Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2022 —
Crowne Plaza Wedding Photos
Rob & Amanda
The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Warwick, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
October 9th, 2022
I like to think of all my brides and grooms as friends of mine when I show up to photograph their wedding day. After all, how can you be a wedding photographer and be so intimately involved with one of the biggest days in the lives of the people you work with and not feel that way?
Even so, it's one thing to feel that way when you've never really met a couple before they say "I do" but it's quite another when you've known a bride or groom for a while personally.
That's why I was so excited to photograph Rob and Amanda's wedding at the Crowne Plaza back in October as the couple are good friends with my wife. And, because of this personal relationship, I knew their wedding day was going to be incredibly fun and super sweet.
But even my high expectations for this day weren't enough because Rob and Amanda's wedding day was a beautiful one full of love, emotion and a ton of wild celebration.
Just like they always wanted.
I knew I was in for a great day with Rob and Amanda long before their wedding day actually came. In fact, I knew it from our first conversation about their big day as the couple chose to get married at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island, which is one of my favorite venues to photograph a wedding at and not just because it's 10 minutes from my house.
No, I knew this was going to be a great day because of the way these two spoke about their love for one another and the plans they had for their big day. And from the moment I saw Amanda in her bridal prep area and the moment I ran into Rob in the parking lot, I could see the excitement on their faces long before either were set to walk down the aisle. Their individual prep sessions, just a floor or two apart, were simply confirmation of this.
Of all the events Rob and Amanda had planned for their big day, the ones I was personally looking most forward to were their first look and private ketubah signing. I knew the first look would be an amazing one as Rob is a pretty emotional guy and Amanda flat out said she expected him to cry but his cheesy grin that went from ear to ear was even better than tears.
There would be some of those during the ketubah signing, though and I can't blame this groom as that moment, where things got really real, was just so intimate and beautiful as Rob and Amanda sat in a conference room with just a handful of their closest family members and pledged to live the rest of their lives together.
I'm so glad Rob and Amanda had those two, smaller and more intimate moments of privacy together before their wedding ceremony started because the ceremony itself was a completely different kind of emotional.
With a much larger group of their friends and family members in attendance, Rob and Amanda were all smiles as they proclaimed their love for all to see ... even if the blinding sunlight made seeing a bit more challenging than we expected.
Rob and Amanda's ceremony was a wonderful mix of a Jewish ceremony and an American traditional ceremony but, more importantly, it was a mix of both of their lovely personalities and love.
I lost count on how many times each of these two made the other laugh and I've got to say, for essentially getting married behind a building, this little spot at the Crowne Plaza was the perfect place for this ceremony and this couple.
There were a lot of moments I thought were adorable during this ceremony but if I had to pick one that really stood out, it was Rob's excitement as he broke the glass at the end of their ceremony and really kick started the celebration part of this beautiful wedding day.
With Rob and Amanda lucking out with saying "I do" on one of the warmer and brightest days of the fall, I knew I had a few options at my disposal for their formal photos. But, thankfully, this bride and groom and I were all on the same page where we said "Let's go to the shade!"
I'm so thankful, too, because the break from the sunshine was nice and really let Rob and Amanda's personalities shine through during their family, wedding party and couple portraits.
As much fun as Rob and Amanda's formal photos were, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking the most forward to getting inside for their reception. The Crowne Plaza is one of my favorite places to shoot and a reception and I hadn't yet shot on inside the Atrium room.
I knew from the moment I walked in and saw Rob and Amanda's decorations that this would be a fun night to photograph and I was right.
One of the reasons I loved working with Rob and Amanda so much is they're a couple that doesn't hide their emotions. They wear their hearts on their sleeve and that made the start of their reception so beautiful to see.
Whether it was the genuine joy on their face during bride and groom introductions or the look of total satisfaction and joy on their faces during their first dance — set to a mix of "Perfect/Can't Help Falling In Love" by Joey Stamper — Rob and Amanda were absolutely living in every moment of this special night and it was a delight to see.
Rob and Amanda went right from their beautiful first dance into three equally special moments together. The first was Amanda's traditional father-daughter dance with her stepfather. The second was Rob's super sweet dance with his mother. Afterward, the couple had a toast from Rob's best man, one of the closest people to both the bride and groom.
In all, it was the absolute perfect tone to set for a night of love, laughs and plenty of special moments.
After dinner wasn't much different as Rob and Amanda cut their cake, had a special dance between Rob and the best man and then prepared to get the party started.
And what a fun party it was.
It felt like no matter where I looked during Rob and Amanda's reception, there were groups of people just rocking completely out and I loved that for them so much.
Perhaps more importantly, Rob and Amanda were always front and center on the dance floor as their guests partied the night away and I've always said that's the sign of a truly special night.
Rob and Amanda's reception was a blast from start to finish so, of course, they'd cap the night off in each other's arms for a last song that was among my favorite wedding memories of the entire 2022 season.
As I packed up my gear and headed out of Rob and Amanda's wedding, I truly couldn't wait to get home and look over all the photos from their special day and even now, months later, it still brings a smile to my face seeing how truly over the moon they were on this beautiful wedding day.
There's a lot of pressure that goes into shooting a wedding, especially when you know the couple outside of your work but I'm thrilled I was able to document Rob and Amanda's wedding day the way I did. I feel the photos are a good reflection of an even better wedding day and I look forward to seeing these two celebrate their love as the years go on.
So congratulations Rob and Amanda for a fantastic wedding day and thank you for allowing me to document such a special moment for both of you. Good luck and best wishes on this wonderful and exciting new chapter of your lives together.
-Paul J. Spetrini
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair & Make-up: Dylan Elizabeth Beauty; Bride's Dress: Alexander’s Bridal Boutique; Groom's Suit: Men’s Wearhouse; Florist: Bette's Finishing Touch, Tiverton, Rhode Island; Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Warwick, Rhode Island; DJ: Music Express RI; Cake: Carina E Dolce; Officiant: Rabbi Jennifer Rudin; Invitations: HMartinDesigns.