Ashley & James *
The Barker House, Scituate, Massachusetts (Ceremony & Reception)
April 24th, 2026
When you think about it, life is nothing more than a series of big moments and small moments and wedding days aren't much different. As much as the marquee moments of the day are what people remember the most, whether it's a first kiss, a parent dance or a wild dance floor.
I've always gone against the grain in that line of thinking as a wedding photographer though. To me, the big moments are nice and they're what people will talk about but I look for the small moments to tell me what a wedding was really about and, in the regard, Ashley and James' April wedding at the Barker House was defined by the little moments that you could blink and miss forever.
It was the way James' tears rested on his jacket as he watched Ashley walk down the aisle. Or the way Ashley and her father held hands as he spoke to a room full of guests. Those little moments, when you think no one is watching, are what make wedding photography so powerful and Ashley and James' wedding was beautifully full of those moments where words fail to properly convey the feelings a split second has.
But damn does it come close.
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for Kristin Griffin Photography.
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
My time with Ashley and James began with an extended bit of groom prep as I was serving as their second photographer under the Kristin Griffin Photography brand for my dear friend Kristin. I always love second shooting because it gives me a chance to sit back and be creative and Ashley and James' wedding day was a perfect example of why.
I arrived to find a shy and slightly nervous groom in James and he was flanked by the exact kind of guys you want hyping you up on your wedding day. Together, these guys set the vibe and set it nice and even if he was a little bit anxious about the day that lied ahead, you could tell James was excited to get things started and to get things right and I loved that for him.
After some basic groom prep photos and some causal hang out time with his guys, it was time for things to get real for James and that meant starting out with reading a special note his soon-to-be bride left him.
I absolutely LOVE when couples write notes for one another prior to a first look or wedding ceremony as it tells me right away what to expect from their relationship and how they're likely to handle the day and I could tell from James' reaction that he was going to be a crier and that brought a huge smile on my face.
The one challenge I knew I'd have on Ashley and James' wedding day was dealing with the locations. If you've paid attention to my 2026 blogs so far, you've noticed that three of my last four weddings have all followed a similar script with formal photos at the Scituate Lighthouse and a wedding/reception at the Barker House and it's with good reason. These spots are stunning and gorgeous.
But, as a photographer? They're a bit of a nightmare.
Or, at least they typically are. On the day of Ashley and James' wedding, we had the best combination of temperature and lighting/wind I've had at the site and that made for a first look where I could just focus on capturing the bride and groom's reactions of their first look instead of fighting the elements and what a first look it was.
I had a feeling James would be a bit emotional in this moment but it warmed my heart a ton to see how supportive his bride-to-be was in response. Talk about a wholesome moment.
The one drawback to serving as a second shooter is you often don't get a lot of time to direct a bride and groom during formal photos as you're there more to accent the lead photographer's coverage and while my friend Jess led the day, I was just glad to sneak in a couple of nice shots of Ashley and James in the few minutes we had at the Lighthouse before we had to get to their venue.
And, thankfully, they all indulged me when I asked for some more scenic-style landscape shots with the Lighthouse itself. I mean, after all, if we're going to go to all the trouble to shoot there, we may as well take advantage of how beautiful it looked, right?
Speaking of beautiful, Ashley and James couldn't have chosen a more beautiful day to get married. As I said before, I've spent a LOT of time at the Barker House this wedding season so far and Ashley and James definitely had the ideal day there.
Right from the start of their ceremony, I could tell we were in for something beautiful as I saw the groom and his mom excitedly walk down the aisle. What I didn't know was how adorable it would be watching these two pledge to spend the rest of their lives together.
Ashley and James' wedding ceremony may have only lasted about 10 minutes but that didn't matter. In that ten minutes, they managed to steal the hearts of everyone watching with just how stinking adorable they both were together.
By far my favorite moment was waiting for what my timeline described as a "ring warming ceremony" and seeing that that was just code for the bride and groom sharing their secret handshake with the room. It was so simple and so dorky and I smiled so, so very large.
My smile was nothing compared to the bride and groom's as they walked down the aisle in a sea of bubbles though and moments after Ashley and James said "I do," it was clear we were getting ready for a beautiful and crazy party.
I don't know what it is about the Barker House but any weddings I shoot there tend to have simple yet beautiful decorations and Ashley and James' wedding was no different. The pair went understated with their decor but it all really fit the room perfectly. My favorite, though, was the beautiful floral arrangement in the front of their sweetheart table. It really stood out in a room that was otherwise simple by design.
Whenever I second shoot a wedding, I'm meeting the couple on the day of and, sometimes, it's hard to know what to expect from their reception until the moment they are introduced as husband and wife into the room full of their friends and family members.
That's why I was extremely curious what the vibes would be like for Ashley and James to start their reception and, right on cue, the pair brought great energy into the room and shared a really sweet and touching first dance that set the perfect tone for the rest of the night.
I especially loved the little touch of their wedding party standing behind them with signs up and felt that said a lot about the support and love this couple has from their friend group, a theme that would come to define the night.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway I had from Ashley and James' wedding was how loved these two are and you could see and hear it in the voices of those who took time out to speak on their wedding day.
Before dinner, we had two toasts from Ashley's dad and James' dad that really served as welcome addressed but also, in many ways, were their fathers talking lovingly about what the day meant to them.
After dinner, we got three traditional speeches from the maids of honor and best man that delved deeper into the newlywed's relationship and what they mean to the people in the room.
Those speeches, coupled with some words from the bride and groom as well as a small cake cutting immediately before the dance floor opened, spoke to how low key this reception was going to be and I loved that.
As far as moments go, Ashley and James' wedding day was full of them but, to me, the biggest standouts were the parent dances as Ashley's dad tried his best (but failed) from getting emotional and James' mom stole the show with a super sweet moment at the end of her dance with her son where she invited her new daughter over for a group hug.
Talk about memories that will last forever.
With the formal portion of Ashley and James' wedding over, it was time to dance and dance this group did. I've been to a lot of wedding receptions in the Barker House but I don't think I've ever seen a dance floor quite as large as the one Ashley and James has as their guests took over the entire room and celebrated the night away.
Everywhere I looked, there were pockets of people rocking out and whether it was an unplanned or some pretty sick Riverdance moves, this crowd knew how to party and didn't let up all night long.
As my time with Ashley and James came to an end, I couldn't help but smile thinking about the beautiful wedding they had. It's not often I get to know a bride and groom when I second shoot and, in truth, I don't know much about Ashley and James beyond what I saw on their special day but I know they had the perfect wedding for them and it was one they won't ever forget.
Ashley and James' wedding was the kind of event where every moment builds on the previous moments and things just somehow keep getting better and i hope that's what their relationship is like now that they've reached this special milestone together as husband and wife.
So, congratulations Ashley and James on an amazing wedding day. I hope it was everything you dreamed of and more and wish you all the best in your future together.