WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERTO FARREN
I had the wonderful opportunity of photographing a beautiful Indian wedding in Newport, Rhode Island at the picturesque, Belle Mer venue. I was shooting alongside West coast based wedding photographer Anna Wu who was the lead photographer on the day. As I have said before it is always really nice to have the opportunity to shoot alongside other photographers and even more so when it is at new venues here in New England. I have split the post into two parts, this one covering the first look and Catholic ceremony and then another part to come capturing the Indian ceremony back at Belle Mer, so be sure to check back in soon for that.
Having checked the weather forecast for the day it looked like it was going to be a little hit or miss if we were going to escape without rain, but I am happy to say that despite a few threatening clouds all we got were a few drops while driving between venues. Belle Mer in Newport RI is a stunning venue, placed in an absolutely perfect location. If you are looking to hold your wedding in RI then this place should be on you list of places to check out along with others like the equally great Oceancliff. It was the first time I had met Anna Wu in person but having had a look at her work and chatting over e-mail I knew that it would be great to shoot alongside her.
Starting with the bride and groom at the hotel which was just a short three minute drive away from Belle Mer meant that we had lots of time to get the preparation photos before heading to do their first look. I concentrated my time shooting with the groom and working with his cousins to nail the tying of the bow tie! With that task in the bag it was off to Belle Mer to get the day really going!
The grounds at Belle Mer are equal in grandeur to the inside of the venue and the clean lines and manicured foliage of the outside wall and lawns provided the perfect backdrop for this first meeting on the day. They both looked absolutely stunning and the light breeze that day really made the most of the beautiful long flowing veil.
In case I hadn’t stated it enough the first time round the location of Belle Mer really is a special setting for a wedding. I think the second part of this blog post will show it off even more but for now the photo below gives you a good idea of the backdrop that you are dealing with. After we had done the first look and everyone was getting settled into the day, Anna took the bride and groom off for some photos together. Having an extra take on these can give some unique and different angles as well, and when I’m shooting weddings for my own clients I will often jump into the places like these to make sure that I capture them all.
Doing a first look means that you can get all of the formal bridal party and family photos done before you set out for the ceremony which can make it a little bit more relaxed later on. This worked out great in this situation as the church location was about an 40 minutes away from Belle Mer and so it allowed everything to stay on time and still get all the images from the day. A first look isn’t for everyone but if you are looking to maximize your time on the day then it really is a great option.
I borrowed the groomsmen away for a few shots of just them between some of the other family formals as well.
The church where the Catholic ceremony was held was beautiful both inside and out. St Mary’s in Cranston RI was a pleasure to photograph in and also gave the unique opportunity for some stand out images from this part of the day.
With their Catholic ceremony complete, it was time to head back to Belle Mer in Newport for the second part of their day and the Baraat and the Hindu wedding ceremony that was to take place in the main grounds with the sea and the Claibourne Pell Suspension Bridge as the backdrop to that. Check back in soon to catch the rest of the day.
If you are interested in wedding photography coverage for your New England wedding day then please feel free to drop me a line by going through my contact page here.
All the best,
Roberto