Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island— 2023 —
Quidnessett Country Club Wedding Photos
Angelo & Tammi
Quidnessett Country Club, North Kingstown, RI (Ceremony & Reception)
October 7th, 2023
I love a good love story and, in any good love story, there's a moment where the love is almost lost.
Think about just about romantic comedy or fairy tale. The thing that makes the love so special is how quickly it almost went away.
I think that's why I adored Angelo and Tammi's wedding day so much. Because it almost didn't happen. After dating when they were younger, the pair broke up because, as Angelo puts it, he “messed up” and almost let Tammi get away.
But when fate brought the two back together, it was love at first (err, second) sight and that led them down the aisle at Quidnessett Country Club on a beautiful and perfect October afternoon you could see they waited a lifetime for.
And it's fitting. Because, on this day, they made a lifetime of memories they'll never forget.
My coverage of Angelo and Tammi's wedding day started with a wild sense of deja vu. Why? Because bridal prep was at Angelo and Tammi's house and I'd been there before for bridal prep for one of Tammi's closest friends Tara, whose wedding I shot almost 11 months earlier.
Much like Tara's wedding day, Tammi's was one with overcast skies that left me worried all day long about whether or not we'd be able to do bride and groom photos outdoors. Luckily, that was a concern for later in the afternoon. For now, all I had to do was sit back and document the last bit of the bride's prep.
And if Tammi was concerned, she sure didn't show it as she looked cool, calm and collected even as the entire bridal prep area around us was chaotic with tons of girls and kids rushing to get ready before we headed out to the venue.
Tammi and Angelo packed a LOT into their wedding day timeline but, to their credit, they were super organized and stress-free as the day unfolded. I imagine that's because they have a handful of kids and are used to jamming a lot of things into a single day because this bride and groom never looked worried even as I was internally freaking out over timing.
To be fair, though, I was only freaking out internally because I wanted everything to go right. As soon as I saw Tammi's first look with her father and then with Angelo, though, I understood this was going to be the perfect day for these two regardless of whether or not we hit every timing milestone.
Tammi and Angelo have built a beautiful family and group of friends around them and that was most evident in the sheer volume of family and wedding party photos we took throughout their wedding day.
Seriously. We had 45 minutes for family and wedding party photos before the ceremony, 25 more during cocktail hour and they pulled me into the Quidnessett Country Club hallway FOUR times for random group photos throughout the night.
But I can't blame them. They wanted to share this night with ALL of the important people in their lives.
And me? All I wanted to do was get the bride and groom by themselves. And once I did, it was pure magic.
Tammi and Angelo's formal photos were one of the few times this year when I felt I actually had all the time I needed with a bride and groom and I'm so glad I did as they were a delight to work with.
I loved seeing Angelo fight off his instincts for fun poses to do some more traditional bride and groom portraits but even at our most “serious,” he was still cracking his soon-to-be wife up and I adored seeing that.
We were lucky enough to go out on the grass at Quidnessett for some photos in between rain showers and I think that set the perfect tone for their ceremony a little while later as I could see they felt much more relaxed once we had the most important shots of the day in the bag.
By far the wildest part of Angelo and Tammi's wedding day for me was their ceremony itself. For a couple that has been together for eight years, I knew this part of the day was more a formality than a focus but it still surprised me just how quickly this ceremony flew by.
Literally.
Angelo and Tammi's ceremony was a mere five minutes from the moment the bride walked down the aisle until their first kiss.
Thankfully, I'm a pro at rapid shooting and I was actually thrilled with the results of the shots I captured in such a short period of time. Their ceremony may not have been long but it was meaningful and, more importantly, it was true to their relationship.
With their ceremony in the books, it was time for Angelo and Tammi to head inside for their cocktail hour and reception. I'm glad I had the foresight to grab detail photos before their guests entered the reception venue because Angelo and Tammi's details were really simple and sweet and matched this room perfectly.
Of course, the Quidnessett Country Club main ballroom is a beautiful room on its own but when a bride and groom can nail the aesthetic and enhance the way everything looks? That's just the icing on the cake.
Just from the energy in the room, I could tell the absolutely best part of Angelo and Tammi's wedding day would be their reception and I was right. Of all the receptions I've shot this year, Angelo and Tammi's is at the very top in terms of fun parties and it all started the moment this bride and groom walked through the door during their introductions.
I loved their first dance in particular and not just because it was set to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran.
No, I loved this first dance because of just how happy Angelo and Tammi were in this moment. You could tell just by the look on their face that this was a moment they waited a lifetime for and it was living up to every expectation they ever had.
One of the things I really loved about Angelo and Tammi's reception was they had a clear vision for it and that vision included knocking out literally all the formalities one after another do they could spend the rest of the night just relaxing.
That's why even though I normally recommend clients hold off on parent dances until after dinner, I loved how Angelo and Tammi went right from their first dance into two parent dances and their toasts, meaning the rest of the night was wide open.
Thankfully, all those moments were still special on their own and everything felt like it was happening exactly as it was meant to.
The best part about Angelo and Tammi knocking out their formalities prior to dinner was, as soon as the meal was finished, it was time to PARTY.
And this bride and groom wasted absolutely no time doing so.
Thanks in large part to the fantastic job, as always, done by DJ Corey Young, this dance floor was rocking nonstop from the first to the last song.
What I loved the most about Angelo and Tammi's wedding reception was they were never far from the action. This bride and groom spent a TON of time right in the middle of the dance floor with their guests all night long and they were having an amazing time.
How do I know it was amazing for them? Because the only reason they got OFF the dance floor was the final song played and the venue turned the lights on.
Talk about a night to remember.
As I stood in the back hallway of Quidnessett Country Club packing my gear up and getting ready to head home, I couldn't help but listen as guest after guest greeted. the bride and groom with their formal goodbyes and bragged loudly about great a night it was.
And I can't blame them.
Angelo and Tammi's wedding was a non-stop day and night of fun, laughter and tons of silliness on the dance floor and it was exactly what this bride and groom asked for.
This is normally where I wish my clients good luck on this next chapter of their lives but I know, deep down, Angelo and Tammi don't need it. That's clear just from watching them interact. There's no way these two soulmates will ever let one another go again and I think that's simply adorable.
So, instead, I'll cap this blog off by saying congratulations Tammi and Angelo on an amazing wedding day I know I, nor you, will soon forget and thanks for letting me play a small part in documenting it for you to cherish forever. Like I know you will. :)
-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: Primp and Pin; Bride's Make-Up: Jessabella Salon and Spa; Bride's Dress: Alexandra's Boutique; Groom's Tux: Gentleman's Guru; Florist: Just in Time Flowers, Warwick, Rhode Island; Ceremony & Reception Venue: Quidnessett Country Club, North Kingstown, Rhode Island; DJ: Corey Young; Videographer: Jamie Curci.