Julia and Anel’s amazingly beautiful wedding at Glen Manor House in Portsmouth, RI was one of those days where everything just came together perfectly; from the perfect pop of Julia’s yellows and pinks, to the emotional, funny ceremony, to the complete craziness that hit the dance floor after dinner … even the weather could not have been more perfect that day. So, you’ll have to excuse me for posting a few more images than I normally would … this is going to be a long post, folks!

I started my day getting some detail and getting ready shots at the hotel. Love this photo of Julia having her makeup applied by friend and superstar makeup artist Ashley Rebecca.

After hair and makeup with the girls, I headed over to Glen Manor House to meet with Anel and his groomsmen for some portraits. One of my favorite photos was this in-between-portraits moment – these guys were laughing hard …

Ridiculous cuteness as Anel plays with his little brother-in-law and ring bearer Jackson:

… and one of my favorite ever “detail” shots (Anel was channeling his hero MJ for this):

Julia and the girls arrived a little later, and it was in the beautiful upstairs rooms at Glen manor that Julia got into her lovely Monique Lhuillier dress (a very last-minute purchase for this fashion blogger – after a tailor botched her first dress she had just two weeks to find a replacement!) Anyway, I love these two of Julia, right after putting on her beautiful wedding dress:

A lot of couples seem to worry about mismatched numbers in the wedding party – not these guys. Anel had just three groomsmen and a ring bearer, whereas Julia had five bridesmaids (in yellow – her sister Lauren, and her four best friends) plus four rosemaids (in pink – her cousins) and a flower girl. And it was perfect! It’s so much more important to honor the people closest to you than worry about making the numbers match up.

We had to have a little fun with this group, even if we were a *little* tight on time by this point!

At Glen Manor House there are several options for the ceremony spot, each one gorgeous. Julia and Anel chose to face the ocean, and the view was pretty awesome. Love this moment as Julia’s sister Lauren helps their baby brother Jackson down the aisle:

The ceremony was the perfect mixture of belly laughs and tears. Here’s Anel looking a little choked up:

And some giggles from the girls:

Huge thanks to videographer Michael Venzor who was so great to work with (you can see him in action in the shot below). He’s a colleague of Julia’s and offered his services as a friend, but I’m hoping he goes pro with wedding videography in the future – he was an absolute gem!

I have to give a shout out here to Julia and Anel’s officiant, Rev. Victoria Burdick. I try not to listen too closely to the ceremony when I’m photographing, as it can distract me from the task at hand – but I was completely drawn into the story Victoria told of how Anel and Julia began their relationship. I had assumed before the ceremony that she was a hired vendor, but part way through this wonderful, moving, hilarious story I decided that she must be a close friend or colleague – how else could she know so much about these two and their history; how else could she tell such an emotional story? Well, it turns out that she is “just” an officiant, that Anel and Julia had never met her before they began the wedding planning process – she is just really, really talented, and an incredibly special woman. Kudos!

What a setting … *sigh* …

Such a happy husband and wife!

After some hugs, some delicious looking signature cocktails, and some speedy group photos, we stole away for a few couples portraits, down on the lower lawns and by the sea.

There are so many beautiful spots for photos at this amazing venue!

When we got back to the house, cocktail hour was in full swing, and I grabbed a few candids and some detail photos of the reception setup:

The fabulous wedding stationery, including the programs, invites, save the dates and menus, were by Julia’s friend Erin Fiore of Sullivan and 3rd, and the sweet cake was by Newport Chocolates. The florals were by the always-amazing Sayles Livingston Flowers and the event was catered by Blackstone Caterers (the food was divine!)

All the major events of the evening took place in one room, which was great news for me as a photographer. It was fun having everyone crowd in and form a circle around Julia and Anel as they had their first dance:

There were some great moments during the toasts – love Julia’s face in this next one!

After dinner, the crowd went crazy. CE DJs were awesome and so professional, and the night was filled with wild dancing, a conga line, some crazy limbo action, and a very good time:

One of the funniest moments for me was the awesome “fight” that broke out after the bouquet toss – love it!

And one last couples photo from late in the evening to end with. Thank you all so much for an amazing day – it was an absolute honor to be a part of it, and I hope you love the teasers as much as I loved your wedding! I can’t wait to share a TON more in the next couple of weeks. 🙂