Kate & Josh
Tree House Tavern, Warwick, Rhode Island
August 2nd, 2025
As someone who has shot weddings for 15 years now, I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard cynical people downplay the value of having a wedding celebration by saying "You know, you could just go to a courthouse and elope instead."
What people typically mean when they say this is that they believe the stress of a big, elaborate wedding isn't worth it and that the only two options that exist are going over the top with your wedding OR getting eloped. I've often found that many of my favorite couples have a better solution: Small, intimate weddings with just their closest friends and family members that feel as deeply personal as an elopement but still have many of the bells and whistles you expect from a "traditional" wedding day.
Take Kate and Josh, for example. Kate and Josh said "I do" back in August at Tree House Tavern in Warwick, Rhode Island and while on the surface their wedding date was essentially an elaborate lunch with their 11 closest people, it was so, so much more than that.
It was beautiful. It was personal. It was them.
I could tell from the moment I walked into Kate and Josh's bride and groom prep area exactly what kind of day I was in for and I was right. Both the soon-to-be newleweds were casually putting the finishing touches on their outfits for the day and taking care of last minute to dos but, otherwise, there was no indication they had big plans for this day.
Instead, both Kate and Josh were in full on casual mode in the best way. Sure, you could tell these two wanted this day to go smoothly but, with the way they planned it, there really wasn't a need to get stressed about it. After all, weddings are supposed to be fun, right?
One of the little touches I loved about Kate and Josh's wedding was how intimate it all was, right down to the fact that Josh's sister did Kate's hair and makeup.
The closeness of everyone involved made this wedding feel really special. So, too, did little things like Josh's sister helping put his boutonniere on and Kate asking if she could have her "bride gets zipped up" photos with her grandmother's art in the background. It all made for an atmosphere of love and appreciation for the two people at the heart of this day and you could tell that everyone who was going to be at this wedding was hand-selected and wouldn't miss it for the world.
After a very sweet bridal prep session, Kate checked her look one last time in the mirror and headed outside for a pair of very special first looks. The first was with her father and brother and both of their reactions were adorable. But the first look she had with Josh melted my heart. The look of love in his eyes as he turned around to see his bride spoke volumes and was one of the sweetest moments on a beautiful day full of love.
Following their first look, Kate and Josh indulged me for a couple of bride and groom portraits before we headed to their venue and I'm glad they did. I hadn't visited Tree House Tavern in any sort of official photographer capacity prior to their wedding and wasn't sure if the space would allow for a nice backdrop (Thankfully it did) and getting some formals of them together ... just to be sure ... was a great move.
It also allowed for us to take a quick group photo of all the folks who made Kate and Josh's prep possible. Even though this was also most of the folks attending this wedding, you could tell how important each of these folks were to the bride and groom and you can never take too many photos of the people who matter on a wedding day.
Kate and Josh's wedding ceremony was at the Tree House Tavern in Warwick, Rhode Island, a location I've dined at before but had never photographed and didn't even know hosted weddings. Immediately upon arrival, I wish I'd shot here before as this spot was gorgeous, especially on the beautiful summer afternoon we were having.
Kate and Josh's ceremony was in an outdoor patio area in the back of the restaurant but it felt like a lot of my much bigger and more elaborate venues, right down to the beautiful landscaping.
Speaking of beautiful, remember that look of love on Josh's face I talked about earlier during their first look? I think it just about doubled as Kate walked down the aisle.
Kate and Josh's ceremony was fairly simple but looked stunning thanks to the beautiful locale. It was also deeply person as Josh's grandfather officiated it, giving the day another hugely personal touch. Even though it was far from the biggest location I've photographed a wedding, this spot was an immediately favorite and one I'd love to return to. I mean, look at how beautiful this all is.
Add in a couple as fun as Kate and Josh and it's no wonder why this short little ceremony was one of my personal highlights on this special day.
Following their wedding ceremony, Kate and Josh prepared for a small and intimate lunch with their closest friends and family members and the Tree House Tavern was the perfect place for this event. The vibes on this day VERY MUCH felt like we were in someone's home for a personal dinner and I loved that for these two.
Even the decor felt very low key and relaxed and fit the room well.
After a fairly relaxed round of family formal photos, Kate and Josh headed into their reception with a small but important itinerary.
Up first was their first dance as husband and wife, which was set to "I Choose You" by Forest Blakk. I really loved this dance for a number of reasons but chief among them was amazing the backdrop of their venue looked as they danced together.
I'm a big believer that you can make any space feel important with the right moment and that was certainly the case here. But, at the same time, look how deeply moved both Kate and Josh were during this moment. I am convinced this was the moment the reality of the day hit and they truly felt like husband and wife for the first time.
Following their first dance, Kate and Josh had a combined parent dance with their father and mother, respectively. This moment, set to "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts" was one of the sweetest on their wedding day and you could see how much it meant to their parents by the look of genuine pride both Kate's dad and Josh's mom had written all over their faces.
Throughout Kate and Josh's wedding reception, I had one thought in my mind: "I can't wait to take the bride and groom out for formal photos."
I held back on doing these photos immediately following their ceremony as I could sense the bride and groom needed a little break from standing in front of the camera and I'm so glad I did as when we did take them out following dinner, the light was perfect and they were so much more relaxed.
Now, in fairness, I had just shot Kate and Josh's engagement session a few weeks earlier so I may have had an unfair advantage of knowing how to work with these two but I love how these photos came out and, more importantly, love that we breezed through them because of how familiar we were by this point in working with one another.
With their bride and groom formals in the books, there was nothing left for Kate and Josh to do on their wedding day but spend it savoring time with their friends and family members.
I loved this for them as Kate and Josh didn't have any dance floor or any elaborate formalities planned. They wanted a nice, quiet afternoon to celebrate this milestone moment in their lives and they got it. I was just glad to be there help document it.
As my time with Kate and Josh came to an end, I couldn't help but think about how fitting it was they chose to get married the way they did. I've had a lot of smaller weddings this season compared to past years but that doesn't make these celebrations any less special or valid and Kate and Josh proved you don't need to go all out and have the most elaborate day to pledge your love to that special someone in your life.
So thank you Kate and Josh for allowing me to play a small part in the success of your beautiful wedding day. I wish you all the best on this new chapter of your lives together as husband and wife. :)
-Paul J. Spetrini
