Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2019 —
Quidnessett Country Club Wedding
Amanda & Thomas
St. George Maronite Catholic Church & Quidnessett Country Club
July 27th, 2019
There's an old insurance commercial that says "Life comes at you fast" and, as a wedding photographer, I'm often reminded of that throughout the season as couples whose wedding often seems like a far-away concept when we book together are suddenly upon us before we know it.
This applies to many of my couples but no more so than Amanda and Thomas, who I had only met for the first time six weeks before they said "I do". Heck, I had barely delivered their engagement photos before it was already time for them to walk down the aisle.
But even though their wedding seemingly came out of nowhere to me, this was clearly a day the bride and groom thought about and planned for years. And it was well worth the wait.
My time with Amanda and Thomas began with a crowded and hectic but super fun bridal prep session as the bride-to-be was putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup with less than an hour to go before we headed to the ceremony site.
Despite the chaos around her, Amanda was in great spirits and not the least bit fazed. But Amanda is a mom. Lots of commotion and the stress of trying to get out of the house is far from new and she showed it by barely breaking a sweat as the minutes to our departure ticked away.
Although we arrived to St. George Maronite Catholic Church in Cranston a little later than planned, there was no worry on the part of the bride or the groom as our timeline had plenty of extra time built into it to account for a late afternoon cocktail hour that was still four hours away.
And when Amanda did walk down the aisle to her waiting groom? The only thing that mattered to the two of them was each other.
I truly loved Amanda and Thomas' wedding ceremony. Not only was it at a beautiful church but their priest also happened to be my family's priest and one of the funniest, most go-with-the-flow officiants I've ever seen at a wedding.
It made for a really fun wedding and set a beautiful tone to start the rest of our afternoon and I could tell the bride and groom loved it as the two never stopped smiling as they officially became husband and wife.
Following Amanda and Thomas' wedding ceremony, we made our way through the red hot summer seat to Goddard Park in East Greenwich. I love Goddard Park as it is easily one of the coolest locations for photos in the Southern Rhode Island area and this afternoon was no exception.
What I especially loved about Amanda and Thomas was how much fun their wedding party and families were.
There was no pressure on us to rush through the photos, at least not after they all partook in the food truck stationed inside the park, and when I finally got the bride and groom alone for formal portraits in the western corner of the park, I was so grateful we took our time as the lighting was perfect.
I could have photographed Amanda and Thomas for another hour at Goddard Park without getting bored but we still have traveling to do as the pair had chosen the Quidnessett Country Club as the site of their reception.
And I'm glad they did as the look of the freshly-made over building complimented their choice of decorations perfectly.
Following some more wedding party portraits and a laidback cocktail hour, Amanda and Thomas finally got ready to kick the party portion of the evening off with some fun introductions by their wedding party and a beautiful first dance set to “What's Mine is Yours” by Kane Brown.
Following their first dance, I could tell Amanda and Thomas were excited to get to the dinner portion of their evening but they still found time for two beautiful speeches by their maid of honor and best man and a slightly unexpected but fantastically delivered rendition of Sweet Caroline by one of their guests.
If you've ever been to a New England wedding, you know that song is a crowd favorite and it was no exception on this summer evening.
One of the reasons I liked working with Amanda and Thomas so much on their wedding day was how accommodating they were. Despite having shot photos for hours before dinner, they were still willing to go outside with me one last time as the sun started to set for some final bride and groom portraits.
And, boy, am I glad they did as these photos were easily my favorite of the entire day.
After dinner, our schedule was action packed with signature reception events and each one delivered in its own special way.
I adored the short but sweet cake cutting Amanda and Thomas had and especially loved their two dances with their parents but it was Thomas' dance with his daughter that really hammered home how important the theme of family was on this night.
All told, you couldn't have asked for better signature events to kick start a wedding reception and I know they were exactly what these newlyweds envisioned and more.
Of course, just because the night up to this point was sweet doesn't mean we weren't going to get a little rowdy too.
Pretty much from the moment Thomas went hunting for the garter belt, the evening took a turn to the wild side and I'm so glad it did because this bride and groom have some really fun people around them and they delivered when it came time to loosen up a bit.
Of course, no wedding reception is complete without late night partying and Amanda and Thomas' guests made the most of their time on the Quidnessett Country Club dance floor.
Whether it was fast songs, slow songs or group numbers, these folks make sure to rock out to every song provided by Pro Sound RI and it made for one truly fun atmosphere to photograph.
Though I was only at the open dance floor portion of Amanda and Thomas' wedding reception for a little under an hour, I feel like we captured some truly fun candid moments the bride and groom will cherish forever.
And I can't think of a more fitting way to close the story on this bride and groom's special day.
Amanda and Thomas were a blast to work with and truly had a wedding years in the making. You could see how appreciative they were to all those who came out from them all evening long and I know they made the most of the day they said "I do."
So congratulations Amanda and Thomas on a beautiful wedding day. I hope this is just the latest in a long string of amazing life memories you get to share together with your special family.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Tags: Church Weddings, St. George Maronite Catholic Church, Goddard Park, Quidnessett Country Club, Rhode Island Weddings, Cranston, East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Paul J. Spetrini Photography
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Flower Arrangement: Whole Foods; Ceremony Location: St. George Maronite Catholic Church, Cranston, Rhode Island; Reception Location: Quidnessett Country Club, North Kingstown, Rhode Island; Wedding Cake: Dyane's Sweet Tooth, Cumberland, Rhode Island; DJ: Pro Sound DJ Entertainment Services.