Alison & Jack
If I had to pinpoint one reason why I STILL am not sick of shooting weddings after nearly 15 years, it's got to be the idea of the "timeless love story." I am endlessly fascinated by the situation and circumstances by which a couple gets to the point of getting married and few couples personify that idea of timeless better than Alison and Jack.
Alison and Jack, who said "I do" back in June at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Bristol, Rhode Island, lived full lives long before they even met. Each were married for over 25 years, had full families and experienced the best of what life offered.
But that's the beauty of new chapters. And when these two met nearly a decade ago, neither of them knew where their story would take them but their June 2025 wedding? It was a celebration. To love. To a fresh start. To a beautiful journey together.
My time with Alison and Jack started like most of the weddings I shoot with older couples: At the beginning of the wedding ceremony.
Typically for my couples experiencing their second wedding, the idea of prep photos is one that's not really necessary but I'm so glad I arrived to St. Michael's a bit early to capture photos of Jack holding court with his friends and family before the ceremony began. Normally, my grooms are quiet and reserved, with most hiding away before the bride walks down the aisle.
Not Jack. He must have gone and said hello to everyone in attendance before Alison arrived but, man, the moment she walked down the aisle? It was obvious who he wanted to see most on this beautiful summer afternoon.
Alison and Jack's wedding ceremony was as traditional as they get and, I've got to say, I loved the church they tied the knot in.
Other than a few moderately annoying restrictions on where I could stand, this church was beautiful and the ceremony was great. I especially loved being able to sneak into the balcony for some nice wide angles of the ceremony during the priest's homily.
Alison and Jack's wedding ceremony was beautifully traditional and also deeply person. In addition to having their children involved with the traditional church readings, the pair also took a second after saying "I do" to look out at the crowd of people there to support them and soak in the moment.
You could feel the love in the room for these two and the happiness that brought them together.
Following their ceremony, Alison and Jack made their way outside for an extended receiving line to thank their friends and family members for coming and to begin celebrations for what promised to be a fun afternoon. It was a great chance for the two to have a moment with the people closest to them before we dove into their family formals.
More importantly, it made it that much easier for them to lock in when it came time for bride and groom portraits as they really weren't in a rush to get to cocktail hour. That meant I had over 15 minutes with just the bride and groom and I'm grateful I did because working with Jack and Alison was a lot of fun.
What really stood out to me about photographing Alison and Jack was how much their demeanor changed as they got more comfortable with me posing them. During our first consultation, they both expressed a little bit of worry about bride and groom portraits as they'd had some bad experiences during their first weddings and didn't want things to feel too stiff or forced.
I think once they realized how casual I like to make these poses, it made for some really sweet and touching shots of them together where they both accurately showcased how much fun they were having on this special day.
After making sure we grabbed a few photos of Alison and Jack in front of the church, it was time to release the newlyweds and head over to their reception. Thankfully, while they were greeting their guests in their receiving line following the ceremony, I managed to sneak into the reception hall and grab the details they had on display and what a display it was.
I loved how simple Alison and Jack kept their reception decor and the room itself was giving very big "community gathering" vibes which, I think, was the perfect way to sum up this night.
Headed into Alison and Jack's wedding reception, I put it at 50-50 whether we'd have a fun dance type crowd or a quiet night of people hanging out and talking at their tables. With older couples and guest lists, you really never know as I've done a LOT of weddings where crowds like this are more laid back and want to relax and a LOT of weddings with crowds like this where it's go-go-go from the minute the dance floor opened.
Alison and Jack's first dance gave me a better idea of what to expect, though, and that answer was fittingly both.
The pair began their dance with a slow and touching routine to “The Prayer” by Celine Dion.
It was the transition in their first dance to “You're The One That I Want” by John Travolta And Olivia Newton John from the Grease soundtrack that really set the tone for the night though. This wasn't going to be a sit on your hands kind of night. This was going to be a fun one and I loved that for them.
Following their first dance, Alison and Jack had a really casual vibe for the formalities of their wedding. After one brief toast from their children, the newlyweds went right into dinner and even played a game with guests where they could guess the theme of several popular TV shows.
That kept the spirit of the afternoon lighthearted and fun.
After dinner, the only thing left to do for Alison and Jack was quickly cut their cake and hit the dance floor and while it took a couple of minutes for Alison to coax guests to the dance floor after it opened, once she did, it was party time.
Alison and Jack's reception was fun of the most fun I've shot this summer. Everyone in attendance was having a GREAT time and it was a beautiful reminder that great parties aren't just for the young. What I especially loved about this reception was, even though it was in the middle of the afternoon, it FELT like a Saturday night party and the bride and groom were right in the middle of it all.
As my time with Alison and Jack slowly came to an end, and I was starting to get ready to pack everything up, I was treated with one last gift on this day full of them: A super fun group dance number that put a perfect cap on the evening for me.
I've shot a lot of weddings this year already, and I have a TON more coming up, but I know for a fact when I put a bow on the 2025 season, Alison and Jack's day will stand out for me for a lot of reasons. I just adore how much deep love and appreciation was in the room the day these two said "I do" and I love how much fun this bride and groom had.
There's something so sweet about meeting couples that are older and starting out on a new chapter together the way Alison and Jack are and it's a constant reminder to me that wedding photography really does matter and really is special.
So thank you Alison and Jack for including me in your special day. I wish you all the best on this new and beautiful chapter of your lives together. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
The Vendor List:
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini, Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Bride's Hair & Make-up: Hair, Heart & Soul Spa and Salon, Bristol, Rhode Island; Florist: Pomfret Florist & Flower Delivery, Somerset, Massachusetts; Ceremony & Reception: St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Bristol, Rhode Island; DJ: Bob The DJ.