Siobhan and Henry's Wedding
"The taste of love is sweet,
When hearts like ours meet."
-Mr. Johnny Cash
"Oh I'll be June, and you'll be John.
and we'll play aloud to every song."
-Anna and Dave Patterson of the High Spirits
Welcome to Siobhan and Henry's beautiful wedding day at Smith College in Northampton, MA. The couple traveled from Alaska to meet up with their families to visit and celebrate in their marriage. I had never met Siobhan and Henry before their wedding (or even talked on the phone!). Her mom found me and booked me for their day. The entire wedding was planned from a distance, with her mom and dad living in Arizona and Henry's parents in Buffalo. It was a great combined effort for their families to bring everything together. Henry's mom MADE the beautiful cake herself. What a work of art!
As the photographer, I truly enjoyed Siobhan and Henry's wedding. Their main focus throughout the day was to be able to visit with their guests who all traveled a distance to be with them. We did a set of portraits of them before the wedding, along with their family photos to not be rushed after the ceremony. The rain held off until the actual ceremony when it poured and umbrellas came out, but everyone smiled and soldiered on! It only actually rained during the ceremony, but before and after provided lovely clouded skies to provide beautiful light for us.
Instead of a wedding party, Siobhan and Henry asked close friends and family to read at the service and serve as a choir to lead the congregation in songs. They started off with a beautiful rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love" and ended the ceremony with a laughing, rousing version of "Ring of Fire." Hence why I chose my friend Anna's music for the soundtrack. A fun song about Johnny Cash and June Carter? How perfect? Anna and Dave perform at weddings in Southern Maine. See the vendor information at the bottom of the blog for more info!
At this wedding, I saw a lot of laughing, hugging, and simple happiness of being together, and because the day was a relaxed pace, I had the time to be creative, capture candids and tell the story of their day in a nice documentary style. In the photos, I hope you can see what I saw this beautiful October day. The love they feel for each other is evident. Most grooms are smitten with their brides, but I could tell Henry really was (and of course vice versa)! They cared for each other and saw their day with a relaxed attitude, even though I know it was a challenge to bring it all together from quite a few time zones away.
This venue at the Conference Center at Smith might be one of my favorite new locations for a wedding. The lighting was fantastic, and the spaces for the cocktail hour and the reception overlooked the river. Smith College is one of the most gorgeous campuses in the country, and the staff was excellent. Henry and Siobhan made a stellar choice, even without having any ties to the college.
Henry and Siobhan (and your mom!), thank you for booking me and inviting me along to your beautiful day. I hope you enjoy the photographs as much as I do. You were both stunning and happy.
All my best,
Beth
Below are my top 10 favorite images of the day but above are 60+ for viewing with music from the High Spirits. The entire gallery (400+) will be up in the next week or so. Guests, stay tuned to your email from the couple!
My favorites:
Beautiful flowers were courtesy of Old Friends Farm in Amherst.
The cake: Henry's mom
Venue: Smith College Conference Center
Catering: Chanterelle (both casual and elegant options!)
MUSIC HIGHLIGHT:
If you are getting married in Southern Maine, Anna and Dave Patterson of the High Spirits would be an excellent choice for your ceremony and cocktail hour music. Anna and I grew up going to the same Music Theatre summer camp, and her voice is rich and soulful. She married an awesome guy who can write and sing some amazing songs. They can also perform any amazing covers of songs dear to your heart. Check them out and tell them Beth sent you!
You can see them perform live here:
http://www.wcsh6.com/video/2781754617001/1/The-High-Spirits-perform-in-the-207-studio
Their website: http://www.thehighspirits.net
Thank you Dave and Anna for providing this Johnny Cash inspired song!