Steven & Julie
Andrea Hotel, Westerly, Rhode Island
September 5th, 2014*
If 2014 taught me anything, it's that beach weddings are incredibly difficult ... but, in their own way, pretty awesome.
When I found out I would be shooting Steven and Julie's wedding down by the Andrea Hotel and Misquamicut beach in Westerly, I was initially worried about how the sand and surf might affect the day. And the overcast sun that greeted us on arrival wasn't relaxing my fears about a wet and wild shoot but, hey, sometimes you've got to go with the flow and that's what we did.
I'm glad, too, because it turned out to be a great time down by the water, even if it did take me a while to get the sand out of my shoes. My only regret? Not running into Taylor Swift. Ah, maybe next time ...
It didn't take me long to see that Steven and his groomsmen were going to be a pretty relaxed bunch. But it never really does. Right from the get-go, as I shot the groom preparation shots at Steven's house, I could tell he was a little bit nervous and anxious on his big day but nonetheless ready. In fact, the only real emotion that caught me off guard was this sweet moment between Steven and his brother as the groom received a big hug of congratulations as we prepared to head over to the wedding venue.
The ceremony itself was as lovely as you would imagine a wedding ceremony with a beautiful beach background to be. What I loved the most about the Andrea Hotel, besides its proximity to the water of course, was the little nooks and crannies I could sneak into for some cool angles on your traditional wedding shots. Made for some interesting, and different, photos.
But, yeah, the story on this day was the beach. While most brides wouldn't want anything to do with sand or water or any kind of combination of those two items, Julie was all about the beach and up for anything we suggested in terms of formal photos. And I'm glad she was because it made for a great shoot. My favorite photo? The wooden chairs in the sand below. Such a nice moment.
To be fair, though, there were a lot of highlights during this wedding. Not only did Steven and Julie have a great nautical theme to their big day, which was pretty common in the weddings I shot in 2014, but they also had a great group of guests that proved quite lively during the traditional toasts and dancing portions of the evening.
By the end of the night, Steven and Julie's wedding turned into a beautiful night on the beach and, really, what more could you ask for? If you're going to live in Rhode Island, you may as well take advantage of what the state has to offer and, without a doubt, Steven and Julie did just that on a gorgeous August night down in Westerly. This is one I'll remember for a while.
-PJS
* These photos were taken as part of my work for George Street Photography and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.