Robyn and Charles Glamorous Wedding

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The Farmington Gardens ceremony was perfect. they got the one nice day in April 19, 2019. it had been cold and the weather had been very unpredictable- the concern was that they weren’t going to be able to have an outdoor ceremony bc it was cold and raw, the weather was warm, sunny and could not have been lovelier.

Well, it all began with a food drive and a fateful sandwich. One hot & hazy summer day, the local food shelf was about to close its doors because they had run out of food, so the radio station Robyn was working for jumped into action and organized an emergency food collection. Charles wasted no time agreeing to let them collect donations outside his supermarket- and I mean if you’re going to collect food, it may as well be outside a place that has 65,000 square feet of food inside it! While they were collecting, Charles came out and asked them if they would like some lunch and said he would be happy to make us up some sandwiches. Well, Robyn is a sucker for a good sandwich, so without hesitation, she said, "Sure!" After that, it was a sealed deal. A casual conversation quickly became a lasting friendship and after many years of awkward dates, failed relationships with other people, and celebratory skydives after breakups with said other people, they realized why were they wasting their time? They knew that if there were going to be any more awkward dates that they should be with each other. And that, my friends, is how the Miller High Life began.

The years rolled on and this party of two became a party of three and their little love nugget Adeline was born. In the flesh was a real-life goofy mix of the two of us rolled into one bunny-loving, snack-crazed, beautiful little girl. A fun little side that helps Robyn remember their anniversaries that all their special dates magically began coinciding with celestial events.

Charles proposed to Robyn on the weekend of the Diamond Solar Eclipse. They have a dating anniversary right around the Winter Solstice and there was one more... oh right, they got married on the pink moon!

Vendors

Makeup and Hair: Therese Burdick

DJ: Atmosphere Productions

Dress: Elvidaz Bridal Designed by: Maggie Sottero

Accessories: Davids Bridal

Caterer: Farmington Gardens

Florist: Shop Rite Enfield

Limo Service: Premiere Limo

The Rings: Stevens Jewelers and Furnari Jewelers

Becky and Nick's Romantic Aria Wedding

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When locking down the perfect wedding venue, Becky and Nick planned ahead. They couldn’t go wrong with Aria Banquet Facility Thinking back on how it all started, sometimes simple is the best. Becky noticed Nick talking to one of her friends significant others, and the meeting was then arranged! This love affair was 13 years in the making. I’d have to say one of my favorite details was the table of memories past. We forget some of the phases we went through but, no one at this wedding missed out on the image of Nick in cornrows.

Wen it was time, Nick took Becky to a quaint, adorable vineyard in Coventry, CT and after a short walk through the grapevines, they sat under the giant maple for some shade, and he asked her to marry him! Now there’s a romantic right there.

This incredible duo soaking in all of the happiness shared with family friends for what was a stellar reception. I asked them to let me know what their favorite part of the day was and they couldn’t pinpoint any specific event, but it was so amazing from sun up to… well… past sundown

Here are some bullet points directly from the newlyweds

• What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding? Give yourself time to plan, dont rush, and dont compromise!

• What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple? BOOK THEM EARLY, BOOK THEM FIRST! They got me

• Tell us about your dress! Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one? My Gintare, from the Sotterro & Midgley line of Maggie Sotterro was fate. I have loved Maggie since I was 12, I even wore her to prom. The Gintare was my top pick, but I learned she discontinued it. When I showed up at the boutique, the owner said it was the only sample they "forgot" to send to consignment . I tried others on, but when that one went on, I was done for!

• Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell us why or why not! Nope! We were traditional and loved the experience!

• Any tips on what to bring?

• What was the first song you danced to as husband and wife? Father-daughter dance? Mother-son dance? First dance was Iris by Goo Goo Dolls Father daughter was Landslide by Stevie Nick's

• What kind of food was served at your reception? Very standard, but some Italian specialities

• What were you most anxious/nervous/fearful about regarding your wedding day? What was the outcome?

• We love to hear about vendors that you particularly loved! List any vendors here and feel free to share your experience. Be sure to include the name of the vendor, their profession, city/state, site, or Facebook page. Four Wings Photography :) Milestone Entertainment! Specifically, Gabe. They are local out of Windsor CT.

Who did Hair Jennifer Soucy, talented friends of Shelby for the rest

Who did Makeup Shelby Dufour

Cake Maker Modern Pastry

DJ or Band Milestone Entertainment

First Dance SongIris by Goo Goo Dolls

Dress Boutique

Caterer Aria

Florist Kathy at Grove Gardens (Clinton, CT)

Limo Service Green Light Limo

Nicole and Nico's Romantic Log Cabin Wedding

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Nicole Lucas and Nico Paolucci were married on November 24, 2018. The wedding party prepped at The D Hotel & Suites, took some pretty sweet Hummer limos over to The Log Cabin located in Holyoke Massachusetts.

The newlyweds met through one of Nicole’s friends who worked at the Delaney House. Nico had just bought a house across the street from Nicole and she went to his house party. They hit it off and consider Michelle to forever be their matchmaker.

Almost five years prior to their wedding, Nico brought Nicole to the Beauport Hotel Gloucester (very fancy) for their anniversary. After a long day of relaxing they sat at the bar for dinner and drinks. Nico asked Nicole if they could go outside for sunset and Nicole said “no thanks she just wanted to stay at the bar and have more martini's” (not knowing she was messing up the plan). After dinner and many martinis, they went up to the rooftop hot tub and in the dark, Nico pulled out a ring and proposed. Because it was so dark, Nicole wasn't sure what was happening but once she realized she lost her mind crying and overjoyed with the whole experience. That night, they called their family and ended up cutting the trip short because they were so excited to share the news with all their friends back home.

The second Nicole got engaged she knew she wanted to experience Kleinfields in all its glory. I took seven of my girls in a great big van and they road-tripped to the iconic store. The experience was everything she dreamt it would be and knew the dress was the one when I she put it on and felt beautiful in every way.

I asked Nicole and Nico what their favorite memories were from their wedding day. They commented that their first look was one of the best moments. Being able to be outside alone and seeing each other for the first time, hug and cry together was perfection. They went on to say the ceremony was also amazing. “Walking down to Nico with both parents on my side to have Peter (owner of The Log Cabin) and all the special people in our lives in one room was amazing. We laughed, cried and got married in the perfect setting that we’d been dreaming of for all of last year.

Being in the wedding industry for 13 years, Nicole had seen a lot of trends. This inspired her to choose many aesthetics that best represented their relationship. Having made so many good friends in the industry, it was amazing how everyone came together to help when it was Nicole’s time to be the bride instead of the wedding planner.

Wedding planning is definitely a lot of work; especially when you are planning so many other weddings at the same time. Nicole and Nico had a lot of support from family and friends. The big day was everything they dreamed of and more.

Nicole’s brief advice for future brides

1. It is NEVER too early to plan your wedding day.

2. Give yourself a break when things are seemingly overwhelming and ask for help from all your loved ones.

3. Be prepared! If you think there might be snow… bring boots. If you think it might rain, grab some umbrellas off of Amazon

4. Buy things when the spirit moves you. Etsy and TJ Max were Nicoles go-to for all things wedding detail related.

Special thanks to all the creative professionals involved in this special day

Second Shooter: Brian Marsh
Additional Photographers: Lesley Arak and Giovannie Lopez
Filmmaker: SSA Films
Entertainment/Band: Viren Entertainment Fever Band
Florist: Durocher
Chandelier, Backdrop with lighting, Ceiling Drapery: CJC Lighting and Production
Hair: Lindsey Murphy of Carve
Makeup: Shelby of Crystal Vazquez & Co.
Chiavaris and Flatware: Michael’s Party Rentals
Chargers: Jerome’s Party Plus

Zukas Hilltop Barn Rustic Wedding in Spencer MA Sarah + Nate

Sarah and Nate started their journey into becoming newlyweds when Nate popped the question at Enrico's in Sturbridge and enjoyed pizza :) They had been growing together for four years prior to their engagement. It’s one of my greatest joys to be let into the intimate areas of my couples history together.

They started early when planning your wedding and gave themselves plenty of time to account for unexpected hiccups. Wedding planning can be quite the undertaking if you don’t plan ahead and let people take on some responsibilities you may feel are overwhelming. Sarah was fortunate to have a great deal of support from both friends and family.

Sarah and Nate…. and their photographer ; ) were animate about making sure everyone was on point for family formal photos. It’s a wedding detail that can end up being a nightmare if you aren’t providing clear communication to everyone involved.

I asked Sarah to share some of her thoughts on the dress and she simply said “My dress has POCKETS!” She got it at David's Bridal, but it's an Oleg Cassini. She never thought she’d have a designer dress... It was the first dress she tried on and every other dress after that couldn't compare. Sarah chose it by listening to her intuition -- she knew it was the one when she first tried it on, and decided that settling wasn't an option. My dress was way out of her price range, so her whole bridal party pooled funds to help get the dress of her dreams. It was a fantastic moment that she will never forget!

They spent the night before the wedding at different locations, and only saw each other for first look photos before the ceremony. Sarah shared with me how special it was to see each other for the first look photos, which they were so glad they did because it would have been “a total crying mess” during the entire ceremony if she hadn’t seen him first. It’s safe to say she recommends it for any future brides out there

Any tips on what to bring? Food, water, extra Corona!!

Many congratulations to this remarkable couple. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to document the memories that pave the way for a bright future together. These two have a recipe for greatness.

VENDORS:
Second Shooter: Greg Moss
DJ: Shawn Santanello