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When I first met with Nicole and Steve we talked about how the weather would likely affect the wedding day since it was taking place in November in New England. We came up with all sorts of plans anticipating cold and rainy weather, but to our surprise, the sun came out in full force. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL out and allowed us to capture some spectacular shots outside.

Shawn Black, my wonderful second shooter that day, and I were so thrilled to get to shoot in natural light at this time of year.  Nicole and Steve elected to do a big reveal and shoot all their family formals before the ceremony so that we could shoot before the sun went down and so the bridal party could enjoy the cocktail hour.  I absolutely adore doing the bridal portraits right after a big reveal because the couple is still filled with all the excitement of seeing each other in all their finery and aren’t preoccupied with worry about how to pose or smile.  They are just totally lost in each other’s eyes, and for a small window during that incredibly busy day, time seems to stop.  You aren’t in a rush to do something.  You can just enjoy the moment. The pictures capturing this joy are so much more genuine than anything you will ever get during a hurried 10-minute bridal portrait session during the cocktail hour.

To get all the bridal portraits and family formals done before the ceremony we had to run through the family formals very efficiently.   Steve’s mom wanted to make sure that she had many of the family formals on her own camera.  Many wedding photographers often object to this type of situation because it can appreciably slow down the speed the formals can be taken.  Additionally, the extra shooter from the side results in what we tend to call roaming eye syndrome, because the people in the photos don’t know which camera to look at.  That’s why I never have my second shooters shooting during the formals.  Luckily Nicole and Steve alerted me to this in advance so we were able to come up with a plan that worked for everyone. While I took shots on my camera, Shawn took shots right next to me on Steve’s mom’s point-and-shoot.  This way no time was lost and everyone was looking in the right direction.  If you have a relative who wants to take shots during the formals I would suggest you make this known to your photographer in advance so that they can address it and come up with a solution that works for them.

Nicole and Steve had a beautiful candle-lit ceremony inside the Villa.  The staff there were wonderful to work with as always.  As soon as the ceremony was over they changed the room in a flash to a lovely reception hall decked out in the wedding colors of white, blue, and black.  I particularly loved the incredibly detailed cake and DJ John Zucco’s beautiful uplighting complemented it perfectly.  The lighting changed color throughout the night to a variety of purple, pink, red, and orange hues giving the room a wonderful warm feeling. After the mother-son dance the dance floor was always bumpin’!  John even got out with the guests on the floor to lead them in the cupid shuffle.

Nicole and Steve extended the bridal colors to the candy bar as well, giving it a very modern and art deco feel. Nicole created a signature cocktail on the spot with the blue rock candy and champagne that caught on quickly amongst the bridal party. The party really erupted when John played Psy’s Gangnam Style.  Everyone knew the whole dance and was rocking it, even Nicole’s Uncle!   Towards the end of the party, after the dessert bar, in traditional Villa decadent style, they brought out yet another course: a hot late night snack bar that included sliders and french fries!  SOOO YUMMY!  Shawn and I ended the evening with a lovely outdoor night shoot with Nicole and Steve which gave them a little one-on-one time again, which was much appreciated by the adorable newlyweds.  When the day was done everyone there left with a warm heart  after basking in the glow of Nicole and Steve’s palpable love of one another.