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.
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
Dessert: Marion’s Pies
Cape Cod Backyard Wedding | Kaitlin & Noa
Will I ever tire of backyard weddings? Probably not. There’s something so special about the transformation of a home into a beautiful venue and about all of the family history and love that exists there. Kaitlin’s family home in Brewster, Massachusetts was the setting for this lovely, intimate summer wedding for Kaitlin and Noa.
A SUMMER WEDDING IN BREWSTER, MASSACHUSETTS
Will I ever tire of backyard weddings? Probably not. There’s something so special about the transformation of a home into a beautiful venue and about all of the family history and love that exists there. Kaitlin’s family home in Brewster, Massachusetts was the setting for this lovely, intimate summer wedding for Kaitlin and Noa. I had met the two brides during their winter Boston engagement session back in January at the Arnold Arboretum. They were so great and meeting them before the chaos of the wedding day made it feel like a fun reunion.
WEDDING DAY PREP AT HOME
This mid June Cape Cod wedding began with hair, makeup, and prep right on site for both Noa and for Kaitlin. The two got ready in the same space but chose to get dressed separately to maintain a bit of mystery for their first look. Kaitlin chose a gorgeous, off-the-shoulder bridal gown while Noa wore a fantastic teal custom suit that she had made in Brooklyn (yes she drove all the way there for fittings).
FIRST LOOK
Noa and Kaitlin opted for a first look before their ceremony; I always recommend first looks to couples for many reason - see my previous blog post about it here! The images from this part of the day are some of my favorite. You can see the joy and love so clearly in their expressions. It also served as a moment where the couple could take a breath and be together before their guests arrived and the ceremony began. After some couple photos (did I mention the property is also home to goats, a donkey and a horse who were all dressed for the occasion? We took photos with them too), we took family photos and wedding party photos to make sure that everybody would get to enjoy the amazing cocktails and delicious food** during cocktail hour.
**cocktails made by friends of the couple. Truly delicious and beautiful creations. Food from two local vendors that both blew me away. Check out my vendor list below for their info.
COVID WRENCH
Due to last minute Covid diagnoses, Noa’s parents who live in Israel could not fly to the U.S. This wrench in the plans was understandably upsetting for everyone, but Noa’s sister filled in beautifully for her missing family members. She walked Noa down the aisle, gave a speech, and the sisters had a very fun “Father Daughter” dance together. Noa’s extended family also helped by recording video and live streaming the entire day for those who could not be there.
CEREMONY
The brides’ close friend officiated the wedding and incorporated stories of the couple’s first dates and first love letters that made everyone laugh and cry. It made the ceremony really unique and special. Fun fact: Noa’s first date with Kaitlin was also her very first dating app date EVER. She literally downloaded the app, matched with Kaitlin, went on a date with her, and eventually married her. Such a great story.
RECEPTION UNDER THE TENT
After the ceremony & cocktail hour, the brides gave a welcome toast followed by toasts by Noa’s sister (in place of their father) and the maid of honor. The night continued with first dances, all with piano accompaniment by the brides’ friend and pianist, Yotam Ishay, and finally some fun and wild dancing to traditional Klezmer music played by The Klezwoods.
Congratulations to Kaitlin and Noa on their Cape Cod backyard wedding! It was a highlight of my 2022 wedding season so far and I’m excited to share some of my favorite highlights with you below!
Wedding Vendors:
Catering: @thechubbychickpea
Catering: @thehandsomeoysterco
Bar: @robolife823
Piano: @yotamishaymusic
Band: @klezwoods
Hair & Makeup: @lisa_george_hair_and_makeup
