Shawn and Laruen
Oceancliff Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island
September 13th, 2015*
No one wants to wake up on their wedding day and see rain clouds. After a year or more of planning every little detail down to the color of tablecloths, the last thing any bride wants to have to deal with is moving a ceremony inside and not having access to the best part of the reception venue they booked because of the one thing they couldn't control – the weather.
But it's funny how, sometimes, all you have to do is believe and things work themselves out.
For Shawn and Lauren's mid-September wedding in Newport this year, the weather did not look good. Not at all. But that didn't stop the groom-to-be from continuously saying how the weather would hold. How'd he know? "I have faith," he said.
Sometimes it pays to believe.
Shawn and Lauren had a beautiful day in rainy Newport that began at the Vanderbilt Hotel for bride and groom prep. Staying a floor apart, I was actually able to bounce from room to room and get all the little details of Lauren's getting ready period, as well as the flowers, dress and rings ... which is one of my favorite parts of shooting a wedding.
After a few hours of watching the opening weekend of the NFL season and waiting for Lauren to get her dress on, Shawn and Lauren met at the stairs of the Vanderbilt for their first look. The look in their eyes perfectly summed up the moment.
Following the first look and on the way to the ceremony at Oceancliff, we stopped at the rocks on Ledge Road, a spot I had never had of before but definitely intend on taking future couples to. Talk about gorgeous! And, thanks to the cloudy weather, it was nearly empty.
Shawn and Lauren posed for some great photos at this spot but the best part of the day was still to come as Oceancliff has long been a favorite venue of mine ever since I shot there last year.
And it did not disappoint.
Shawn and Lauren had some great details for their big day, made even better by the beautiful colors of Oceancliff and the cloudy day, which soaked up the sun and let everything's natural colors come out under the house lights.
Once 5:30 p.m. rolled around, it was go-time.
Shawn and Lauren had planned for an outdoor ceremony and though at times it looked like that may change, much like Shawn predicted the weather held and actually broke into sunshine during their ceremony itself. Talk about meant to be.
Shawn and Lauren had a beautiful and short ceremony and their little details – like the flowers in the center aisle – really made the moment stand out as one of my prettiest outdoor ceremonies of the year.
And the formal photos were even better! Standing under the arch outside the Oceancliff, Lauren proved to be a stunning bride who really lit up as the day proceeded and she could tell the rain wouldn't ruin her plans.
Shawn and Lauren also, very smartly, had fantastic uplighting during their reception and it added another level of charm to their big day and the beautiful Oceancliff Hotel.
All in all, Shawn and Lauren's wedding couldn't have gone much better than it did. While it was originally a bit worrisome to deal with rough weather, it turned out all the two needed was a positive attitude and everything would work itself out.
And, sometimes, that's more than enough to save even the most important of days.
-PJS
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.