the day started out with near-torrential downpours, but not a single drop of rain fell once the wedding started. that worked out pretty well since most of the festivities were outdoors.
a great venue - the ceremony and reception was at blithewold mansion in bristol, ri. the ceremony was outdoors in one of the many meticulously kept garden areas. cocktail hour was held on the 'back deck', as much as a castle type building can have a deck. the reception was under a tent that was uplit by groove productions. uplighting always adds a cool dimension to the atmosphere, transforming an otherwise mundane white tent into a cool blue, green, and pink party area.
a live band - i hope i don't offend my dj friends, but nothing compares to a live band at a wedding. let me correct myself - nothing compares to a GOOD live band at a wedding. gianna and joe had east side horns play at their wedding and they were awesome. it just so happens that my high school band teacher is a the trombone player for them. they were musically tight and i don't think the dance floor was empty the entire night. if you're looking for a band for your wedding, hire them. i lost count, but i think they showed up with about fourteen people. guitar, bass, drums, trombone, trumpet, sax, singers, sound guys, etc... they are the real deal when it comes to bands. serious musicianship.
exceptional hair and makeup - conveniently enough, gianna's mom happens to own and run calma salon, a full on beauty shop in cranston on park avenue. i arrived there first and all the girls were getting their hair sprayed, their faces make-up'd, lashes curled, nails painted, and whatever else girls do when they get ready. besides taking photos, my other priority was making sure that my lens didn't suffer a direct hit from one of the many active hair spray cans. i felt like a photographic ninja trying to protect my equipment. when i got home i had to get my chisel out to take the hairspray coating off the glass. that's the price you pay for beauty i suppose. really though, calma did an exceptional job on the hair and makeup. good makeup really makes a difference in photos, and you can tell especially by looking at gianna and seeing what good work the salon did. it made me wish i had hair so i could get an up-do.
good food - the 1149 took care of the catering, setting up shop all over the tent with different food stations like a meat carving station and a create your own pasta dish station. tara and i have eaten at the restaurant once before (they're located in warwick, ri) and it was pretty good, but i didn't know they did catering until the wedding. good stuff. (i am aware the picture is of candy and cake, i figured we'd skip right to dessert).
outrageous flowers - the enchanted florist had a crazy display of flowers everywhere you looked. i'm no flower expert, but i can tell you that this wasn't some single rose centerpiece. each table must've had a hundred flowers in a huge bouquet. they were everywhere and the variety was impressive. i can't tell what flowers they were, but i can definitely tell there were a lot of different ones and they all looked good together. the enchanted florist is based in cranston, ri on park ave if you live in the area and are in need of some original arrangements.
a photobooth - not just any photobooth, but the ultimate photobooth. yes, i am referring to the bluecube. it was actually the official debut of the bluecube. i was so proud of my little picture taking box. i felt like it was similar to putting your kid on the kindergarten bus on the first day of school, although i haven't gotten to that point in life yet. i setup the bluecube and went back to taking photos of the wedding. i was spiraling into depression because there was no action happening at the cube for the first hour or so and i had settled with the fact that the bluecube was a complete and utter failure. then i remembered that everybody was eating dinner and sitting down at their tables. it helps to have a little perspective. once dinner finished up and people started wandering around, the first few unsuspecting guests discovered the bluecube and realized what it was. once the flash started popping, others came over to check out what was going on. from that point on until the night was over, there was a line of people at the bluecube waiting for their shot in the booth. i couldn't have been prouder of my creation. the photos came out awesome if i do say so myself (check out the album on the blueflash facebook page. don't forget to 'like' us once you're there).
a very handsome, charming, and capable photographer - ok. i admit, i was the photographer and that was a shameless self-compliment. obviously gianna and joe decided to go with blueflash which i'm very happy about. it was great to be a part of their wedding. have i mentioned that i would recommend blueflash for your wedding? really, that's an unbiased recommendation.
one of my quiet favorites from the day:
all the best to gianna and joe. thanks again for having me at your wedding.
check out the full albums (wedding album and bluecube album) here.