Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts— 2021 —
Lake Pearl Wedding Photos
Kevin & Jillian
Lake Pearl, Wrentham, Massachusetts
December 4th, 2021
Without question, one of the hardest parts about being a wedding photographer in New England is getting through the hustle and bustle of the fall season. Nearly everyone you work with either wants an engagement session during this time of year or gets married this time of year and free time is hard to come by.
That's why, by the time you get to December and winter break is on the horizon, it's often incredibly difficult to get through the last few weeks of the calendar year and stay motivated for every assignment you have.
Luckily for me, that wasn't a problem this year as I knew Kevin and Jillian would be my final wedding of 2021 and it was one I was looking forward to for a very, very long time.
Kevin and Jillian are a sweet couple and genuinely nice people and I can't think of a better way, or a better wedding day, to have wrapped up my wedding season. And, thankfully, it was well worth the wait.
My coverage of Kevin and Jillian's wedding began at the Hampton Inn in Franklin, Massachusetts and if I had any worries about what kind of bride Jillian would be before the wedding day (I didn't), I found out right away the minute I walked into her bridal prep.
Not only was she already finished with hair and makeup but she was relaxed and ready to get her big day started. Not that I was surprised, of course, but it was nice to see a bride and her bridesmaids so chill on what can otherwise be a super stressful day.
Jillian was so ready to go that we could have easily held her wedding ceremony an hour before it actually took place. By the time the limo came to gather the bride and her bridesmaids, Jillian had a lovely smile on her face and was clearly excited to walk down the aisle.
As soon as we arrived at her venue, I was able to catch up with her soon-to-be husband and those final moments of both of their prep sessions before the ceremony were nearly identical as they were both excited to see their friends and family and a little nervous to be the center of attention. To say it was sweet is an understatement.
My biggest worry heading into Kevin and Jillian's wedding day was that their ceremony was set to take place around 5:30 p.m. ... on a day when the sun would set an hour earlier.
Indoor wedding ceremonies can always be a bit tricky if you're in a venue without a lot of space to work with but, thankfully, Kevin and Jillian's ceremony was at Lake Pearl and the room they got married in was large enough to not feel as if everyone was on top of one another but small enough to still feel intimate.
And that was a big help as I got to see Kevin's awesome reaction to seeing his bride walk down the aisle.
Kevin and Jillian's ceremony was short and sweet but full of beautiful moments between the bride and groom. I especially loved the little ways Jillian would look at Kevin with a huge smile on her face and a slightly nervous chuckle during her vows.
By the time these two sealed their love with a kiss, you could see how happy they were just by looking at them. Not I blame them. It's hard to hide a love that bright and beautiful.
The one real downside to the sun setting before Kevin and Jillian's wedding ceremony, and the fact that it was a COLD December night, was we were unable to go outside for formal photos. Thankfully, we didn't need to as Lake Pearl had a beautiful fireplace set up and decorated for the Christmas season.
And, because Kevin and Jillian are two laidback people, we got everything we needed to capture the spirit of their love and their wedding day in that one spot. I adored Kevin and Jillian's bride and groom portraits and could have worked with them for another hour. It flew by so quickly!
Following their wedding portraits, Kevin and Jillian took a trip to cocktail hour to spend time with their friends and family members while I grabbed photos of all the little details that made their wedding so special. It was clear the minute I walked back into the room where these two got married an hour earlier, and saw it all set up, that Kevin and Jillian spent a LOT of time planning the little touches of their wedding day and it showed.
I especially loved the cartoon guestbook sign they had commissioned. It was so them!
I was looking forward to Kevin and Jillian's reception, not only because it would be my last of the year but because Lake Pearl is one of my favorite places to shoot reception candid photos and this wedding didn't let me down.
Kevin and Jillian chose to dance to Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road" for their first dance and it was a beautiful and sweet moment that started their party off on the right note.
Kevin and Jillian's wedding reception was full of sweet moments but at no point did it feel over the top. The pair opened their reception with their first dance and then immediately grabbed a mic to thank their friends and family members for coming.
It was the first of three really sweet toasts before dinner and set a very relaxed and easygoing vibe to the night.
Whether it was in the cutting of the cake, playing around in the photo booth or Jillian's first dance with her father, Kevin and Jillian handled every part of their reception was ease and looked like they were having a great time doing so.
This reception felt like the best kind of family party and with the holidays not too far away, the timing couldn't have been better.
Even the dance portion of the evening felt stress-free. Things never got too crazy for Kevin and Jillian's friends and family members — at least not while I was there — but it was so nice to see everyone in attendance clearly enjoying a beautiful winter night out.
My favorite part of Kevin and Jillian's reception, though, was one of the last moments I photographed as, right before my time came to an end, the pair took to the dance floor to enjoy another song together.
I loved watching Kevin and Jillian be their true selves on the dance floor without worrying about a room full of people watching them and the little interactions between the newlyweds was the best possible way for me to cap my night, and my 2021 wedding season.
As I called it a night with Kevin and Jillian and started packing up, I couldn't help but feel an immense wave of gratitude, not just to this couple but to all of my 2021 couples.
Like most people, 2020 was one of the tougher years of my life and really took a lot away from me professionally as most of my weddings — including this one — were postponed. Getting back to normal in 2021 was an absolute gift and I was treated to some truly amazing people and amazing wedding days from my first shoot in South Carolina in April until Kevin and Jillian kissed under the twinkle nights of Lake Pearl on early December.
To say I consider 2021 the best year of my career so far is an understatement and I honestly can't wait to see what 2022 brings next. So thank you Kevin and Jillian, and thank you to ALL of my couples this year, for trusting me to document your big day and your memories. I am truly blessed to do this for a living and will never take it for granted.
Because weddings are amazing and the couples having these weddings are even better. See you in 2022!
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair and Makeup: Traveling Beauty; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Florist: Judy's Village Flowers; Ceremony and Reception: Lake Pearl, Wrentham, Massachusetts; DJ: Unique Sounds Entertainment & Event Professionals; Photo Booth: funfotos2go; Cake: Nancy's Bakery.