Dan & Simonne
Blessed Sacrament Church (Ceremony), Providence Public Library (Reception), Providence, Rhode Island
June 17th, 2016*
I've been in the wedding photography business for a few years now but, even so, there are still a number of venues in Rhode Island that I have yet to photograph a wedding at. And that's simply a credit to our beautiful state.
I'm not sure how other places in this country do it but, in Rhode Island, there are so many unique, beautiful and quirky places where people get married that you simply can never hope to shoot them all.
But, even having said that, one of the places at the VERY top of my list coming into this year was the Providence Public Library and thanks to Dan and Simonne's gorgeous early summer wedding reception there in June, I can finally cross that item off my list.
And, boy, did it ever live up to the hype.
I first met Dan and Simonne moments before their ceremony as this was a wedding where I was hired as a second shooter but it didn't take long for me to find out the two had exquisite taste in venues as their ceremony itself was at Blessed Sacrament Church in Providence, one of my all-time favorite ceremony sites thanks to an earlier couple (Keirys and Jhair) that I photographed there back in 2015.
As usual, the church was immactulate and Dan and Simonne's large group of friends and family helped fill out the building and give the ceremony that special little touch that only comes with a building this historic.
I really loved Dan and Simonne's wedding ceremony as the two treated it with their undivided attention and gave their religion and the moment they were embarking on the seriousness it deserved.
But I'd be lying if I said the ceremony wasn't a means to an end on this day as the part I was personally most looking forward to was the reception at the Providence Public Library.
Now, if you're wondering just how one goes about having a reception at a library, you wouldn't be alone. I was curious as well as I'd seen lovely photos from the venue but could never quite figure out HOW or WHERE the reception area was in this library.
Well, now I know. The library cleared out one book room for the dining room (seen above) and, man, it was majestic. As for the dancing, well, that took place in a hallway downstairs from the main lobby area.
Yes. It was MUCH nicer than you would imagine from description alone.
The best part about this particular venue is the building is old and historic but full of character. There were a number of small spots upstairs where we could sneak away for photos and nearly everywhere you looked had a disctinct feeling to it and tons of little items to photograph.
And the vantage points made for some unique dancing photos as Dan and Simonne began their big party.
I mean, seriously. That's just cool.
As the night went on and everyone loosened up and relaxed, Dan and Simonne's wedding turned into quite the party.
But what I loved about it was no one was out of control. Sure, there was plenty of drinking but everyone kept their wits about them and it was just a fun atmosphere.
By the end of the night, Dan and Simonne had had a ton of fun on the dance floor and hanging with friends and family but this was a unique opportunity for special photos the likes of which most couples won't ever get and, if you're going to book a venue as different and uncharacteristic as a public library, well, you make sure to get your money's worth.
And we did just that with a second formal photo session, this one in the building as the night time darkness gave every crevice of the building a look I've never seen before.
And once we finished that, it was time to cap the night off with a few more dances and a lot of laughs.
Dan and Simonne had one heck of a sprawling party spread across two full floors of a library and it was everything I could have asked for from this very special venue and then some.
As if that wasn't enough, though, the couple decided to cap the most beautiful night of their lives off with a glorious sparkler exit. Given my history of these types of shoots, I was initially worried about it but thanks to the lovely outside lighting of the building itself and the fact that the guests weren't drunk out of their minds, it was the perfect way to end a perfect summer evening in downtown Providence.
So let that be a notice to you bride and groom's out there. If you really want a wedding that stands out, think outside the box when it comes time to book your venue. Because you never know how something as simple as a library can turn your everyday wedding into something to be remembered by everyone for years to come.
-PJS
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.