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

Emily & Alan's Backyard Massachusetts Wedding

Emily and Alan's love story is one that spans continents, transcending the distance between Ireland and the USA. The couple navigated time zones and thousands of miles to be together as Alan was living in Ireland and Emily in Montana throughout much of their relationship.

To compromise on a wedding location, Emily and Alan chose to get married in Bellingham, Massachusetts; the town that Emily grew up in.

I started the wedding day documenting Emily and her closest friends and family members getting ready at Emily’s childhood home. There’s nothing wrong with getting ready at a hotel room, but it’s always extra special to be in a place that has so much history. Family photos showing Emily as a child decorated the walls and Emily’s mother helped her get dressed in her bedroom.

Alan and his closest friends and family members were at a nearby hotel where my second shooter Nicki captured them getting ready and piling into the rented stretch Hummer (a rental that was orchestrated as a funny surprise for the groomsmen).

The couple got married in a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony at a beautiful local church covered in stain glass. We took family portraits outside the church and then brought the celebration to Emily’s parents' backyard for the rest of the night.

When Emily and Alan first hired me, they told me about their vision for the day. “We love the flexibility that a backyard wedding will give us to make it our own and just have a big, fun party with our family and friends.” The reception was exactly as they envisioned; a unique and special celebration with Irish and American traditions blending beautifully. The evening was full of heartfelt speeches, laughter, and lots of dancing. As a documentary wedding photographer, this sort of celebration is a ton of fun for me. I get to flex my photojournalistic muscles with moments that aren’t overly scripted and special DIY touches that are truly unique to the couple.

The weather got stormy at times and we had to shelter under the tent in the backyard briefly as a heavy rain storm passed through, but the rain stopped just in time for us to adventure out into the yard for some portraits before the sun set.

Cheers to Emily and Alan!

Vendors

Venue: Private Residence & St. Blaise Church (Bellingham, MA)

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Second Photographer: Nicki Bursae Photography

Planner: Feathered Events

Officiant: Father Al Faretra

Catering: PJ’s Bar & Grill

Hair & Makeup: The Best of You Inc. (Brianna & Kristi)

Ceremony Musicians: Charles & Betheny Grenier

DJ: ECF Entertainment, Mike Berman

Dessert: Wright’s Dairy Farm

Rentals: Baystate Tent 

Toilets: Flush LLC

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

Lynn and George's Berkshires Elopement at the Devonfield Inn

The Berkshires make for an ideal elopement location where couples can exchange their vows amidst the picturesque beauty of nature. Nestled within the rolling hills of western Massachusetts, beautiful towns such as Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge offer a romantic backdrop (for another beautiful Berkshires wedding, check out my blog post about Taylor & Sam’s microwedding at The Mount in Lenox!)

Whether saying "I do" on the grounds of a historic estate, a quaint inn, or with a picturesque mountain backdrop, a Berkshires elopement allows couples to escape the noise of the world and focus solely on the love they share.

I had the opportunity to work with Lynn and George back in March while photographing their Massachusetts engagement session at The Farm at Raven Brook, and got to know their sense of humor and their fun, easy going nature. Showing up on their wedding day with this established time together allowed us to immediately feel comfortable with each other and allowed Lynn and George to act more naturally around the camera. As a documentary wedding photographer, having this established comfort with my clients is extremely helpful when capturing candid moments.

Lynn and George chose The Devonfield Inn in Lee, MA for their Berkshires elopement in June. The charming Devonfield Inn is surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens, rolling green fields, and majestic birch trees. With their immediate families by their side, Lynn & George tied the knot surrounded by birch trees on the grounds of the inn. Their ceremony was incredibly special and they had their family members (and their photographer) tearing up at their beautiful words to each other. We had the grounds to ourselves for portraits and explored the beautiful barns, fields, and lawns before returning to the inn for their unity ceremony, cake cutting, and champagne toasts with their families.

Lynn and George’s Berkshires elopement was an incredibly special, intimate celebration in a charming and beautiful setting. Take a look through some of my favorite photos from their day below.

Arthi & Greg's Roger Williams Botanical Center Wedding

Arthi and Greg’s wedding took place on a cold, rainy day in early March. In March, Rhode Island is at its greyest point - in between the snow-covered bluebird days of winter and the first signs of green and blossoms of Spring. It’s mostly cold still, and the trees are bare and the ground is usually sort of muddy. Even on the most beautiful of days, it’s hard for me to love March in New England. Stepping into the ceremony space at Roger Williams Botanical Center made me completely forget all of that. The floral-scented air was humid and warm, and lush, green plants covered every inch of the space. My serotonin levels were instantly boosted.

As a Boston wedding photographer, I love discovering new venues all over New England. As fun as it is to return to New England wedding venues I know and love, there’s something about photographing at a venue I’ve never been to that sparks a special sort of creativity in me. I’m framing photos with fresh eyes and am constantly seeing new angles and new possibilities wherever I turn my camera.

Arthi and Greg decided that I was a good fit because I was a wedding photojournalist and therefore, shot in a way that matched the vision that they had for their wedding day. It was important to them that they could enjoy their day with their family and friends and not spend too much time on posed photos, which I always love to hear and am happy to accommodate. They wanted mostly candid wedding photography and wanted me to capture authentic personalities and emotion throughout their day. Easy!

Arthi and Greg got ready at The Graduate in Providence. They also performed the Ganesha Puja at the hotel with family before heading to the venue for the rest of their ceremony and reception. The Puja is offered for good luck as Lord Ganesha is believed to be the destroyer of obstacles and evils.

Once the Puja was complete, we headed to Roger Williams Botanical Center for some portraits before the ceremony. We explored the lush greenhouses and the couple enjoyed a moment away before the ceremony began.

The ceremony space in the greenhouse was gorgeous; tall palm trees and greenery acting as a backdrop to the bright colors of the Indian dress, garlands, and flowers. The ceremony incorporated a lot of aspects of a traditional Indian ceremony, but also included some “Americanized” touches like a ring exchange.

After their ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour among the greenery, then headed into the reception space for the rest of the festivities. Throughout the toasts (one including giving the couple a literal piece of toast “you asked me to give you a toast…”), the delicious Indian buffet dinner, and the dancing, I had a great time capturing candid moments and documenting the pure joy that filled the room.

Arthi and Greg’s Rhode Island wedding was a visually stunning, colorful, joyous celebration. Take a look through some of my favorite photos from their day below.

Vendors

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Roger Williams Botanical Center

Hotel & Puja Venue: Graduate Providence

Photographer: Kayla Rice Photography

Second Photographer: Christine Hochkeppel

Videographer: Steve Levin Cinematography

DJ: B-Sharp Entertainment

Henna: Boston Henna Artist (bride) & Henna by Ruhi (guests)

Cake: Sin Bakery

Misc. Desserts: Mike’s Pastry, Reena Rad Baking

Catering: Rasoi

Alcohol: Bottles

Day-Of Coordinator/Service Staff: Extra Hands For Your Events (Gigi Halsing)