Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2022 —
North Beach Clubhouse Wedding Photos
Lindsay & Kevin
North Beach Clubhouse, Narragansett, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
November 12th, 2022
It takes a lot of guts to book a wedding in New England in mid November. It takes even more guts to book a wedding on the beach in New England in mid November. But for Lindsay and Kevin, who said "I do" at the North Beach Clubhouse in Narragansett, Rhode Island, that's exactly what they did and I find that admirable. For these two, the optimism of saying "Let's have the wedding of our dreams and hope for the best" was a bit of a risk but, when the time came, it's hard to say they were anything but right.
Why? Well, Because the best, it turns out, was an unseasonably sunny and warm day that felt more like the middle of fall than the beginning of winter. But, truth be told, I don't think these two would have cared one bit what the weather was like or where they got married. When push came to shove, all that mattered was that they were together and they were declaring their love for one another.
But the beautiful weather certainly didn't hurt.
My time with Lindsay and Kevin started a bit more awkwardly than I'm used to as BOTH the bride and groom decided they didn't need any preparation photos and wanted me to show up right before their first look at a house a stone's throw away from their venue.
As always, I never mind sticking to a couple's plan but I am glad I was able to arrive a few moments before the first look kicked off so I could get a feel for how both Kevin and Lindsay were feeling and, well, they were both excited to get this day started.
And that was evident right from the first look as Kevin turned around and, in what might be a first for me, was super pumped at the dress Lindsay picked because it matched the exact style he always pictured her in.
Lindsay and Kevin were flat out adorable from the moment they first saw each other and while Kevin wasn't a huge fan of having his photo taken (What groom is?) I loved finding little ways to bring his smile out in photos and melt his tough exterior by shifting his focus from the photo taking process to thinking about the woman he was set to marry very soon.
I really loved the photos in the backyard of the home they were staying in. We didn't have a TON of foliage left in the area this time of year but the little pop of green from the evergreen plants in this spot gave us just enough contrast with Kevin's outfit to work as a great backdrop before we hit the beach.
One of the things I loved the most about Lindsay and Kevin's wedding day was how casual they were about everything. After snapping a few minutes of bride and groom portraits at their rental location, we packed up and headed over to the North Beach Clubhouse for family and wedding party formals.
The beach, surprisingly, was PACKED for a mid-November day but neither Kevin nor Lindsay minded as we snapped some lovely shots of those closest to them.
More importantly, once we got the formal photos out of the way, Kevin and Lindsay were thrilled to go on the sand themselves for some shots along the water as the sun slowly started to come down prior to their ceremony.
Of all the bride and groom portraits we took on Kevin and Lindsay's wedding day, the one of him lifting his soon-to-be bride was the one I loved the most. Not because it's the most perfectly posed photo. Nope. It's because it really brought out their personalities so well and made them both crack up laughing.
I can think of no better note for us to have gone out on moments before their sunset ceremony began. And what a ceremony it was.
Lindsay and Kevin chose to say "I do" on the same deck we shot their formal photos on earlier in the afternoon and while the setting sun and quickly fading temperatures chased away the dozens of beachgoers in the background, the friends and family members on hand for this ceremony were exactly where they wanted to be.
Lindsay and Kevin's ceremony was full of little touches and details about their relationship together and the way they make each other better and I know neither of them will ever forget how stunningly beautiful it looked on this gorgeous late afternoon.
Following their ceremony, Kevin and Lindsay spent the majority of their cocktail hour mingling with their guests, which was a very important goal for them and half the reason we took care of formal photos prior to their ceremony. I was thankful for the break in action as it allowed me to capture some of the details they had on display for their reception.
The North Beach Clubhouse is a very DIY-friendly venue and it takes a lot of forethought for a couple to maximize the ballroom area and balance the beach house vibes with classic wedding tones but Lindsay and Kevin knocked their wedding decor out of the park by keeping things simple and casual. I especially loved their no frills and hilarious double wedding cake display.
But that may also be because I am a low key teenager when it comes to humor.
Following cocktail hour, Lindsay and Kevin made an interesting decision and chose to roll right into their toasts and dinner period, saving the formal dances for later.
With the way the North Beach Clubhouse is set up — you eat inside and the dance floor is typically outside under a tent — I can't say I blame these two for deciding not to make their guests move back and forth between the two rooms.
It also meant more attention could be paid to the three speeches being made without guests getting hungry and these speeches — from Lindsay's dad, the maid of honor and best man, respectively — were all different in tone and approach in the best way. I loved all three speeches but especially loved how into the toasts the couple, and the room of guests, were.
Following dinner, Lindsay and Kevin prepared for the party portion of their evening and I honestly had ZERO idea what to expect. Up until this point, their guests all seemed like the fun-loving type but, as I said earlier, we're talking about a beach wedding with an outdoor dance floor under a tent in the middle of November.
One of the other things I low key worried about was Lindsay and Kevin's choice not to hire a DJ for their wedding. This is normally never a great idea as you need someone to keep the energy of the dance floor going.
Moments into Lindsay and Kevin's first dance song, though, which was set to "Stay Young, Go Dancing" by Death Cab for Cutie, I knew there was going to be no issue with the dancing on this evening as the newlyweds KILLED IT on the dance floor and their friends and family members were excitedly cheering them on with every step from side to side.
Lindsay and Kevin's decision to keep all the formal dances to the after-dinner portion of their reception also meant there was no break in the action from the first dance to their individual parent dances and I think this turned out to be a great move as Lindsay's dance with her father was beautiful and emotional and Kevin and his mother were having a blast right afterward.
This all also meant we moved right from three great dances into the open dance floor portion of the evening and to say Lindsay and Kevin's crew were excited about this is an understatement.
Despite not having a DJ, there wasn't a moment where one was needed. The playlist Lindsay and Kevin chose was just banger after banger and the crowd responded accordingly.
Seriously. I don't think these folks let the dance floor get anything less than full all night long and every time I turned around, someone else was going HARD on rocking out. It was everything I love in a dance floor and more.
Before I took off for the evening, Kevin and Lindsay decided to have one last formal moment of their evening and cut their wedding cake. I loved this little moment as it gave the bride and groom a moment to catch their breath from all the dancing but, for me, it was a lovely way to end my coverage of a great day.
As I packed my gear and made my way out from the North Beach Clubhouse, I felt really fortunate at how everything turned out. I won't lie: November weddings make me nervous. But Lindsay and Kevin's went about as perfectly as you can ask for.
Maybe you can call it luck. I prefer to think of it as fate and much like the fate that brought these two amazing people together, fate made sure this was a day (and a night) they would never forget.
So, thank you Lindsay and Kevin for allowing me to document such a special day and I wish you all the best as you enjoy this new chapter of your lives together as husband and wife.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Valley Country Club,
Warwick, Rhode Island
November 11th, 2022
Brookmeadow Country Club,
Canton, Massachusetts
November 5th, 2022
Lake Pearl,
Wrentham, Massachusetts
November 4th, 2022
The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Dress: David's Bridal; Groom's Suit: Michael Strahan suits; Ceremony & Reception Venue: North Beach Clubhouse, Narragansett, Rhode Island; Florist: Flowerthyme, Wakefield, Rhode Island; Cake: Sugar Bakery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.