Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts — 2022 —
Soprano's Casino By The Sea Wedding Photos
Jesse & Michelle
Soprano's Casino By The Sea, Falmouth, Massachusetts
June 17th, 2022
There are a lot of little things a bride and groom can do to ensure they have the best wedding day possible. By far the most important, though, is knowing when to let go of the things you can't control and roll with the punches.
For Jesse and Michelle, who originally eloped in April of 2021, that meant accepting that their dream beach wedding back in June was edging closer and closer to a washed out, rained out nightmare.
But these two young parents, patience is not just a virtue, it's a way of life. So rather than stress about the giant storm hanging over our heads as bride and groom prep wrapped up, Michelle shrugged her shoulders, got on the phone with her wedding planner and decided to wait the rain out.
It was the right decision as Jesse and Michelle got the beach wedding of their dreams a half hour later than planned thanks to a break in the weather and if that doesn't prove how important being flexible is on your wedding day, I don't know what would.
My coverage of Jesse and Michelle's big day started with a rainy bridal prep session at the Heights Hotel. Prior to this day, I had never been to Cape Cod but, man, what a beautiful area.
Jesse and Michelle couldn't have picked a nicer little town to say "I do" in and I could tell from the moment I arrived for bride and groom prep that these two had a lot of pieces moving to finalize the little things before their ceremony began.
Nevertheless, even in a crowded bridal prep room, Michelle was the picture of comfort and I admired how easy it was for her to block out the noise of the hustle and bustle around her to focus on finishing her hair and makeup in time for us to head across the street to her ceremony. Jesse, meanwhile, looked a bit uncomfortable in front of my camera early on but he quickly warmed up and by the time his prep photos were over, I knew we were in for a fun day.
Without a doubt, the most tense and nervous part of my time covering Jesse and Michelle's wedding was constantly refreshing the Weather Channel app to see if the massive rain clouds passing through the area had moved along.
Thanks to some patience on the bride's part, though, we were able to wait out the worst of the storm and start a half hour later than planned but you'd never know we were off track based on how much joy Jesse and Michelle had on their face the minute their ceremony began.
Shooting Jesse and Michelle's ceremony was one of the toughest I've had in quite some time as the sun was incredibly indecisive in what it wanted to do. Sometimes we were in nice shade. Other times it was as if we were on the surface of the sun itself.
As a photojournalist who tries to recreate what he sees in real life in the photos he takes, this made for interesting effects and lighting changes as the ceremony went along.
I loved Jesse and Michelle's ceremony, even if Michelle spent most of it holding an unexpected visitor in the form of her youngest son. I'm sure he'll love the photos when he's a bit older but I had to commend Michelle for having one child in her right arm and a big bouquet in the other for the length of her ceremony and vows. That's far from easy and one heck of a workout.
Jesse and Michelle's wedding ceremony was full of beautiful little moments between the two of them and their children but I'll be honest, my favorite part of their day came after their vows were exchanged and I got them by themselves on the beach for bride and groom portraits.
It was HOT on this warm summer afternoon so I didn't want to keep the bride and groom in the June sun for too long but how could we resist taking a bunch of couples' portraits with such a beautiful backdrop?
Despite having never worked with them before, Jesse and Michelle were a blast during bride and groom portraits and I love what we captured in the time we had. They rank among my favorite formals of the year so far and with good reason. Talk about a stunning location and an even better couple!
I didn't know exactly what to expect from Jesse and Michelle's reception but I knew the moment I walked in that the room at Soprano's Casino By The Sea was unlike any I'd ever shot in before. First off, there is a GIGANTIC mirror that takes up an entire wall. How cool is that?
Second, the room has a super cool vibe that feels partly like a restaurant and partly like someone's upstairs living room.
Jesse and Michelle's decor for their reception matched the tone of the room perfectly and I love that they kept things pretty simple overall.
From the moment Jesse and Michelle were introduced as husband and wife, I knew I couldn't wait to see how their first dance played out and it was perfect. With all their guests on one side of the room and the dance floor on the other, it was a fantastic setup to shoot first dance photos with a perspective I don't often get and seeing how these two swayed from side to side in each other's arms was one of my favorite highlights of the day.
Jesse and Michelle told me during our first consultation that they envisioned a reception that wasn't 'super formal' and was more of a party than a traditional big event and it showed in how they handled the rest of the night.
While they made sure to have a sweet cake cutting (Made all the better by that awesome mirror), the only traditional element of the rest of their reception was a father-daughter dance.
And even that was more low key than most as Michelle's father gave into the elements and got more comfortable with shorts and a t-shirt than a formal suit.
Following Michelle's dance with her dad, the rest of the night went about as you'd expect to: Big family party.
I could tell Jesse and Michelle's kids were waiting for this party of their parents' wedding the most and they made every song count by tearing it up on the dance floor.
I loved how casual and laid back Jesse and Michelle's reception was and I knew they appreciated it as it lined up perfectly with what they said they wanted their big day to be.
As I made my way home from Soprano's By The Sea, I couldn't help but think of how beautiful a wedding Jesse and Michelle had. It was a bit of a chaotic day but, somehow, it never really felt like the bride or groom let the stress get to them. They had the wedding they wanted, on their terms and on their pace and I love that for them.
So thank you Jesse and Michelle for allowing me to document such a special day for you and congratulations on this next chapter of your journey together as husband and wife.
-Paul J. Spetrini
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair: Erica Silva, Illusion Salon in Mashpee, Massachusetts; Bride's Make-up: Andrea Kooharian-Simpson; Bride's Dress: Allure Bridal; Groom's Suit: Mr. Perry's Tux; Florist (Bouquet, Corsage, Boutonnieres): Bourne Florist; Ceremony & Reception Venue: Soprano's Casino By The Sea, Falmouth, Massachusetts; DJ: Turn It Up Entertainment; Cake: Cupcake Creations by Sheila.