Rob & Jen
Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Coventry, RI (Ceremony); The University of Rhode Island W. Alton Jones Campus, West Greenwich, RI (Reception)
September 6th, 2015
Exeter and West Greenwich have long been two of my favorite communities in Rhode Island. With friendly people and a real rural charm, the area stands out as a gem in the Ocean State and, when you're there, it feels like you're somewhere else.
Needless to say, this made me incredibly excited to shoot my first wedding there as, back in September, I was fortunate enough to photograph Rob and Jen's big day at the University of Rhode Island's Alton Jones Campus.
Rob and Jen are the classic Exeter/West Greenwich couple in the sense that they grew up streets apart and both have a real down country vibe and their wedding was a true pleasure of rural, backwoods charm with a feisty party crowd to boot.
This was one to remember, for sure ...
My coverage of Jen's big day began almost at the crack at dawn as we met at her mother's house for hair and make-up. Jen wasn't a big 'Pinterest bride' but she did have some photos in mind she wanted me to create and she had enough beautiful details that it was a breeze balancing between what she was looking for and what I saw creatively.
I think the mixture worked perfectly.
Jen's childhood home made for a fantastic place to display her beautiful dress, nice shoes and great flowers. And who doesn't love to see an adorable flower girl looking up at the dress? If your heart doesn't melt seeing that, well, you may need to get yourself checked out.
We may have had a stressful morning getting the bride and bridesmaids ready but you'd never know it as Jen was radiant when she walked into the church. Even her macho, ex-football playing husband was no match for this sight.
Rob and Jen were married at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Coventry, a small and beautiful rural church that really hammered home the theme the couple was going for. Talk about natural beauty ... this place didn't even need flash. What an awesome venue.
Rob and Jen had a traditional Catholic mass and it was a great one. But make no mistake about it, this traditional couple knows how to let loose and from almost the moment the ceremony was over, these guys were ready to start having some fun.
"Well, I guess it's too late to turn back now ..."
Jen's one real request for wedding photos was to take shots of her and Rob along Browns Corner Road, a pathway into the Alton Jones campus and I was all too happy to oblige. Talk about a scenic place to grab some pictures.
We even managed to talk some photos on the dock at the Alton Jones Campus before heading into what would prove to be a truly country-fun wedding reception. This was one rowdy group.
One of the things I loved the most from Rob & Jen's wedding were the centerpieces which Rob carved out himself. It made some seriously nice shots with the rings while dinner was being served.
Once dinner was finished, we turned our attention to the well-known reception events and then, bam, it was time to party.
And you could tell this group was just waiting for the go-ahead to jump on that dance floor.
Oh, and did I mention we stole Rob and Jen for some sunset shots at the dock as well? Well, anytime you're at a place as beautiful as this one was, you don't miss a chance for more photos. But, yes, about that party ...
By the end of the night, Jen and I had spent nearly 16 hours together and documented every facet of her big day but the end? Well, that was simply magical as the bride and her new husband wanted to play around with some sparklers and experiment with a sparkler exit.
While I had never done one of these before and it certainly proved challenging, we had a blast doing it ... even if the wedding party itself had been feeling the effects of the reception a little too much.
All in all though, Rob & Jen had an amazing day and I was all too happy to be there to document it.
If this blog post seems a lot longer than usual, it's because it is. I had way too tough a time narrowing down my favorite photos here and if that doesn't prove just how much I loved this couple and their wedding, I don't know what does.
-PJS
* To see the full gallery of photos from Rob & Jen's wedding, please click here.