Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2022 —
Squantum Association Wedding Photos
Dawn & Paul*
Squantum Association, Riverside, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
September 2nd, 2022
Whenever I'm working as a second shooter, the hardest challenge by far is walking into groom prep and trying to make a connection with someone I've never met on one of the most private and intimate days of their life.
I knew the minute I met Paul on the afternoon of his September wedding that that wouldn't be a problem, however, when I saw that his best man was one of my oldest friends from high school.
And that was just the first of many times Paul, his soon-to-be wife Dawn and their entire wedding felt beautifully familar.
Dawn and Paul said "I do" at Squantum Association in Riverside, Rhode Island and it was a lovely day full of love, laughter and tons and tons of selfies. But I can't blame Paul and his groomsmen for being so camera phone-friendly. This was a day well worth documenting. Both for them and for me.
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for Jessica Hosey Imagery
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
My time with Paul and Dawn started with groom prep in the spacious back building of Squantum Association. I'd been to this venue a few times over the years but never had the opportunity to actually photograph in this building and it was the perfect spot to get some detail shots of Paul and his guys before we started the ceremony.
Oh, and what's even better is these guys were super open to my eyes and didn't even mind when we headed into the hot, hot sun for some outdoor shots while Dawn prepared for a first look with her father nearby.
By the time Dawn and Paul's ceremony was set to begin, the groom and his groomsmen were feeling great. and having a blast.
Because of this, I was curious how emotional Paul himself might get when he saw his bride. After all, the day up until this point had been pretty relaxed and casual. Thankfully the groom didn't let me down and the look of love in his eyes was easy to pinpoint once he turned around and saw Dawn walking down the aisle.
Dawn and Paul's ceremony was among the shortest I've ever seen. From the time Paul turned around until he and Dawn shared their first kiss, just four minutes passed. But in that four minutes, a lot was said and a lot was felt as these two became husband and wife.
With their ceremony out of the way, Dawn and Paul went to take care of formal photos. Thankfully, as a second photographer, this meant I could focus on documenting the things they would otherwise miss and while they were gone, I made sure to grab plenty of photos of their cocktail hour and, especially, the awesome details they had scattered throughout Squatum Association.
Without a doubt, the part of Dawn and Paul's wedding that I was looking forward to the most was their first dance. While the room itself can be a challenge if you've never shot there, I absolutely adore the way Squatum Association looks for dancing and the ceiling/paneling made for an amazing backdrop for Paul and Dawn's first dance.
In fact, their first dance is one of my favorite this year from a photo standpoint. Seriously. Check out that backdrop. Wow.
I especially loved the fact that Dawn and Paul made sure to incorporate their parent dances right after their first dance to get the formalities of the evening out of the way. I loved it because it meant I would still be there when they took place and get to shoot them and provide alternate angles from the lead photographer Jess Hosey, a fellow wedding photographer who I adore working with.
My last assignment of Dawn and Paul's wedding was to capture photos of the toasts before dinner and, man, what a series of toasts they were.
Dawn's maid of honor made sure to make the bride tear up a bit. Paul's best man delivered the exact speech I expected him to and it was great. And then Paul himself gave a speech in honor of his wife.
I don't think I could have asked for a better way to wrap my coverage of their day honestly.
As I headed out from Dawn and Paul's wedding, I won't lie. I felt a bit of jealously that Jess got to stick around and shoot their dance floor photos as these two were a ton to work with and i know the rest of their wedding day was as amazing, if not more so, than what I saw.
Still, I'm just glad I was able to be there for the major moments of the day as Dawn and Paul's ceremony and first dance were beautiful moments I was honored to capture.
So thank you Dawn and Paul for allowing me to play a small part in documenting your wedding day forever and best of luck as you navigate this new chapter of your lives together.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Bittersweet Farm,
Westport, Massachusetts
September 1st, 2022
John Alden Sportsman's Club,
Plymouth, Massachusetts
August 27th, 2022
Holiday Hill Day Camp & Rec. Center,
Mansfield Center, Massachusetts
August 20th, 2022