Daniel & Marissa
Oceancliff Resort, Newport, Rhode Island
August 30th, 2014*
Sometimes you just click with someone and the results are awesome. For Daniel and Marissa, that way obvious to anyone who saw them together for more than 12 seconds. For me, it was getting to shoot their wedding as a second photographer for George Street Photographer with the wonderful and talented Melissa Burgess. Melissa really let me explore and be creative and, personally, I think the results speak for themselves as this was, without question, my most successful GS wedding of the year and one of my best weddings to date. To say I'd shoot with Melissa again is an understatement. Especially if the photos come out this nice.
Don't believe me? Check them out for yourself below.
Daniel and Marissa's wedding was at the Oceancliff Resort in Newport, Rhode Island which, if you've never been there, can be an intimidating place to walk into. The grounds are perfect and incredibly scenic and, honestly, you couldn't ask for a better place to stage a wedding. I'm in awe just thinking about the outdoor ceremony site (below) even now, four months later.
What was great about Daniel and Marissa is that both were incredibly nice and sweet individuals. I met Daniel at the Providence Biltmore for the traditional "groom getting ready" photos and while I didn't know what to expect initially, it didn't take long for him and his groomsmen to warm up and get camera ready. Before long, I felt like just another part of the group as they laughed and joked and had a rowdy time. For 11 in the morning, these guys were wide awake and ready to go.
The big surprise for me, and the first real sign that this was going to be a wedding I'd remember for a while, was getting to work with Melissa as she shot photos of the bride getting ready. Marissa was a breathtaking bride but, more importantly, relaxed and incredibly easy to work with. I think it shows in how nice the photos came out.
By the time it was time to start the ceremony, both Daniel and Marissa were in a great mood and ready to get things rolling. Little did I know it would be one of the sweetest ceremonies I've been lucky enough to witness.
Daniel and Marissa were childhood sweethearts and to hear their tale of finding each other and staying together through not just years but decades was an incredible reminder of how special these moments are. Not just for those in attendance but for the wedding professionals lucky enough to be there to witness and document it.
As Daniel and Marissa said 'I do'-- and even showed off their unique personalities with touching stories and superhero-themed socks for the groomsmen, I couldn't help but look forward to the formal photos as that would be the true test of how awesome they really were.
I was not disappointed.
Daniel and Marissa were down for whatever Melissa and I had in mind and after we took care of all the usual suspects, they let us get a little creative and I appreciate that they did as I think some of these pictures came out phenomenal. The only bad thing is that my time was running low on this wedding but, even then, I knew I would end up with some nice reception shots before all was said and done.
And I did indeed. All in all, Daniel and Marissa had one of my favorite weddings of 2014 and with good reason. A great couple combined with an awesome lead photographer for me to work with were the perfect recipe for success. If I could make a career out of shooting couples as awesome as these two were, I'd be a happy man. For sure.
-PJS
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.