Wedding at The Ridge Club, Sandwich, MA :: Katie + Dan

Good morning. Now before you start reading go and get yourself a big cup of coffee or perhaps a hot chocolate on this chilly day or if you're reading later maybe a glass of wine? Because this is a monster post with maybe 50 pictures. You'll be here a while hence the beverage suggestions....

Today we're on the Cape for a beautiful wedding at The Ridge Club in Sandwich, MA and Katie & Dan are going to get married! But first, there's all of the usual wedding day preparation....


Don't worry! That's not the only wedding ring picture:


There were lots of beautiful DIY and craft projects at this beautiful Cape Cod wedding. Katie made these ring pillows herself:


Here is one of the ring bearers in disguise:


One of Katie's sister's had written her a note in this cute little "hello sister" card along with a picture of them as children. I'm guessing but I think it's Katie on the left?


I loved the color chosen for the bridesmaid dresses. And wait until you see Katie in her dress!


Of course a wedding gown that intricate and delicate could only be from Monique Lhuillier:


Wedding photographers are usually the only ones (well, other than wedding coordinators) to actually spend most of the day at the wedding. So we get to see the good, the bad and the ugly from other vendors - who's always on time, who shows up late, who's rude to the bride. Over the years I've gathered business cards from SO many wedding vendors and I write little notes on the back to remind me like "John & Jane's wedding. Sept 2009. Sweaty videographer with big light, got in the way a lot" that kind of thing ;)

I happily share the GOOD ones with my couples and so when I arrived to do the getting ready pictures I was delighted to see Ligia from Makeover by Ligia and Ann (617 719 2084) doing make up and hair! It's been a little while since we worked together but I knew all of the girls would look beautiful!


Another little DIY detail with the cute little button theme that Katie & Dan incorporated throughout the wedding. Katie & Dan had beautiful embroidered handkerchiefs for their parents and grandparents with personal letters to go with each one, all packaged in a little button box. Good job that no-one had koumpounophobia which affects an estimated 1 in 75,000 people :)


I like this picture :)


Katie had picked out different buttons to personalize each of her bridesmaid's bouquets and she carried her grandmother's rings on her own bouquet:


I popped over to the guys room where there was much fun with suspenders. Fun fact - in the UK we call suspenders braces. And suspenders would be used to describe what are known as garters in the US. So when I write that "the guys wore suspenders" I can't help but have a little giggle ;)


I played mail(wo)man and delivered a letter from Katie to Dan. And then he sent me back with this rather well packaged bag. Nice wrapping skills Dan.

I love how everyone gets involved with the dress and then there's that "ahhhhh" moment. Especially when Katie's dad saw her for the first time:




Katie then opened Dan's letter. I saw just one line about how he just knew the very first time he saw her in English class and felt a little emotional myself. Not as much as Katie though:


Katie and Dan decided not to see one another before their ceremony and the schedule was pretty tight so they smartly decided that we'd get a lot of the "formal" pictures done before the ceremony and then we'd just had a few left to do with them together afterwards. Here's Dan and his best man Paul:


The DiPalma family:


I honestly have no idea what's going on here but it's pretty funny:


The Mooney family:


Katie and the girls:


Oh Katie! So pretty!


Small children at weddings. They can be behave perfectly or they can howl all day. They can walk down the aisle like little angels or they can refuse to get out of the limo. You can't predict what they'll do and you have to just go with the flow on the wedding day.

When Katie told me that her nephews - the 4 year old twins Colin and Nathan would be the ring bearers I figured we'd have some fun and I wasn't wrong. Here is an attempt to get a picture with Katie and Colin and Nathan:


And now you're probably in picture overload so I'll show you the cute little DIY wedding program on a chalkboard (love it!) and you'll have to come back for the wedding ceremony and reception. A Colin and Nathan's musical debut. And the cutest little escort cards with buttons. And much more. I've talked too much on this one haven't I? I'll be quiet for part II :)


If you can't wait until part II on the blog you should click on this link **here** right now and it'll take you to the Leah Haydock Photography facebook page where you can click "like" to see sneak peaks throughout the day! And feel free to say hello in the comments...