Blog— Weddings — Rhode Island — 2023 —
Wyndham Newport Hotel Wedding Photos
Angela & Jonathan
Wyndham Newport Hotel, Middletown, Rhode Island
March 25th, 2023
Do you remember when you were a little kid and in the summer you excitedly counted down the days to a new school year? There's really not much difference between that and being a wedding photographer in New England counting down the days to a new wedding season.
At least that was what it was like for me in the lead-up to Angela and Jonathan's March wedding at the Wyndham Newport Hotel in Middletown, Rhode Island.
Angela and Jonathan's big day was one I looked forward to for weeks because not only would it be my first wedding in over three months (And, to be honest, I was running out of television shows to watch) but also because I knew that it would be an incredibly fun one to shoot with a down-to-Earth, delightful couple that I had no doubt would have a great time.
And when it comes to weddings to kick off an entire season, I really couldn't have lucked out more than Angela and Jonathan's amazing day.
My 2023 season started in nearly identical fashion to my 2022 season as not only was I at the exact same venue for both bridal prep and the ceremony/reception but it was nearly the same time of year (Just two weeks later) and the same kind of day: Cloudy, rainy and cold.
But I knew from the moment I walked into Angela's bridal prep suite that we didn't need the sun to come out for this to be a bright day as the bride-to-be was in great spirits and her entire crew was excited and ready to see her walk down the aisle.
The nice thing about Angela's bridal prep was it was taking place a few rooms over from Jonathan's and so, even though I hadn't planned on grabbing any groom prep photos, I did manage to snag a few shots of Jonathan getting his boutonniere pinned when I walked into his suite to say hello.
As for the bride herself, Angela looked radiant in her gorgeous dress and as the minutes ticked away to the start of her wedding ceremony, I could see her excitement grow.
My favorite moment of Angela's prep came about 15 minutes before the start of her ceremony and she and her father shared a first look and a shot together before he walked her down the aisle. It was the perfect sweet moment this bride needed and one I know she won't soon forget.
Because of the rainy weather, Angela and Jonathan's wedding ceremony took place indoors at the Wyndham Newport Hotel. Or, at least I assume it was because of the weather. To be honest, every wedding ceremony I've ever done at this venue has been indoors so it feels like it might just be the default option at this point.
Even so, if I have to shoot an indoor ceremony, there are few better places I can think of than this particular room as it's really spacious and gives me plenty of room to play with lighting.
That's why I was able to capture so many nice, clean shots of Jonathan as he waited for Angela to walk down the aisle and the look on his face was absolutely priceless when he first saw her.
Angela and Jonathan technically had two ceremonies going on at the same time as their officiant helped the multi-cultural room follow along in both English and Spanish and I think that was a nice touch for Jonathan's family in particular, some of which traveled quite the distance to see him say "I do."
Their ceremony was full of little thoughtful moments like this but my favorite, by far, was the super cute sand ceremony where they combined blue and orange sand together to make for a lovely keepsake.
I loved working with Angela and Jonathan, particularly because of how stress free they made their entire day. This was shown best during their formal photos as we decided to keep their family and wedding party portraits to the same room they held their ceremony in. And while I only had eight minutes to grab bride and groom photos before we headed into the reception, I feel we got a decent amount of variety that showed their relationship off well.
I knew Angela and Jonathan's wedding would be one defined by the reception and this was clear to me from the moment I walked upstairs into the Wyndham Newport Hotel, which is one of my favorite places to shoot a party. I love this room for so many reasons, not the least of which is the sheer size of its dance floor and when Angela and Jonathan came into the space with giant smiles on their faces, I knew it was going to be a fun night.
Angela and Jonathan opened up their reception with a first dance set to the song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran and Beyonce and I can't think of a more fitting way to describe that moment, by far my favorite of the entire wedding day.
I wasn't sure what to expect from these two on the dance floor but their first dance was really sweet and full of emotion on both of their faces. I'm just glad the song lasted long enough to really capture how they felt in what are some of my favorite photos of their big day.
Following their first dance, Angela and Jonathan finally had a chance to grab a seat and relax while those closest to them gave a trio of great, heartfelt speeches that set the perfect tone for the start of dinner.
After dinner, Angela and Jonathan really changed the vibe in the room right away with a quick sprint through their reception hall to grab photos with every table, a pair of super sweet parent dances and a lovely cake cutting. With each subsequent moment, you could feel the excitement for the party building and building.
And once the formalities were over, woo boy did the mood shift. Thanks to their decision to hire Ramu and the Crew, one of my favorite people in the industry and someone I've personally worked with for eight seasons now, I knew this party was going to be legit but it even surprised me.
Ramu kept the dance floor jumping all night long and the blending of Angela and Jonathan's families with a solid mix of pop music and latin favorites had me just excited as the guests were over how much fun this dance floor truly was.
Honestly, for my first wedding reception in three months, these guys wore me out and had me running everywhere and I mean that in the very best way possible.
As my time with Angela and Jonathan came to an end, I couldn't help but pack my gear up with a giant smile on my face. THIS is exactly what I was missing in my time off and while it was nice to relax for a few months and rest up after a truly wild and grueling 2022 season, there's a reason I love shooting weddings and days like Angela and Jonathan's wedding are the reason why.
So thank you Angela and Jonathan for starting my 2023 wedding season off in the best way possible and I wish you luck as you begin this new and exciting chapter of your life together as husband and wife.
-Paul J. Spetrini
Check out more of my most recent wedding blogs:
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet,
Cranston, Rhode Island
December 9th, 2022
Ebenezer Baptist Church &
Skyline at Waterplace, Providence, RI
November 18th, 2022
