Laura & Laki
Lake of Isles Golf Club and Resort in North Stonington, Connecticut
September 8th, 2017*
I'm always amazed by the wide variety of beautiful places people choose to get married in New England.
In the years that I've been actively doing wedding photography, I've been at nearly type of venue you can imagine, from the offices of a city hall to multi-million dollar mansions and everything in between, and yet I can still be surprised when a shoot comes my way at a new venue.
For Laura and Laki's September wedding, that choice turned out to be on a property I knew all too well and had visited for well over a decade ... all without knowing it actually hosted weddings.
Laura and Laki were married in September at Lake of Isles Golf Club in North Stonington, Connecticut. If you, like me, don't play much golf, you may have never heard of it ... even if you've spent time at the blackjack and roulette tables of its better-known owners Foxwoods.
Yep. Foxwoods. Laura and Laki chose to get married on the grounds of a casino ... but, trust me, there was nothing casino-like about this venue as Lake of Isles is an absolutely STUNNING location that looks completely out of place from the video slot machines and smokers lounge you may normally associate Foxwoods with.
But that's New England for you. Everywhere you go, you may be feet away from a stunning wedding location and not even know it.
My coverage of Laura and Laki's day began with my favorite part of their wedding as the two shared a private first look on an incredible bridge overlooking the lake where they would later say "I do."
I loved this moment for the bride and groom as they both looked so incredibly happy, and surprisingly nerve free. Though, I supposed that's to be expected as the pair had been together almost their entire lives.
Following their first look, we spent some time shooting bride and groom formals on the bridge and, considering the view, can you blame us?
I always love when a couple chooses to do a first look as it makes the rest of the day so much easier and this was definitely the case for Laura and Laki and we were able to take care of most of their formal photos before their wedding and get right into their late afternoon ceremony precisely on time and with perfect lighting.
Laura and Laki's ceremony was incredibly sweet and a beautiful recap of their love story as the two wove in special moments about their time together in school and the long journey around the world that took them to this beautiful New England day.
My favorite part of the ceremony, though, was seeing Laura's adorable flower girl reading from a book titled "Love is You & Me."
I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the house.
Following their "I do's," Laura and Laki made their way to their cocktail hour and reception and I could tell this night was just getting started.
Laura and Laki's reception took place in an immaculate ballroom inside Lake of Isles and it was the perfect venue for a party that was equal parts classy and traditional while also being incredibly fun.
I don't know if I could pick out a favorite part from their reception but, if I had to, it would definitely involve their friends and family as Laura and Laki's dance floor was packed almost instantly from the moment the bride and groom walked in.
No doubt thanks to an awesome live band, but also because of the incredibly close feeling of the group inside, this reception felt more like a gathering of long-time friends who all came in with one goal in mind: Make this a night to never forget.
And they did just that.
Although my time with Laura and Laki ended fairly soon after their cake cutting, I could tell we captured some incredible shots of a night this bride and groom had waited their entire life for.
Set in one of the most surprising venues I've ever seen, Laura and Laki's big day was elegant, beautiful and so much fun.
It was the kind of wedding that makes you want more and if this night taught me anything, it's that I need to get back to the Lake of Isles as soon as possible.
I know one thing for sure: Laura and Laki hit the jackpot on their Foxwoods nuptials and I can't wait to go back there again.
-PJS.
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.