Connecticut Wedding Photographer

Rachael and Joe: photos by a Connecticut Wedding Photographer.

Sometimes it’s funny how things work out. The internet offers such a wide variety of choices and ideas that you just never know how people find what they’re looking for. Let’s see if I can remember how it came about that Rachael got in touch with me about photographing her wedding in Connecticut last summer. Rachael contacted me to say that she had been searching online for someone who worked in a photojournalistic style to photograph her wedding. She was in school in New Jersey finishing up her masters degree, and in the time she wasn’t working on her degree she was planning her wedding. She was taken by the photos that were on the front page of my website at the time and loved how they told the story of the couple in a natural, honest way.

Destination Wedding

It wasn’t too long before she realized that the bride in the photos was a former teammate of hers and Joe’s on the University of Connecticut track team. Small world, right? I absolutely LOVE this sort of stuff 🙂

Anyway, while looking around for someone close to home whose work was similar, Rachael found that she kept on coming back to my photos. So finally Joe suggested that she contact me to see if I’d be available to photograph their wedding in her home town of Watertown, CT. I was extremely flattered and delighted to work with them. Destination weddings are a great way to see things with fresh eyes. I do several a year – New York (twice), Washington D.C., and West Virginia were the other places I traveled to photograph weddings last year.

Exploring Watertown

I arrived in plenty of time to scout locations the day before the wedding. But first I visited Dottie’s Diner, the best donut place in Connecticut. I do my research, folks 😉

While we’d talked on the phone a few times, we hadn’t met in person. I really didn’t know what either Rachael or Joe looked like. As a result I was a little bit nervous while waiting at the chapel for the wedding rehearsal to begin when I saw this very tall, fit young couple walking towards me. The woman was absolutely stunning in a short white dress and high heels. The guy with her looked like he could crush bricks with his bare hands. I guess my camera gave me away because they walked right up to me and introduced themselves. My nervousness immediately melted away when they both gave me a big hug and told me how excited they were for the weekend. I was welcomed by both of their families and made to feel like an old friend.

Getting Ready

Rachel had her hair done at Angela’s Hair Depot.

Before getting dressed, Joe read a letter that Rachael sent him (Photo by Sherry)

Following the hair portion of the morning the ladies moved over to Pinup Hair & Makeup Studio.

The guys helped each other get their formal wear on (Photo by Sherry)

Rachael’s mom Cathy was so taken by the beauty of her daughter.

It was a lovely moment. Lots of emotion here, folks 🙂

The Ceremony at Woodward Chapel

The ceremony took place just a couple of blocks from Rachael’s parent’s home at the historic Woodward Chapel (Photo by Sherry)

Joe and the guys kept the mood light as they waited for the guests to arrive (Photo by Sherry)

Rachael heads down the stairs after getting her dress on.

Rachael’s sister Paige helps her with her shoes while their dog Tilly crowded in.

Rachael sticks her tongue out at Joe as her father Jeff joins their hands together.

Photo by Sherry.

Rachael blows a kiss to their guests. Wanda Chiles was the officiant and she was wonderful to work with.

Reception at the Taft School

Following the wedding, the reception was held at The Taft School, which is nearby. The grounds were beautiful and the dining hall looked like something out of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts.