Happy Independence Day! I’m excited to share Paula + Matt’s beautiful and super fun Hilton Back Bay wedding with you today! These two super cuties are in the process of moving to Denver, CO as I write this post, their wedding being the last thing they did together in Boston before moving – and in just a few short weeks Matt will be starting law school. I’d think they were crazy but it’s pretty much exactly what Josh and I did when we got married – except our move was international. They also had an amazing wedding coordinator on hand to walk them through the process and make sure everything looked beautiful – huge thanks to the amazing Emilie at Pink Orchid Weddings for all her help!

I started my day in Paula’s huge suite at the Hilton Back Bay in Boston where she, her mom, her sisters, and her best friends were getting ready. There was a great atmosphere in the room and Paula was in a terrific mood, and as far from nervous as I’ve seen! Here she is looking serene, calm, and beautiful as fab makeup artist Meghan Cotton makes her crazy lashes even more spectacular:

The flowers were by one of my favorite Boston area florists, Blooms of Hope. I love all the bright colors! Paula, like me, is very ticklish in some unexpected places … and having airbrush makeup applied made her giggle like crazy. Love this!

A fun moment as the girls help Paula into her beautiful gown:

And some super sweet glances as Paula puts on the finishing touches.

A final few sips of Champagne, and a little nervous energy released shortly before the ceremony:

And a couple of photos of Paula, then Matt, all dressed up and ready to head off separately to the church:

The ceremony was held at St Cecilia Catholic Church in Back Bay, just steps from the Hilton Hotel, and it’s a really beautiful space. I was busy getting the regular photos of Paula and her dad processing down the aisle while Erica was capturing this great shot from the choir loft. Thank you Erica!

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen quite so much laughter during a Catholic ceremony – it was great! I really enjoyed the ring exchange:

Matt and Paula were both grinning away during the ceremony. Here they are watching a talented family member sing Ave Maria at the end of Mass. It was beautiful.

After the ceremony we walked over to the Christian Science Plaza for some wedding party and couples photos.

These two are too cute. 🙂

We got back just in time for me to photograph the setup in the ballroom at the Hilton. The bright pops of color worked so well against the simple, elegant backdrop of the ballroom.

Paula and Matt’s first dance was choreographed, and so good! Erica got this first photos for me; the rest are mine:

The toasts were really great. The maid of honor’s made everyone cry, and then the best man’s made everyone cry with laughter. Perfect!

One of my favorite parts of the reception was the shoe game. You can read more about it here, and it was incredibly funny to watch.

Some sweet parent dances:

And finally the party shots! I’ll leave most of them for the full gallery, but I had to share a couple. This crowd was crazy fun!

Thank you all so much for a wonderful day, and good luck Paula and Matt with your crazy move! Please come back and visit Boston soon, we’ll miss you!