Stephanie and Joe's Wedding at the Riverview

Stephanie and Joe were married on October 15th, with a ceremony at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Westfield, MA, and a reception at the Riverview in Simsbury, CT. 

These two met when their mutual friends decided to play matchmaker and set them up. After a few attempts to get together, they went to a concert, and the sparks started to fly. Fast forward to the beach in Michigan at sunset—where Joe proposed on top of the highest dune!

Stephanie and Joe were both nervous before the wedding that they would cry too much early on and look like a mess before they even got through the ceremony. Thankfully, they got most of it out during the first look. They were raw and emotional together, but it also gave them time to stabilize and ground themselves to put a lid on their emotions before they had to go out in front of their guests. 

The whole day was filled with so much fun and love! In the limo ride over to pictures, the wedding party burst into karaoke, and the DJ, James Hall, was fantastic all night. At the very end of the reception, the last song played was Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” The entire room full of guests gathered on the dance floor to encircle the new couple, holding hands as they sang and then wished them well on their way out. 

Joe & Stephanie, thank you for allowing us to be part of this amazing day for both of you! You have so much love in your lives, and we wish you nothing but the best together!

Vendors:

Caterer: The Riverview

DJ/Band: James Hall Events

Hair: Tangles Hair Salon Westfield

Makeup: Tangles Hair Salon Westfield

Cake: The Riverview

Dress: Bridal Barn

Jewelry: dimend SCAASI Chicago

Flowers: Valerie Vassos 

Menswear: Men's Wearhouse

Invitations: Paper and Pearl Invitations

Erin and Pat's Wedding in Haddam, CT

Erin and Pat were married on September 17th, with a beautiful ceremony and reception at a private home in Haddam, CT.

These two have been together for 7 years, ever since they met at a gym and then connected at a family party afterward. Pat proposed to Erin by surprising her with a Jeep Wrangler, since he knew that she was planning on buying one. The ring was with the keys!

Their gorgeous Connecticut barn wedding was truly a party for not only these two but for their family and friends. It was clear that Erin and Pat both wanted their guests to have fun, and on the other hand, their wedding party was filled with people who pitched in to help. In particular, Erin’s aunt brought hooks so that Erin wouldn’t have to hold up her dress, which delighted Erin to no end!

The first dance and the daddy-daughter dance were both Rascall Flats songs. They danced to “Bless the Broken Road,” and Erin danced with her father to “My Wish.”

Erin & Pat, thank you so much for allowing us to capture this beautiful day for you. It truly was a day of family and celebration, and we were grateful to be part of it!

Vendors

Hair and Makeup: The Iron Scissors

DJ/Band: Jock in the Box

Dress Boutique: Lastrina Girls Bridal

Caterer: Juste Hors D'eouvres

Florist: Lily & Vine

Rentals: WT Rentals

Olivia and Brent's Wedding in Waterford CT

Olivia and Brent were married on August 27th, with a ceremony and reception at a private residence along the Niantic River in Waterford, CT.

These two met at the hospital where they both work, and they would always go out of their way to run into each other. A week before he asked her out, she complained to her sister, "I don't understand why it's so hard to find a guy who wears Ray Bans, has a great beard, and loves Bob Dylan." As it turns out, “the cool guy with the beard and cardigans from the ER” was exactly the guy she was looking for! 

They went on their first date to her favorite frozen yogurt shop, and he had on his Ray Bans despite the dry weather. On the way home, a Bob Dylan song that wasn’t popularly known came on the radio, and he knew every word! After that, she would always make sure she was at the desk when she knew the ER was en route to her unit.

As for Brent, he thought that Olivia was so out of his league that he would never have a chance with her, which ironically made it easier for him to talk to her—he wasn’t trying to be cool or impress her. When they were dating, he kept waiting for her to realize that he wasn’t in her league—and he was just grateful for every moment of time together—but it never happened!

When Brent was ready to propose, he was too excited and impatient for something elaborate. In fact, he kept playing with the ring once he had it and secretly hoping she would catch him with it so he could have an excuse not to have to wait! But in the meantime, Olivia was getting suspicious. She saw that he was spending a lot of time on his phone and being very protective of it and “going to the store” without her being allowed to come. She had convinced herself that he was going to break up with her, so when he suggested that they try the Red Lion Inn for a date, she thought that was where he was going to break the news that he was in love with someone else. When he asked her to walk with him around the church yard while they waited for their reservation, she was put out, thinking he should at least buy her dinner before they broke up. She was so caught up with the drama in her head that it took her a while to realize he was down on one knee!

Brent was sure to include family in the proposal. Tori and Sam were in on everything from the beginning. Tori helped to pick out the ring, while Sam helped with the proposal plans. So, when the wedding came, it was clear they were just as involved! 

Of course, it was also so important to preserve those moments of intimacy together. Originally, they didn’t want to do a first look for their wedding because they wanted to see each other for the first time as Olivia walked down the aisle. But as their schedule grew more crammed and their emotions steadily grew to overwhelming proportions, they decided they wanted to have a moment just the two of them to enjoy the importance of the day at the place where they fell in love. 

The ceremony was simply beautiful, and it was so touching to be part of a day filled with love—not only the love of a bride and groom but the love of their family and friends for their union!

Brent & Olivia, thank you so much for letting us be part of this amazing day. It’s so wonderful to see your love for one another!

Vendors:

Caterer: Fresh Taste Buds- Groton, CT

Florist: Smith's Acres- East Lyme, CT

Dress and hairpiece: Everthine Bridal, Madison, CT

Men's attire: JCrew

Bridesmaids dresses: Alfred Angelo 

Rental equipment: Connecticut Rental Center

Doors, alter, and ceremony benches: homemade

Hair: Cynthia Rossini

Makeup: Caitlin Kelly-Bruscoe

Cake: The Cake Lady- New London, CT

DJ: Dan Cavanaugh at And the Beat Goes On ; Charlotte Kendrick and Dan Rowe

First Dance Song -Fool for You- John Butler Trio

Alana + Joseph's Wedding at The Riverview

Alana and Joseph were married on November 6th, with a ceremony at St. Joseph’s Church in Windsor, CT, and a reception at The Riverview in Simsbury.

These two met during the Blizzard of 2013, also known as Winter Storm Nemo. Alana had been living in NYC at the time but was home in Connecticut for the weekend for a big birthday bash. Unfortunately, Nemo was only getting worse, and a travel ban had been put in place for most of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Alana’s best friend (and later her maid of honor) hunted down the only restaurant that seemed to be open for a little birthday celebration, and during dinner, Joey and a few of his friends walked into the restaurant as well. Their tables were coincidentally close to each other, and Joey says he caught Alana staring at him all night!

Alana and Joseph opted not to have a first look before the ceremony, because they wanted to preserve that moment when the church doors opened and they saw each other across the aisle. The ceremony itself was beautiful, and the emotion was evident in Alana’s face as her two dads walked her down the aisle and she looked up to see her husband-to-be. 

After the reception, there was a cocktail hour with lamb, seafood, and a raw bar, and later at the reception, there was a sit-down dinner with a salad and entrees—and a dessert station!

Then, there was plenty of dancing all around as the band, Current Affair, kept everyone out on the dance floor. The bride and groom had their first dance as well as father/daughter and mother/son dances, and everyone could see the love they had not only for each other but for their families.

Alana & Joseph, thank you for choosing us to be part of this amazing day! Congratulations, and may your future always be bright!

Vendors: 

Dress: Kleinfeld in NYC

Wedding Planner: Sarah Parlos, One Fine Day

Videographers: Barnberry Productions

Hair: Karma Salon

Make-up: Chante Make-up

Band: Current Affair

Florist: KM Designs

Limo Service: Michael’s