This past December we had the opportunity to head to the East coast to capture one of the most amazing weddings we have shot to date. Josh and Emily are from Westerly, Rhode Island where they had their ceremony at the local church, from their the bridal party jumped on the party bus where the reception was held at Lake of Isles in Stonington, Connecticut. Here is a look back on their beautiful wedding, and a few of our favorites.

Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

A: I have dreamt of what my wedding was going to be like since I was a little girl. not just the look of the room or the dresses and the flowers but the feeling of not only myself but my guests were going to have. I wanted a warm romantic feeling. A lot of candles! The fireplaces in the main entry way and cocktail hour definitely helped me with that. I didn't want things to match too much and I wanted it to all have this simple elegance about it. The church was most important to me leading up to this day, the first time I would see Josh; where we would exchange our vows, first kiss... that all was really going to set the tone I feel like leading into the evening at the reception. I knew I wanted a violinist and cello player to play music at the church and the cocktail hour since I played the violin myself thanks to my wonderful Dad.  With our priest, Fr. Michael Najim, I knew the ceremony was going to be amazing.

Q: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

A: A lot was DIY! I was a bride on a budget! I designed and made all my glass flower pedestals! I also became a thrift store shopper... looking for different style glass votives, mirrors, etc. I also was able to you a silhouette machine to help design some lettering for my signs, and card box. I used a local print shop in town to help create my wedding menu placards and seating chart.  I created personal wooden stirrers for cocktail hour that had a gold C paint on the ends. Thanks to Etsy I was able to work with a great shop to create personalized napkins as well. I wanted gold/bonze pops color for the decorations to go with the candle light and beautiful ballroom where the reception was held . For having a December wedding, one thing I wanted to make sure of was that just because it was in the winter and just because it was right before Christmas, it was not Christmas themed. I also did not want to take away from the beauty of the rooms with the beautiful wooden ceilings, giant windows overlooking the lake, fireplaces and such.

Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

A: My mother, and I'm sure other moms and dads out there have said this too. " never meet a guy at a bar." or vice versa! WELL, on September 20, 2014 that’s exactly was we did. I was out with a friend for the first time in Westerly, he was out with his guy friends down town. I had caught a glimpse of him walking by the bar that I was in at the time. and decided that he looked like he knew where the "It" place to be was. So, my girlfriend and I paid our bill and headed into the Malted Barley, where Josh and his friends were. posted up against the wall near the bathrooms sipping on a jack and ginger (yuck)... I was approached by Josh and his friends. I was smitten.  His smile, his eyes. Totally won me over. We exchanged information before leaving to head home that night and a week later we went on our first date. which then lead to not a weekend spent without seeing one another. A year after dating, Josh bought his first home and asked me to move in with him!  It was amazing turning this house into a home together. It was not soon after that Josh became ill with Lyme disease. Days were tough for him, for his family, for us. But I never wanted to leave his side, I was going to make sure I took care of him, the best I could, be there for anything he needed. As time went on Josh decided that we needed to get away for a night/weekend to just escape the house and everything and go enjoy each other in New York. Now New York was our first trip together, so it holds a special place in my heart. I didn't think anything of it , of course marriage was always on my mind but I knew when the time was right for Josh he would propose. On November 17,2017 Josh and I traveled on the train to NY.  After checking into our room, Josh asked me if I was hungry or wanted to take a walk on the Highline to stretch our legs. So, we went and walked the Highline and he asked me if I wanted to take a photo while we were there. He tapped a random woman on the shoulder and asked her if she would take a few photos of us... It was chilly, and as I got ready to pose for a photo, Josh stopped and said "hold on”. I looked down to what I thought was a white tissue he was going to wipe his nose with... but as I looked closer... I realized it was a little white jewelry bag... my heart was pounding. He got down on one knee. and said " Hunny, will you marry me?" My hands went right to my eyes as I cried! I could not believe it! I was so surprised. and the ring! a beautiful pear-shaped diamond. it was more than I ever have imagined. And thanks to the woman taking photos, I think I have about 100 photos of the whole proposal happening!

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

A: The church. Oh boy, I was so nervous. I just wanted to see Josh. I knew once I saw him all my nerves would go away. and that’s exactly what happened. as the church doors opened and I saw him at the end of the aisle. a smile grew from cheek to cheek. " That’s my husband, my best friend".  I was so proud to be marrying Josh that day in such a beautiful catholic ceremony.

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?

A: Be true to yourself. Your wedding reflects you and who you and your spouse are!  The most important things to me was to have great food, awesome drinks, and AMAZING music. Have fun! You have one time to experience this all try to soak it all up! You may argue time to time while planning but know that this is YOU AND YOUR Spouses day. One of the best tips I received from previous brides was to at some point in the night, take a step back with your spouse.... alone. away from everyone and just take it all in. Look at all your hard work, the happy faces, listen to the laughter, the music, everything. This will be like your snapshot of your wedding in your mind that will last forever

About us: We are Andy and Brittney, local wedding photographers in San Diego. We love being able to connect with new couples and be a part of one of the biggest moments in their lives. It has been quite the journey and being able to travel and take photos for couples all over the country is truly amazing! If you are recently engaged, and searching for a local wedding photographer in California, or planning to have a destination wedding out of state, we would love to talk with you!