Arti & Jay's Hindu Wedding Ceremony at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

Arti & Jay chose an absolutely beautiful venue, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, for their intimate wedding ceremony with their families. The venue is picturesque year round but especially so in the spring with the flowering trees in bloom and fields of tulips filling the gardens with color. The colorful backdrop was a perfect one to compliment the vibrant colors of their Hindu wedding attire.

Arti and Jay’s love story is straight out of a rom-com. The couple met spontaneously at the airport and connected while talking nonstop throughout their flight. When they met they were living in different cities but stayed in touch and ended up re-connecting years later when the stars aligned for them to live near one another.

One of the botanical garden’s greenhouses served as the ceremony space on their wedding day. The lush greens of the space made for a gorgeous backdrop making the colorful reds and golds in their outfits pop.

The couple’s small family-only wedding was a traditional Hindu ceremony and featured some beautiful Hindu traditions such as exchanging garlands (symbolizing the partners welcoming each other into their families), Saptapadi (when the newlyweds have their garments tied together and walk together to signify their friendship), and the Mangal Fera (the bride and groom walk around the fire four times, each time signifies something different; duty, prosperity, love, and spiritual liberation). The family members in attendance were each given parts to play throughout the ceremony. The way Arti & Jay involved each member of their family beautifully showed how much they all meant to them.

Congratulations, Arti & Jay!

Collette & Spencer's Equinox Resort Winter Wedding

Collette and Spencer tied the knot at The Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vermont, in a lovely winter wedding ceremony. With a deep appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors, the couple wanted to incorporate the surrounding natural beauty in their day as much as possible.

Against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Collette and Spencer's day was filled with warmth and joy. The Equinox Resort provided the perfect setting for their celebration, blending rustic charm with elegant sophistication.

Collette and Spencer wanted their special day to be captured in a documentary style. They appreciated my moment-focused approach and wanted their day to be captured in a way that felt true to them.

The couple's commitment to genuine moments and authentic emotions shone through in every aspect of the day. From heartfelt vows exchanged in front of their friends and family to laughter shared during toasts with loved ones, every detail reflected their love for each other and those around them.

The choice of hiring a wedding photojournalist like me to capture their day was a testament to Collette and Spencer's desire to preserve the memories of their day in a way that truly reflected who they are as a couple.

After dinner, toasts, and parent dances concluded, the couple danced the night away surrounded by family and friends on a packed and fun-filled dance floor.

Congratulations to Collette & Spencer!

Vendors

Venue/Catering/Bar: Equinox Resort

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Second Photographer: Josh Kuckens

Floral: Nancy Bishop Floral Design

Hair & Makeup: Crystal Vasquez & Company

Ceremony Musician: Samantha Barry (friend)

Officiant: Elizabeth Andersen (friend)

DJ: Foley Weddings

Cake/Dessert: Cake Gypsy

Veronica & Andrew's Inn on Boltwood Wedding

I first met Veronica and Andrew at a wedding expo that I exhibited at shortly after I moved to Boston. They were super sweet and seemed interested in my documentary style wedding photography, so we continued to chat after the event. Once they had nailed down their wedding venue, they reached back out to book their engagement and wedding photography!

About a year before their wedding, we did a sunrise engagement session at the Boston Public Garden. It was such a good chance for us to get to know each other a bit better and for Veronica and Andrew to feel comfortable in front of the camera.

Veronica and Andrew's wedding at the Inn on Boltwood in Amherst, Massachusetts took place on a rainy late September day. The cozy interior of the Inn provided a romantic setting for their ceremony and the tent set up outside for the reception gave everyone space to dance and keep the (very fun) party going despite the weather.

Veronica chose to do first looks with two of the most important men in her life before her wedding; the first with her father and then out on the Inn’s front porch with Andrew.

The ceremony was beautiful and Veronica and Andrew both read personal vows they had written which included both touching sentiments and funny anecdotes that got the room laughing.

After a cocktail hour, guests made their way into the reception tent for dinner. Andrew’s grandfather gave a blessing and parents and close friends gave heartfelt, emotional speeches that brought tears to everyones eyes.

Veronica and Andrew's wedding day was filled with warmth, happiness, and ended with a packed, energetic dance floor.

Cheers to Veronica & Andrew!

Vendors

Venue: Inn on Boltwood

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Second Photographer: Adam Pulzetti

Floral: Forget Me Not

Officiant: Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn 

Hair & Makeup: Crystal Vazquez & Co. 

DJ: Marx Entertainment - DJ Alonzo

Dessert: Atkins Farm

Ellie & Shane's Cape Cod Wedding

Ellie & Shane made me believe in good karma.

The weather forecast leading up to the couple’s wedding was foreboding to say the least. They had planned their Cape Cod wedding at Red Jacket Beach Resort, right on the water in Yarmouth, MA on September 16, 2023; the day that Hurricane Lee was forecasted to hit the Cape.

Meteorologists had been instilling fear in the Boston and coastal New England communities throughout the week leading up to the wedding. CBS Boston reported the "greatest impact will be felt on the Lower and Outer Cape and on Nantucket…If you live on the Cape of Massachusetts…keep a close eye on Lee as we head into the weekend…if Lee ends up farther west, we could have stronger winds, heavier rain, larger swells and coastal flooding.”

Ellie & Shane could not have handled the disquieting news better. When I spoke with Ellie in the days leading up to her wedding, she was calm, upbeat, and continued to have a positive outlook about the day despite the growing predictions of high winds and flooding rain. She was just excited to get married to Shane and to be with all of the people they loved the most and didn’t seem to care too much about what that ended up looking like, as long as it could still happen (these are my kind of clients).

As a documentary style wedding photographer, Ellie & Shane hired me to capture authentic photos of their families and friends throughout their wedding day and that remained the most important thing to them.

The day of their wedding began with some rain and wind, but as the day progressed, the skies gradually brightened and the wind calmed to manageable levels. We were able to do Ellie & Shane’s first look and all of our planned portraits outdoors, and the ceremony was held in the yard overlooking the ocean. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails on the lawn and we were given one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen during their cocktail hour. I don’t typically believe in things like karma or fate, but this drastic turn of events really felt like the result of Ellie & Shane’s positivity and the loving energy of their friends and family.

The night ended inside the resort’s ballroom with some beautiful toasts from the couple’s siblings and Ellie’s father, key lime pie for dessert, and a super fun, packed dance floor.

The day turned out to be a beautiful one in every sense of the word and there could not be a more deserving couple than Ellie & Shane.

Here are some of my favorite photos from Ellie & Shane’s Cape Cod wedding. Enjoy!

Vendors

Venue: Red Jacket Beach Resort

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Officiant: Claire Watts

Floral: Debra Kraft

Hair & Makeup: Salon 700

DJ: Meritage (Nick Anson)

Dessert: Marion’s Pies

Courtland & Matt's Backyard Wedding in Gloucester

When Courtland told me that she and Matt were planning their backyard wedding at Courtland’s parents’ home in Gloucester, Massachusetts, I envisioned a picturesque setting but never imagined it to be quite as beautiful as it turned out to be in real life.

When I arrived, family and friends were helping to set up flowers in pink, orange, yellow, and cream hues around the lush green yard and down by the ceremony space that overlooked the water. Two floral pillars stood on a wooden platform by the docks, framing the spot where the couple would soon be married. The week had been an overcast and rainy one but the rain held off and we even saw some blue sky peeking through throughout Courtland & Matt’s wedding day.

Courtland and her bridesmaids got ready in a small guest house down the driveway. The couple shared a first look in a clearing in the woods overlooking the water away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding preparations closer to the house. We then gathered the wedding party and family members and took a few portraits before the ceremony followed by some portraits incorporating the scenic waterfront views with just Courtland & Matt.

Guests began to arrive, so the couple took a private break and prepared for the ceremony to begin. Friends and family mingled in the yard and then gradually took their seats down by the ceremony space. The processional music began (played by musician Ollella) and the couple and their wedding party processed from the house down through the yard and down the aisle. Courtland’s veil nearly escaped with a gust of wind as she and her parents walked down the aisle, but her mother was able to catch it just in time. As a wedding photojournalist, moments like this are gold to me. I’m always looking to capture the humorous, strange, and unexpected moments that weddings almost always are full of.

Courtland’s uncle (Uncle Pete) officiated the wedding, which added a nice personal touch to the ceremony. He performed a unity ceremony with the couple, told stories of Courtland’s youth, shared some beautiful words, and then handed over the microphone for each of them to share their vows before officially announcing them husband and wife. Guests threw rice in celebration as the couple recessed back down the aisle.

Right after the ceremony, Uncle Pete helped me announce a group photo and we had guests gather in the yard as I ran up to the top floor of the house to take the large group photo. Cocktail hour included an oyster station (served in a boat) hosted by Island Creek Oysters out of Duxbury. The couple mingled with their guests who stretched out over the yard, the deck, and into the tented reception space by the water.

After an hour or so of drinks and delicious food catered by local Gloucester restaurant Passports, the DJ asked guests to gather around the dance floor to welcome the newlyweds to their reception. The couple’s parents and wedding party made their grand entrance followed immediately by Courtland & Matt’s entrance and first dance; a fun and spunky choreographed dance to “Die Young” by Sylvan Esso (a personal favorite of mine). Lovely toasts by the father of the bride and the father of the groom followed shortly after, and a joint Mother/Son and Father/Daughter dance after that.

The sun set leaving a bright blue twilight sky over the reception tent where guests ate dinner and enjoyed each others company. After dinner, guests gathered once again by the dance floor to watch Courtland & Matt cut their wedding cake. It was clear that this day was incredibly special for the couple as they teared up expressing their gratitute for everyone that came to celebrate with them and helped to make their wedding day as beautiful as it was. After their thank yous, the dance floor opened up again for some fun, energetic dancing to end the night.

Here are some of my favorite photos from Courtland and Matt’s backyard Gloucester wedding. Enjoy!

Vendors

Venue: Private Residence

Catering & Bar: Passports Restaurant

Planner: Isabel Pett of Hēdon Event Planning

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Officiant: Uncle Pete

Hair & Makeup: Talia Day

Ceremony Musician: Ellie Barber (Ollella)

DJ & Videography: South Shore Sound & Lighting

Rentals: The Event Company

Cake: Flourish Bake Shoppe

Newport Engagement Photo Session | Emma and Harry

NEWPORT ENGAGEMENT PHOTO SESSION AT BRENTON POINT STATE PARK

What’s better than photographing your best friend’s love and happiness? Photographing your best friend’s love and happiness in a stunning setting like Brenton Point State Park in Newport, Rhode Island.

Emma is one of my oldest friends. She and I became best friends in elementary school and have stayed close ever since. She and her fiancé Harry got engaged back in June and when she asked me to take some Newport engagement photos for them, I couldn’t have been more excited (although I did make sure that she knew I would be celebrating with her as a guest on her wedding day and not as her photographer) 😉. Both Emma and Harry have connections to Newport and are currently living close to the area, so Emma already had a location in mind when I asked where she wanted to do her Newport engagement photos; Brenton Point State Park.

I’ve visited Newport with Emma enough times to know Brenton Point pretty well, but I don’t think I’d ever been there at sunset. What a spot. It is on my list of top engagement locations that I’ve shot at for sure. It was a beautiful golden sunset and some of these photos look like I photoshopped in a perfect backdrop…sailboat idling by in the lower third…but I swear, it was really that perfect.

Here’s a little glimpse into Emma and Harry’s Newport engagement photos at Brenton Point State Park.

Why have your Newport engagement session at Brenton Point State Park?

Brenton Point is one of the best Newport engagement session locations for a reason. For a Newport engagement session, you truly can’t get more beautiful than sunset on the jetties of Brenton Point State Park. The pink and orange sky with the sailboats and rocks make it nearly impossible to take a bad photo. Even on a perfect evening with a fair number of people out enjoying the sunset, it’s a large enough area that you can find a private nook to claim as your own - and with the ocean behind you, it’s easy to avoid other people in your shots. Only a 15 minute scenic drive from downtown Newport, it’s an easy decision.

For any couples looking to find some outfit ideas for their Newport engagement session,

you can read my blog post about it or gather inspiration from Emma and Harry. Emma embraced her preppy, Newport style with her colorful, coral patterned dress and Harry balanced out the bold design with a coordinating, solid colored linen shirt and shorts. Not too matchy-matchy, but perfectly coordinated to make them fit together beautifully.

Emma and Harry made it easy and this session made me want to suggest Brenton Point State Park for all of my couples looking to do Newport engagement photos. I’m looking forward to ripping it up on the dance floor with these two in next July! Congratulations, Emma and Harry!