Malorie & John
The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island
September 12th, 2015*
Like most people, I go out of my way to avoid interactions with the police. Usually, if I'm having a discussion with an officer, it's because I was driving a little too fast or I'm stuck in traffic in a construction zone and wondering what the hold up is.
So you can imagine what my first thoughts were when I found out that my September groom John was an officer ... one in my town no less!
After running through a mental check list to make sure my car and insurance is all up to snuff, my thoughts turned to the fact that I was going to be a little uncomfortable shooting this wedding because I assumed, based on my limited interactions with police officers, that John was going to be little to no fun.
It turns out, that couldn't have been farther from the truth ...
John and Malorie had a beautiful early Fall wedding literally minutes away from my house and I could tell moments in that this was going to be a fun one as the groom blared music from some of my favorite artists as he and his friends got ready and the vibe was chill and congratulatory. Sure, John was nervous but he did a great job hiding it. Must be the training.
But even the manliest guys melt when they see a woman as beautiful as Malorie was coming down the aisle. Yep. John needed to close his eyes to avoid shedding too many tears. Not that I can blame him. His bride was stunning.
What I loved the most about John and Malorie's wedding, besides the beautiful ceremony inside the Crowne Plaza, was the little touches and details that the couple clearly spent a lot of time planning and organizing.
From ice sculptures to champagne glasses-as-a-seating chart, this wedding had some truly unique details and they fit the room perfectly.
In fact, I almost didn't want to go and take formal photos. I was having that much fun inside the tent.
But, boy, am I glad I did ...
While the weather outside was less than ideal -- early fall in New England is about as unpredictable as it comes and this day was a rainy one -- that didn't stop John and Malorie from having an exceptional time during formals.
And I'd be remiss to not share some of my favorite portraits of the bride herself. LOVE that bouquet.
With the formal photos out of the way, we headed back to the tent and I could tell this reception was going to be a fun one right from the start as the wedding party really set the tone with their "Uptown Funk" entrances, paving the way for John and Malorie to steal the show and pay homage to the groom's line of work.
After a beautiful first dance, the wedding took some familiar turns with parent dances and, of course, dinner and a cake cutting, made all the more beautiful by fantastic uplighting from my friends over at Pro Sound DJ Entertainment Services.
Following the cake cutting, the only thing left to do for John and Malorie was hit the dance floor and while I didn't get nearly as much time to photograph the reception portion of the evening as I would have liked, thankfully, these guests wasted no time getting their groove on.
John and Malorie were a great couple and their wedding was a beautiful way to truly kick off the fall portion of my wedding year.
A great venue made even better with fantastic uplighting, the Crowne Plaza was the perfect site for these two and their detail-rich wedding and reception. That it was so close to my house didn't hurt either.
And if there's one thing I learned from this wedding it's not to judge a book by its cover as officer John was an incredibly fun groom to be around. Hopefully it's him I run into next time I drive a touch too fast headed home from another shoot.
-PJS
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.