James & Nicole
Glastonbury Hills Country Club, South Glastonbury, Connecticut
July 18th, 2025
I walk into every wedding day hoping things will be smooth but knowing, in my heart, that I have to be ready for the chaos at a moment's notice. I think that's why I appreciate when I shoot a wedding and it is just remarkably ... easy?
Take James and Nicole's big day back in July at Glastonbury Hills Country Club in South Glastonbury, Connecticut. Even though we had a FULL itinerary for these two, Nikki and Jim were such an easygoing couple and so pleasant to be around that I found myself at multiple points throughout their wedding day stopping and going "Are we done already? Wow. That was a breeze."
I can think of no better way to describe their wedding day, either, as it was so beautifully relaxed and carefree and the perfect representation for a couple that wouldn't have it any other way.
I knew from the moment I walked into Nikki's bridal prep session exactly what kind of day I could expect as the bride and her girls were just relaxing in a hotel room watching television. If there was any nervousness or anxiety in the air, Nicole and her girls did a wonderful job of hiding it as the vibes were so relaxed it felt more like a hangout on vacation than the start of a busy wedding day.
James' groom prep session wasn't much different and, thanks to the fact that the bride and groom were just a floor away from one another, I was able to bounce back and forth between bride and groom prep pretty easily, which is always a treat for me as a photographer.
I had a great time working with Jim in the lead-up to his wedding ceremony. He was super go-with-the-flow and, more importantly, super accommodating of my ideas for photos. That worked out nicely, too, as I finally managed to capture a shot with him in the mirror that I've been trying to do all season long.
I love the groom portrait above, not only because of the lighting but because it's a shot I KNOW I wouldn't have been skilled enough to take even a year ago. For that I can't help but feel like I'm making progress.
Speaking of progress, back in Nikki's room, the bride-to-be was cruising through her checklist as we got her ready for her and Jim's first look.
I always love the last few minutes of bridal prep when the bride herself is super relaxed and I could tell Nikki was eagerly anticipating us getting the show on the road.
Up first on our list of special moments was a first look between the soon-to-be newlyweds and I don't think I could have asked for a better way to begin Nikki and Jim's wedding day than this moment as it said so much about this couple.
There wasn't some crazy, dramatic reveal. There weren't some overly emotional tears. It was just a beautifully private moment between a bride and a groom and that heartwarming excitement you could see spread all over their face. Of course, I also had to make sure to grab a few portraits before we headed out to their ceremony venue ... just in case we didn't have any other shade to work with on this crazy warm July afternoon.
Nikki and Jim were married at Glastonbury Hills Country Club, a venue I had never been to before but one I look forward to returning to as soon as possible. Hopefully, though, it's not on as hot a summer day as Nikki and Jim had for their wedding.
After arriving to their venue and shooting their first round of family and wedding party formals, I sent Nikki and Jim inside to cool off and get ready for their ceremony because this day was a scorcher.
As the last few minutes before their ceremony ticked away, I found myself praying for some sort of cloud cover ... any kind of cloud cover ... but that wish was not granted. Still, for as hot a day as Jim and Nikki had, you can't really complain as the location was stunning, especially as they made their way down the aisle.
Nikki and Jim's wedding ceremony was, by far, the hardest I've shot so far in the 2025 wedding season. Thanks to some strange shadow lines and the red hot sun, half their wedding party was in beautiful shade and the other half was standing on the surface of the sun.
Thankfully, the bride and groom didn't seem to mind so neither did I and while I can tell their guests eagerly awaited a return to air conditioning, I don't think this bride or groom wanted to be anywhere other than where they were: Committing themselves to one another for the rest of their lives and saying a long-awaited "I do."
With Nikki and Jim's wedding ceremony in the books, it was time to finish up their remaining formal photos and I was glad to do so as it gave me a chance to check out a much more shady and comfortable area than we did their first match.
It also gave me a chance to take more photos with their respective sides of the wedding party, both of which were a delight to work with.
As for bride and groom portraits, I was lucky enough to have a number of opportunities to photograph Nikki and Jim on their wedding day but the photos we took directly after their ceremony were my favorite. I loved watching and documenting the dynamic between this bride and groom and the beautiful scenery of Glastonbury Hills Country Club is hard to top. Talk about a beautiful golf course.
One of the things I always try to do as a wedding photographer is think about not just the moment today but the future and how my couple may appreciate their wedding photos in five, 10 and 15 years. That's why, toward the end of Nikki and Jim's wedding ceremony, when I saw how harsh the lighting was and wished it were better, I knew one of my goals for later in the afternoon would be to bring the bride, groom and their officiant back under the arbor where they were married and get some nice, clean shots of the three together.
I'm so glad I did as these little ceremony recreation shots came out so much nicer than I could have imagined and really put a beautiful exclamation point on our time outside before we moved into their reception.
Speaking of Nikki and Jim's wedding reception, I have to be honest: I've shot a LOT of DIY and restaurant weddings this year so it was an absolute delight to walk inside Glastonbury Hills Country Club and see how Nikki and Jim decorated their room.
I don't ask a lot from my couples in terms of decor but I loved how beautifully elegant all the little touches Nikki and Jim added to their special day were. It made things feel so well put together and thought out and set a lovely tone when the newlyweds walked out to a rowdy bit of applause to kick off their reception.
Nikki and Jim began their reception with a first dance set to "Faithfully" by Journey and it was, easily, my favorite part of their entire wedding day. Not only do I love this song but the ballroom of Glastonbury Hills Country Club was the perfect place for these two to have this special moment.
The spacious dance floor made this moment seem so uniquely special and meaningful and watching how deeply connected Nikki and Jim were as they held hands and moved from one side of the room to the other was a highlight of this lovely wedding for sure.
Following their first dance, Nikki and Jim rolled right into a combined parent dance with their father and mother, respectively. I'm always wary of a combined parent dance as I worry if I can grab enough photos of the individual mother-son and father-daughter dances taking place but, lucky for me, Nikki and Jim were never far away from one another so all I had to do was stand and wait for the moments to present themselves to me.
And present themselves they did.
I was a bit worried after their parent dance that Nikki and Jim would be a bit worn down from all the back-to-back nature of their formalities to sit through anything else but, thankfully, up next on the itinerary were three lovely speeches from Nikki's dad, the maid of honor and best man and all three set a great tone as the bride and groom got ready for dinner and to finally relax for a bit.
After one of the best dinners I've had this season — Glastonbury Hills Country Club's buffet is legit folks — Nikki and Jim had just a couple last items on their to-do list before the night was over. First were some easy peasy sunset photos.
I am so glad I was able to take Nikki and Jim out one more time before my coverage of their day wrapped as I wanted to make sure we had at least SOME shots where it wasn't a thousand degrees outside and the weather cooled down just enough when we went outside to make for a nice chance to try some more relaxed shots of the newlyweds while their friends watched from the balcony.
After these shots, Nikki and Jim had a short and sweet cake cutting and it was time to party.
Speaking of the party, Nikki and Jim's approach to their dance floor coverage really summed up their feelings for the wedding day as a whole. When I asked the pair if they wanted me to stay longer to shoot more of the dance floor — by the time it opened, I had just 15 minutes of time left with them — they said they were all set and happy with how everything turned out.
That didn't stop me from hustling for that final 15 minutes to get these newlyweds as many fun dancing shots as I could before my time was up.
As I packed up my gear in a small room off to the side of Nikki and Jim's wedding reception, I couldn't help but be feel like this might have been the most chill "big wedding" I've shot all year long. While I certainly have had some small, elopement style days, I really expected Nikki and Jim's wedding to match the Country Club energy of their venue and this day wasn't that.
And I love that for them. Nikki and Jim had the wedding of their dreams and never stressed out about it too much and I think that's why it was such a lovely day and went exactly as they hoped it would.
So, thank you Nikki and Jim for allowing me to capture this special day for you and I wish you all the best on this new and exciting chapter of your lives together. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair and Make-up: Wildflower Bridal & Beauty, Vernon, Connecticut; Bride's Dress: Lastrina Girls Bridal Salon in Middletown, Connecticut; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse, South Windsor, CT; Florist: Broad Brook Gardens, South Windsor, Connecticut; Ceremony & Reception: Glastonbury Hills Country Club, South Glastonbury, Connecticut; DJ + Officiant: After Hours Events of New England, East Windsor, Connecticut; Cake Brown Butter Creations, Glastonbury, Connecticut; Hotel Accommodations: Hilton Garden Inn Hartford South/Glastonbury, Glastonbury, Connecticut.