Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2022 —
Wyndham Newport Hotel Wedding Photos
Monica & Matt
Wyndham Newport Hotel, Middletown, Rhode Island
March 12th, 2022
One of the toughest tasks any wedding photographer faces is getting back into the swing of things to start a new season. After several months off, it's easy to lose your fastball as the saying goes and that's why I'm always at my most nervous right before I photograph the first wedding of any year.
Thankfully, at the start of the 2022 season, I got to kick the busiest year of my career off with Monica and Matt and it was a perfectly low key day and they were a perfectly low key couple who I simply couldn't have asked more of. Talk about a great way to get a season started.
I knew right from the moment I walked into Monica and Matt's wedding that this was going to be a great wedding to begin my season with as, right from the first minute of bridal prep, I could see the bride and her bridesmaids were in great spirits and well ahead of schedule.
I always love working at the Wyndham Newport Hotel as they have a designated bridal prep suite they give most of their brides and it's nice and spacious and was the perfect spot for this small bridal prep to get ready. And the bride herself? Well, Monica looked excited to walk down the aisle and had no nerves whatsoever. I call that a win in my books.
My favorite moment of Monica's bridal prep was watching the reality of the situation hit her as she got her dress zipped up. I always love when it "gets real" for a couple and with just minutes to go before she would walk down the aisle, Monica took several deep breaths and kept her composure as she finished getting ready and worked through the final touch ups.
Monica and Matt chose to say "I do" inside the Wyndham Newport Hotel and given that this wedding was taking place on the island AND in early March, I can't say I blame them. Sure, it wasn't overly cold on the day of their wedding but it was typical winter in New England and no one wants to sit outside for a wedding ceremony and shiver.
It helps, of course, that the Wyndham Newport Hotel has a nice and intimate area for wedding ceremonies indoors and that's the exact vibe Monica and Matt were going for for their nuptials. And any doubts about that were wiped away the minute Monica walked down the aisle and had to do her best to hold her emotions in check.
Monica and Matt's wedding ceremony lasted just 12 minutes or so but it was so personal and sweet that it felt much longer than that. I especially loved seeing the way BOTH the bride and groom had to hold back tears during their vows. This was a special moment and both Monica and Matt could feel it.
So, too, could their wedding party and guests.
With their ceremony in the books, Monica and Matt rolled right into their formal photos with friends and family members and some brief bride and groom portraits.
I could appreciate how laid back these two wanted to keep the photo portion of their wedding day and once we headed upstairs to their reception, I understood why. This was a bride and groom that wanted to party and I can't say I blame them.
The first thing I noticed inside the Wyndham Newport Hotel for Monica and Matt's wedding ceremony was how much their details really took advantage of the gold vibe of the room. Monica and Matt kept the little touches of their wedding — like an ice sculpture with their names on it and a beautiful three-layer cake — classic and timeless and it showed.
Monica and Matt were not "center of attention" type folks so it didn't shock me one bit when their reception started a bit low key. The pair chose to hold their first dance to "My Person" by Spencer Crandall but kept the song short and sweet.
That doesn't mean it wasn't beautiful and intimate and the perfect way to start this party right, though. I loved this moment for these two and it produced some of my favorite shots of the entire wedding.
Following their first dance, Monica and Matt rolled right through the formalities of the evening with two toasts and a pair of parent dances. Each of these moments were a mix of fun and sentimental and it was clear from the people in their life that these newlyweds had a lot of love surrounding them and a LOT of people who were so happy to see them finally tie the knot.
As with many fun wedding receptions, though, it was the cake cutting where the vibe in the room shifted. Following a delicious dinner, Monica and Matt made it clear the night was going to get a lot more fun seconds into their cake cutting with some cute interactions and once they sealed their love with a cake-flavored kiss, the party. was. on.
And what a party it was.
When they weren't posing for selfies with friends and family members, Monica and Matt were right in the thick of things on the dance floor and their party was an absolute blast from start to finish.
I'll be honest. As I headed out of Monica and Matt's March wedding at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, I couldn't help think "Man, I missed that!"
Monica and Matt's big day was the exact right start I needed to kick off my 2022 wedding season and one I have no doubt I'll remember long after the season comes to an end. So thanks for such an awesome wedding day Monica and Matt and congratulations on this new and exciting part of your journey together as husband and wife!
-Paul J. Spetrini
