Stephanie & Sean *
Danversport, Danvers, Massachusetts (Ceremony & Reception)
August 8th, 2025
It doesn't happen often but, every now and again when I second shoot, I'll look around and wonder why I'm there. I work with some incredibly talented photographers and they're fully capable of shooting a wedding on their own but I know if they hired me to tag along, it was for a reason.
Case in point: Stephanie and Sean's wedding back in August at Danversport in Danvers, Massachusetts.
I shot Stephanie and Sean's wedding on a crazy hot August afternoon for Becky MacDonald at Pretty Nerdy Photography and knew the minute I walked in that she didn't really need me there as this couple was a ton of fun to work with and Becky was in a zone creatively that day.
But then the dance floor opened up and Becky asked if I would mind shooting it on my own so she could put together some awesome creative lighting night shots for the newlyweds. I smiled and said "Of course" and knew it was my time to shine and that's the reason the universe wanted me there.
And, honestly, I'd have it no other way. Stephanie and Sean's dance floor was my favorite part of their beautiful wedding day and the perfect cap on a perfect day these two tied the knot and became husband and wife.
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for Pretty Nerdy Photography.
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
My time with Stephanie and Sean started a bit more nerve-wracking than I'd like as I arrived to Danversport with just 12 minutes to spare before their wedding ceremony. I never like getting anywhere last minute and had left my house with enough time to arrive to my 5 p.m. call time a full hour and a half early but as anyone who has driven around the Danvers area knows, you can never count on traffic being reasonable.
Thankfully, my built in cushion time wise paid off and I got to Stephanie and Sean's wedding with plenty of time to set up and be in position as these two walked down the aisle. Which was good because I knew from experience that this ceremony at this venue would be hot, bright and challenging to shoot. It was all three but you just make it work.
Stephanie and Sean's wedding ceremony was beautiful and touching and had all the little reminders of why I love what I do. The pair were married under the permanent arch at Danversport and I'm glad there were as it gave them a little bit of shade but for the rest of us, the sun was a beast that day.
Thankfully, Sean and Stephanie's ceremony was a sweet one and timed perfectly and by the time they walked down as husband and wife, their friends and family weren't worried about the blazing hot heat and wished them luck with a beautiful bubble exit that set the tone for the rest of the day.
As Stephanie and Sean made their way to their family and wedding party photos, I was glad I was here as a second shooter as that meant I could go inside to the air conditioned ballroom and capture the details of their wedding and cocktail hour.
This was especially nice as Stephanie is an artist and really used her artistic background to its full extent on some of the most beautiful and person decor I've seen all year. Seriously, this stuff was terrific, if for nothing else the bright, bold and beautiful color scheme the newlyweds chose.
By the time Stephanie and Sean's reception kicked off with their formal introductions and first dance, I still hadn't spent more than three minutes with the bride and groom and had no idea what to expect from their crowd when it came time to party.
Thankfully, the minute the newlyweds walked into the room, I could feel the vibe shift and found out pretty quickly what kind of crowd we had ... and it was one ready to celebrate this new chapter for this bride and groom.
Sean and Stephanie's first dance, in particularly, was a lovely expression of that love and looked amazing in the Danversport ballroom, a lovely room with gorgeous lighting and sightlines.
One of the things I loved the most about Stephanie and Sean's wedding was how low key and casual they kept the formalities on this day. After their first dance, the pair took a seat at their sweetheart table and sat for three great toasts to their love from their closest friends and family members. There were laughs. There were tears. But through it all, it was clear how much standing up for their friends meant to the speakers and how excited they were that this day was finally here.
Following dinner, I was lucky enough to finally be able to take some actual portraits of the bride and groom as Becky brought Stephanie and Sean outside for some sunset shots. I always love when this happens as, when you're a second photographer, you rarely get to see a couple's relationship on display during portrait time.
This sunset session was a nice little peek into Stephanie and Sean's story and provided some of my favorite photos of their wedding day.
As we headed back inside, the only major item left on our itinerary was Sean's dance with his mom and this sweet moment was a great way to start the back half of our night.
Following Sean's dance with his mom, it was time to party and my time to shine and neither Stephanie and Sean's guests nor I wasted our moment.
I had so much fun getting to shoot Stephanie and Sean's dance floor, in large measure because their crowd was super young and eager to have a great time.
I especially loved how into the dancing the young kids at this reception were as they brought a ton of energy wherever they went and the dance floor only got more and more fun as the night wore on.
One of my favorite moments during Stephanie and Sean's reception was when Stephanie's maid of honor took the mic to perform live. I am normally weary of this happening at a wedding but this girl could SING and it was such a nice and sweet moment as the crowd that was left took some time to slow dance together, including the newlyweds.
Stephanie and Sean's wedding came to an end with a sweet last dance but the night was not over. Following their reception, Becky took the pair on a whirlwind tour of the many creative lighting setups she had spent the bulk of the dance floor portion of the evening working on while i photographed the dancing and, let me tell you, it worked perfectly.
Not only did Stephanie and Sean LOVE these shots, especially the fun champagne we had them shoot at the very end of the evening, but it was the perfect way to cap the evening they said "I do" and a wonderful exclamation point on a night I know they won't soon forget.
-Paul J. Spetrini
