Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island— 2023 —
Enrico Caruso Society Wedding Photos
Nicole & Josh
Enrico Caruso Society, Manville, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
December 31st, 2023
I don't have a lot of hard rules when it comes to wedding photography but, prior to 2023, I had one I thought was unbreakable: I would never shoot a wedding on New Year's Eve.
It's not that I have something against the holiday but, honestly, by the time December comes around, all I want to do is catch up on photo editing and lay on my couch.
But when you have the chance to work with a couple as sweet as Nicole and Josh, well, holiday or no holiday that's a wedding you say 'yes' to.
Nicole and Josh were married at the Enrico Caruso Society in Manville, Rhode Island and I don't think I could have picked a more casual, laid back or fun wedding to close out my 2023 wedding season on.
And while they may not have had fireworks to celebrate the new year, they had something much better: Each other.
As has been a bit of a theme in the 2023 season, I jumped right in the action at the start of my coverage for Nicole and Josh's wedding day. Rather than have me cover any of their bride or groom prep, Nicole and Josh opted for me to meet them at Roger Williams Park and roll right into their first look and formal photos and, I've got to say, I loved it.
I loved seeing how genuinely happy Josh looked for his wedding day to finally be here and, when Nicole arrived, she was glowing … even if it was a bit colder out than any of us would have wanted it to be.
If Nicole and Josh were bothered by the chilly weather, they sure didn't look it. At least not at first.
Nicole and Josh had their first look at the Temple to Music in Roger Williams Park and I can't think of a more fitting place for this particular couple as the Temple to Music is truly one of the more distinctive places for photos I've ever shot at.
It was also a great location for their family and wedding party photos which, thankfully, we flew right through thanks to having no distractions like cocktail hour or other guests the way most weddings are.
Nicole and Josh's wedding party, in particular, was a ton of fun to work with.
During my first meeting with Nicole and Josh, the two made it clear that what they really wanted for their wedding day from their wedding photographer was a 'go with the flow' mentality and I tried my best to respect that, particularly for their bride and groom portraits.
I always love working with couples who swear they don't know how to take good photos together and it almost never fails that within moments, they feel like pros. Nicole and Josh were like that and they were among the easiest brides and grooms I worked with this year.
Whether it was at the Temple to Music or on the other far side of the park at the Iron Footbridge, Nicole and Josh nailed their formal photos. I could tell, though, that they were eager to get back into the limo and head to their wedding ceremony and as the temperature kept dropping, I couldn't blame them.
Still, for the very, very end of December, I can't complain about the photos we were able to get on this winter afternoon and I felt, most importantly, that they represented this bride and groom perfectly.
Nicole and Josh said “I do” at the Enrico Caruso Society in Manville, Rhode Island. Prior to this wedding, I had never been to this location but all I needed this bride and groom to tell me about it was that it was a VFW-type hall and I knew exactly what to expect. In the best way possible.
While many wedding photographers prefer giant ballrooms or mansions to work in, I never mind a small, intimate hall for a wedding and, honestly, some of my favorite weddings of 2023 were done this way.
Immediately upon arriving, I knew what kind of day this would be as Nicole and Josh's wedding details were simple but beautiful, a perfect theme for a perfect day.
I think of all the parts of Nicole and Josh's wedding day that I liked, their ceremony was by far my favorite. I'll admit, when I walked into their venue, I wasn't sure what to make of the simple white curtain on a wooden beam backdrop but it was honestly one of my favorite backgrounds to shoot a ceremony in for all of 2023.
More importantly, Nicole and Josh's wedding ceremony felt like them. It was simple yet sweet and while it didn't take a whole lot of time, it had little moments of touching beauty sprinkled in.
I especially loved seeing how excited Nicole looked once the marriage was official and as they began their walk down the aisle together as husband and wife.
Because Nicole and Josh had already knocked out the vast majority of their family formals and because their reception was in the same room as their wedding ceremony, we rolled right into the back half of their day right after they officially said “I do.”
In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the pair had decided to cut their cocktail hour in half to get to the formalities of their reception and dinner and I can't say I blame them. I knew these two wanted to get the big moments of their evening over as fast as possible so all they had to do was relax.
That doesn't mean there weren't a ton of sweet moments though, particularly in their first dance set to “God Bless the Broken Road” by Anthem Lights. I loved this first dance, if for no other reason than seeing the way these two looked at each other when they thought no one else was watching.
With their first dance in the books, Nicole and Josh kept the start of their reception pretty simple with a pair of lovely toasts from the best man and maid of honor.
Once dinner wrapped up, Nicole and Josh had a pretty busy stretch of formalities but you'd never know it looking at them as the newlyweds were thrilled with each little special moment of their night. Whether it was a sweet cake cutting, Josh's adorable dance with his daughter, Nicole's touching dance with her brother or Josh's cute mother-son dance with his mom, this bride and groom made sure to savor every second of the moments that would define their night.
I'll be honest. I had no idea what to expect from Nicole and Josh's wedding reception once the dance floor opened up. While this was a New Year's Eve wedding, it didn't FEEL like a New Year's Eve wedding and the vibe in the room at the Enrico Caruso Society was more casual hang out than rocking party.
Still, that's not to say this evening wasn't without it's fair share of fun moments.
What I loved the most about Nicole and Josh's wedding reception is it was clear these two were doing whatever they wanted the entire time. I lost track of how many times I found the bride and groom outside just hanging out with their guests or right in the middle of the dance floor in each other's arms. In short, this was the exact reception this bride and groom wanted and I knew no one left this party with anything other than a smile on their face.
As my time with Nicole and Josh came to an end, I felt a huge adrenaline dump in the knowledge that I had finally done it. I had finally completed the 2023 season.
This year was a wet and wild one and, at times, bounced back and forth between the most fun wedding season I've ever had and the most frustrating one.
Still, I'm a big believer that it's not how you start, it's how you end that matters and I couldn't have asked for a better bride and groom to cap this crazy year off with that Nicole and Josh.
So thank you Nicole and Josh for a beautiful wedding day that put a perfect exclamation point on my season and I wish you the best in this new and exciting chapter together as husband and wife.
And as for what the future holds? Well, I know this offseason won't be a long one but it's one I'm very much looking forward to. And I can't wait to get back out there and see how my 2024 brides and grooms stack up. I'll be honest, it's going to take a LOT to top this year for me but I look forward to seeing how my future couples try.
So that's that. Goodbye 2023. Hello 2024. See you out there folks!
-Paul J. Spetrini
