Danielle & Mark
I tell every one of my couples that, despite their best intentions, something WILL go wrong on their wedding day.
It's been my experience that the couples who adapt to the ever-changing chaos that it their wedding days have the best time and the ones who stress out about everything don't.
And that's all you need to know about Danielle and Mark's August wedding at the Roger Williams Park Casino as this bride and groom, confronted with the knowledge that the venue's air conditioning broke on one of the hottest days of the year, simply shrugged their shoulders and said "That's fine. I guess we'll party in the lobby."
And party they did.
Despite sweltering temperatures and the fact that they were dancing in the middle of the afternoon, Danielle and Mark had a wedding reception to remember and it was the perfect way to celebrate a relationship that never takes itself too seriously.
And I can't think of a better way for a couple to officially kickstart their married life together.
Danielle and Mark's wedding day began with separate prep sessions and, as is almost always the case, bridal prep was way more intense than groom prep.
But that's far from a bad thing as Danielle's bridal prep was one of the most fun ones I've covered all year.
Danielle and her girls were a blast to hang around and whether it was the non-stop Taylor Swift music the group played (She was in town a few days earlier) or the endless jokes that had the bride cracking up, this prep session was super laid back and an absolute blast to watch.
Danielle was a super relaxed bride and it showed as the minutes to her ceremony ticked away.
In fact, I don't think it was until we got to the venue itself that she looked even a little bit nervous about walking down the aisle and even that brief bit of nervousness didn't last long as she was making funny faces and dancing awkwardly in her dress even as she make her final touches before heading out.
I didn't spend much time with Mark before the ceremony but, from what I hear, his groom prep session was much the same and, as Danielle made the long walk to him down the aisle, he definitely didn't appear to be nervous at all.
Not that I can blame him. Even if he was nervous, it was too hot to worry about anything other than sunburns and dehydration as their ceremony was right at the peak time for daylight and completely out in the open.
Thankfully the ceremony was worth enduring the heat as the Roger Williams Park Casino is one of the coolest outdoor venues you can pick to say "I do" at. I love the columns Mark and Danielle chose to stand in front of for this big moment in their lives and the ceremony, though short, was a sweet and cute summation of their love together and definitely devoid of anything too stuffy or cheesy.
Following their first kiss, Mark, Danielle and I made our way to the front of the Casino for some really unique and cool wedding party formals. And, thankfully, we weren't out there too long because the sun was brutal during this part of the day.
Danielle and Mark chose to do the rest of their formal photos inside the casino's grand structure itself and, boy, am I glad they did because the temperature difference was night and day and I could tell the bride and groom were much more comfortable in the beautiful shade of this location before we made a short trip to other parts of the park.
Following their bride and groom portraits, the three of us headed into the Casino for Danielle and Mark's reception.
The event started off in a super cute way as Danielle and Mark chose "I see the light" by Mandy Moore (from the soundtrack for the movie Tangled) as their first dance song.
I felt like the song was a perfect pick for a bride who clearly appreciates her fairy tales and the inside of the Casino ballroom was a beautiful place to see this couple dance as it's timeless and breath-taking and gives everything happening in front of you a special feeling.
After their first dance, Danielle and Mark took time to honor all of the special people in their lives and had both the traditional mother-son and father-daughter dances as well as a special dance between Mark and his new mother-in-law.
Following the dances, Mark and Danielle's best man and maid of honor toasted to the couple and shared sweet personal stories of just how much the bride and groom meant to them.
As much fun as Mark and Danielle were having, it was clear moments into dinner service that something had to give with the temperature inside the ballroom.
An older structure, the Roger Williams Park Casino was made long before air conditioning was common and it showed on Mark and Danielle's big day, with the thermostat reading 86 degrees and guests sweating long before the dance floor opened up.
Thankfully, the venue had a backup plan and we simple moved the party into their downstairs lobby.
For some couples, this would be a horror show they'd tell their grandkids about some day. For Mark and Danielle, it was a slight hiccup in an otherwise awesome day.
And Mark and Danielle's wedding guests made sure the change in plans wouldn't ruin the day.
Lobby or no lobby, this crowd came to dance.
Danielle and Mark's reception was an absolute blast full of nonstop dancing and an occasional rap song by the groom.
While it certainly didn't go 100 percent according to plan, it didn't need to as this bride and groom only had one goal in mind for the day: Have fun and make memories with those closest to them. As a person who watched them do both of those things all afternoon long, I can say: It was a success.
So, congrats Danielle and Mark and best of luck as you start your lives together as husband and wife. I can only imagine it will be as eventful as your wedding day was ... hopefully it's just a tiny bit cooler though.
-PJS
Tags: Roger Williams Park Casino, Rhode Island Weddings, Outdoor Weddings, Providence,
Paul J. Spetrini Photography
The Vendor List
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's hair and make-up: Kristen Blanchette; Bride's dress: Vows Bridal Outlet in Watertown, Massachusetts; Florist: Stop and Shop; Ceremony and reception location: Roger Williams Park Casino in Providence, Rhode Island; Officiant: Janice Talbot; DJ: Shoener Entertainment; Cake: Kristen Walker.
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Robin & Rick
Location: Twelve Acres,
Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Date: August 4th, 2018
Brian & Sarah
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA) &
Pleasant Valley Country Club (Sutton, MA)
Date: June 30th, 2018
Laura & Marijke
Location: Independence Harbor,
Assonet, Massachusetts.
Date: June 28th, 2018
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