Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island— 2023 —
Oceancliff Hotel Wedding Photos
Gianna & Nick
Grace Church, Providence, Rhode Island (Ceremony) &
Oceancliff Hotel, Newport, Rhode Island (Reception)
November 10th, 2023
I'm a big believer in making connections with my clients. From the very time I meet a bride or groom, I want to get to know them and make their entire experience with wedding photography as easygoing and comfortable as possible.
But in the case of Gianna and Nick, who were married in Newport back in November, my first words weren't so much a friendly greeting or a welcoming gesture. It was, in essence, an immediate plea to shoot their wedding.
Why the hard sell? Because I knew from the very first moment I met this couple that they were meant to be my clients. And I was right.
Gianna and Nick's big day was everything I love about weddings and so much more. Not only was their wedding at my all-time favorite venue, on a gorgeous fall afternoon, but they were one of the sweetest, kindest, most fun couples I've ever worked with. To say this day was a highlight is an understatement. It was perfect. In every way.
Heading into Gianna and Nick's wedding day, I knew I would have my work cut out of me because the plan was always to start at Oceancliff in Newport, drive to Providence for their wedding ceremony and drive all the way back to Newport for their reception.
I always get worried when I have weddings that require traveling to or from Newport and the only thing that worries me more is having a wedding that requires me to travel to and from Providence so this was going to be a triple whammy.
Making things worse was the start of my coverage was a double bill as I had to shoot both Gianna's prep and Nick's prep, which were both happening at opposite ends of the hotel.
Still. I love a good challenge so I knew it would be fun.
I began my busy prep time with Gianna and then rotated between her and the groom every few minutes and I couldn't help but laugh at how starkly different the tone for both rooms was as, like most weddings, the bride and bridesmaids were in a chaotic bit of final preparations as the time to leave inched closer by and the groom and groomsmen? Well, they were having a great, casual time.
I mean, sure, eventually Nick and his guys got dressed but before they did, they were hanging in the groom suite and playing putt putt on an indoor putting golf range.
I could tell Nick was feeling a little anxious about everything going smoothly, though, as he started to get pretty serious when his suit was on and I had him read his note from his bride-to-be.
Over on the girl's side, Gianna's bridal prep was busy and a bit stressful as a bunch of girls hurried to and from the room but the bride herself was in great spirits the entire time. I especially loved the super sweet and emotional moment Gianna shared a first look with her father and as she read her note from Nick, moments before we left, she showed no signs of worry and looked more and more excited to walk down that aisle.
But first, we had a 45-minute drive to attend to.
I'm not going to lie. I was STRESSED trying to get to Grace Church in Providence for Gianna and Nick's wedding ceremony. Not only were most of the roads I needed to cut across in Newport blocked off on this particular afternoon but I knew the church itself didn't have a proper parking lot and I'd need to quickly unload my stuff out of my car on the street and pray I didn't hold up traffic too long.
Lucky for me, I was fortunate to work with my favorite second photographer Becky and my favorite assistant Amanda for this wedding and that team mentality really helped me get in the right mindset for the start of this ceremony.
Of course, it would have been hard for me to be anything but over the moon excited for this ceremony when the bride arrived and we officially started. I mean, look at the look on Nick's face when he saw Gianna for the first time. If that's not the look of love, I don't know what is.
Gianna and Nick's ceremony was a traditional religious ceremony in a beautiful, historic church and with it came all the bells and whistles you expect to see from such a setting.
I always love religious ceremonies, particularly when you can see the bride and groom themselves are loving every moment of it and Gianna and Nick were not only locked in the moment but I don't think they even knew there was another soul in that building with how much they were looking at each other and savoring every second of this day.
By the time Gianna and Nick sealed their love with a kiss, I could tell these two were beyond pumped to get this party started. But first, we had formal photos in front of the church to attend to and then a drive back to Newport before we could really let loose.
I don't think this bride or groom minded THIS 45-minute long trek though as they got to relax and spend time with their wedding party and build anticipation for what was to come.
And what a fun wedding party it was. As soon as this group arrived at Oceancliff, we rolled right into formal photos and they kept their spirits high despite a slight November chill that made all of us do our best to hide how cold we really were.
After what seemed like a marathon session of family and wedding party formal photos, I finally had Gianna and Nick to myself and looked forward to seeing what we could get from one of my favorite couples to work with this year.
I knew from their engagement session that Gianna and Nick would be fun to photograph. What I didn't know was it was going to be my favorite bride and groom portrait session of the year.
We started simple enough, just getting the basics in ...
But then, as if by fate, right before I was starting to wind down with Gianna and Nick, I noticed the sun was starting to really set in a special way.
Now, I'm not superstitious but I do think sometimes I'm lucky and it never fails that once every wedding season, the Gods smile down on me and I get a willing bride and groom and the most amazing lighting of the entire season.
That happened toward the end of Gianna and Nick's bride and groom portrait session and what started as “Maybe we can do one more?” turned into another 20 minutes of the best photos I've taken all year.
Look, there's a reason these two are plastered all over my marketing this year. This was as good as it gets. Period.
I mean, come on. How can you top bride and groom photos that are that good?
I don't toot my own horn often but, man, I was PUMPED with what we captured as Gianna, Nick and I made our way into Oceancliff for the start of their reception.
I could have left at this point in the night and considered Gianna and Nick's wedding a success but I knew there was no way I was leaving this night until the lights came on because this reception had the potential to be amazing and it absolutely was.
Gianna and Nick opened their reception with a custom introduction by UFC announcer Bruce Buffer and a first dance set to “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran and it only got better and better the longer the night went on.
I've said this more times than I could possibly count but there's nowhere I'd rather shoot a reception than Oceancliff and Gianna and Nick's wedding shows why.
I love this ballroom so much as it makes every wedding moment truly special and whether it was a pair of sweet parent dances, three great toasts or a truly hilarious game of musical chairs to open the dance floor, every little moment Gianna and Nick planned for their reception was a blast to see and even more fun to shoot.
Still, no good reception can be a great reception without a dance floor that just won't quit and I knew we were in for something special when Gianna and Nick were both out on the dance floor rocking out from the very start of the first song.
What I really loved about Gianna and Nick's reception was the crowd paced themselves well. At times, the dance floor thinned out briefly but only because folks were outside smoking cigars or in another room enjoying the photo booth.
Gianna and Nick's reception FLEW BY and, before I knew it, I was sticking around well past my contracted time just because I needed to be there to capture every moment. And I was rewarded because Gianna and Nick's friends and family capped this night off right.
I've got to be honest. Driving to and from Newport multiple times in one day is far from fun but as I packed my car and headed home from the City by the Sea, I couldn't help but be full of excitement at everything we captured and eager to see how things turned out.
And my reward for that was, without a doubt, one of the best weddings of the entire year. A wedding so good that I already had new marketing material with Gianna and Nick printed before I even started editing their photos.
If that's not a surefire sign you had an amazing time, I don't know what is.
So thank you Gianna and Nick for one of the wildest and most memorable weddings I've ever shot. I wish you nothing but the best on this new and exciting journey together as husband and wife. If nothing else, I know it will be a life full of love, laughs and plenty of memories to cherish forever.
Who could ask for more?
-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: Allison Barbera Beauty; Bride's Dress: David's Bridal; Bride's Dress Alterations: Almeida’s Bridal Alterations; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Florist: Golden Gate Studio; Ceremony Venue: Grace Episcopal Church, Providence, Rhode Island; Reception Venue: Oceancliff Hotel, Newport, Rhode Island; DJ: Music Makers Entertainment; Cake: Sin Bakery.