Blog— Weddings — Massachusetts — 2023 —
Spencer Country Inn Wedding Photos
Paul & Sherri
Spencer Country Inn, Spencer, Massachusetts
May 6th, 2023
I love a couple that knows exactly what they want on their wedding day. Whether it's picking a venue that has special meaning to them or pinpointing the one or two things they care about the most, I find that couples who have a vision of how they want to get married have some of the truest wedding days to who they are of anyone and I'm ALL about being yourself on the biggest day of your life.
Paul and Sherri were a couple that lived this mantra in every aspect of their wedding day. From the moment I met them, they stressed they wanted a low key, simple wedding day and that was clear when they told me they were forgoing toasts, parent dances, a garter toss, a bouquet toss and most of the other typical things you see at weddings.
Paul and Sherri wanted to be true to themselves and their wedding was exactly what they always hoped it would about: their love and their moment of becoming husband and wife.
I knew from the moment I walked into the Spencer Country Inn to work with Paul and Sherri that this would be a low key wedding in every sense of the word. Not only did Sherri decide she didn't want any of the typical "getting ready" shots you see from a bride on her big day but she asked me specifically to show up a few minutes before her first look. I'm always happy to oblige.
Luckily, Paul is a big fan of candids and I was able to snag a few shots of him getting his boutonniere pinned before we got right into the action.
The minute I saw Sherri in her dress, though, I understood why she wasn't a big fan of those last-minute shots. She was too excited to see her soon-to-be husband and didn't want to delay it in any way and their first look was intimate and personal and the absolute best way we could've started this day off.
As luck would have it, Paul and Sherri got married on an absolutely blazingly sunny May afternoon. It may have still been early spring but it sure felt like summer and, to their credit, neither Paul or Sherri let the bright sun wear them down through bride and groom portraits.
It took a little while for us to find our rhythm with posing since the Spencer Country Inn is such a beautiful property but, man, once I figured out what kind of shots these two liked best and what felt truest to their relationship, we really got some beautiful photos of them together.
I always love wedding days where we can knock out the formal photos before the ceremony. To me, this just makes everything so much more relaxed and in the case of Paul and Sherri's big day, this was key as I could tell they were going to be a bit nervous standing in front of their closest friends and family members to say "I do" and become husband and wife.
Paul and Sherri's ceremony was a true blast from the past for me. I love that they chose to get married indoors in the Spencer Country Inn in front of a fire place. It gave their wedding a timeless charm and, from my perspective, made it feel like we were in a beautiful log cabin having an intimate gathering rather than a full fledged celebration.
It doesn't hurt that these two kept their ceremony simple but meaningful. By the time they both lit their unity candle and kissed to make their marriage official, it felt like we'd already seen the most important part of this day for both of them and I know it was a ceremony neither will ever forget.
Paul and Sherri deliberately kept their wedding as relaxed and casual as could be and it showed in both the small size of the 40-person guest list and in the simple but also fitting decor.
They also made sure to keep their reception to the same vibe, with the only real formality planned being their first dance set to the timeless classic "Open Arms" by Journey.
I loved Paul and Sherri's first dance and not just because I love that song.
The Spencer Country Inn is a unique place to shoot a wedding in but I adored the wood paneling that hung overhead and the way their dance felt like it belonged in a movie. We may have had a LOT of room to work with in that giant ballroom but, in that moment, it felt like there was only three feet of space that mattered.
Following their first dance, Paul and Sherri noticeably had no other big moments planned. Instead of following the usual program of a wedding reception, they decided instead to spend the rest of the night having casual conversations with the people they love and I felt that was so authentic to them.
Luckily, we did manage to sneak in a brief cake cutting to let guests know the dance floor was getting ready to open, though.
Speaking of the dance floor, honestly I had no idea what to expect from Paul and Sherri's wedding reception. As I said above, the pair only had around 40 or so guests in attendance and the dance floor opened around 7 p.m., which is pretty early for a wedding (especially one on a sunny day like this was.)
Luckily, it didn't take long for my worries to prove unfounded as Paul and Sherri might not have had a LOT of people in attendance but they had a LOT of people who were ready to have a good time.
One of my favorite parts of working with Paul and Sherri was they were incredibly generous with their time and trusting of my experience as a wedding photographer. So when I asked them to come outside for a few more bride and groom portraits before I headed out — and as the sun was coming down — they gladly obliged and I was able to get some beautifully well-lit portraits on the parts of the property we really couldn't use earlier that afternoon to put a great cap on my coverage of their wedding day.
All in all, Paul and Sherri's wedding day may have lacked the big events I'm used to seeing from a bride and groom but, honestly, that fit them and their relationship so well. I loved working with these two and capturing the authentic way they walked down the aisle and committed themselves to one another for the rest of their lives.
So thank you Paul and Sherri for a fantastic wedding day and best of luck as you start your life together as newlyweds.
-Paul J. Spetrini
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The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Dress: Party Dress Express - Fall River, Massachusetts; Groom's Suit: Bonardi's, Sturbridge, Massachusetts; Ceremony & Reception: Spencer Country Inn, Spencer, Massachusetts; DJ: DJ Services by Glen, Worcester, Massachusetts; Cake: Shaws, Sturbridge, Massachusetts; Justice of the Peace: Dawn Jordan, Worcester, Massachusetts; Rings: Kay Jewelers.