Betsy & John
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, Cambridge, Mass. (Ceremony & Reception)
November 1st, 2025
As a wedding photographer who prides himself on giving clients what they want — and only what they want — sometimes the hardest part of my job is knowing when to let go of the ideas I have for what I am "supposed to do" on a wedding day and just be present in the moment for my clients.
It's something I've worked hard on but, even now, more than 15 years into this career, I struggle when a couple is *too* laid back for my brain to process. Take Betsy and John, for instance.
On the surface, Betsy and John had a completely normal, beautiful wedding day that I know was everything they wanted and more. And yet, all I could think about was how little they asked of me and how go with the flow they were. They didn't need me for literally any of their reception. They only wanted a few bride and groom portraits.
And, yet, somehow, it was still a complete and totally perfect day.
I guess John Lennon was right. All you need is love. And Betsy and John sure had that. Aplenty.
Of all the weddings I shot in 2025, I think Betsy and John's wedding was the most abrupt start I had to my coverage for a bride and groom. Neither Betsy nor John felt they needed prep photos so my assistant Amanda and I arrived a half hour before their first look to get a scope of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church and set our lights.
I could tell right away that this wedding was going to be very go with the flow, so much so that when I asked Betsy and John where they wanted to do their first look, they simply said "Wherever."
As pretty as Saint Peter's Episcopal Church is (and we'll get to that soon), there really wasn't a spot for a proper first look so we made due with a small shaded corner off to the side of the building and prayed the fine folks of Cambridge wouldn't come interrupting us with their Bostonian charm. We lucked out and Betsy and John's first look was beautiful, touching and set the perfect tone for their wedding day.
Because I hadn't worked with Betsy and John prior to their wedding day, I didn't really know what to expect of their dynamic as a couple. I knew their religion and the church they were tying the knot in were important, however, as that's where we started their formal photos.
I only took a few of the bride and groom in their church as I wanted to get to and through their family and wedding party formals as far as we could before guests arrived.
Thankfully, Betsy and John rolled with the punches and were practically pros in front of the camera.
Betsy and John flew through their formal photos and that left us plenty of time to have some fun with our bride and groom portraits. I was thankful, too, because the one request these two made of me all day was a photo in their purple capes.
Once we took that absolutely adorable shot, it was time to see what worked for these soon-to-be newlyweds as we tore through some of my favorite standard poses for a bride and groom just outside of the post office near their church.
Why such a casual location for wedding portraits? Well, in case you couldn't tell already, this bride and groom were as relaxed and chill as you can be and this particular spot had some lovely light coming through that caught my eye. Pretty simple, right? That would be a theme throughout this day.
What I loved about working with Betsy and John was that, as casual as they appeared outwardly, you could see the genuine love and affection they had for one another as our time together went on.
I especially loved when we got to the front of the post office building and I could let them be themselves a bit more. Whether it was Betsy hugging John from being or the sweet way they looked at one another walking down the street, these two were so stinking cute and charming together. It was adorable.
One of the things that struck me most about this bride and groom was how genuinely nice they are. Which i shouldn't have been surprised but the last photo of their pre-ceremony wedding portraits really hammered it home as they asked to go into the church basement and take some photos down there since that space is used as a soup kitchen, is where they spend a ton of time volunteering and where their love blossomed.
I mean, come on now. What a touching story.
After wrapping up our bride and groom portraits, I had a hard time believing that we were still technically just *starting* our day as Betsy and John's wedding ceremony still had yet to take place.
I loved the way the overall vibe shifted for this moment. As much fun as we were having outdoors taking cutesy photos of Betsy and John, when their ceremony approached, you could sense a different energy around us.
Betsy and John chose to get married at Saint Peter's Episcopal Church and the church was one of the most beautiful I've photographed in. It had the exact right balance of central Boston tradition and modern elegance and the shots I was able to capture of Betsy walking down the aisle were some of my favorite photos of a bride in all of 2025.
Betsy and John's wedding ceremony was the true definition of a community celebration.
Even though I had only really just met this bride and groom through our chats on Zoom prior to the wedding, I could tell from the moment their ceremony started how big a part these two played in the church they were getting married and how happy and pride everyone in attendance was to see them take this big step in their lives together.
Literally everywhere I looked, Betsy and John's friends were beaming. The choir was composed of some of their closest friends and family members. The priests felt like old friends. It was as perfect as perfect gets.
And, most importantly, Betsy and John themselves were soaking up every single moment.
What I loved the most about this ceremony was seeing the little fits of nerves Betsy and John got as we approached the marquee moments of their celebration. You could sense they pictured saying vows to one another and placing rings on one another a million times but there's nothing quite as special as actually doing it and when that moment came, the sense of "Oh my goodness, is this real" was all over their faces in the best way.
Even after their first kiss, sealing their marriage, Betsy and John had readings and blessings. And even after they technically walked down the aisle, a moment when most couples would leave the church and go about the rest of their wedding, Betsy and John hung back to sing the rest of their wedding party and families out of the ceremony and even came back to share a moment with their priest.
They were in no rush because they were exactly where they wanted, and needed to be. Surrounded by those who they care about most.
With their church ceremony over, it was time for Betsy and John to head to their reception over at Stonehurst, the Robert Treat Paine Estate. I managed to sneak out of Cambridge a bit quicker than Betsy and John did and I'm so glad I did as it gave me a chance to find a nice little spot in the parking lot of the Estate to grab a final few bride and groom portraits with some amazingly colorful foliage.
I couldn't have asked for a better cap to the "formal photo" portion of the day.
Betsy and John's wedding reception may taken plan at Stonehurst, the Robert Treat Paine Estate but I couldn't tell you what it was like because, honestly, the couple didn't need me there.
All Betsy and John asked me to photograph post-ceremony were the details of their day and a bit of their cocktail hour. I'll admit it was a bit of a strange request as it was the first time I'd ever been scheduled that way but I love that this bride and groom knew exactly what they wanted from their wedding photos and what they didn't.
I may have left Betsy and John's wedding earlier than I am used to but, looking back, I captured the things that mattered most and feel the photos are a perfect representation of the day this bride and groom had and what they want to remember.
For that, I am grateful and I knew Betsy and John are too. So, thank you Betsy and John, for letting me play a small part in documenting one of the most special days of your life. I wish you all the best on this new and beautiful chapter of your lives as husband and wife. :)
