Our first wedding since moving up to Boston was quite a memorable one. The Red Lion Inn in Cohasset, MA made for a spectacular backdrop for Linda and Jim’s wedding, with the redwoods bathing the guests in its wonderful warm glow. Linda asked me to pay special attention to Nonno and Nonna, Jim’s grandparents who flew in from Italy and spoke no English. Luckily, my original 2nd shooter, Natalie Bolea, flew in from DC for this first job to help out, and she speaks fluent Italian. This was much appreciated by the family. I asked Natalie why Nonna would not smile in any of the shots. Natalie told me this was an old school Italian thing, that the Grandmother is supposed to look stoic. As you can see here in the picture below, she certainly had mastered stoic.
So all day long I kept trying to find Nonna expressing some level of emotion. Finally during the Mother-Son dance, I didn’t have to look very hard. Jim and his mom danced to Andrea Bocelli’s “the prayer”. The power of the music was incredible in and of itself, but then as the music crescendoed, Nonna couldn’t keep her emotions hidden any more. She got up from her seat and came to the center of the dance floor and embraced her grandson and her daughter. A day’s worth of emotion flooded her face all in a moment. There was not a dry eye in the house.
It was truly a spectacular sight to behold.
In addition to the mother-son dance moment, there was the joining of two wonderful and funny people in the beautiful, very New England styled, church.
Since Linda was to marry Jim that day, she passed down her claddagh ring, and the associated Irish tradition, to Jim’s niece.
During Linda and Jim’s wedding, Stacy debuted as a new 2nd shooter for Fucci’s Photos and did a phenomenal job. She has a real talent for capturing amazing moments.
For couples still looking for vendors for their wedding, Linda brought together a wonderful team that made her day stress free. The staff at the Red Lion Inn were very professional and kind. The site provided great photo ops both inside and out. The grand staircase was perfect for group shots, and outdoors they had a variety of evergreen plants so that it did not look bare even though it was late fall. Linda Crisafulli stayed true to her make-up company’s name, Smokey Eye Makeup Artistry, providing beautiful smokey eyes for all the bridesmaids and the bride. Kathleen Melder created hairstyles that were age appropriate for the junior bridesmaids and flower girl. Last but certainly not least was the DJ, Mark McGillicuddy. His personality was outstanding. Not over the top, but rather just right for the evening. His music selection was on point throughout the whole affair, with a mix of old, new, and culturally relevant, keeping the guests very happy. Mark really blew me away with his ability to get all of the guests to the dance floor when I wanted to take a shot of everyone from above. He realized that as a photographer, I’d need everyone to be high energy, and to ensure we got that perfect shot, that people stayed out there for longer than just a few seconds. He also kept me in the loop as to what was happening next so that I was able to be in just the right places at just the right time. In the end, I would highly recommend any of these vendors to brides looking to make their big day a perfect one.
Oh, and if you eyed those trendy whoopie pies at the end of the slideshow, Linda made those delish favors herself since she is known as a great baker. If there is something you are known for, think about making the favors yourself so they are a bit more personal and reflect your special talents.