Rebecca & Kelly
Private Residence in Warwick, Rhode Island (Ceremony & Reception)
August 26th, 2017
Wedding days can be incredibly stressful. From the years of planning to the last-minute details, there are so many things to worry about on your wedding day that it can sometimes get overwhelming.
For this reason, I tell every couple that I work with to plan on something going wrong on the day of and make sure they don't let it get to them and ruin what should otherwise be one of the happiest days of their lives.
That advice has never proven more right than with Rebecca and Kelly's August wedding in Warwick, Rhode Island.
With a ceremony right on the water on a beautiful Rhode Island summer day, Rebecca and Kelly's wedding was going flawlessly. And then the power went out right before their first dance.
This is an event that some couples would have let ruin their night. But Becky and Kelly aren't like some couples. Instead, they smiled, shrugged their shoulders and had a beautiful first dance lit only by a setting sun in the distance.
I like to think that positive mindset paved the way for the power to come on moments into their parent dances but, truth be told, it probably had nothing to do with it. What it did do, however, was ensure that nothing could dampen the spirit of one of the happiest couples I've ever seen and one of the most emotionally satisfying weddings I've ever been a part of.
Rebecca and Kelly's wedding day may not have been perfect but it was perfectly them and it was a day neither they nor I will soon forget.
My coverage of Becky and Kelly's wedding day started with a busier than usual prep period as I was tasked with photographing the bride and groom getting ready. Thankfully, the two were merely a house away and that proximety made it easy to go from one site to the other and watch this bride and groom get ready for their big moment in the sun.
I loved being able to go from house to house and watch the similiarities in how this bride and groom got ready. Neither appeared overly nervous but seemed, instead, excited to each one another.
Those are always my favorite kinds of weddings as you know you're watching a day that will be full of emotions from both the bride and groom and, most likely, it will lead to a lot of fun candid moments between the two. That was certainly the case here as both Becky and Kelly counted down the minutes until their depature with smiles on their faces and an eagerness to take part in this life-changing event.
It wasn't until Rebecca put her dress on that you could see any sense of nerves on her face but after a beautiful first look with her father, I could tell she was ready to get this show on the road.
And who could blame her? You could not have asked for a nicer day at the end of August in New England and the private residence where they were getting married proved to be the perfect backdrop for an amazing and emotional ceremony.
Becky and Kelly's ceremony was a sweet one to watch. Short and to the point but totally personal at the same time, it was touching to watch the two get tripped up by the emotions of the moment and I could tell both the bride and groom were lost in each other's eyes from the moment Rebecca walked down the aisle until they said "I do."
Following their ceremony, Becky, Kelly and I made our way through a relaxed and comfortable formal photo session. Given that we shot their engagement session at the same beach they were getting married, it was predictable easy to get this bride and groom to pose and I appreciated how quick we were able to get through all their requested shots.
Especially because I've known since I met them that their reception was going to be the most fun part of their wedding festitivities.
What I didn't know, and neither did they, was that after four beautiful toasts and in the middle of dinner service, all the power in the tent would go out. As their friends and family tried to figure out the problem, I took Becky and Kelly back down to the beach for some nice sunset photos that were both necessary from an artistic standpoint and as a way of keeping the bride and groom distracted while the issue of electricity was resolved.
Thankfully, Rebecca and Kelly aren't the type of couple to dwell on the negative things and instead of sulking about one thing going wrong, they carried on with their day and had a beautiful first dance despite having no lighting inside their tent.
As a photographer, I'll admit the lack of lighting wasn't ideal. But sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do and it was worth it the moment I saw Becky's face light up (literally) once the power kicked on during her father and daughter dance.
I could tell getting the power back on meant the world to this bride and groom and once I saw the way the lighting in the tent looked, I couldn't blame them.
And, because I'm a romantic at heart, I made sure to convince the bride and groom to open the dance floor by having a dance for just themselves as the start so they could truly experience what their first dance would have been like with full power.
I'm glad they agreed and it paved the way for some of my favorite photos of the night.
After Rebecca and Kelly officially opened the dance floor, I knew we were in for a good time as their friends and family really know how to party. And whether it was just rocking out on the dance floor or absolutely nailing a special sparkler exit later in the night (See the first photo in this post for proof), this group truly took the night by storm and danced the night away.
It. was. awesome.
By the time Rebecca and Kelly got ready to call it a night, there's no way this day could have gone better and even though we lost power one last time right before the final song, I could tell this bride and groom had already had the wedding of their dreams and everything else was just gravy at that point.
I love watching my clients walk around their wedding reception with smiles from ear to ear and Rebecca and Kelly sure did just that.
Their wedding may not have gone 100 percent as planned but when you're with the person of your dreams and having the time of your life, it's hard to say anything that happens isn't the very definition of the word perfect.
So congratulations Rebecca and Kelly!
Here's to a beautiful marriage for a beautiful couple who already have everything they need in each other to live the lives they've always dreamed of.
-PJS
The Vendor List
Photographer: Paul J. Spetrini Paul J. Spetrini Photography; Videographer: Andre Bryce of True Light Pros; Rebecca's Dress: Gown Town Bridal; Flowers: Flower Girlsri; Rings: DaSilva Jewelry Design; Live Music: Cover to Cover Band; Cake: A Piece of Cake; Tent/Lighting: Rhode Island Rentals.
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