Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts— 2023 —
Independence Harbor Wedding Photos
Juniper & Aaron
Independence Harbor, Assonet, Massachusetts
November 4th, 2023
One of the hardest things to get used to as you get older is that suddenly, without warning, everyone under a certain age starts to look younger and younger to you. I see it whenever I shoot high school sports or a college graduation. Twenty and thirty-somethings who I used to consider part of my age group simply look like children or teenagers to me.
Because I work with a wide variety of clients in wedding photography, however, it's rare to see a bride and groom that look so young it makes me do a double take but that was exactly how I felt working with Juniper and Aaron on the day of their November wedding at Independence Harbor.
I'm not sure that I've ever worked with a couple as young as Juniper and Aaron but within minutes of their beautiful wedding day, I understood why they were getting married already. When you find your soulmate and the person that completes you, it doesn't matter what your age is, you want to hold on to that.
Juniper and Aaron are a beautiful example that young love is sometimes the strongest love there is. And their wedding day was a great reminder that you don't need to be older and wiser to throw a fun party you, your friends and family members will never forget.
I don't really believe in the idea of bad luck or curses but, I swear, wedding photography sometimes makes me question if maybe I'm wrong and there are bad things you can't avoid no matter how much you try.
At least that's how I felt as I began my coverage of Juniper and Aaron's wedding day at Independence Harbor in Assonet, Massachusetts and found out that despite it being a bright and sunny, beautiful day out, we were stuck doing their ceremony inside because the venue requires all weddings taking place after November 1 to stay indoors.
After the wet and rainy 2023 season I'd had, this was infuriating and it didn't help that I am seemingly cursed at this venue as in nine full years of shooting weddings,
I've never had a truly nice, well lit, well-timed wedding ceremony outdoors at this location.
Still, if Juniper and Aaron were disappointed, they sure didn't seem like it as they arrived to the venue with giant grins on their faces and only got happier as we began the actual ceremony.
As disappointed as I was to have Juniper and Aaron's wedding indoors, I can't complain too much as it was still a daytime wedding and the fireplace area Independence Harbor has for indoor ceremonies looked great on this particular afternoon.
Of course, I honestly don't think it would have mattered where Juniper and Aaron got married. You could see just from the moment Juniper walked down the aisle how in the moment these two soon-to-be newlyweds were and I don't think they saw anything in that room apart from one another.
Juniper and Aaron's wedding ceremony was short and sweet but super touching. I especially love how focused and in the moment this bride and groom seemed as they put rings on one another … only to crack up right before they did so because they were still their silly selves.
It was a nice touch of levity from an otherwise pretty traditional wedding ceremony and when Juniper and Aaron sealed their new union with a kiss, it was clear to me that the real fun was still to come on this beautiful afternoon.
Even though I was still bummed out we couldn't go outside for Juniper and Aaron's wedding ceremony, I consider myself lucky we were able to take them outdoors for their formal photos because, let's be honest, that's been an uncertainty all season with the constant rain we've had.
Luckily, Juniper and Aaron's friends and family members didn't mind a slight chill in the air — and for November it was a beautiful day — and we were able to quickly fly through all the key shots I knew this bride and groom would cherish for a lifetime.
Speaking of cherishing, I can't think of a better word to describe the vibe as we moved onto Juniper and Aaron's bride and groom portraits. After dismissing all of their friends and family members to cocktail hour, I was lucky enough to get 15 minutes with the bride and groom for their couple's portraits and I cherished every second of it.
In fact, I was having so much fun with these two that I even broke out my brand new 85 mm F 1.8 lens. Now, if you're not into photography that might not mean much to you but as a photographer, trust me when I tell you this lens is a game-changer and the results from Juniper and Aaron's portraits were all the proof I needed that this is going to be a go-to lens moving forward.
I mean, look at how crisp and sweet some of these shots are. And that's not just because of the lens. Aaron and Juniper were absolutely adorable together and I could have photographed these two for hours. Alas, it was time to head back inside for Juniper and Aaron's wedding reception. And what a reception it was.
One of the things that stood out to me the most about Juniper and Aaron's wedding were the details and décor. I loved the little touches this bride and groom put together and the fall/pumpkin theme they had going on.
I think that's part of the reason I was glad I captured as much of the details as I could before their ceremony and before everyone came inside and messed things up.
Because when you put this much time and thought into the little things about your wedding day, it's important to showcase them and Juniper and Aaron sure made the most of every chance to create something special for this wedding.
The one downside to working with a young couple like Juniper and Aaron is, sometimes, they're super shy and reserved. Heading into Juniper and Aaron's wedding reception, I honestly had no idea what to expect from the party portion of their evening, especially when we took a slight detour from the standard order of operations and moved from introductions into toasts and dinner, rather than having a first dance open the night up.
In hindsight, I'm glad Juniper and Aaron did their formalities this way as it allowed everyone a chance to relax and ease into the night, especially with the help of two sweet toasts that set a nice tone for the evening right from the jump.
In retrospect, I didn't have much to worry about when it came to Juniper and Aaron's wedding reception. While they were a bit more introverted than some of my couples, they made sure to make the most of every one of the major moments of their reception.
The two kicked off the back portion of their evening with a cute cake cutting and rolled right into a lovely first dance set to “In My Life” by John Denver. I loved this dance because it was clear Juniper and Aaron didn't love being on the dance floor by themselves but once they found each other's arms, none of that mattered one bit.
Following their first dance, Juniper and Aaron rolled right into three parent dances and each was sweet and special in its own way.
I think this was the perfect way for this pair to have officially opened their dance floor and you could see how much each of these moments meant to the bride and groom as they swayed across the dance floor with the people who made the biggest impacts on their lives.
Juniper and Aaron's wedding reception was a wonderful mix of family get-together and party and I loved that it seemed to have a little bit for everything.
Whether it was the slow songs that started the night off, the party vibes that got the younger folks on the dance floor or even the casual and chill vibe at tables and on the outdoor patio, there was plenty for Juniper and Aaron's guests to do on this night to savor every moment of this reception.
What I especially loved about Juniper and Aaron's reception was they made sure to mingle with everyone in attendance but still found time to spend in one another's arms. And as the night went on, the dance floor took on a much more spirited vibe thanks to one particularly fun group of girls but, regardless of how wild things might have got, the two newlyweds at the center of this day were never far from sight.
As my time with Juniper and Aaron came to an end, I couldn't believe how quick the time went as it seemed like I had just arrived to Independence Harbor. But that's always the best sign of a fun wedding day to me.
Juniper and Aaron may have been one of the youngest couples I've worked with this year but I could tell their love story is just as deep and meaningful as any I've seen. So, thank you Juniper and Aaron for letting me capture this chapter in your lives together and I wish you the best as you start your new and exciting journey as husband and wife.
-Paul J. Spetrini
