It was cold... bitterly cold on November 10th last year. It obviously gets chilly that time of year in New England but it was noticeable even to me and when I'm working I rarely pay much attention to that kind of thing. In no way did this affect the determination of Jessica to hike up to the ruins on Gibbet hill for her first look with Michael, however! I give her a lot of credit because you can see what she was wearing!

I had worked at The Barn at Gibbet Hill before but this was my first time up at the site of the Bancroft Castle ruins and I was really excited to take photos up there. It's not very often a place like this presents itself on a wedding day so I was going to make it worth the trip up the hill for the two of them! 

Jessica decided to forgo getting ready photos so we jumped right into the first look and then took some formal photos with the two of them as quickly as we could. Luckily Jessica had two of her bridesmaids with her who threw a jacket on her in-between shots. I was really happy with how they came out. With it being November too the sun was lower in the sky which made for nicer light. After the whirlwind shoot we headed down to the barn to get ready for the ceremony.

(more below)

Love in Ruins

The barn is one of my favorite locations for a wedding. It's spacious and rustic yet modern at the same time. This time of year the ceremonies are inside but in the warmer months they take place out back on the expansive lawn overlooking the hills. 

We were on schedule and Jessica's dad walked her down the aisle to hand her off to a very happy Michael. I had time to run up to the balcony to get some overhead shots before they started their vows and exchanged rings. 

(more below)

After the ceremony it was rapid fire with the bridal party outside. On top of the cold temperature the wind was whipping so I barely remember taking the photos at this point! I'm thankful they were all troopers and let me torture them if only for a few minutes. I did manage to get some creative shots with the girls and guys separately before the ceremony indoors. Bars are always fun to use. 

(more below)

We were lucky to get the bridal party photos done earlier because there were quite a few family photos to get through during cocktail hour. It's nice doing things the way we did as it gave me time to get shots of guests during cocktail hour and details of the room. 

After the first dance we had some toasts by Jessica's maid of honor and Michael's dad who was also his best man. During dinner I had no idea what was coming from the DJ. Let me tell you it was something to see! There are only a couple of photos here but DJ Bruce Jaques became a variety of characters and put on an act I felt like I should have paid for! Everyone was surprised and entertained by the act which put everyone in a mood to get the party started.

I hope you enjoy some photos from their big day!