Chris & Nicole
As I entered the 2025 wedding season, I knew a couple of things to be certain. For one, I knew it was going to be a busy year as I fully booked out my calendar way earlier than ever before and still, even now, am getting inquiries from brides and grooms. For another, I knew there were some venues I would visit more than others and took it as a badge of honor from clients who saw my work where they were saying "I do" and said to themselves "I want those photos."
I think that's why I knew Chris and Nicole's May wedding would be so fun as it marked yet another visit for me to the Barn at Wight Farm in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, a venue I seem to visit more and more often these days. Heading into Chris and Nicole's wedding, I only had one hope: That their reception lived up to the expectations I had for it as I personally knew several of their guests and knew how fun they were.
But Chris and Nicole's wedding reception didn't live up to my expectations. It exceeded them. And that's why their wedding day was one of the most fun I've shot this season by far.
I could tell from the moment I walked into Nicole's bridal prep area exactly how this day was going to go as, within moments of my arrival, the bride and her friends were loudly singing along to "Good Luck Babe" by Chappell Roan, a song that has been featured heavily on my rotation for most of the spring.
Those four minutes or so told me everything I needed to know about Nicole's mindset before she said "I do." She was excited, of course, but she also wasn't feeling any stress and this would prove to be the case all day as Nicole and Chris' wedding moved at exactly the pace they wanted and they savored every moment of it.
Now, just because Chris and Nicole had a laidback day doesn't mean it was one without emotion. I think my favorite bit of emotion on this afternoon was the look on Nicole's face when she had her first look with her father.
I always love that moment when a bride's father turns around and sees his little girl all grown up and in her wedding dress for the first time and Nicole's day certainly let his feelings show as he hugged the bride and told her how great she looked.
I can think of no better way for us to set the tone for the day as we headed over to Chris and Nicole's ceremony.
Chris and Nicole chose to say "I do" at the Barn at Wight Farm's indoor ceremony area, a place I practically know like the back of my hand at this point. What I love about this room is that every wedding I've shot here feels different and Chris and Nicole were no exception.
Almost immediately, I knew how much this day meant to the bride and groom when I saw Chris' reaction as Nicole walked down the aisle. For a couple that spent most of the day not letting the pressure of a wedding get to them, I'm glad they made a short exception for the big reveal moment as it showed how much they cared for one another and how much this moment meant to them.
Chris and Nicole's ceremony lasted just over 11 minutes but I can just about guarantee it felt like a lifetime for this bride and groom as the two really poured their hearts out for one another with some touching vows and promises and the Barn at Wight Farm's ceremony room really did wonders to make this celebration feel intimate and special.
By the time Chris and Nicole sealed their love with a kiss, I knew these two wanted to get to their party and I can't blame them ... because it would prove to be awesome. But, first, we needed to take care of those pesky little things called formal photos.
If there's one thing I would change from Chris and Nicole's wedding day, it's how long we had for formals. Because of an unexpected delay to the beginning of their ceremony, by the time they said "I do," we had lost a half hour of our expected timeline and had to rush through all their family and wedding party photos. Thankfully, the friends and family members Chris and Nicole have were awesome to work with and we breezed through them but I would be lying if I said I wasn't panicking when the sun set behind us and we still hadn't started their bride and groom formals.
Thankfully, I've had a lot of experience this year with lower light photographer and, because Chris and Nicole were so flexible and great to work with, we flew through a bunch of poses in three different spots on the Wight Farm property, getting everything I could have asked for in terms of variety before we lost the last bit of light.
Shoutout to the lavender-colored tree that really made these photos pop, though. I am so glad this tree was in bloom and the skies were slightly overcast because the combo really lent itself to some great shots.
As Nicole and Chris headed inside and got ready for the start of their wedding reception, I took a lap around the room to make sure I had all the little details that they spent so much time working on captured.
I've seen a lot of wedding details this year but I have to give a special shoutout to Nicole and Chris. Almost from the moment I walked into the Barn at Wight Farm, their decor and details stood out as something special.
I especially loved the custom centerpieces they made with each table number carved into a book and fit it around the theme of their love story. I thought that was really cool and unique.
As much as I love how laidback my clients tend to be, I can't help but smile when I know a bride and groom I'm working with has put in just a little bit of extra effort to make their day special. Nowhere is this more obvious to me than the first dance, which is my absolute favorite moment of MOST wedding days.
While most of my clients are slightly awkward introverts and do their best to get through the two or three minute song they've chosen while pretending to ignore all the eyes in the room are on them, sometimes I get a couple like Chris and Nicole that really knock it out of the park.
Chris and Nicole chose to share their first dance as husband and wife to “If you love her” by Forest Black and Meaghan Trainer. It's a beautiful song but what made it really special was the way these two newlyweds took over the room with a dance I could tell they spent a lot of time thinking about and perfecting.
I'm so grateful they did, too, because the Barn at Wight Farm's main reception room is a beautiful spot to share a well-thought out first dance and these two nailed it. But I shouldn't have expected anything less because they nailed every part of their wedding day.
Following their first dance, Chris and Nicole took their seats for two lovely toasts that really led beautifully into the dinner portion of the evening.
After dinner, Chris and Nicole kept their reception formalities simple but sweet. The pair shared dances with their mother and father, respectively, and both were sweet and touching in their own ways.
I always love shooting formalities in this particular barn and that was no exception here as the lighting was picture perfect and made me just as excited, if not more excited, than Chris and Nicole were to see these photos.
The moment Chris and Nicole finished their parent dances, I knew the party was ON.
As I said above, I knew several of Chris and Nicole's friends personally and professionally and, as such, I had an idea that this reception would be crazy fun once the lights came down and the party music started and I was right.
Chris and Nicole's friends are an adventurous bunch and full of joy so it was no surprise that the dance floor was packed almost immediately the moment the DJ opened it.
I could have spent all night capturing candids of Nicole and Chris' friends and family rocking out to Pitbull, Kate Perry and basically every fun wedding song of the last decade but in my heart I knew I wanted just a few more bride and groom portraits to really put a stamp on this collection of photos.
Admittedly, this may have been because during bridal prep I saw Nicole had received a Sailor Moon-inspired wand as a wedding gift but I digress.
After waiting for a break in the dance floor action, I went outside and set up some gel lights in the gazebo area of the venue and had my lovely assistant Amanda on standby for gelled night shots with atmosphere spray, a staple of my spring so far. I've done this a few times this year but I think Nicole and Chris' photos were the best lighting wise. Talk about a super colorful and pretty session.
Following those final bride and groom photos, I made my way back inside Chris and Nicole's wedding reception and could only hope their friends and family members kept up the momentum of the fun dance floor while we were gone.
They didn't.
It was even rowdier.
For the last hour of my time with Chris and Nicole, I struggled to keep up with their guests and this party was non-stop. If I had to pick a favorite moment, though, that's easy as the crowd went wild the moment "The Time Warp" from Rocky Horror Picture Show started and ... yeah ... I can think of no better way to have capped this night's coverage than an all-time classic group dance song.
Chris and Nicole's wedding reception was so much fun I almost didn't want to leave. But, at the same time, I couldn't wait to get home to see how everything came out. Suffice to say, I was thrilled because this wedding was easily one of the most fun I've had this year.
It helps that I knew a lot of the folks in attendance and especially felt like I knew the bride and groom by the end of the festivities but that's always the case at a great wedding and something I never take for granted.
So, thank you Chris and Nicole for including me in your special day. I hope it was everything you always dreamed it would be and more and I wish you all the best as you begin this new 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: Melanie’s Hair to Envy; Bride's Make-Up: Tiffany Marques; Bride's Hair Piece: TL6 the Gallery, New Bedford, Massachusetts; Bride's Nails: Kaitlyn at The Ultimate Touch Nail Salon in Dartmouth, Massachusetts; Bride's Dress: Alexandra’s Boutique; Groom's Suit: Men’s Warehouse; Florist: Liz Likes Flowers; Ceremony & Reception: The Barn at Wight Farm, Sturbridge, Massachusetts; DJ: Jordan Paiva from Music of our Lives; Cake: Whoopie-Doo & Cupcakes, Too; Shuttle Service: Joey’s Limousine; Stationary: OrigamiFoxStationary; Table Books: Thorns, Roses and Puppy Noses; MISC. Decorations: A-Affordable Wedding/Shower Rentals.