Brittany & Alex
If a wedding day is a bride and groom's love story come to life, then their wedding photos should tell their story, in a complete way, hitting all the major moments that will define that day for a lifetime.
But there's something else wedding photos have to do to really tell a couple's story: They have to preserve the little moments that are blink and you miss them. Because in a love story, sometimes the best parts are the chapters you take for granted.
Brittany and Alex said “I do” back in July at Independence Harbor in Assonet, Massachusetts and as much fun and as beautiful as the big moments of their day were, it was the little things that really said something: The tear on Brittany's face when she hugged her dad after their first look. The way Alex took a deep breath and tried to keep his composure seeing Brittany walk down the aisle before covering his face to hide his emotion. The split second they burst out laughing before their first kiss.
These little moments told the story of a couple living their best life and when I can capture those? The rest is a breeze and I know it's a day neither the couple, nor I, will soon forget.
I knew exactly the kind of day I was in for with Brittany and Alex when I walked into the the Holiday Inn in Fall River for bride and groom prep and saw Brittany's bridesmaids laughing and joking around while practicing their reception entrance in the hallway.
The lighthearted tone to start my coverage was exactly what I was hoping for and it helped that the girls, at least, were already done with hair and makeup and just casually relaxing when I arrived to say hello before heading to groom prep to get the show on the road.
As for that groom prep? It wasn't much difference. Alex and his guys were vibing to Kendrick Lamar and laughing and joking around. But the moment I said "OK, guys, time to get dressed," it was showtime and these guys were ready to hit the ground running.
I loved capturing Alex's final preparations, especially the photo above of his brothers helping him with his cufflinks. It mirrored, perfectly, Brittany's last little bit of bridal prep where she needed help getting her dress zipped and those moments always mean a lot because you never forget who was there for you on your wedding day.
I think what made me happiest was the pure joy in both groom and bridal prep, so much so that when my assistant Amanda came over to me with an idea for a photo involving the hotel's luggage cart and the bride, well, I had to pitch it to Brittany and she and her girls wasted no time enthusiastically saying "yes."
There's just something special about seeing a bride go flying down a hallway on a luggage cart.
Now, up until the point where we all left the Holiday Inn, Brittany and Alex's wedding day was light, fun and full of laughs. But that doesn't mean these two weren't also taking the day very seriously.
I could tell from the moment I met Brittany's father for his first look with his daughter before the wedding ceremony that this would be a special day full of all kinds of emotion and I could feel a vibe shift when Brittany and her father embraced and both started crying.
Oh, make no mistake about it. This would be a day of laughs but the tears weren't far behind.
The last few minutes before Brittany and Alex walked down the aisle were some of my favorite of their wedding day as the groom arrived in style with a beautiful car bringing him to Independence Harbor and I was particularly proud of the shots I captured of Brittany after she put her veil on in the venue's bridal suite. I've been trying to capture some more creative bridal portraits this year and these certainly felt like a step in the right direction.
One of the reasons I was most excited about Brittany and Alex's wedding was arriving to Independence Harbor and seeing that we had an outdoor ceremony planned AND the weather was going to be beautiful. This venue has long been a challenge for me as it's either been a crappy weather day OR hotter than the surface of the sun so to shoot a wedding here on a day I didn't MIND being outside was a relief.
And the moment Brittany walked down the aisle and Alex got caught in his feelings only reinforced the idea to me that this would be a special ceremony and it sure was.
Brittany and Alex peppered their wedding ceremony with tons of special little moments but I think having their mother and father, respectively, each give speeches really brought the emotions of the moment. Brittany's mom and Alex's dad both got emotional talking about how proud they were of their children on this day and that hit home for those watching the pair tie the knot.
By the time they sealed their union with a kiss and walked down the aisle husband and wife, you could sense they just experienced a moment they'd never forget and that they were counting down the minutes until it was time to PARTY.
After their ceremony, Brittany and Alex made their way to a beautifully tucked away spot at Independence Harbor that, despite my shooting weddings at this venue for 12 years, I never thought to bring couples to before.
It was shaded. It was picturesque and you better believe this is where all my couples at this venue will be doing their family photos moving forward.
I will say, though, that getting through Brittany and Alex's formal photo list was a challenge as they kept adding combinations of family members but when you see how much their friends and family members meant to them, it made perfect sense. Thankfully, their wedding party was a ton of fun to work with and kept the vibes up even when we were all exhausted and looking forward to going inside to the reception.
With family and wedding party formals in the books, it was time to move toward bride and groom portraits. To their credit, Brittany and Alex kept their spirits up for these photos even though I think we were all tired and you could see the way these two lit one another up once we booted everyone else to cocktail hour and I could just work with the newlyweds.
I really loved the dark and rich colors we were able to get from Brittany and Alex's bride and groom portraits and had a lot of fun bringing their relationship out in some of my favorite couples' portraits of the summer.
As Brittany, Alex and I made our way inside for their reception, I made sure to finish up any remaining detail shots and I'm glad I did because this couple really did a wonderful job decorating their venue on this day.
I especially appreciated the prevalence of sunflowers, which are always a welcome addition to the centerpieces, seating chart, invitation or wherever a bride and groom want to add them on their wedding day.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Brittany and Alex's reception but I knew it would be a fun time and that was certainly the case from the moment they walked into Independence Harbor and were introduced for the first time as husband and wife.
Brittany and Alex kicked off their reception with a first dance set to “Life With You” by Kelsey Hart and that sweet and sentimental song really set the tone for the night's reception formalities.
Following their first dance, Brittany and Alex finally had a moment to sit down and were treated to three lovely toasts by their closest people and, after dinner, started the second half of their evening off with a short and sweet wedding cake cutting.
The real highlight of Brittany and Alex's reception formalities, though, were their parent dances. I'm a sucker for a good moment between a bride and groom and their parents and Brittany and Alex gave me not one, not two but THREE beautiful dances with their parents, all of which were so beautiful and full of emotion you could feel it in your soul.
For a day already defined by how close Brittany and Alex are with their family, these moments meant something even more special and you could sense it just by looking on. Or, in my case, taking the photos that will bring them back to these dances for the rest of their lives.
With their sweet and sentimental portion of Brittany and Alex's day in the books, it was time to break out the dance moves and party and these two did more than their fair share of that.
Brittany and Alex's dance floor was PACKED with little kids burning off all of their excess energy and adults who weren't too far behind and, best of all, the bride and groom were always front and center in the middle of the celebrations.
I always love capping a wedding night off with something fun for the bride and groom and, this year, that has meant nighttime gel shots. Brittany and Alex were great sports coming outside for some end-of-the-evening portraits and I really loved these shots ... but loved how much fun they had laughing in between takes even more. It was the perfect way to conclude a truly wonderful evening.
As my assistant and I packed our gear up at the end of Brittany and Alex's wedding, we got to stand on the front deck of Independence Harbor and listen to guests talking about the night and how much fun they were having and, honestly, that says a lot.
Brittany and Alex's wedding was a great time, not just for them but for everyone around them and I can think of no greater praise or no better way to spend a summer evening than seeing two awesome people who were meant for one another share a moment together that everyone will remember for a lifetime.
So, thank you Brittany and Alex for bringing me along on your journey down the aisle and I wish you all the best as you navigate this new and exciting chapter of your lives together as husband and wife. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair and Make-up: Salon Ell; Bride's Dress: ThistleRose Bridal; Ceremony & Reception: Independence Harbor, Assonet, Massachusetts; Cake: Leddy's Bakery & Coffee Shop.