Ever since I met Dorothy and then her younger brother George, I always heard stories about Rachael and Heather and their crazy brother David. They’re as close to siblings as George could have without being related. This past Saturday, Rachael, the oldest of the three, tied the knot with Tyler. George and I had the privilege of being there to document their wedding day.
We arrived at the campus of Eastern Nazarene College right at noon. The usually busy campus was quiet because of the summer recess. The ceremony was held at the campus church – Wollaston Church of the Nazarene. George and I decided that no one was there yet when we went inside and all the lights were off and we couldn’t hear any girls talking about hair, make-up or dresses.
The ladies soon pulled up and hopped out of the limo. Each donned a tie-dye t-shirt. Rachael’s had been bedazzled with the word “Bride.” The “getting ready” room was quickly filled with dresses, shoe boxes, duffle bags and all the other paraphernalia that goes with such an event. Since George had known Rachael for so long, we swapped roles and he stayed with the ladies while I went and hung out with Tyler and the groomsmen.
So as small worlds go, Dorothy and I went to Mozambique with our church in 2001. We worked on a seminary campus and provided support to the missionaries there. Turns out, the missionaries were Tyler’s aunt and uncle – David and Rhoda Restrick. I was excited to hear that they would be at the wedding along with their three children. Considering their regular world travels, it was a rare moment to have all five together on the same continent at one time.
Tyler’s dad was one of Tyler’s best men and we quickly got chatting about past adventures. I soon found out where Tyler got his outgoing and funny personality. We headed outside to a large stone staircase on one of the other campus buildings. The shade of the building provided both relief from the heat and absolutely perfect light for photography. George followed shortly after with the ladies.
The ceremony was very simple and elegant. Rachael and Tyler wrote their own vows. Rachael finished hers and Tyler said, “Pretty good” before he started reading his. It made everyone laugh. While they lit the unity candle, an acoustic guitar played Steven Curtis Chapman’s “I Will Be Here” in the background. In the blink of an eye, Rachael and Tyler were exiting the church to the applause of their guests.
Following the ceremony, we snapped a few family photos right at the front of the church sanctuary and then took a few of just Rachael and Tyler outside. We then headed south to Plymouth Beach. In spite of the Cape traffic, high tide, a packed beach, and our hottest wedding day yet this year, we were able to get to the beach, take the pictures we needed and make it to the reception venue right on time. I’m really not sure how that happened, but it did.
The reception was held at the John Alden Club located just a few miles from the beach. DJ Antonio was ready to roll and got the wedding party lined up as soon as we got there. Rachael and Tyler strode to the dance floor – arms in the air in celebration. They shared their first dance and then took their seats. Tyler’s brother Chad was the best man. He’s five years older than Tyler but looks deceivingly like Tyler. He started his toast with, “For those who congratulated me on marrying Rachael today, I would like to thank you, but I want to make sure you also congratulate Tyler.” Everyone died laughing.
During dinner, we snapped a few more family photos at the gazebo outside at the bride and groom’s request. That was followed by a cake cutting and a couple more dances. Rachael danced with her brother David. What was particularly special about their dance was that the song they danced to was written and recorded by David himself. He’s quite the song writer! Once the formal dances finished, Antonio cranked up the music and got the party going. It wasn’t long before the floor was literally bouncing beneath the weight of the partiers. A photo of Rachael celebrating was one of my best dance shots to date.
Following the reception, George and I were given a very special opportunity. The reception ended at 8 p.m. and Rachael and Tyler opted to do some more photos of just the two of them back at the beach before meeting up with their family and friends to continue the celebration. The tide was out at the beach and we had just enough light left in the sky to get a little color in the background. We also had a fantastic blue wall close by that provided us with a very bold look for a few more photos. Without a doubt, I feel the images we took at the end of the night were some of our best to date. Rachael and Tyler were really excited with what they saw on the back of the camera. George and I were giddy. We cherish those opportunities to be creative and push ourselves.
Rachael and Tyler – we are so excited for you both and will not soon forget your wedding day. We truly enjoyed celebrating with you and your numerous friends and family. Thank you for giving us the amount of creative leeway you did. Going back to the beach with you at the end of the night was one of highlights of this year. We wish you all the best as you begin the rest of your lives together!
Vendors:
Dress Shop: New York Lace – Taunton, MA
Florist: Paul Tomeo – Dedham, MA
Church: Wollaston Church of the Nazarene – Quincy, MA
DJ: Next Level Entertainment – Boston, MA
Reception Venue: John Alden Club – Plymouth, MA
To see a slide show of their wedding day, click here.
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