Christian & Richard
St. Raymond's Church (Ceremony) & Crystal Lake Golf Club (Reception)
June 26th, 2026
I've always felt that the best weddings are merely extensions of the people getting married. As much fun as it is to see timeless traditions passed down from generation to generation, I get a little kick out of seeing a bride or groom stay true to who they are and incorporate personalized moments that matter to them into one of the most important days of their lives.
That's why I couldn't help but smile during Christian and Richard's wedding ceremony at St. Raymond's Church in Providence back in June.
When I first met this couple, Christian told me she was a minister of music in her church and, while I knew that singing was important to her, I didn't realize she would perform three separate times on her special day. But each time not only made sense for the moment but showed how much she cared and I could her husband-to-be was there in full support for each and every song.
And, after all, no good wedding is complete without music right?
I knew we were in for a chill wedding day the moment I arrived to St. Raymond's Church for bride and groom prep and found a groom mostly dressed and ready to go and a bride just casually hanging out in the church's basement.
I loved this vibe. It felt so real and true to this couple. It also told me what really mattered to both Christian and Richard as both the bride and groom stressed they only cared about one thing during prep: The prelude being performed by the church's choir.
Talk about an unassuming pair.
Even without all the bells and whistles of a "traditional" bridal prep, I still loved the photos I got of Christian as she got ready to walk down the aisle.
There was something that just felt so organic about this bride literally getting ready in a basement. More importantly, it was pretty refreshing to see a bride with a smile that wouldn't leave her face and not a worry in the world on her mind in the moment itself.
Christian and Richard had one of the most traditional religious weddings I've seen so far this year and, yet, it was still uniquely them.
I knew we were in for something sweet when I saw their puppy walked down the aisle to serve as their flower girl and thinks only got cuter from there.
For the ceremony itself, St. Raymond's offered a beautiful backdrop for Christian and Richard to tie the knot, with all the rich history of a church in front and yet plenty of room for musical performances by the choir in front and, eventually, by the bride at a piano on the side.
But, first, these two had to exchange rings, share their first kiss and become husband and wife.
I'm always a little thrown off when a wedding ceremony keeps going after a couple is pronounced as married but I like that Christian and Richard still some important moments to experience before exiting their church.
Chief among them was the aforementioned musical number by the bride.
I loved photographing Christian performing with the church choir and you could tell she was right in her element, whether it was in the song she led or the final musical number before the recessional.
And that smile on her face as she walked back down the aisle? I'm not sure if it was because she was married or because she knew she nailed things but it was deserved either way and I loved it for her.
With Christian and Richard's ceremony over, it was time for us to head to Crystal Lake for their reception ... but not before making sure to take a couple of quick bride and groom portraits at the church with the adorable flower girl of course.
As we made our way to Crystal Lake, I was thankful for the break in action and a chance to mentally reset before starting Christian and Richard's formal photos.
And, because of the longer-than-planned ceremony and a long drive between locations, we found ourselves with far less time than planned for family, wedding party and formal photos.
Luckily, Christian and Richard were a couple that was completely fine with rolling with the punches and as we waited for their family members to arrive after a bit of traffic delayed some folks, we snuck in bride and groom portraits in between shots to cover our bases.
I was glad we got this first batch of bride and groom formals but knew I would want to take Christian and Richard out closer to sunset as I love Crystal Lake in the summer and that dock looks amazing as daylight fades away.
But, first, Christian and Richard needed to kick off their reception and, boy, did they ever.
The pair opened the party portion of their evening with a first dance set to “Till There Was You” by the Beatles and performed a perfectly-choreographed number with a great finish worthy of the moment.
One of the most noticeable things about Christian and Richard's wedding was how much love their friends and family members had for them and their relationship. This was easy to see, especially during the three toasts we had prior to dinner.
As for the love the newlyweds had for one another? Well, all you had to do was listen as the bride serenaded the groom with a 10-minute medley of songs he loves — and the way he lovingly looked on — to know everything you needed to know about this couple.
Following dinner, Christian and Richard kept the mood light and fun for the back half of their reception formalities. The pair had a fairly simple cake cutting and Richard followed it up with back-to-back dances, first with his mother and then with his grandmother, and both were adorable.
It was at this point that I was itching to get the bride and groom outside for sunset photos but, in keeping with the theme of the night, we had one more musical performance to listen to first as the man of honor paid tribute to the couple to officially open the dance floor.
I knew from the moment I got Christian and Richard outside to the dock at Crystal Lake that we weren't going to have a ton of time for more bride and groom portraits but, thankfully, the newlyweds rolled with the punches and took in all the ideas I had.
The result? Some of my favorite photos of the day and the perfect way to cap the "formal" portion of their wedding.
From just about the second we made our way inside, it was clear Christian and Richard were ready to party. After a quick bouquet toss, the bride and groom took to the photo booth and dance floor and their guests made sure not to miss a moment to celebrate.
Christian and Richard had an unexpectedly eclectic soundtrack for their dance floor, with late 90s and early 00s alternative rock bangers leading the way.
I was pumped, personally, but even more excited that it was clear this couple picked the music THEY liked and wanted to hear, as evidenced by the fact that they rarely left the dance floor.
As my time with Christian and Richard came to an end, I couldn't help but smile thinking about how fun their wedding was for me, a 41-year-old who grew up with the music they found set the perfect tone for their reception.
More importantly, though, I was thrilled to see a wedding so detailed and so personalized and you could tell Christian and Richard put a ton into this day.
Their reward? A wedding exactly as they dreamed it to be and a day they'll never forget.
So, thank you Christian and Richard for a beautiful summer wedding. I hope it was everything you wanted it to be and more and I wish you all the best on this new and exciting chapter of your lives together as husband and wife.
-Paul J. Spetrini
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair: Beth Menard of Fusion Salon, Woonsocket, Rhode Island; Bride's Dress: Fully Furnished Consignment, Warwick, Rhode Island; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Florist: Golden Gate, Cranston, Rhode Island; Ceremony: St Raymond’s Church, Providence, Rhode Island; Reception: Crystal Lake Country Club, Mapleville, Rhode Island; DJ: Alex Brown of It’s Lit RI; Cake: Wright's Dairy Farm & Bakery, North Smithfield, Rhode Island; Videographer: Peterson Ferreira.