Blog— Weddings — Connecticut — 2023 —
Stonehurst at Hampton Valley Wedding Photos
Victoria & Patrick
Stonehurst at Hampton Valley, Hampton, Connecticut
August 20th, 2023
I try very hard not to go into any wedding with super high expectations. Having done this for as long as I have, I know there's no way to predict how great a wedding day will be until you're finished with it and I never want to leave a bride and groom's big event feeling disappointed it didn't live up to my hopes.
But I'll be honest. Sometimes I can't help myself. Such was the case back in August as I photographed Victoria and Patrick's wedding.
I knew from the moment Victoria, Patrick and I finished their 2022 engagement session that it would be an amazing wedding and it was one of the events I was looking most forward to heading into this season. But even my high expectations proved no match for the couple's plans as Victoria and Patrick's day was everything I could have asked for and so much more.
Whether it was one of the most fun bridal preps I've had this year, some of the best formal photos I've ever taken or their non-stop party once the dance floor opened, Victoria and Patrick's day was an absolute blast from beginning to end and well worth the year-long wait that proceeded it. In short, it was a day neither I, nor the bride or groom, will soon forget.
If I had any doubts how fun Victoria and Patrick's wedding day would be, they were gone the moment I walked into the bridal prep area at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley. Not only was I pleasantly surprised to find a bridal prep area with actual space to move around but Victoria was in great spirits and her bridesmaids and family members were in full party mode and laughing and joking around.
I love this kind of vibe to kick off a wedding day and I could tell the bride did too. And I can say that, without a doubt, it translated to the photos as we had plenty of time to document Victoria's hair and makeup process and the photos are some of the best I've shot of any prep this season.
What I really loved the most about Victoria's bridal prep session, though, was how the mood shifted once she put her dress on. As happens with a LOT of my brides, the day got "real" the moment Victoria was zipped up and it was absolutely adorable to see the reality of the situation hit her as we got ready to start the festivities.
And if the traditional "dress zip up" didn't get Victoria emotional, the first look with her father sure did.
Thankfully for Victoria and Patrick, the sentimental portion of their wedding day didn't last too long. Instead, it was immediately replaced with a fun and eager vibe the moment Patrick turned to see his soon-to-be bride for their first look.
Even though it was plenty hot on this day, we were thankfully able to keep Victoria and Patrick in the shade for the first portion of their formal photos and I think that went a long way toward keeping their spirits up and the atmosphere prior to their ceremony one that was a lot of fun and full of jokes and laughs.
The nice thing about the way Victoria, Patrick and I structured their wedding day timeline was we had three distinct periods for their bride and groom portraits. I like to break this part of the day up whenever possible as it allows my couple to not get too burned out.
More importantly, though, knocking out Victoria and Patrick's family and wedding party photos prior to their ceremony would pay off in a big way later in the day as the two were fully able to enjoy their cocktail hour, which I know was very important to them.
When Victoria, Patrick and I worked together during their engagement session, I had a hearty laugh with them as it was Patrick's idea to choose the Point Judith's Fishermen's Memorial in Narragansett, Rhode Island for the location, a choice which led to some of the best sunset photos I've ever taken.
On the wedding day, it was MY turn to get lucky with the spot we chose to work in as the little shady area I initially chose just to keep these soon-to-newlyweds away from the sun led to some incredible lighting as the afternoon wore on and led to, without a doubt, my favorite bride and groom photos of the year thus far.
Don't be surprised to see some of these photos make it into my best-of-the-year portfolio update at the end of 2023. I truly love them that much.
With our formal photo session in the bag, Patrick and Victoria got ready for the big reason why we were all gathered in Hampton, Connecticut on this sweltering August afternoon. It was time to get these two hitched.
Within moments of arriving at the ceremony site at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley, I could see why these two chose this location. This site was tucked nicely into the woods and perfectly shaded, two things I love to see as a photographer working in the hot summer sun.
And when Patrick and Victoria both walked down the aisle to begin their ceremony, I knew we were in for something special.
Victoria and Patrick's ceremony was truly one centered on love but it wasn't without it's moments of levity. In keeping with the true nature of their relationship together, both Victoria and Patrick made each other laugh multiple times during this "very serious" event but I think my favorite part of this ceremony was Patrick's best man delivering the most hilarious moment of the day by pulling a Ring Pop out of his pocket when asked for the rings.
It was a lighthearted moment but one that spoke wonders about the couple that never takes itself too seriously and, moments later, Victoria and Patrick sealed their marriage with a kiss.
As I said above, Patrick and Victoria's decision to knock out photos prior to their ceremony meant they had plenty of time to go to cocktail hour. I, meanwhile, made my way over to their reception area so I could 1.) Finally take a moment to cool off after running wild for hours and 2.) Document all the special little details they had on display for this beautiful rustic wedding day.
I've got to be honest. I have a love-hate relationship with barns for wedding receptions. As amazing as they look inside, they can be a pain in the butt to photograph for a wedding photographer like me who likes to recreate what I see onto the final photos as much as possible.
Thankfully, that wasn't much of an issue for Victoria and Patrick's reception as the reception ballroom at Stonehurst at Hampton Valley is nice and large and has plenty of room for proper lighting. But that's only part of the reason I loved Victoria and Patrick's first dance — set to "Better Together" by Luke Combs. The other was how lost in the moment these two clearly were.
Talk about a magical memory. Victoria and Patrick danced like no one was in the room with them and every little laugh and every little kiss between them just warmed my heart to see, and to shoot.
With their first dance in the books, Victoria and Patrick had three super sweet and touching toasts before dinner and I think each did a wonderful job describing who they are as people and why their love is so sweet and inspiring.
After dinner, I could feel the mood in the barn swing as Victoria, Patrick and their guests were clearly eager to hit the dance floor and rock out. But, first, we needed to finish up the formalities of the evening, which included a lovely father-daughter dance, a fun bouquet toss and an informal and laid back cake cutting.
Seemingly within MOMENTS of Victoria and Patrick's dance floor opening up, ishhhh got real.
I had a feeling this would be a rowdy crowd just from my limited interactions with Victoria and Patrick's friends and family prior to their wedding ceremony but, man, the moment the DJ announced that the dance floor was open, things got wild.
And I was ... here ... for ... it.
Whether it was Victoria's dad cutting loose, the introductions of light sticks or a really great mix of pop and country hits, there was no doubt this crowd was going to dance this night away.
One of the things I found most interesting about Victoria and Patrick's wedding was they didn't just have a DJ for their evening. No, they had BOTH a DJ and a live band and each crushed it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the energy in the room kick into even higher gear once Old Exit 11 took the makeshift stage but, man, what a way to close this night out.
Perhaps most impressively, every time I looked around both Victoria and Patrick were deep in the middle of the action. I could tell these two didn't want this night to end and I can't blame them. It was that fun.
Following a rousing closing number that featured the bride and groom singing along with the band itself, Victoria and Patrick's wedding reception came to an awesome and satisfactory end. And while I'm sure they would have loved for it to last forever, I could tell my the look of relief on both the bride and groom's face that they were looking forward to getting to sleep after a crazy long, but fun, day.
Victoria and Patrick's wedding was a whirlwind affair and I definitely needed every minute of my hour-long drive home to process all the fun I had but, looking back on it, I can safely say it was one of the best nights I had — as a photographer or in general — in the entirety of Summer 2023.
So, thank you Victoria and Patrick for a wedding that somehow exceeded even my lofty expectations. I can only hope it was everything you wanted and more and wish you all the best as you guys start this new and exciting chapter of your lives 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: Blinked to Beauty LLC; Bride's Make-up: Wicked Beauty Studio; Bride's Dress: Alexandra's Boutique; Bride's Dress Alterations: Sewphisticated; Groom's Suit: Men's Warehouse; Florist: Valley Falls Valley Falls Flower Shop; Ceremony & Reception Venue: StoneHurst at Hampton Valley, Hampton, Connecticut; DJ: Mystic River Entertainment; Cake/Cupcakes: Chocolate Rose Bakeshop; Band: Old Exit 11.