I won't be able to express to you how much I enjoyed every moment of Claire & Matt's wedding day. There were so many small moments that added up to one of the best times I've had doing the job I love. To begin with, we had to take not one, but two ferries to get to the wedding. Any travel by water going vessel is the greatest thing in my book, so that x2 is close to perfect.
These two were married on Shelter Island in New York. Claire got ready in a house close by to Matt's family's home on the island, while Matt got ready in another house close by as well. One of my favorite parts of the day was spending a few moments alone with Claire after she got her dress on, and right before the first look with Matt. Excuse me while I digress a moment. I remember my Mom telling me a story about her wedding day, where she saw herself in her dress, saw my Dad in his tux and saw their wedding party all decked out and she began to laugh. It all seemed so strange to her. The day was actually happening, and who were these friends who were normally in t-shirts and jeans all dressed up, and was she really the bride? After months of planning, the day was actually there. Those few moments with Claire felt similar to the story my Mom told me. Claire couldn't believe it was actually all happening. There was a feeling like she was looking down on herself experiencing it all. I loved how present and how real Claire was in those moments.
Their ceremony happened on the patio of Matt's parents' home overlooking Dering Harbor. Following the ceremony Claire & Matt took a few minutes to take it all in while their guests walked down a path to the Shelter Island Yacht Club for cocktail hour and the reception. After family photos, C&M took a boat ride in Scout, Matt's family's boat, which also happens to be the boat Matt proposed to Claire on. I was very excited to join them to capture this part of their day. I was also very excited to be out on the water!
The rest of the evening went by in a whirlwind, as weddings often do. There first dance was to "This Must Be the Place" by Talking Heads, which was pretty great. There were tears (the best) during the toasts and tons of dancing to finish out the evening.
Peter & I took the ferry back attempting to take it all in. We had another ferry ahead of us early the next morning to photograph another wonderful wedding (which will be posted soon) the next day. As we floated back to the mainland we talked about all the connections that came together at Claire & Matt's wedding. Claire & Matt attended St. Lawrence University, where Mary & Hank also attended. We photographed their wedding a couple of years ago on Block Island. The weekend before we were on Block Island at the Atlantic Inn for Erin & Michael's wedding. Erin found me on the world wide web because of Mary & Hank's wedding. Lastly, one of Claire's bridesmaids was a bridesmaid at Stephanie & Matthew's wedding which we photographed at the deCordova a couple of years ago. Tie-ins like that make this job even more fulfilling than it already is for me.
Claire & Matt, thank you for entrusting us with documenting your day, and choosing us to be a part of your celebration. We had the best time!
Event Planner: Janine Krafchin | Location: Shelter Island Yacht Club | Dress: Ivy & Aster | Groom's Suit: Bonobos | Hair & Make-up: Special Effects | Invitations & Paper Goods: Minted | Florals: Sag Harbor Florist | Caterer: SIYC | Bridesmaids Dresses: JCrew | Band: The Pocket Band
