So the ironic part of quitting my desk jobis that it is because of many of my former co-workers hiring me, I’m able to sustain my photography business. Nichole is one of them.

George was back in action for this wedding. Great to have him back. We were splitting up to start the day. I would head to Halifax to meet Nichole and her ladies. George would meet Dougie and the guys at the Canoe Club in West Bridgewater. This would be where the ceremony and reception would be held.

The ladies were getting ready at Nichole, Dougie and Ethan’s (their son) place. My challenge with this particular group of bridesmaids would be telling the identical twins – Nikkie and Patti – apart. It didn’t help that they were both wearing the same dress. But I love a challenge!

I was fortunate enough to have some time to photograph Nichole’s dress before she put it on. Ethan’s room had the best light and the most space. As I was photographing her jewelry and garter, I noticed a wooden perpetual calendar on Ethan’s dresser. I changed the date to today. Perfect background!

Meanwhile, George was off at the Canoe Club capturing some of the details before the guys arrived. The sign at the entrance hailed "Congratulations Nichole and Doug" and George also wanted to get a few shots of the garden before it was full of guests. The guys soon arrived and George got busy working on the formal pictures as well as a few "getting ready" shots.

I continued working back in Halifax. Nichole put on her beautiful dress and walked down the stairs to be greeted by many "Wow!"s and "You look amazing!"s. We headed out to a gazebo for the formals. The limo from Extreme Limousine arrived and we were off!

Arriving at the Canoe Club, I touched base with George to see how things were going. Everything was going fine. I introduced myself to Tim, the videographer, and then checked in with the Canoe Club’s event coordinator Stacy. We’d worked here before so I knew Stacy and was happy to be working with her again. She’s kind and always takes good care of us and her clients.

It was time to start the ceremony. The guys made their way up front and the parents and ladies lined up outside the garden. The guests had arrived and the weather couldn’t be more beautiful. Perfect!

During the ceremony, I was able to move around a bit more than I can in a church. The gazebo has a lot of bushes growing around it that provide perfect cover for me to move and avoid being obtrusive. The JP, Tom Welch, kept the ceremony short and simple. Before they knew it, Nichole and Dougie were greeting their guests as they exited the garden.

We were getting prepared for the formals when I was informed that Dougie’s top button had come off his tuxedo jacket. Fortunately, they still had "Home Economics" when I was in elementary school and I knew how to sew and carry a sewing kit. Nichole and Dougie couldn’t believe that I was sewing his button back on. "No extra charge" I joked. We took the family formals and a couple of group shots right in front of the gazebo and then let the family head into the cocktail hour. We then took the wedding party over to the new bridge that is adjacent to the Canoe Club property and crosses the Nunckatessett River. We were able to take a few shots right in the middle of the road between cars and did some fun poses with the wedding party and just the bride and groom.

It was time to be announced. DJ Mike of Seismic Sound was the DJ for this evening’s festivities. He quickly lined everyone up and introduced Nichole and Dougie to the cheers of their enthusiastic guests. They went right into their first dance, which was followed by two toasts.

The room was decorated in black and red. This included the incredibly elegant cake situated in the middle of the room. After their cake cutting, George and I borrowed Nichole and Dougie’s rings and got creative. We took a few minutes to eat and then it was time to party!

Nichole and Dougie both shared dances with their dad and mom respectively to get the dance party going. After that, it was non-stop dancing until the last dance.

One funny thing that happened during the dancing was that Ethan decided he was getting pretty tired and plopped down on the edge of the dance floor with his chin resting on his hands. Apparently, the other groomsmen and his grandpa got a kick out of it and joined him. It turned out to be one of my favorite shots from the night. My apologies to the groomsman with whom I almost collided mid-slide.

Thanks Nichole and Dougie for having us celebrate with you! And Dougie, thanks in advance for your upcoming military service. Stay safe!

Vendors

Venue: Canoe Club – West Bridgewater, MA

Livery: Extreme Limousine – West Bridgewater, MA

JP: Tom Welch –  Weymouth, MA

DJ: Michael McLaughlin of Seismic Sound – West Bridgewater, MA

Video: Video Visions Forever – East Bridgewater, MA

 

To see even more of Nichole and Dougie’s photos, click here.

 

 Shooting the details without George here.  He was pretty proud of me for this one.

 

 

 I just love how Nichole’s eyes pop out of the picture!

 

 

 This was one of his tamer laughs.  Nichole’s dad was a funny guy!

 

 

 George grabbing the details.

 

 

 Peeking through the bushes.

 

 

 Yep – they got honked at!

 

 

 You really don’t want to mess with this group…

 

 

 "Car!" – just kidding!

 

 

 I love the textures in this one.

 

 

 George is always trying something different with the rings.

 

 

 Having WAY too much fun!

 

 

 I simply love this shot, particulary because it was spontaneous.