Blog— Weddings — Connecticut — 2021 —
Lake of Isles Wedding Photos
Kaitlin & Ronald*
Lake of Isles, North Stonington, Connecticut (Ceremony & Reception)
September 5th, 2021
A good wedding day requires one thing more than anything else: luck.
Despite years of planning and preparation, all it takes it one bad cloud to ruin your entire event ... or, at a minimum, to rain on your parade and for Kaitlin and Ronald, who were married back in September at Foxwoods' Lake of Isles in North Stonington, Connecticut, it looked for quite some time that we'd need a little luck on our side to salvage their day.
A dark and overcast afternoon, the forecast for Kaitlin and Ron's wedding seemed primed to mess with their planned outdoor ceremony. After all, it looked like rain would start RIGHT as the bride was set to walk down the aisle.
Thankfully, with a little bit of patience, and that 'luck' word once again, the bad weather passed by just in time for things to go as planned — albeit maybe a few minutes late — and thank goodness they did as this was one gorgeous wedding and one lovely couple that deserved the absolute best as they said 'I do."
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for George Street Photography
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
My time with Kaitlin and Ronald started with one of the longer groom prep sessions I've ever had as I had two and a half hours with this groom before the start of the ceremony. I'm glad I did, though, because whenever I'm a second photographer for a wedding, one of my biggest worries is having enough time with a couple to capture enough of their day to tell a story.
That wasn't an issue with Ronald and his groomsmen as we had more than enough time in his hotel room to grab getting ready photos and document him opening a pair of gifts from Kaitlin, as well as reading a lovely letter his soon-to-be wife wrote.
By the time we headed over to Lake of Isles, the groom and his groomsmen were eager to get the show on the road but definitely enjoying every moment and not at all stressed over the timeline.
In other words, it was the perfect recipe for a successful wedding day ... though the looming threat of rain did hang over everything we did, including outdoor groom and groomsmen photos where it looked like it could downpour any second.
Almost immediately after finishing Ronald's groom and groomsmen photos, the rain did come down but an updated radar gave us great news: We'd only have to wait roughly ten minutes for the passing storm to move on its way.
After that slight delay, and a remarkable job by the Lake of Isles' staff to dry the chairs in the outdoor seating area overlooking a beautiful lake, we were ready to go with Ron and Kaitlin's ceremony.
And what a ceremony it was.
Kaitlin and Ron chose to get married in the traditional ceremony space at Lake of Isles and I've long contended this is one of the most scenic spots to say "I do" in New England.
What I love about this site is how it feels both spacious and intimate at the same time and though I've yet to have a "normal" wedding day weather wise at this venue — it's either been on the verge of rain or bright and hot sunshine — it is a gorgeous place for a beautiful ceremony.
Ron and Kaitlin's was just that and, oddly enough, the overcast weather made it look even more beautiful as it helped Kaitlins' girls' bright blue dresses and beautiful bouquets pop.
My biggest concern about the weather for Kaitlin and Ronald's wedding was whether or not the rain would allow us the opportunity to travel to Lake of Isles' stunning wooden bridge. This is one of the biggest reasons to get married at this venue and one of the most beautiful backdrops I've seen for a couples' formal portraits.
It look a little bit of luck, again, and a little travel but we got to the bridge and my goodness what a view.
Kaitlin and Ron were awesome to work with during this part of the day as they both looked super comfortable with our posing ideas and seemed to appreciate a little time together before the night got too crazy.
Following Kaitlin and Ron's bridge photos, I made sure to head into their reception venue to document cocktail hour and grab detail shots and I'm glad I did as this location was quite simply stunning.
Kaitlin and Ron's choice of amber colored uplighting was a welcome addition to an already gorgeous room and the colors really hammered home the concept of a New England fall event. In other words? I loved it.
More than the details, though, I couldn't wait to see this room once night came and it didn't take long for me to get my wish as Kaitlin and Ron's first dance was a beautiful way to begin the evening portion of their wedding.
I must say, the little addition of string lights that Lake of Isles implemented for Kaitlin and Ron's wedding, which was a new addition according to their wedding coordinator, really made a 10/10 room even better.
To say I was smiling the whole time I was photographing them on the dance floor is an understatement.
As much as I loved Kaitlin and Ron's first dance, though, it was the later events as the sun really faded that stood out the most lighting wise. In addition to three great toasts and the cutting of an absolutely stunning cake, Ron and Kaitlin danced with their mother and fathers, respectively, in what might well be my favorite part, photo wise at least, of their entire event.
No good wedding is complete, however, without a great dance floor and Kaitlin and Ron's was packed all night ... even as the bride and groom themselves spent most of their evening going table to table and hanging out with friends and family.
I'm always worried when a bride and groom doesn't spend a ton of time dancing but, in this case, that wasn't Kaitlin and Ron. They were more suited to sharing intimate moments and laughs with those closest to them and, to me, that was perfect for their day.
The photographer in me, however, was still thrilled when they made their way on the dance floor though and it happened enough where I know they feel like they got more than enough time to party. And their guests? Well, they had a rocking time regardless of who else was out there.
As Kaitlin and Ronald's wedding came to a close, I couldn't help but think they must have been elated with the way things went overall. This couple very clearly spent a LOT of time planning this day and it showed in their flawless execution of all the moments, both big and small.
More importantly, however, they had the wedding THEY wanted and I could see from their constant looks of joy, whether it was dancing together or hitting the ice cream sundae bar, that this was a night they will never forget.
So congratulations Ron and Kaitlin on a wonderful wedding day and best of luck together as you start this new chapter of your life.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Frank & Kelly
Jones River Trading Post,
Kingston, Massachusetts
September 4th, 2021
Matthew & Christine
St. Peters Church &
Quidnessett Country Club.
August 28th, 2021