Krissie & Adam
There's something special about a summer night on the beach in Rhode Island. Whether it's the crisp smell of salt water in the air or the calm sound of the waves crashing slowly and steadily across the shore, there are few places I'd rather be during the hottest period of the year than the most beautiful natural feature of the Ocean State.
This is why I'm always excited when I'm asked to photograph a wedding at a venue like the North Beach Clubhouse in Narragansett.
I know before I even walk in exactly what the vibe is going to be and know it's going to feel more like a party than a traditional wedding and, in the case of Krissie and Adam's wedding back in July, that party had all the beautiful romantic moments you want from a bride and groom's special day but with the added bonus of feeling like a family celebration and summer block party all in one neat package.
That it also happened to be one of the most chill and casual weddings I shot in 2026, with some of the most stunning bride and groom beach photos I've ever taken, is just the cherry on top.
Krissie and Adam's wedding had one of the more unorthodox timeline plans of a wedding I've shot this year but it told me everything I needed to know about this bride and groom and what they cared about the most on their special day.
Both the bride and groom declined traditional prep photos and, instead, had me start my day with a casual first look in the backyard of the home they were both getting ready in. This meant my time with the couple started abruptly but it also meant I'd have a lot more time for dance photos at the end of the night and I knew that's what this couple really prioritized.
As for that first look? It was a wonderful way to start this day off as we rolled right into some really sweet interactions between the newlyweds as they prepared to say "I do."
Krissie and Adam's decision to do formal photos prior to their ceremony meant two things. First, we'd have a stunning ocean backdrop to work with. Second, though, it meant we were really up against it when it came to the conditions as it was peak sunlight time AND one of the windiest places I've ever shot.
To their credit, this bride and groom powered through and we knocked out all of the formal combinations with family members that they wanted before heading to the North Beach Clubhouse.
I'm glad Krissie and Adam's day was structured the way it was as it meant we would have the most difficult portions of their day finished by the time we arrived to their ceremony but any hopes I had that the shooting conditions would change with the location swap were gone pretty quickly when I arrived to the North Beach Clubhouse and saw the light wasn't much better and the wind wasn't letting up.
You've really got to admire this bride and groom though as they didn't seem even a little bit bothered by it, to be honest and I knew that with the loud breeze making it pretty hard for guests or the couple themselves to hear each other speak, it would be up to my photos to tell the story of this day and, thankfully, Krissie and Adam were so full of big smiles and having such a great time from the moment this ceremony began that that was a cakewalk.
Krissie and Adam's ceremony was one of the toughest ones I've had to shoot this year but also one of the most rewarding. I loved all the personal little touches this bride and groom put on their special moment together, not the least of which was having their daughter Morgan do a reading right before their vows.
Add in a traditional Armenian crowning ceremony and the stunning backdrop of a great floral arch plus a beautiful beach landscape and this was a wonderful ceremony to document.
By the time Krissie and Adam shared their first kiss and officially became husband and wife, though, I had no doubt these two were eager to get out of the wind and get their celebration on.
Krissie and Adam structured their day intentionally in a way that would allow them the most time possible to spend with friends and family members during cocktail hour and I loved that for them. They also made it a point to hire caricature artists to draw photos of their wedding guests and between that and the fun conversations, there was no shortage of ways for those in attendance to celebrate this milestone moment in their lives.
I, meanwhile, was happy to have time to grab photos of their details as the North Beach Clubhouse can be a tricky place to shoot inside once guests take over the main dining area. Luckily, everyone was determined to soak up every bit of the summer sun on the deck of this venue on this afternoon and I could just casually stroll around the room and see the special little touches these newlyweds put on their beautiful wedding day.
I really wasn't sure what to expect from Krissie and Adam's wedding reception but I knew from our previous conversations that they weren't big center-of-attention type people. That's why it didn't surprise me when they cut their first dance, set to “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne in half and breezed through it in under two minutes.
It was a beautiful moment at any length and the perfect way to start this reception.
With their first look in the books and the sun FINALLY coming down enough to work with the light the way I wanted to, I was finally able to take Krissie and Adam onto the beach in front of their venue and capture some of their first photos as a married couple.
I have a love-hate relationship with taking a bride and groom's formal portraits on the beach. On the one hand, if you have great conditions, there is no better place to capture the love and romance of people who just tied the knot. On the other, beaches are crowded, difficult to walk around and leave everyone a mess.
Thankfully, the sunset on this night was so beautiful it was worth whatever sand I would have to pick out of wherever it went for the next three days after this wedding.
I mean, seriously. Talk about stunning photos of a wonderful couple.
Following these sunset portraits, Krissie and Adam headed inside their venue for dinner and we all prepared for the back half of the night.
Krissie and Adam kept their reception formalities pretty simple and skipped most of the traditional elements like toasts, a cake cutting and a bouquet toss that you see at many weddings. Instead, the big moment to launch the back half of this party were two beautiful parent dances and I'm glad these were a focal point for this bride and groom as each was special and touching.
Within moments of Adam and his mother wrapping up their dance together, it was time to get this party started off right and I knew that, with my bride being Armenian, we were likely going to have a really fun night ahead of us.
And it sure was.
Krissie and Adam's guests were well versed in all the traditional cultural dances at the heart of this celebration and the 90s/00 bangers sprinkled around those dances kept the party's energy steady all night long.
I enjoyed watching this dance floor come together, especially with Krissie in the thick of it all and I could tell it was everything the bride and groom thought it would be and much more.
As my time with Krissie and Adam came to an end, I couldn't help but by in a little bit of a silly goose mood heading out of their venue ... to the point where my assistant and I were laughing and joking on the way to our cars. I think that's such a great compliment for this couple and their day as the vibes were just so solid and chill that everyone, regardless of who they were, couldn't help but have a great day celebrating this love story.
It takes a lot of guts to get married on the beach in the summer in Rhode Island but, when you do it right, it can be a true highlight for those in attendance for the season and it certainly was for me. So thanks Krissie and Adam for allowing me to play a small part in your beautiful wedding day and I wish you nothing but the best as you journey together on this new chapter of your lives together as husband and wife. :)
-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: Alyssa Giarrusso; Bride's Make-up: Abigail Rossiti; Bride's Dress: Spark Bridal, Cranston, Rhode Island; Groom's Suit: Men’s Wearhouse; Florist: Les Isle Rose, East Greenwich, Rhode Island; Ceremony & Reception: North Beach Clubhouse, Narragansett, Rhode Island; Caricatures: Don Landgren Jr.; Guitarist: Jay Rabbitt; Dessert: Wrights Dairy Farm, North Smithfield, Rhode Island.