When Caroline and Stuart contacted me to shoot their New York Yacht Club wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, I was happy to learn that we had a few things in common.  They are competitive sailors in the J/105 fleet in The Bay Area living right near our San Francisco, California studio and I, as a self described boat geek (I hold a 100 ton Captain’s license and went to wooden boatbuilding school in Newport), always love photographing at Harbor Court any chance we get.  I knew pretty quickly that I would thoroughly enjoy them and their wedding celebration at The NYYC!

What I didn’t know then, was that Stuart was an Aussie who had also been a member of The Royal Perth Yacht Club!  To those that haven’t been involved with yacht racing, that may mean nothing… but it’s the equivalent of a New York Yankee getting married in Fenway Park.  You see, the New York Yacht Club dominated the America’s Cup racing scene for 132 years, until 1983, when in Newport, Rhode Island… Australia II sailed into town and stole the Cup from under our nose.  It’s one of the great stories of sport (read more about The America’s Cup here), & a moment in history that I remember like it was yesterday.

Stuart and Caroline’s wedding was everything we could hope for: filled with thoughtful details, beautiful moments and most of all, two people who truly love and enjoy one another.  The one exception was that once again, the weather gods decided to test us (see the NYYC Blizzard Wedding here), but like all great sailors, the wedding party was up to the challenge.

Caroline walking down the aisle with her dad (wearing her mom’s 1968 wedding veil).

Stuart sees Caroline for the first time in her wedding dress.

The ceremony was held at The Emmanuel Church, a beautiful and historic building in Newport.

The details in the church were everywhere and hard to ignore!

Caroline puts Stuart’s wedding band on.

Returning down the aisle as husband and wife.

They were so excited right after their wedding!

Stuart & Caroline have a moment on the way to the reception.

A shot overlooking Newport Harbor illuminated by headlights.

Entering the reception… so happy and beautiful!

Caroline & Stuart’s first dance as husband and wife.

In the mirror, you can see Caroline’s dad leading a toast to the two of them.

Stuart’s toast came with a bit of a surprise… he confessed that he had walked down the aisle carrying the boxing Kangaroo flag… a replica of the one flown by Australia II when they took the America’s Cup in 1983!

Their beautiful rings… on Jack, the boxing kangaroo.

Their reception was beautiful… lots of dancing.

When the band played a song by Michael Jackson, this woman took advantage of the gentlemen’s white gloved formal dress wear , and did her own impersonation!  Nice work!

Leaving the NYYC illuminated by sparklers & surrounded by friends.  An end to an amazing evening.

A touching moment: Caroline’s dad makes eye contact with her and waves goodbye as they drive away.

Before heading into Newport for the after party, Caroline’s sister and boyfriend create slow shutter speed art with their sparklers.

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Want to see the complete wedding photos?  Just click right here to see them all!

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Caroline & Stuart!  Thanks so much for having us at your wedding!  We were honored to support you both… and had a blast seeing how much fun everyone had.  We will be looking for you on the waters of San Francisco Bay… or at the very least the next time we’re at Sam’s in Tiburon!  Thanks again for being so welcoming, it was wonderful to be there to document your day!

Vendors:

Ceremony: Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Reception:  New York Yacht Club (thanks Julie… you’re the best!  We love working with you!)

Florist:  Sayles Livingston

Stationer:  William Arthur

Band:  The Cords

Makeup: Robin McAloon

Hair: Frank Antonio Hair & Makeup

Cake:  Creative Cake Comapny

Dress:  Alvina Valenta

]]> http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/2009/10/07/caroline-stuart-new-york-yacht-club-wedding-newport-ri/feed/ 1 http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/2008/12/30/caroline-mark-new-york-yacht-club-wedding-newport-ri/ http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/2008/12/30/caroline-mark-new-york-yacht-club-wedding-newport-ri/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:37:59 +0000 brianwedge http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/?p=699 Continue reading →]]> A wedding ceremony at the church where John F. Kennedy was married and a reception at The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) in Newport, Rhode Island instantly conjures up impressions of refined, old New England elegance, tradition and beauty.

Add a raging blizzard that shuts down most of the Eastern Seaboard to that quaint image, along with the boundless energy of Caroline and Mark… and you get a truly unique, once in a lifetime, storybook wedding that retains all the grace of traditional Newport… and all the fun of an incredible party with a hundred of your favorite snowbound friends and family.

Engagement ring on her right hand, Caroline & Mark instinctually reach out to hold hands during the mass.

Caroline and Mark were featured on our blog last April (link here) when I flew down to Washington DC for a photo shoot amongst the cherry blossoms.  I instantly liked spending time with them, and as I reported upon return, their infectious enthusiasm turned a two hour long engagement photo shoot into a 6+ hour walking tour of DC.  Most of the time was spent laughing, having fun and getting them some amazing photographs almost effortlessly.

Just gorgeous…

Caroline’s Dad sees her for the first time as she wipes away a tear upon seeing him.

Her dad practices lifting her veil… you can sense the emotion in the room as they are just moments from leaving for the ceremony.

Caroline and Mark’s winter wedding was everything they dreamed of.  They were EXCITED about the blizzard, and they weren’t daunted for a moment by the cold, the wet or the logistical difficulties of the day.  One of my favorite moments was watching Caroline tip toe through 6 inches of slushy frozen snow in clean white shoes, strapless wedding gown, bouquet in hand and leaning into a 30 knot sub zero arctic breeze… with a GIANT smile on her face.  She saw me photographing her and just looked up and started laughing.

Husband and Wife.

Look at these two… they’re SO HAPPY!

Off to the New York Yacht Club!

“Living on a Prayer” never looked so good!  Bon Jovi has nothing on this group.

The ring bearer was adorable… and an incredible dancer.

Mark, sharing his vocal talents with the band!

The sparkler departure.

The absolute key to a winter wedding (and any wedding) in my opinion, is to have fun with whatever the weather or circumstances bring to you.  If it’s a blizzard, a power outage or a rain storm… the most important element is how you embrace it.  Mark & Caroline’s wedding was freezing cold, had at times blinding snow, required constant use of 4 wheel drive and it honestly didn’t hamper the party one bit.

Caroline and Mark never lost sight of the fact that they were there to celebrate, to have fun and to enjoy their friends and family.  We were so impressed by how gracious and welcoming everyone was… and felt lucky to help document the beauty of their wedding!  THANK YOU FOR HAVING US!!!

Want to see the COMPLETE wedding photos?  They’re all right here.

Vendors:

Band: “Night Shift” (Amazing, fun and super talented)… they’re out of Boston and they were truly incredible.

Reception: New York Yacht Club (the events coordinator Julie could not have been a nicer, more professional, easy going host.  Thank you Julie, we can’t wait to come back!)

Ceremony Site: St. Mary’s Church, Newport, RI

After Party: Cooke House, Bannister’s Wharf, Newport, RI

Hair:  Jane Sincere

Bride’s Hair: Blaine Rice

Makeup: Christina Squier

Florist: Sayles Livingston Flowers

Cake: Confectionery Designs (Mark Soliday)

I’ve always been a fan of two major concepts when it comes to professional photography:

1.)  Deliver creative results that exceed expectations.

2.)  Make your clients look great while having fun.

I think we succeeded in Washington!  What started as a “night before arrival” turned into an impromptu hilarious adventure throughout the city with Caroline and Mark.  As a photojournalist it was wonderful to work with limited light, heckling spectators and not knowing what opportunities were around the corner.

The unknown and the unexpected are a constant source of opportunity.  As a photojournalist, I arrive (obsessively) prepared with equipment and skills… but a willingness to play, explore and have fun just can’t be understated.

Yes… I flew all the way down to DC just to get shots of them in front of those gorgeous cherry blossoms, but the trip was a reminder to all of us out there shooting to be open to those constant little opportunities to capture the unexpected!  Thanks Caroline and Mark for that unexpected evening photo shoot.  I can’t wait for your wedding!