I’m so excited to share Charlene and RJ’s fall wedding at Salem Cross Inn with you! Warning…this is a longggg blog posts that will definitely brighten up your day because this was an incredible wedding FULL of laughter and joy!

As I got to know them it was incredibly obvious that these two are crazy in love with each other! It was also obvious that they love to make each other laugh…and that there’s never a dull moment with RJ around! I love how sweet they are with each other, always looking out for one another, and I couldn’t wait for their wedding day!

Charlene got ready that October morning at the Laurel Ridge Bed & Breakfast with all of her favorite women by her side.

When your cousin is your make-up artist (Ocean Haired Bandit)…anything can happen! 🤣

And incase that didn’t give you enough of an idea what the vibe was like at Laurel Ridge that morning…..

Charlene’s details were PERFECTION!! She wore her pearl ring that she got at her Quinceanera and had a custom hanger for her beautiful gown from Alexandra’s Boutique.

Talk about perfect details…Charlene wore her mother’s wedding day headpiece. 😍💜 Beautiful hairstyle by Kendra @hairstylist_kendra.

It was time for Charlene to start getting in her gown! Charlene’s mom couldn’t help but to get a little emotional. 😭💜

How stunning is Charlene in her gown and cathedral veil?!?

RJ and his fellas got ready at The Sturbridge Host Hotel with his favorite guys by his side. My wonderful second photographer, Cara, was there to capture that insanity. Getting a “standard portrait” of RJ appears to have been exactly as challenging as you would expect! 🤣 These are fantastic!

One of my favorite things about RJ (aside from him being a complete riot!) is how sweet he is to the women in his life. RJ and his sister, Sammy, shared this incredibly beautiful moment before the two different First Looks began.

See what I mean about being so sweet?? I never blog family portraits but these photos of RJ with his grandmother had to be shared! 💜💜

And then it was time for Charlene and her dad to share their own special Daddy/Daughter First Look. My dad passed away when I was in high school so I didn’t get to have my dad with me at my wedding. Sp capturing moments like this for my clients is extra special to me. When Charlene messaged me to ask if we could possibly make room for her and her dad to share a first look in the wedding day timeline I immediately rescheduled the day to make this work!

Always make time for the moments that matter.

And (finally!) it was time for the bride and groom to get to see each other!! I know that First Looks kinda buck tradition (which feels like a bonus if you ask me 😉) but I want to just take a moment here and share with you why I loooove them! When a couple chooses to do a first look before their ceremony what they are really choosing is to actually get to spend most of their wedding day together! It makes your day feel more about you and it gives you more time to spend with each other, instead of separated. You can’t embrace like this when you see each during the ceremony….

Aren’t they the sweetest?!?

RJ had a gift for Charlene that he wanted to give to her in person on their wedding day.

This bridal party was so fun to photograph! I love the colors, they were absolutely perfect for a fall wedding at a barn!

These ladies made my job so easy! They are gorgeous and totally killed it!

Anddddd….the fellas. Well. I think you know how that went. 🤣🤣🤣

Yes, those are Pickle Rick socks. 😂🥒

Some of the guys were fun but fairly conservative.

Looking at these next photos I would assume the groom and the best man said something like “watch this” or “hold my bear” right before their photos together……

Ok. I know that you can’t unsee those 👆🏻🤣 but let’s try to focus on the beautiful couple for a little while now…💜

Salem Cross Inn in October….you take my breath away!

It’s about to get real! 👰🏻🤵🏻💍

Life advice: marry someone who is this excited to see you at the end of the aisle!

Apparently it was a big deal that he actually typed out his vows. 😂

Husband and wife!!!!!

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Zayas!

They were introduced and immediately shared their first dance as husband and wife!

They had family and friends say a blessing and share toasts to the couple!

And it was time to cut the cake! Salem Cross Inn created this gorgeous cake!

When RJ found out that the venue was putting them to work, serving apple pie & whipped cream to their guests RJ was clearly very excited about it! 🤣

But this wasn’t just any whipped cream….this was the most gigantic bowl of fresh whipped cream everrrrr!!

This was so much fun to watch! It was a really sweet chance for guests to eat some more amazing dessert and to get to come up and visit with the couple for a minute. Visit…or snuggle.

Then Charlene shared such a sweet dance with her dad. 😍

And while Charlene was dancing with her dad, RJ took the opportunity to dance with his grandmother. 😍

And then it was time for RJ to dance with his mom. I’m pretty sure they were trying to make Sammy cry! 😍

THIS is my favorite bouquet toss to date…#waitforit.

Dead! 💐🍹🤣🤣🤣🤣☠️

Let’s move the party downstairs!! Charlene and RJ’s guests danced the rest of the night away!

• Venue: Salem Cross Inn
• Make-up Artist: Julianna Rodriguez
• Hair Stylist: Kendra O’Rourke
• Florist: The Green Thumb Florist – Brimfield
• Bridal Boutique (Wedding & Bridesmaids Gowns): Alexandra’s Boutique
• Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Trinket Shoppe
• Cake: Salem Cross Inn
• Entertainment: Deluxe Entertainment
• Videographers: Star Productions Media
• Invitations: Whisker Kisses Designs

I’m always so honored when I get to be a part of a wedding day team! If you are looking for a light, natural, fun and candid wedding photographer to spend your day with you then I would LOVE to chat! Contact me here!!