Gina and Pat's big day underwent some changes between the time they booked and their wedding date. I had met Gina in my office with both her and Pat's mom. They were really enthused to work with me and booked right there on the spot which doesn't happen all the time. It certainly makes me feel good!
Initially they were getting married at The Mountain Edge Resort in Newbury, NH. It was going to be a smaller wedding with just a maid of honor and best man. As a couple of months ticked by it turned into The River Club in Scituate, MA with quite the large bridal party! None of this mattered to me but I had never seen such a dramatic change of plans!
Gina had some ideas to get photos at a couple of different spots along the coast before the ceremony so a first look was a must. We made sure to carefully go over the timing as it was going to be a bit tricky to get all the areas in that she wanted. Things always take longer than expected, especially when you have a trolley driver (who will remain nameless) who seemed to think we had all the time in the world along with having no idea where he was going! It was a bit hectic but we managed to get some great shots by the shore before heading to the venue. We even managed to battle some superheroes who ambushed us! That was a first!
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I had Kyle with me second-shooting so he covered the guys getting ready while I was with Gina and the girls. It was largely a family affair with little ones running around. Luckily we had a lot of space to work with. Gina looked stunning with her up-do and dress. The guys were clearly having a good time getting dressed.
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The hotel where they were getting ready was right on the shore so we opted for the first look there on a dock before hopping on the trolley and starting our adventure.
After the two had a private moment together it was time to get rolling. On our first stop we got the family photos done right away then had some fun with the bridal party. Gina had hired a videographer too that had a drone getting footage. You might be asking yourself, "Where the hell did the superheroes come from!?". That would be a good question! We randomly ran into them at the first stop and had the idea to stage a battle. Everyone was up for it and it turned into one of the most memorable parts of my whole season!
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It was my first time at The River Club. It's a really nice venue. You know it's serious when all the staff look like secret service agents and have their ear pieces and walkie-talkies! I have to smile. The ceremony setup was beautiful and we managed to get going on time. One of Gina and Pat's friends officiated and we were off and rolling into the next phase of the celebration.
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The decor for the reception was very clean and seacoast themed. Guests were invited in to the main room right after the ceremony which means less photos of the tables and other features without humans in the photos too but we managed to get the key features. Since we had done most of our formal photos before the ceremony Gina and Pat got to mingle with their guests before introductions. This is great for us too as it gives us a bit more time to get situated. It takes a few minutes to set up flashes, change batteries and memory cards and figure out how things are going to play out. I always coordinate with the DJ's at this point to make sure we are on the same page.
Soon it was introduction time and on to the first dance. The usual toasts and dinner followed. Gina and Pat also did a bouquet and garter toss which can go any number of ways but it always results in funny pictures. It's becoming a bit of a dying tradition and depends on the personality of the couple as to whether they want to do it. Sometimes there is a bouquet toss but the garter toss is skipped.
We ended our coverage with a few night shots out by the ceremony area and fountain. it's nice to end with a dip! I hope you enjoy some photos from their day!