Scott & Kayla
Hotel Viking, Newport, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
October 25th, 2025
There is a moment I look forward to at every wedding I shoot. It’s a moment I guess you could call “the exhale.” It’s when a couple that has been tightly-wound or anxious all day finally takes a breath and lets the stress of their wedding day float away for the first time.
Some couples never need the exhale as they enter their wedding authentically relaxed and carefree. Others never allow themselves to let their hair down at all, simply because of the nature of what a wedding day is.
Kayla and Scott, who were married back in October at Hotel Viking in Newport, had their 'exhale' moment right at the start of their reception and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
With all the stuffy formal parts of their wedding day behind them, these two finally settled in and allowed themselves to celebrate their milestone day. And the result? An absolute banger of a night where they could be themselves and celebrate an “I do” they’ll never forget.
Kayla and Scott held their wedding day at Hotel Viking in Newport. This property has always been somewhat of an enigma to me in that it is deep in the heart of the City by the Sea but doesn't really "feel" like Newport. It is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it still maintains an air of accessibility that other Newport properties don't.
In other words, it's fun but not snotty. And, yes, that's a compliment.
I started my coverage of Kayla and Scott's wedding day with the bride's prep and, right away, I could feel there was a little bit of tension in the room as Kayla was somewhat quiet and laser focused as she finished the hair and makeup portions of her day.
I never fault a bride when they look a bit stressed on their wedding day. It makes perfect sense. There’s a lot going on and they want things to go perfect. And you're usually in a room with half a dozen or more other people also trying to finish getting ready. It can be a lot.
Luckily, Kayla and Scott’s wedding was mostly confined to one location so I knew there wouldn’t be much to worry about in terms of timing and we could ease into the day. All we needed to do was get to the ceremony and we were golden.
The last bit of Kayla's prep was noticeably more relaxed the closer we got to her ceremony and that boded well for how things would play out moving forward.
One of the things I love about couples who say "I do" at Hotel Viking is they typically get married at Kay Chapel which is practically connected to the building and just a short walk over from the parking lot. As soon as my assistant and I arrived to the chapel, we saw Scott and he was in great spirits, confirming what I already knew: We were going to have a beautiful ceremony.
I spent a LOT of time in 2025 experimenting with how I light wedding ceremonies and nowhere was I more grateful for this than during Scott and Kayla's wedding. While Kay Chapel is deceptively spacious, it's a space I knew from having shot one of my first-ever weddings there — back when I knew literally nothing about lighting — that it can be a tricky spot to work with.
But on this day? The right lighting gave it a downright grand look, especially as the bride walked down the aisle. I loved this photo of Kayla so much I didn't even consider a different "bride walks down the aisle" photo for my 2026 portfolio and I think you can see why. There's a reason Scott had to hold back his tears because she looked stunning.
Scott and Kayla had a traditional religious ceremony but what I loved about it was how much it rode the line between serious and fun, thanks in large part to their officiant who kept the guests on their toes but the mood light.
That's not to say we didn't have more than our fair share of emotion.
My favorite part about Scott and Kayla's ceremony was the way they talked about their connection together and how they each benefitted from their partnership and how the other made their lives whole. It was a beautiful sentiment and one of the most touching ceremonies I saw in 2025.
Following their official first kiss as husband and wife, it was time for Scott and Kayla to head back over the Hotel Viking for their formal photos and I'll be honest, this was the part of the day I was most worried about. As nice as Hotel Viking is inside, its options outside for formal photos are far from spectacular.
But when you're working with a couple like Scott and Kayla, sometimes it's best not to overthink it. We chose a simple background for all of their photos — a white window/brick pattern seen throughout the property's courtyard area — and kept their poses even more simple.
I knew from shooting Scott and Kayla's engagement session in 2024 that they were a couple that wanted good directions and that the posed photos would only be one part of their wedding day story — that the real magic would happen later once the dance floor opened — but I still loved a lot of what we captured before rushing inside to shake off the cold of a late fall afternoon in New England.
One of the things I was most excited about with shooting Scott and Kayla's wedding was seeing how they decorated their reception. I hadn't been to Hotel Viking in several years but I knew the ballroom area was pretty big and elegant and that's my ideal vibe for a reception as it gives me a ton of space to play with lighting wise.
The pair chose a warm, fall-like aesthetic with a brown base and blue/orange accent colors that really popped throughout their decor. I especially loved the way the colors stood out on their cake and sweetheart table. It felt elegant and classy but not over the top, which is a tough balance to find.
If I had any doubts about the tone of Scott and Kayla's wedding reception, these newlyweds put those doubts at ease from the moment it began. The pair opened the night up with a first dance set to “Stumblin' In” by Cyril and, in a touch I thought was amazing, they had their DJ use a smoke machine to really enhance the beauty of this moment.
I had never heard this song prior to Scott and Kayla's dance but, looking back, it was a brilliant choice. The song is high tempo and fit their super choreographed routine perfectly but it's also fun and light and that was certainly what this dance felt like.
Scott and Kayla's first dance was a highlight on a night with many remarkable moments and one of my favorite first dances of the entire year.
Scott and Kayla's wedding reception was pretty low key when it came to formalities. Following their first dance, we rolled right into three prepared speeches and each one was short, sweet and touching.
Following dinner, I could feel the tone of the night had shifted and we were going to have a lot of fun. Scott and Kayla resumed the formal portion of the program with a cake cutting and it wasn't long after that Scott quickly took the dance floor with his mother for the traditional mother-son dance.
What followed after was one of my favorite dances of all of 2025 as Kayla flipped the script on the traditional father-daughter dance and shared a moment with HER daughter and it was absolutely adorable.
I genuinely think knocking out the formal aspects of Scott and Kayla's wedding day really gave Kayla a chance to let loose because the MOMENT the dance floor opened up, she was in her zone.
I didn't have a lot of expectations about Scott and Kayla's reception but I definitely didn't peg it as a non-stop dance party and that's exactly what it was. Of course, I should have known better because this couple hired Luke Renchan Entertainment to DJ the night and it's impossible to have a dead dance floor when he's tossing tracks out.
Scott and Kayla's reception rocked from the start to the end of the night and was full of just absolute banger tracks. Surprisingly, the playlist skewed early to mid 2000s which was newer than I expected it to be but if you attended this wedding and wanted to let loose, you had PLENTY of opportunities to do so. There were shortage of club bops to vibe to and I found myself on more than one occasion thinking "Damn, I haven't heard this song in a minute and it is great."
As my time with Scott and Kayla came to an end, I figured the best way to wrap it up were some fun gel shots outside to see if the pair were any looser in front of my camera at the conclusion of the night compared to earlier and they sure were.
But I'll take that.
Weddings are supposed to be a great time and I think sometimes it's easy to let the anxiety of the day get you overwhelmed. That's why I love when couples can relax and be themselves and have the night they dreamed of and Scott and Kayla did just that.
So congratulations Scott and Kayla on an awesome wedding day. I hope it was everything you pictured and more and wish you all the best on this next chapter of your lives together.
-Paul J. Spetrini
