Rachel & Tyler
Weddings can be really beautiful but what I love about them more than anything is that, even in the beautiful moments, there's room for fun. Take, for instance, the end of Rachel and Tyler's wedding ceremony back in June at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
After Rachel and Tyler tied the knot and walked down the aisle to their new lives together, their friends and family members threw bits of lavender at them in a moving and touching celebration of the milestone moment they just achieved. It made for a great memory for the bride and groom and not just in the way that was intended as both Rachel and Tyler got covered in the stuff and couldn't stop laughing at how this silly little moment went so far off the rails.
I think there's something beautiful in that.
Rachel and Tyler's summer wedding was a lovely and touching day but what I'll remember most, and what I think this couple will cherish more than anything, is how we never took things too seriously and left plenty of room to laugh and have a great time. And a great time is the only way to sum this wedding up.
From the moment I arrived to Kirkbrae Country Club, I knew we were in for a pretty special day as the weather was perfect and the vibes were even better.
Even though Rachel and her girls arrived a tick later than planned to her venue, they didn't have a care in the world and I loved that for them as it told me we were going to have a stress free, relaxed day. It was so stress free, mind you, that BOTH the bride and groom were still writing their vows just a bit before their ceremony and i think that says a lot about how cool, calm and collected this couple were before they said "I do."
After all, there's no need to stress when you know you've found the right person to spend forever with.
I especially loved the vibes in Rachel's bridal prep suite. Even as her girls worked hard to steam out any last wrinkles in her dress or veil, they causally sang along to Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan while the bride just casually finished getting ready.
I could tell by her demeanor that Rachel wasn't going to be worried before walking down the aisle but I figured if there was ever a moment where those pre-wedding jitters that might kick in, it would be during her first touch with Tyler. But even then, the soon-to-be newlyweds were laughing and joking with each other before beginning final preparations for their ceremony.
Even though I've shot various events at Kirkbrae Country Club over the years — including multiple weddings and even some proms as recent as two weeks before Rachel and Tyler's big day — I'd never photographed an "outdoor" ceremony at this venue prior to this summer day.
I put "outdoor" in quotes because while we were in Kirkbrae's dedicated ceremony spot, it was less outdoors that under a tent overlooking the driving range. Any worry I had that the ceremony would be less than elegant, however, went out the proverbial window when I saw Tyler walk down the aisle and saw how this little spot came together so beautifully.
And speaking of beauty, watching the look of love on the groom's face as his bride walked down the aisle was a highlight on a day full of special moments, both for me and of course for the couple getting married.
Rachel and Tyler's wedding ceremony was a sweet one, particularly when the bride and groom spoke of the ways they have each grown as people thanks to the other. But it was also lighthearted and fun, much like the couple.
What I loved about this ceremony, especially, was how deeply intimate it felt in the front of the tent despite the fact that Rachel and Tyler's guest list was fairly large and stretched DEEP in this tent area.
I don't think the bride and groom noticed, though, as their eyes were locked on one another. They were so focused on recording every moment on their partner's face that their officiant took a moment to MAKE them look out to their crowd in a nice little touch for them to appreciate the moment in front of them.
And by the time they shared their first kiss and were officially proclaimed as husband and wife, it made sense as there was a deep joy in that tent by those who witnessed such a beautiful moment.
Then, as promised, they had their lavender exit.
Rachel and Tyler may have needed a few minutes to pick all the pieces of lavender out of their dress and tux, respectively, but these newlyweds weren't the least bit bothered.
When putting together the timeline of their day, Rachel and Tyler made sure to leave plenty of time for family and wedding party photos after their ceremony, so much so that we were able to walk the bride and groom TO the grandparents back at the country club, and even though I felt the crunch of the timeline start to eek in toward the end, it didn't matter whatsoever to this couple and I loved that.
First, we flew through some traditional poses in the bridal garden at Kirkbrae proper.
What I was most interested in for Rachel and Tyler's bride and groom portraits on this particular summer afternoon was seeing how far onto the golf course I could take them because Kirkbrae Country Club is genuinely beautiful.
Thankfully, their on-hand coordinator to guide us was super helpful and we somehow had just enough time to get all the standard shots I wanted with this couple and to end it in truly silly fashion with some Titanic poses and, of course, the patented "Show me the ugliest face you can make" bride and groom portrait.
That's truly a favorite of mine and Rachel and Tyler show why. I love people who don't take themselves too seriously and these photos were the right balance between gorgeous and downright silly.
With Rachel and Tyler's formal photos in the bag, it was time for us to head inside to get this party started.
One of the reasons I love Kirkbrae Country Club is it's massive ballroom. It really is the kind of space fit for a large wedding and Rachel and Tyler made the most of it.
After some fun introductions with their wedding party, the pair took to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife, a choreographed effort set to "1, 2, 3, 4" by Plain White Tees and “Come To Me” by Goo Goo Dolls. This dance was wonderfully done and you could see how much time and effort Rachel and Tyler put into getting every step right.
It was a wonderful way to kick off their reception right.
Rachel and Tyler kept the formalities of their reception short, simple and sweet, with three speeches taking place prior to dinner and a nice and casual cake cutting taking place shortly thereafter.
Following their cake cutting, Rachel and Tyler made sure to share a moment with their parents on the dance floor and both chose fairly iconic songs to soundtrack the moment.
Rachel and her father danced to "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle, a classic for this exact moment of a wedding day, and Tyler and his mom shared their special moment to "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac.
Both dances were lovely moments you could tell the bride and groom's respective parents envisioned for a lifetime and appreciated deeply.
Within moments of Tyler's dance with his mother concluding, the dance floor for he and Rachel's wedding was officially open and, boy, let me tell you ... their guests wasted no time taking full advantage of it.
From just about the time the DJ welcomed folks to the floor with "Footloose" until the final song, this was one party that would not stop.
What was great about Rachel and Tyler's dance floor was the wide mix of genres and decades the music came from and the even more impressive range of ages of those rocking the night away.
My favorite part, though, was that Rachel and Tyler themselves were in the middle of all of it from the first song until the last.
It's rare that I get to stay until the very, very end of a wedding but I was lucky enough to be on hand for the final song of Rachel and Tyler's reception and I'm so glad I was because this was a party worth documenting every moment of. And, honestly, I think that says everything about how awesome this wedding was from start to finish.
So thank you Rachel and Tyler for a truly special summer night in Lincoln, Rhode Island. I hope your wedding was everything you dreamed it would be and much, much more and I wish you all the best on this new and beautiful 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: Brittany Cox, Beauties By Britt; Bride's Make-up: Emily Sayphrarath, Faces by Em; Bride's Dress: Alexandra's Boutique; Dress Alterations: Canterbury Fine Men’s Clothing; Groom's Suit: Suit Shop; Florist: Meghan Sullivan-Martin at Le's Isle Rose at Dave's Marketplace; Ceremony & Reception: Kirkbrae Country Club, Lincoln, Rhode Island; Coordinator: Tiffany Marsocci Fontes - Director of Weddings and Special Events; DJ: DJ Frank, South Coast Entertainment; Cake: Ivy and Lace Bakeshop; Gluten-free cake: Three Wishes Bakery; Transportation: Fisher Bus Inc.