A Garden Party Wedding in Westmoreland, New Hampshire

If there is one thing I hope every couple knows about their wedding day, it's this:

You don't have to take every moment so seriously.

Your wedding should feel like you. It should be full of the people you love, the moments that make you laugh until your stomach hurts, and the little things that you'll still be talking about years later.

Anthony and Jessica's June wedding at Stone Garden in Westmoreland, New Hampshire was exactly that.

A beautiful garden-party-inspired day surrounded by their favorite people, the prettiest golden-hour light, and one of the funniest first looks I've ever photographed.

And yes, we're absolutely starting with the first look.

The first look that nobody saw coming

Jessica and Anthony had planned a traditional first look, with Anthony waiting for his bride to walk up behind him.

Except... Jessica had a different plan.

Instead of walking up herself, Jessica sent Anthony's best man down the aisle wearing her mom's wedding dress.

Yes. You read that correctly.

Anthony turned around expecting to see his bride and instead found his best man standing there in a wedding dress.

The reaction was absolutely priceless.

It was one of those moments where everyone involved knew exactly what was happening except Anthony — which made the reveal that much better.

And honestly, these are the kinds of moments I live for as a photographer.

Not because they're perfectly posed or beautifully planned, but because they're real.

Anthony's reaction. Everyone trying not to lose it. Jessica waiting for her moment to finally make her actual entrance.

You couldn't recreate that if you tried.

And I'm very glad we didn't.

Because now Anthony and Jessica will always have photographic evidence of the time their best man wore Jessica's mom's wedding dress for their first look.

As they should.

Why I love having a second photographer

This wedding was also a perfect example of why I love having a second photographer on a wedding day.

Especially when you have something completely unexpected happen like this.

While I'm focused on Anthony's reaction, my second photographer is able to capture everything happening around him — the people watching, the reactions, the laughter, and the bigger picture of the moment.

And that's something I don't think couples always realize about having two photographers.

It's not just about getting more photos.

It's about getting more perspectives.

Two photographers can stand in the same room, watch the exact same moment happen, and walk away with completely different images.

One of us might capture the close-up reaction.

The other might capture the people in the background absolutely losing their minds.

One might notice the little detail happening off to the side.

The other might be focused on the bigger scene.

And when you put those images together, you get something much closer to actually experiencing the moment again.

That's one of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer — I don't just want to photograph what you're looking at.

I want to photograph what you didn't see.

A garden party kind of day

Once the prank was over and Jessica finally made her grand appearance, the rest of the day continued with that same effortless, joyful energy.

Stone Garden was the perfect setting for their celebration. The whole day had that relaxed garden-party feeling — surrounded by family and friends, beautiful details, and plenty of time spent simply enjoying being together.

And then golden hour showed up.

There are few things better than a New England summer evening when the light decides to cooperate, and Anthony and Jessica got the good stuff.

That warm, glowy, end-of-the-day light that makes everything feel a little more magical.

It gave us the perfect opportunity to slow things down, step away from the crowd for a bit, and let the two of them simply be together.

Those are some of my favorite portraits to create — not overly posed or complicated, just two people soaking in the fact that they're married.

The moments you'll remember

When I think about Anthony and Jessica's wedding, I don't just think about the portraits or the beautiful setting.

I think about everyone laughing.

I think about the garden-party atmosphere.

I think about Anthony's face when he turned around.

I think about Jessica's mom's wedding dress being worn by the best man.

I think about the people who came together to celebrate them.

And I think about that golden hour light.

Because that's what a wedding gallery should do.

It should remind you of how the day felt, not just what it looked like.

Anthony and Jessica, thank you for letting me be part of a day that was so completely you. Thank you for trusting me to document the beautiful moments, the emotional ones, and — most importantly — the absolutely ridiculous ones.

Your wedding was full of love, laughter, and the kind of memories that will get brought up at family dinners for years to come.

And I am very happy to have photographic proof.