I met Sinea and Ryan for the first time at Sinea's cousin's wedding which I shot in 2016. She was one of the bridesmaids. It's great to go on and shoot the friends and family of previous clients because it really means that they were happy. Sinea got to see how I work first hand and I think that helped make the decision for her. I exert a lot of energy on wedding day to keep everyone laughing and interested and I like to think it's a fun experience for everyone!

Sinea and Ryan were high school sweethearts and really compliment each other well. We had their engagement session in Portsmouth and they married at The Oaks in Somersworth, NH. 

When I arrived at the hotel the girls were ready to go. I jumped into getting some photos of the dress hanging then they had a toast and we got some shots on the bed with them in their robes. These girls were all really excited for Sinea and ready to have an awesome wedding!

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Love at The Oaks

I always love when a couple opts for a first look. It gives us more time for photos and frees up cocktail hour for mingling. Sinea and Ryan really wanted to spend some time taking photos together and with their bridal party so it worked out well and we got a lot done. The Oaks is a little limited for options but what they do have is really pretty to work with. 

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The ceremony was outside right next to the reception area. It was a hot day but the backdrop was beautiful. I love ceremonies because you can really see the couple looking at each other with such love. I think it's one of those short but really powerful moments where a couple couldn't love each other more. So much work and time goes into planning a wedding, but beyond that, the "I do's" are a huge milestone that is a culmination of years of time and memories together. You can see all that in them at that exact moment and it's powerful.

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The reception space at The Oaks is great. Logistically for me it's an easier space for me to light and the white walls and ceilings are great for bouncing my flashes. With doing a first look, we had a good amount of time to capture the guests mingling and having a good time. After introductions Sinea and Ryan had their first dance as man and wife before toasts began. 

After dinner there were more formalities, including the cake cutting. Now, it's hard to predict how a cake cutting will go. By that I mean, "will one or both of them be wearing that cake by the end of it?". In this case Sinea got a full facefull ! Probably one of the best ones I've seen. I hope it tasted good Sinea!

After some cleaning up we got parent dances under way and then the party really started. It was certainly a good crew. The garter and bouquet toss is always great for photos and this time was no different. 

I hope you enjoy some photos from their day!

Wedding Eve