I was so excited for a December wedding in Boston at the
Harvard Club.
It was a classy winter affair on a surprisingly warm day. If it had
been cold enough, all the rain would have been inches of snow! But then
again, bride Juliette and groom John wouldn't have been able to ride in
style in the old Packard -- in mint condition -- from the beautiful
ceremony at
St. Cecilia Church.
A few years ago, the church underwent a year-and-a-half long
renovation. It is stunning and a popular Beantown place to get married
- Juliette's
grandparents were married there. There was even a 9:30am ceremony
before Juliette and John's afternoon wedding! Reverend John Unni
delivered a meaningful, refreshingly inviting ceremony, making everyone
feel welcome in St. Cecilia, regardless of one's religious beliefs or
choice to worship or not.
Juliette and John sat side by side during the ceremony. I caught John
stealing glances of a radiant, giggly Juliette. She looked gorgeous in
the wedding dress she designed! Fashion is, after all, this lady's
forte, starting her own shoe company from the ground up called the
Cape Cod Shoe Supply Company.
I loved her forward thinking with her dress, creating a beautiful, yet
removable, embellished lace top layer that she plans to have made into a
short dress she'll be able to wear again. John looked dapper in his
classic tux.
The rain fortunately stopped by the time the ceremony ended and we were
able to grab a few portraits outside the Harvard Club. Lots of car
horns beeping and congratulatory yells and yays were showered upon the
newlyweds as I snapped away at the busy intersection of Mass Ave and
Comm Ave. Two friendly gentleman playfully jumped into some of the
photos and Juliette and John were great sports about it. Really, it was
all smiles all day for these two.
Jennifer Sepulveda and her team at the Harvard Club did a wonderful job
with the celebration. The venue is a busy place and when I showed up
earlier in the day, it was decked out in balloons and kiddos for visits
with Santa. With little time for turnover, I was amazed when I arrived
post-ceremony and the place was transformed into an elegant wedding
reception. The holiday hints around the Club were tasteful and I think
put everyone in the wintry wedding spirit.
Cocktail hour was upstairs and the reception on the main floor in the
grand ballroom. Guests enjoyed a multiple course dinner and sipped on
red wine compliments of
Rocca Family Vineyards
-- friends of the bride and groom, they shipped all the wine out from
Napa! Heartfelt speeches filled the room with love, reminding everyone
how special a connection Juliette and John have with one another. As
formal as the touches were to the wedding day, the event itself was laid
back. Some traditions were honored like a first dance for the couple
and a father daughter dance, but there was no cake cutting. Juliette
and John just wanted to enjoy a memorable night with their guests on
such a momentous day. Of course, there was dancing to a talented band,
East Coast Soul, comprised of all Berklee or Boston University grads. Funk and soul, and they even belted out my girl Whitney Houston!
The band was so good, I had to convince Juliette and John to sneak out
for a few portraits of the two of them before the night ended -- all too
quickly, I might add! I didn't want the night to end either. Not only
because of the killer tunes, but because it was sadly my final wedding
of season made a little more sweet by seeing two emilie inc. couples
there, Juliette's sister
Katie and husband Chris, and
Scott and Hillary (who just welcomed a bouncing baby girl! Congrats!).
Juliette and John, thank you again for allowing me to photograph your
wedding. It was the best way to celebrate the end of the 2012 season! I
hope St. Lucia brought you lots of continued celebration!
Congratulations on getting married. What a way to kick off 2013!
