Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts — 2023 —
Five Bridge Inn Wedding Photos
Jenna & Andrew*
Five Bridge Inn, Rehoboth, Massachusetts (Ceremony & Reception)
September 10th, 2023
I'm a big believer that things happen for a reason. That's why, while I was bummed out to have an early September wedding cancel on me just a few weeks beforehand, I jumped at the chance to take on a second shooting gig with my great friend Becky MacDonald of Pretty Nerdy Photography when she told me she was looking for someone to help photograph Jenna and Andrew's big day.
Now, in truth, I will almost always work with Becky when I can. But this wedding was set to take place at the newly-built barn at Five Bridge Inn and considering I spent almost the entire 2022-2023 winter watching them share the progress of the barn being built, and couldn't wait to be there myself, it's hard to believe it was anything but destiny that brought me to this day with this couple.
And not even a ton of rain could dampen my spirits because Jenna and Andrew were awesome and their wedding day was jam-packed with fun and laughs and exactly why the reason why I love second shooting in the first place.
* 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 Jenna and Andrew started moments before they were set to share their first look and while it's always a bit awkward for me to jump right into a wedding day like this — meeting the couple for the first time seconds before a major moment of their big day — Jenna and Andrew felt like friends within moments of my introductions to them.
It didn't hurt that this couple was super casual and calm about their rainy wedding day and I knew we were in for a fun afternoon, regardless of the weather, when I saw how excited they were to see each other fully dressed in their wedding outfits for the first time.
The fun part, for me, of second shooting with a great lead photographer is I get to do all the things I love to do on a wedding day without the stress of the more difficult tasks. That's why, for most of my first hour or two with Jenna and Andrew, my job was to help set up and keep their family formals organized and running like clockwork.
I will say this led me to looking super forward to their ceremony as it would be my first chance of the day to get really creative with shots and being able to accentuate Becky's coverage led my to getting angles and shots I never have the time or flexibility to get at my own weddings.
I especially loved the photos of Jenna walking down the aisle super excited with her father. To me, that's what sets the Five Bridge Inn ceremony apart from other indoor/covered locales. If it's raining on your wedding day, it's hard to imagine a better place to say "I do" than in this area.
Jenna and Andrew's ceremony was super sweet and full of adorable little details. My favorite part was watching just how much emotion these two brought out of each other and whether it was tears or laughs, it was clear how much this moment meant to both the bride and groom as they exchanged rings, vows and said "I do" to a lifetime together.
Following Jenna and Andrew's wedding ceremony, Becky and I had a rare luxury as wedding photographers: We got to take the bride and groom out for their couple portraits with no pressure as all the family and wedding party photos were finished.
More impressively, our timing was absolutely perfect as the persistent rain of the day gave way to a light mist that we could definitely work with.
And any time you have free reign of Five Bridge Inn's gorgeous property, you take full advantage of it.
Following their formal photos, Jenna, Andrew, Becky and I made our way into the barn at Five Bridge Inn and, I'll be honest, this was the part of the day I was looking forward to the most.
Five Bridge Inn's new barn area took the place of their giant tent which had previously been my absolute favorite spot to shoot a wedding reception. It might be a while before I warn up to the barn as much but, as far as first impressions go, this was about as perfect as it gets for me.
I loved the way Jenna and Andrew decorated the barn and for a venue that was constructed pretty rapidly over the course of one winter season, I can't say enough good things about how awesome this spot looked.
To me, the real test of how much I love or hate a new wedding venue is how the first dance and open dance floor photos come out and, in both of these regards, I loved the new barn at Five Bridge Inn.
Of course, when you have a first dance as cute and sweet as Jenna and Andrew did, it almost doesn't matter where it takes place as long as they get to be in one another's arms.
Jenna and Andrew had one of the more relaxed wedding receptions I've seen this year as the pair clearly wanted to spend as much time with their friends and family members as possible on their special day and you could see why just based on the beautiful toasts they had in their honor.
Following dinner, the pair had an adorable cake cutting to signal that the second half of their reception was going to begin but, in general, the pressure was off for the rest of the night and I could tell these newlyweds just wanted to dance.
And dance they did. First up, Jenna and her father had an absolutely sweet moment on the dance floor by themselves with a traditional father-daughter dance that both couldn't stop smiling during. Afterward, Andrew and his mother followed it up with their own dance together that was a little more casual and fun but clearly fit the spirit of their relationship together perfectly.
With the formalities out of the way, it was time to open up Jenna and Andrew's dance floor and I was in absolute heaven.
I can't think of a better way to get a feel for how well a venue like Five Bridge Inn's new barn photographs than being a second photographer with no pressure on him other than to go out and be creative and Jenna and Andrew's reception was perfect for this.
Not only were all their friends and family members having a blast but the intimate guest list meant we had a LOT of room to play around with lighting and capture candids worthy of such an amazingly fun time. I had a blast shooting this reception and could have stayed here until the sun came up.
As Becky and I said our goodbyes and headed out from Jenna and Andrew's wedding, I couldn't help but laugh at the rain that greeted us as we walked to our cars. This wedding season has been, without question, the wettest and rainiest I've ever had but, somehow, it's also one of the best.
Couples like Jenna and Andrew are why. I didn't know these two five minutes before showing up to shoot their wedding but, by the end, they felt like long lost friends and I love when I get to make unexpected connections with folks on their big day and get to shoot weddings that genuinely feel more like fun than work.
I think that's why I try to second shoot whenever my schedule allows. It's just such a great time creatively and, sometimes, the key to getting through long and arduous stretches of busy season. So thank you Jenna, Andrew and Becky for letting me tag along on such a fun wedding day and congrats to the newlyweds as they embark on this exciting time in their lives together.
I know this wedding will be one I remember for a long time. especially the next time I get to photograph at Five Bridge Inn. Now ... who's getting married there in 2024 or 2025? Let's chat. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
South Kingstown Town Beach,
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
September 9th, 2023
Twelve Acres,
Smithfield, Rhode Island
September 2nd, 2023
