Saint Clements Castle in Portland Ct was the setting for Elizabeth and Brad’s wedding reception. The date was July 7, 2013 a very hot and humid day. My assistant for this coverage was Michael. We started the event at the Hilton garden inn in Glastonbury with the ladies. Liz and her girls were getting ready as we knocked on the door. We started by setting up some wonderful shots of Liz’s gown and veil along with a grouping of her shoes and jewelry. Her dad Rick was in the suite so we got a nice photo of the bride and dad before she got dressed. This is a rare photo to get as dads are usually scarce at this time. We also got a nice toasting photo of Liz and her girls before they got dressed. We went down to the lobby for a few group photos before I left for the church to get some pre ceremony photos of the guys. The ceremony was held at St John’s Episcopal Church in West Hartford. When I arrived I found Brad and his guys all ready for me which is a big help. We got some great photos with his parents and groomsmen prior to the ceremony. I recognized Brad’s father Steve, as I had photographed his wedding to Linda back in 2006. It was great to see them again. The bride arrived on time with her entourage driven by Beverly Hills Limo. The ceremony went perfectly with a receiving line directly after. We did a few groups with the parents and families at the church, and then it was off to Saint Clements Castle for wedding party photos and the reception. I think doing the parents and immediate family groups right away is a good idea. It frees them up to be at the social or cocktail hour with the invited guests as hosts. It was a 40 minute ride from the church to Saint Clements Castle. Because of the heat and humidity, on the way to saint Clements Castle we had a chance to re hydrate and have a snack to be ready and refreshed on arrival. We arrived safely as did the bridal party and we were greeted by the friendly d staff of Saint Clements Castle. The showed us immediately the best way to get to the photo areas without having the bride be seen by the guests. There are many great photo ops at Saint Clements Castle. It is on the east bank of the picturesque Connecticut River. I selected a nice spot overlooking the river and by just turning around we had a great view of the Saint Clements Castle in the background. There were some very dark clouds in the distance and thunder so my photo time was limited. I had to work fast and deliver the great shots that I knew Liz and Brad wanted. Fortunately Michael was inside getting the details of the banquet room before the guests got in and details. Details are some of the best photos to get. We include table settings macros of the favors, champagne flutes, and cake servers with any inscriptions to name a few. We also do center pieces the cake and feature up lighting if used. We did manage to finish the formal groups and the bridal party has some time left to chill before the reception started. Soon the intros started and Bert and Vinnie of After Hours DJ did a great job. The couple went into their first dance followed by toasts and dinner. The staff of Saint Clements Castle did a great job and the food was fantastic. Everyone dances the evening away, Bert and Vinnie kept the crowd going and very active. We finished off the evening with a decent sunset considering the thunder storms that went through earlier. I have been to the Saint Clements Castle before and enjoyed working here; I look forward to my next visit. We like doing events all over New England as well as in our market area. Please enjoy a few of Liz and Brad’s wedding photographs. Feel free to share and leave comment
Saint Clements Castle
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