coverage with their first look and, when the two arrived, I totally got it as they showed up with no fanfare and no big splashy celebrations.
Their first look was super casual, super relaxed and we rolled right into some easygoing and chill portrait of the soon-to-be newlyweds with no stress and no fuss and I loved that for them.
When it was finally time for me to pack my gear and call it a night with Meaghan and Chris, I felt a tremendous sense of relief knowing I had finally wrapped the 2025 wedding season and did so with an absolutely awesome final shoot to boot.
The 2025 wedding season was, without question, the longest and toughest of my career but it was also one of the most rewarding and it's all because of couples and weddings like Meaghan and Chris.
Though I may have been tired, and beaten up, and it may have taken me all the way until mid April to catch up on photo editing and blog writing from a 54-wedding season that seemingly never stopped, I can't think of anything I'd rather do professionally or anything more rewarding than capturing moments that matter for couples like Meaghan and Chris who literally wait a lifetime for a day like their wedding day.
So, thank you Meaghan and Chris and thank you to all my 2025 clients for an amazing season. It was one I will never forget and I hope you all feel the same way.
Now, if you'll excuse me ... it's time for me to have some long-awaited rest ... for all of 30 hours before I jump right back into the 2026 season. See you all very soon. :)
