Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2021 —
The Wharf Wedding Photos
Lori & Marcy-Gale*
The Wharf, Warren, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
August 7th, 2021
There are a few moments of every wedding day that, no matter how many times I see them happen, always make me smile. Obviously, there are the big ones: The first time a groom sees a bride walking down the aisle, the first kiss, the first dance, etc. But one of my favorites is more understated than that: It's spending time with a bride or groom as they're getting dressed and seeing just how nervous they are.
That's why I knew Lori and Marcy-Gale's wedding back in August at the Wharf in Warren, Rhode Island would be so special. Documenting Lori's prep, I could see her brain moving a mile a minute and knew she was looking for something, anything to keep her busy. Why do I love this moment so much? Because it's so touching to see those nerves go away once Lori saw Marcy-Gale walk down the aisle and be replaced, immediately, with a huge smile.
And that, to me, says so much about a beautiful wedding day.
* These photos were taken as part of my work as a second photographer for George Street Photography
and are presented here strictly for portfolio/display purposes.
Lori and Marcy-Gale's wedding day began with bridal prep sessions in their home, one floor apart. Even though these two weren't geographically far apart, it felt like two different worlds in the upstairs portion of their home vs. the downstairs portion.
I was tasked with photographing Lori's final moments of prep and I'm so glad I was as Lori was a ton of fun to chat with and I loved the way her tattoos with her daughter's names popped with her simple dress shirt and tie attire.
Lori and I spent the first hour of my coverage capturing the little details of her preparation but, more importantly, I had a chance to spend some one-on-one time with her as we went to not one, but two, parks near her home for some pre-ceremony portraits.
It took a few minutes but, eventually, I saw the real Lori come through the lens and we were having a great time, so much so that she even suggested some locations and poses, a sure sign someone is getting more comfortable in front of the lens.
I wish I could have kept Lori busy right up until the moment Marcy-Gale arrived but that wasn't in the cards and she did let her nerves get to her just a bit. But, honestly, it was for the better as I saw the emotion her face hit hard the minute she got to the aisle and waited for her bride-to-be.
I can't blame Lori for getting emotion. Marcy-Gale looked stunning in her classic, white wedding dress and crazy long and beautiful veil.
And, although I was initially concerned about how small their ceremony space was on the upper level of the Wharf restaurant, it actually was a pleasant surprise that gave their nuptials and personal and intimate feeling.
I loved Lori and Marcy-Gale's short but beautiful ceremony, particularly for the way I never had to wait too long to catch one of them with a giant smile on their face as they prepared to say "I do."
The one real downside to getting married at the Wharf is the area is tiny and you REALLY have to get creative in finding spots for the bride and groom, or in this case the brides, to take their formal photos. After a little bit of trial and error, we found a couple of nice gems that made for interesting and unique backdrops.
My personal favorite was this unexpected grey building that looked beautiful in contrast to their white outfits. I found this because Lori and Marcy-Gale's main photographer for the session was photographing them against the water as a backdrop and I chose to shoot from the side.
Sometimes being a second shooter is a perk creatively and Lori and Marcy-Gale's wedding was a great example of that. And while I could have spent a half hour at our second location, a cool, dilapidated building across the street from the Wharf, I had other tasks -- like lifting Marcy-Gale's veil in the air -- to attend to as a second shooter.
I couldn't leave without a couple of quick portraits of the bride though and, to me, that was victory enough on this beautiful summer afternoon.
Inside the Wharf, Lori and Marcy-Gale's closest friends and family members were gearing up for a party and I knew it. The room just had that fun energy.
I especially loved the nautical theme these two chose for their decorations. It fit the venue and downtown waterfront location perfectly.
Lori and Marcy-Gale are two women who I could tell, right from the moment they met, are fantastic mothers to their two daughters and, as such, I wasn't really surprised when their first dance turned into a family dance between the four members of their household.
But I'm just glad we had a couple of minutes of the two ladies by themselves on the dance floor for it as it provided a ton of great shots of the two really soaking in the moment as they swayed side by side to the music.
What I also loved about these two ladies was how much fun they had with some of the marquee events of their reception. The newlywed shoe game, in particular, was a hit with their audience and their cake cutting was sweet and sentimental ... even if they decided not to smash the dessert in each other's faces.
By far my favorite part of their reception, though, was the minute they opened the dance floor. I knew once the lights came down that I only had 20 minutes to capture as many dance photos as possible before my time came to an end with these two ladies and, even though I knew they were in good hands with their main photographer, I couldn't resist running around and taking advantage of the great party in front of me and the low ceilings that made my lighting really pop.
Seriously. What a fun start to their party.
Even though I didn't spend a ton of time with Lori and Marcy-Gale as they danced the night away, I left knowing we captured something special on that dance floor that night. More importantly, I knew THIS was the real reason they decided to have a big wedding bash with those closest to them.
Lori and Marcy-Gale's wedding day was so much fun and an absolute blast to get to document. Beyond all that, though, I knew just from my limited time with these two ladies that it was perfectly THEM and everything THEY wanted and, honestly, that makes it perfect in my book and there's nothing I love more.
So, thank you, Lori and Marcy-Gale for including me on this wonderful day of your lives and good luck as you enter this new chapter together as newlyweds.
-Paul J. Spetrini
