Nate & Kaytii
There are few things more exciting for a wedding photographer than the start of a new wedding season and the very first shoot of a year. And for me, Nate & Kaytii's May 1st wedding at Meadowbrook Inn in Charlestown, Rhode Island couldn't have come at a better time. Not only was this an event I looked forward to for a full six months but it was a beautiful reminder of why I love weddings in the first place.
Nate & Kaytii are an incredibly sweet couple and their one goal for their wedding day was to make it as fun and laid back as possible. Not only did they accomplish that but they did so in their own unique way and by the time this night was over, I knew this bride and groom got everything they hoped for and more from their big day ... and so did I.
And I can't think of a better way to have begun what promises to be an amazing year of awesome New England weddings.
It didn't take long for me to get an idea of how Nate & Kaytii's wedding would go.
In fact, it was just a few moments into bridal prep that I knew I was dealing with a really fun couple as Kaytii and her bridesmaids had a super casual hair and makeup session done at Kaytii's mom's house.
There was no stress or drama to the day and Kaytii herself looked as nervous as someone watching their favorite show on Netflix, which is to say she was as cool as a cucumber and seemed genuinely excited to see how this day developed.
I will admit, though, that the music choice for the day caught me off guard as Kaytii and her bridesmaids rotated between a wide variety of tracks and genres. Sometimes we were listening to heavy metal. Other times, it was African tribal music or even medieval military death medal instrumental tracks from an early 2000s French group named Gae Bolg. Yeah, this was a unique bridal prep session to say the least.
What I loved the most about Kaytii's bridal prep was how chill everyone was as we got prepared to head to the venue.
Normally, this is the point where even the most relaxed brides get nervous but, perhaps it was the fact that we had a half-hour drive ahead of us, or perhaps it was just who she is as a person, but Kaytii showed no nerves leading up to her wedding ceremony ... at least not until the dress was on anyway.
I tell all my couples that at least one thing will go wrong on your wedding day and you shouldn't stress out about it and for Kaytii, the one thing was losing her earrings. Despite searching every bag five times, her final piece of jewelry was nowhere to be found. But, as she's one to roll with the punches, Kaytii never let it get her down.
And how could it? She picked an absolute perfect day to get married (Even if it was on a Tuesday) and anyone who would be remotely disappointed with any part of their day would change their tune the moment they saw how beautiful Meadowbrook Inn looked on this early spring afternoon.
Nate & Kaytii's wedding ceremony was a perfect blend of traditional pomp and circumstance and more modern, laid back celebration of love. The two got married on a picture-perfect sunny afternoon and their entire ceremony centered around their coming together as husband and wife to complete one another and make each other stronger.
I loved watching the way this bride and groom looked at each other, particularly during their vows, and their special hand-tying ceremony really hammered the entire point of this day home. For two people who met online through a video game, which is as 21st-century as it gets, there was something truly touching about the old school themes that they focused on through their nuptials.
And that theme was reinforced after the ceremony, as well, as this bride and groom had a TON of family and formal photo requests because they really wanted to honor the people closest to them.
I never mind long family and wedding party formal photo lists but I always worry about how it will cut into my time with the bride and groom and while that most certainly happened here, you'd be hard pressed to see it in the photos as Nate, Kaytii and I made the most of the NINE MINUTES we had for bride and groom formals with a ton of great moments between the two of them on the grounds where they had just said "I do" an hour earlier.
Thankfully, they were both troopers and totally supportive of the ideas I had and though we didn't have a lot of time, we made the most of it with some really sweet photos of the newlyweds that I think came to define the day perfectly.
By the time Nate, Kaytii and I headed into their reception room, I could tell the toughest parts of the day were over.
Kaytii told me pretty early on in our meetings that her goal for her wedding reception was a nice night with friends and family and a laidback vibe where people relaxed, talked and enjoyed the time with each other.
I knew that that mindset, coupled with the fact that this was a Tuesday night reception, likely meant it would be more of a comfortable celebration of the bride and groom's love than an all-out party but that doesn't mean it was without its moments of fun.
I especially loved the decor Nate & Kaytii chose, much of which the bride made by hand. Kaytii had a goal to incorporate fairies into her wedding as much as possible and while I was worried about what that meant when she first told me about it, I think it all came out amazing and led for some really unique and special touches to her night that I won't see anywhere else.
And, of course, you'll have to excuse me if I was a little partial to Nate & Kaytii's reception as their first dance was set to "Lucky" by Jason Mraz, one of my wife and my favorite songs as a couple.
Nate & Kaytii skipped out on some of the staples of your typical wedding reception but I can't say I blame them. They had a slew of great speeches from those closest to them, cut one of the best cakes I've ever seen at a wedding and even honored Kaytii's late father with a special father-daughter dance set to "Butterfly Kisses" and "You Raise Me Up" where the bride invited any of her guests up that wanted to dance with her. In all, it was the perfect low-key wedding reception to start my season off with.
And though the party was on a Tuesday night, there was still plenty of fun and dancing to be had as Kaytii's friends and family members let loose to whatever songs came on while the bride spent plenty of quality time with those closest to her on and off the dance floor.
By the end of the night, I could tell Nate & Kaytii were getting more and more excited to leave for their honeymoon. The two had planned to hit the road the day after the wedding and spent the final few songs together on the dance floor with beaming smiles on their faces, totally soaking in how the wedding of the dreams finally became a reality.
I may shoot a lot of weddings this year but I don't know if I'll shoot any quite like Nate & Kaytii's.
This bride and groom lit up whenever they were next to each other and they flawlessly stayed true to their vision for their wedding in even the smallest details. I love that about them. And I loved how much you could tell, just by looking at them, how much this day meant to them.
That's why I love shooting weddings and why I looked so forward to this, my first wedding of the 2018 season.
What a way to start what I'm confident will be an amazing year.
So, congrats Nate & Kaytii! I hope your wedding day was everything you hoped it would be and more. Thanks for allowing me to follow along on your journey down the aisle. I know I loved every moment of it. :)
-PJS
The Vendor List
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Hair: Kim Tan; Make-up: Melanie Scott; Kaytii's dress: Normans Bridal Shoppe in Springfield, Missouri; Kaytii's shoes: Dillard's; Nate's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Officiant: Pastor John H. of Warwick Central Baptist Church; Cake: Erin Perry of Chocolate Rose Bake Shop in Griswold, Connecticut; Ceremony and Reception: Meadowbrook Inn in Charlestown, Rhode Island.
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Nathan & Amy
Location: Quidnessett Country Club, North Kingstown Rhode Island.
Date: November 18th, 2017
Keiran & Jessica
Location: Crystal Lake Golf Club, Mapleville, Rhode Island.
Date: October 28th, 2017
Mike & Rachel
Location: Castle Manor Inn, Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Date: October 21st, 2017
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