The story of Michele and Sean’s wedding (at least from my perspective) actually starts the Wednesday before. George and Alana were both at the house, as usual, and we were doing some post-production work. George said he wasn’t feeling well and left around lunch time. He called a little later and said his doctor told him to go to the ER. He was on his way there. Even later, George called back and said, "Well, it looks like they’re taking my appendix out."
"Seriously!?!?" was my surprised response.
"Yup. Just waiting for a few more test results and then we’ll know for sure." George replied from his hospital bed.
Long story short, George had his appendix removed late Wednesday night. So, you may be asking yourself, what does George’s appendix have to do with Michele and Sean’s wedding? Plenty – knowing that George shoots most weddings with me. The good news is that I didn’t panic at all because Alana was sitting right next to me and would be available to shoot on Sunday with me. That’s the advantage to having other skilled photographers available. No panic on my end and no disappointment with our clients.
I called Michele to let her know what had happened and that Alana would be with me on Sunday. She was fine with it and wished all the best for George.
So Sunday afternoon, Alana and I arrived at Michele’s parent’s home in Somerville. The ladies were pretty much ready when we arrived, so I took a few formals of the ladies in front of the Christmas tree. The limo soon arrived and we headed to the church.
You may (or may not) remember St. Catherine’s from Jen and Kirk’s wedding. This is the same church where we were heading for Michele and Sean’s wedding. Both Michele and Jen grew up going to St. Catherine’s so it was an obvious choice for both weddings. I think it is the most beautiful sanctuary in the Boston archdiocese and love shooting there. There was even an extra special touch today – Christmas decorations.
Sean was in the back of the church with Father Brian. I checked in with them and let them know that Michele had arrived. Alana and I got our gear in place and readied for the ceremony. The church’s wedding coordinator gave us the signal. I took my place near the front of the church. I jokingly said to the gentleman sitting in the pew right near where I was planning to kneel that I was going to do my best to block his view by standing in front of him for the entire ceremony. Without hesitation he responded, "That’s okay. I brought my baseball bat." I laughed out loud and made sure to stay out of his way.
The ceremony was much in the style of Michele and Sean. At first impression, Sean can seem very business-like and serious. By the same token, Michele seems very quiet and reserved. But once you get to know them, you realize how funny and goofy they both are. Father Brian fit right in during the ceremony when he called Michele "Marie" but followed-up with the fact that Michele’s middle name was Marie so he wasn’t that far off. Everyone got quite a laugh out of that one. There was also the moment when Sean’s niece ran up to Sean during communion and wrapped her little arms around his neck and clearly didn’t want to let go. It was awesome.
Michele and Sean took time to greet their guests at the back of the church following the ceremony. We then snapped a few photos of just the bride and groom in the church before we all headed to the reception.
Michele and Sean chose Spinelli’s of Lynnfield for their reception. It is a beautiful function facility on the North Shore. All decked out in Christmas decorations, the place looked absolutely wonderful! We used their main foyer – Christmas Tree included – for the formal photos.
The reception sure was memorable. It included the groomsmen serenading the bride and groom, high kick dancing, the groom’s father sporting some of the coolest suspenders and headband, and of course, the cake cutting surprise. Please note that I did ask Michele if it was alright to blog about the cake cutting. She said yes.
Ah, the cake cutting. It’s one of those time-honored traditions when the bride and groom express their love for each other by politely feeding each other a small piece of their wedding cake. Or not. Michele kindly placed a small piece of cake in Sean’s mouth first. Michele expected the same in return. Instead she got a face full of cake. Sean didn’t mention ahead of time that he was going to do this. I guess you could say it was impromptu. Based on Michele’s "death stare," I could only assume she wasn’t happy about it – that was until she got her revenge and allowed Sean a taste of his own medicine. He probably still has a few crumbs in his nostrils.
The good news is that they both laughed it off and danced the rest of the night away with friends and family as DJ Ron Ferris Sr. played a mix of classics and today’s hottest dance hits.
Michelle and Sean – thanks for knowing how to laugh and giving Alana and I the opportunity to share in the laughter with you. We did our best to keep up with you and hope the images we captured remind you of the best moments of your wedding day.
To see more images from their wedding, click here. Be sure to click on the "Best of" galleries to see even more.
Vendors:
Dress Shop: Pricilla of Boston – Boston, MA
Hair/Makeup: Kristina Stanasek
Florist: T.F. Murphy Florist – Somerville, MA
Church: St. Catherine’s of Genoa – Somerville, MA
Cake: Spinelli’s – Lynnfield, MA
DJ: Ron Ferris of Boopa Productions – Serving Eastern MA
Reception: Spinelli’s of Lynnfield – Lynnfield, MA
Michele’s bouquet had elegant ribbons hanging from it.
A little nervous…
The ceremony at St. Catherine’s
Sean being his usual bashful self…ha!
Having some fun after the ceremony
They said they wanted silly – they got it! I laugh every time I look at this photo.
Michele’s "death stare." Yikes!
Revenge is so sweet…literally in this case.
The groomsmen serenading Michele and Sean
Sean’s dad -such a character!
Love this shot.
Sean’s favorite shot from the dance party. "I want a poster of that" he told me.
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