A Boston Wedding at The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel | Rita & Sami
Rita & Sami’s Boston hotel wedding at Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel was a really fun mix of glamorous, luxury and raucous, wild party. The Fairmont Copley is one of the most iconic Boston hotels so I was excited to photograph my first wedding there. I was not disappointed - what a place!
Rita & Sami’s Boston hotel wedding at Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel was a really fun mix of glamorous, luxury and raucous, wild party. The Fairmont Copley is one of the most iconic Boston hotels so I was excited to photograph my first wedding there. I was not disappointed - what a place!
Rita and Sami first reached out to me to photograph their engagement photos only as they had plans to get married in their home country of Lebanon (where they met!). I had so much fun getting to know them during their Boston engagement session, so when their plans changed and they decided to get married in Boston I was thrilled!
When chatting with them about their wedding reception plans, they told me that they were letting their friends roast them instead of doing more traditional wedding toasts. I loved this idea but was a little bit nervous for them not knowing their friends. It turned out to be SO much fun. As a documentary style wedding photographer I live for situations like this that lead to big emotion, laughs, and authentic reactions. It was so obvious that Rita and Sami are absolutely beloved by their friends and family and the people they selected as their “roasters” did an amazing job (see below for all of the fun reaction photos).
My favorite part of the night was when the amazingly talented Young Love & The Thrills started playing and everyone took to the dance floor (literally the tables cleared!). It was such a fun party and continued early into the morning as is Lebanese tradition.
Congratulations to Rita and Sami!
Rita & Sami’s Wedding Vendors
photography: Kayla Rice Photography // venue name: Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA // planning/catering/bar: Jessica Cooper/Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel // florals: Flou-er // hair stylist: Elias Saba // makeup artist: Face Design by Denise // cake/dessert: Dessert Works // band/dj/ceremony music: Young Love and the Thrills
Simone & Shawn's Intimate Wedding at the Four Seasons One Dalton
Simone and Shawn originally booked me for their Fall 2024 wedding at the beautiful Four Seasons One Dalton, but less than a month after booking I got an email from them telling me that plans had changed! The couple found out that they were expecting a baby so they decided to adjust their plans to have a much more intimate wedding with their closest family in May.
Simone and Shawn originally booked me for their Fall 2024 wedding at the beautiful Four Seasons One Dalton, but less than a month after booking I got an email from them telling me that plans had changed! The couple found out that they were expecting a baby so they decided to adjust their plans to have a much more intimate wedding with their closest family in May 2024. Luckily, I was available for their new date!
I got to know Simone and Shawn a bit better in March with an engagement session at their favorite neighborhood bar, park, and at their apartment. It’s really nice to be able to meet a couple in person before their wedding day so that we can get to know each other and have a “test run” for our wedding day portrait session. Typically I’ll meet couples through an engagement session, but a meetup can also be done at an in-person planning meeting, or a venue site visit.
Simone and Shawn were originally drawn to my work because of my documentary style. They wanted the photos from their more intimate wedding to feature candids of them with their close friends and family prominently.
On their wedding day, the couple got ready separately with family and friends, and then saw each other for the first time that day with a first look on the hotel’s balcony overlooking the neighboring Christian Science church and plaza. The first look was followed by some more portraits in the plaza with family. After portraits, the couple had a ketubah signing with their families followed by a wedding ceremony with some Jewish elements integrated (such as the chuppah and the breaking of the glass) which was officiated by a close friend. Simone and Shawn wanted to use their wedding photos as a pregnancy announcement, so we incorporated their ultrasound photo into some of their portraits which I thought was beautiful!
After the ceremony, the guests gathered in a small ballroom for a cocktail hour where dancing spontaneously began. Cocktail hour was followed by a dinner enjoyed at one long table with a beautiful toast given by the bride's father.
Congratulations to Simone & Shawn who welcomed their baby boy in October!
Vendors
Venue/Catering/Bar: Four Seasons One Dalton
Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography
Floral: Table & Tulip
Hair & Makeup: Charlotte Phinney
Ceremony/Reception Musician: RD King