Stacey & Mack
St. Teresa's Church, Attleboro, Massachusetts (Ceremony) &
Independence Harbor, Assonet, Massachusetts (Reception)
December 1st, 2018
Weddings are defined by moments. Sometimes they're the big moments of a day, like seeing each other for the first time or a bride and groom's first kiss. Other times, they're the smaller moments you might not even realize matter on the actual day you get married but later look back fondly on for the rest of your lives.
For Stacey and Mackenzy, there was a moment at the end of their wedding night back in December at Independence Harbor that stole the show completely.
As they danced in a circle of their closest friends and family members, and their son ran around with a glowing light stick, their live music performer Matty B. started singing "Take me home tonight" by Eddie Money and the place erupted.
The bride and groom ran around in circles, shaking hands with everyone in their reach and loudly sang the song in unison with everyone on the dance floor while laughing and smiling and truly living in that moment in time.
It was the perfect way to cap one of the most fun wedding days I've been a part of but, for Stacey and Mack, it was just the cherry on top of what was already a night they'd never forget.
My time with Stacey and Mack started with one of the more relaxed bridal prep sessions I've been to in a while and I knew right from the start it would be that way as the bride-to-be already had her Christmas music on repeat as I walked in.
Stacey is one of the nicest, most down to earth people I've worked with and her bridesmaids were all the same way. There was little to no hint of stress in this group of girls and that made for a great time as they finished getting ready to head to her early afternoon ceremony.
By contrast, I knew the minute I walked into St. Teresa's Church in Attleboro, Massachusetts and saw Mackenzy pacing nervously inside that he was far from relaxed.
I always love it when a groom is clearly nervous with anticipation and I've seen few who looked as ready to pass out as Mack did on his big day.
Stacey and Mack chose to have a full Catholic ceremony and I can only assume that exacerbated the anxiety the groom was feeling as Catholic ceremonies are great for building the anticipation of the moment a bride walks into the church but not great if you're already feeling nervous.
Thankfully, Mackenzy held it together long enough for Stacey to walk into the church and, once she did, his reaction was adorable.
I loved Stacey and Mack's ceremony for so many reasons but the biggest one of all was how much it clearly meant to both of them. This was a moment they'd both been thinking of for years and you could see it in the way they looked at each other the minute they stood up on the altar together.
Following Stacey and Mack's ceremony, it was my time to be a nervous wreck as this bride and groom chose to get married in December and that meant we had a race against the clock to get their formal photos in before sunset.
Following a quick family and wedding party photo session outside of their church, we jumped in our cars and made our way to Roger Williams Park. Even though it was only a 20-minute drive, I'd be lying if I said my heart wasn't racing as I watched the sun slowly fade away.
Thankfully, the moment we arrived at the park, it was go time. Stacey and Mack jumped right into some quick bride and groom formals that I largely took *just in case* we didn't have the benefit of sunshine later and we finished out their family/wedding party formals on the steps of the Temple of Music as another wedding did the same right next to us on the other side of the giant structure.
By the time we finished the formalities of Stacey and Mack's list, I looked at my watch and saw we still had a few minutes of sunlight left before everything went dark and, boy, am I glad we did because the bride and groom portraits we took at the end of this session were easily my favorite of the day.
Stacey and Mack were a pleasure to work with and getting them alone for these shots was a godsend.
When I say we were close to losing the sun, I'm not kidding. By the time Stacey, Mack and I walked back to the transportation, it was already getting dark. No matter. Their reception venue was a good half hour away and we'd have plenty of time to relax before the night picked up again.
Once I arrived to the venue, I made a beeline inside to grab their awesome details before the crowd entered and, before we knew it, it was time for the back half of the day's program to begin with introductions and dances.
Stacey and Mack chose Independence Harbor for their reception and I can't think of a more fitting venue. Right from the moment they took to the dance floor to have their first dance -- set to "Diamonds or Twine" by Ryan Hurd -- I could tell this would be a super personal and intimate reception and boy was it.
Stacey and Mack had all the bells and whistles of a traditional wedding reception and whether it was a great speech by the best man -- who has literally grown up with this couple in every step of their relationship -- or the pair of parent dances that made most of the people in the room say "aww," this was a reception full of great moments.
But lest anyone thought this night would be too serious, Stacey and Mack made sure to turn the tone of the evening on its head from the moment they had their garter removal ceremony and, from that point on, this was a night where nothing seemed too crazy and the fun never stopped.
Which brings us back to how we started this blog. It's not often that a live music performance steals the show but that moment where Stacey and Mack's singer Matty. B started belting out "Take me home tonight," I knew we were in for something special and, really, it was one of my favorite wedding moments ever.
Just take a look at these photos. If this isn't the dream for every couple that wants to have fun at their reception, I don't know what is.
As my time with Stacey and Mack came to an end, I couldn't help but smile thinking of the night that I had just witnessed. Stacey and Mack are a textbook example of young love -- they met in school and have been together for their entire adult lives -- and their wedding day was everything they ever dreamed of and much more.
Couples like Stacey and Mack are why I love wedding photography and their day was full of so much fun and genuinely touching moments, it would be hard to call it anything but perfect.
The most important thing to me, though, is it's clear it was a day that lived up to this bride and groom's expectations and I know that wasn't easy because these two dreamed of this day for a very, very long time.
So congratulations Stacey and Mack on an amazing wedding day. I have no doubt this is just the start of a life full of amazing memories you'll make together.
-PJS
Tags: St Teresa's Church, Roger Williams Park, Independence Harbor, Massachusetts Weddings,
Church Weddings, Attleboro, Providence, Assonet, Paul J. Spetrini Photography
The Vendor List
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Groom's Suit: The Grooms Store by Franklin Rogers in Providence, Rhode Island; Florist: Rose Bud Florist in Pawtucket, Rhode Island; Ceremony Location: St Teresa's Church in Attleboro, Massachusetts; Reception Location: Independence Harbor in Assonet, Massachusetts; Live Music: Matty B. Entertainment; Photo Booth: Sharee from Smile Back Photobooth; Cake: Awesome Sweets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Nicole & Kurt
The Public House Historic Inn,
Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
Date: November 16th, 2018
Cara & Brandon
First Baptist Church, Hope Valley, RI &
North Beach Clubhouse, Narragansett, RI.
Date: November 11th, 2018
Rich & Makayla
Zukas Hilltop Barn,
Spencer, Massachusetts.
Date: October 28th, 2018
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