Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island— 2021 —
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church Wedding Photos
Mark & Julie
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, Providence, Rhode Island
June 12th, 2021
One of the things I love the most about weddings in 2021 is brides and grooms have really taken the time to figure out exactly what it is they hope to get out of their big day. It seems this year, more than any other, couples have cut out the excess and extravagant things they don't really care about and it's made for simple, streamlined, perfect events.
I knew from the moment I met Mark and Julie back in February that they were a couple that fit this mold to a tee. First off, they were planning their wedding just a few months before it was to happen and had no stress, whatsoever, about how close the day was.
Second, they were doing so in a way that kept things small and intimidate, not only because the coronavirus pandemic left a lot of uncertainty in the air about how to proceed with a wedding but because, deep down, what they really wanted wouldn't be affected by social distance guidelines or limits on crowd size.
You have to respect a couple that has a clear vision about their wedding day and then executes that vision perfectly and that's why, despite only spending about four total hours with Mark and Julie — one of which was their traditional Catholic ceremony — I feel we captured their wedding day in a complete, picture perfect way.
As is often the case with some of my shorter wedding days, I got right to work the minute my time with Mark and Julie started. As Julie was a bride who didn't go through crazy preparation for her day, her bridal prep was mostly stress free and my time with her during this portion of the day consisted largely of grabbing photos of her dress and details and capturing those final touch-ups she did with her hair and makeup.
My absolute favorite part of Julie's bridal prep session was watching the way her parents looked so proud of her after she got into her dress and truly looked stunning as the bride-to-be.
If she had any stress at all, Julie did a masterful job hiding it and we ran like clockwork getting her to the church right on time, a feat that I've learned in my decade of shooting weddings is easier said than done.
Mark and Julie were married at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Providence and, I've got to say, this church was beautiful. And not just because it actually had great lighting inside ... though that certainly helped.
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church is located right in the middle of a busy area of the Ocean State's capital city but it, somehow, felt completely cut off from the hustle and bustle of city life and once the church filled with the bride and groom's closest friends and family members, it felt cozy and intimate in a way that was absolutely perfect for this lovely ceremony.
I loved Mark and Julie's ceremony for the big moments — like the always classic bride walking down the aisle — but also for the small ones, like the bride and groom wearing wedding themed shoes with words on the bottom or Julie making the entire church laugh as she struggled to get Mark's ring on.
While some Catholic ceremonies can feel incredibly long and stuffy, Mark and Julie's felt like just the right length and was a wonderful balance between traditional pomp and circumstance and casual/modern ceremony.
And, best of all, it was just long enough to give us cover from rain storms that came through the area.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an eye on the radar for portions of Mark and Julie's wedding ceremony but, it was with good reason as I realllllly wanted to shoot their formal photos on the steps of their church and, almost on cue, the moment the ceremony ended, the weather started to clear up.
I'm so glad it did, too, as the front of Our Lady of the Rosary Church looked stunning thanks to the overcast skies. It was the absolute perfect place for us to knock our their family and wedding party formal photos and the beautiful wood doors provided a beautiful backdrop for my favorite church formals in years.
In all of my time talking to Mark and Julie, the one thing I wasn't clear about heading into their wedding day was what we'd do once their ceremony was over. Back in February, the pair had a "wait and see" approach to their wedding reception as the pandemic made planning a large party nearly impossible.
I still wasn't entirely sure how things would go on the actual day itself but I knew Mark, Julie and I were heading to a spot up the street from the church, near India Point Park, for some more bride and groom formals and, honestly, that was good enough for me.
I could have worked with Mark and Julie on bride and groom portraits for hours but we captured a ton of different looks and feels for their formal photos in the 20 minutes we had and, sometimes, that's really all you need.
As Mark and Julie wrapped up their formal photos and prepared to head out to a small post-ceremony lunch with their closest friends and family members, I couldn't help but wish I had had more time with the bride and groom.
But, as I walked back to my car, I realized that the reason I loved this wedding so much is that I didn't.
Mark and Julie knew exactly what they wanted for their big day together and they executed that vision perfectly.
They may not have had the 200-person country club party where their friends get drunk and rowdy on the dance floor. They may not have had the 14-person wedding party. But what they did have was a beautiful, subtle, intimate wedding that fit their relationship perfectly and was a reminder of what really matters is having the wedding day of your dreams and saying "I do" with the person you love.
So, thank you Mark and Julie for including me on your journey down the aisle. I wish you luck in this new and exciting chapter of your life together.
-Paul J. Spetrini
