Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2019 —
Cranston Country Club Wedding
Kaitlyn & Evan
St. Mary's Parish (Ceremony) & Cranston Country Club (Reception)
July 13th, 2019
If there's one thing I encourage all of my couples to be on their wedding day, it's themselves. Too often, brides and grooms tend to spend the months leading up to their big day projecting a version of themselves that isn't genuine and doesn't capture their unique spirit.
Kaitlyn and Evan weren't one of them on the afternoon they were married back in July. No, this couple had a clear vision for their wedding, did exactly what they wanted to and it was every bit as high energy, vibrant and fun as the two people saying "I do."
And, I've got to say, I loved that about these two. Whether it was Kaitlyn's fire orange eyeshadow or Evan's late night lightsaber battles with his brother, this was a wedding that, from start to finish, felt true and genuine to who the bride and groom are. And, because of that, I know these two walked away feeling like it was a day they would never forget.
My coverage of Kaitlyn and Evan's wedding day started with a super fun bridal prep session. I knew from the moment I walked into Kaitlyn's hair and makeup session that this would be a fun day as the bride was in great spirits, having a ton of laughs with her girls and seemed genuinely excited to get married.
It didn't hurt, of course, that the first thing we did when I arrived was capture Kaitlyn reading a note Evan wrote for her which made her both laugh and cry.
Kaitlyn was in an awesome mood as the hours until her wedding ceremony ticked away and I can't blame her as she picked the perfect day to say "I do."
One of the things I love to see for my couples is a decent break between bridal prep and their ceremony and with Kaitlyn getting ready in Coventry and getting married in Bristol, that meant a near hour-long drive between home and the church, plenty of time for the bride-to-be to relax with her girls and have an enjoyable trip to the chapel.
I could tell this was the case when we arrived to the church and Kaitlyn seemed eager to walk down the aisle.
Evan, who by nature is a bit more reserved, spent his morning hanging out with his groomsmen and I could tell how much this moment meant to him by the stone cold serious look on his face when he saw Kaitlyn for the first time.
Not that I can blame him. Kaitlyn looked stunning in her beautiful dress and she would have stopped most people in that moment.
Kaitlyn and Evan had a beautiful, traditional Catholic ceremony and I don't know if they could have picked a better location as St. Mary's Parish in Bristol, Rhode Island is one of the coolest looking buildings I've ever seen for a wedding.
By far my favorite part of Kaitlyn and Evan's ceremony, however, was watching the two as they looked at one another. Those stolen glances spoke volumes and the excitement this pair had for one another was undeniable.
It was beautiful to watch and even better to photograph.
As Kaitlyn and Evan left their ceremony, I knew we were in for quite a treat as the pair left a ton of time for formal photos and we made sure to use all of it, starting with a nice gazebo right outside of their church and then continuing a bit later when we arrived at Cranston Country Club for their reception.
I didn't mind one bit, however, as I could have photographed these two all day. Thankfully, they never got sick of me -- or did a great job pretending they didn't -- and I really think we captured some beautiful shots of this bride and groom at all of the locations in which we shot at.
As much fun as photographing Kaitlyn and Evan's bride and groom formals were, however, I couldn't wait to get inside their reception venue as I had a feeling these two would showcase their colorful, high spirit personalities through their wedding decor and I was right.
I loved the colors Kaitlyn and Evan picked out for their table settings and decorations and, of course, I adored the little bit of Star Wars they added to the afternoon with a handful of life-size characters from the franchise and custom-made place cards that were just super cute.
One of the most interesting parts of Kaitlyn and Evan's wedding reception to me was their first dance. During their engagement session last November, Kaitlyn and Evan couldn't help but hold each other and dance when it felt right and their choice of “I Choose You” by Ryann Darling, set in the beautiful ballroom at Cranston Country Club made for such a special moment that I know this pair will remember forever.
Following a blessing and a pair of great toasts, Kaitlyn and Evan sat down for a beautiful dinner. As I often do during this period of time at any wedding, I walked around the property trying to envision what sunset would look like that night for some final bride and groom formals.
And the minute I saw the colorful flowers in the back of Cranston Country Club, I knew I had to take Kaitlyn and Evan out after their finished their meal and, boy, am I glad I did as these were some of my favorite shots of the entire wedding.
With dinner and sunset photos out of the way, it was time for Kaitlyn and Evan to crank their reception up.
The pair did that with an understated but fun cake cutting and two beautiful parent dances.
I especially loved what Evan did for his mother-son dance as, midway through the song, he invited his sister up to share in the moment and the three capped the "formal" portion of the night with a super sweet hug on the dance floor that just about stole the night for me.
But no wedding is complete without a fun party and I could tell the minute the music turned and Kaitlyn started spinning around in her dress that this was going to be quite the night on the dance floor.
And boy was it.
If I had to pick my most surprising part of Kaitlyn and Evan's wedding reception, it would probably be Evan's great moved on the dance floor.
Or, more truthfully, it WOULD HAVE been that before their friends started dressing up like stormtroopers and we had a surprise musical performance from a staff member of the Ellen show.
As I said, this was one fun night.
I think my favorite part of Kaitlyn and Evan's reception was just how much fun the bride had. Kaitlyn had a blast on the dance floor and, with a great playlist that featured tons of high energy pop songs, keeping the energy up was not a problem.
By the time Kaitlyn and Evan's wedding came to an end, I could tell the newlyweds were exhausted but that didn't stop us from grabbing one last photo with the pair wielding lightsabers outside. And not even the dozens of bugs who came out of nowhere and swarmed us could put a damper on this evening.
No, by the time I left this bride and groom, it was clear they had a beautiful wedding that was perfectly them and just about everything they could have ever asked for.
And, honestly, isn't that the entire reason to get married in the first place?
So, congratulations Kaitlyn and Evan and, as always, may the force be with you.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Tags: Church Weddings, St. Mary's Parish-Bristol, Cranston Country Club, Rhode Island Weddings, Bristol, Cranston, Paul J. Spetrini Photography
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair: Emily Lamana; Bride's Makeup: Makeup by Margarita; Flowers: 77 Blossom Shop; Ceremony Location: St. Mary's Parish, Bristol, Rhode Island; Reception Location: Cranston Country Club, Cranston, Rhode Island; Videographer: Mike Picard Motion Pictures; DJ: Soundflash.