Nora + Tyler = LOVE | Wedding | Harkness Mansion | Waterford, CT

I don’t even really know where to start with this post, so I thought I would start where it began……

 

I met Nora and Tyler last fall at their consult in Massachusetts and immediately fell in love with them!  I knew right away they were my clients and I remember driving home thinking….”oh I hope they liked me as much as I liked them!”. Of course they did and within a few days we were well on our way to planning their engagement session for later in the Fall.  At that point Joe and I met them at their apartment just outside of Boston where we hung out for  little while just getting to know each other a bit.  It case you missed it, here is the link to that session: Nora & Tyler Engagement.

At the very beginning of the session Nora made it clear that she was not very comfortable with Public Displays of Affection.  By the end of the session I had her sitting in the middle of Newbury Street kissing away! After spending the afternoon with them I learned quite a few things about these two….They are two of the kindest people I have ever met, they are truly in love, and they both are very VERY family oriented!

As we began to plan the details of the wedding all of that held true with every detail of the wedding.  From Tyler having all 3 of his brothers stand up as best men, to Nora orchestrating a very special toast to her brother who would be leaving a week later on yet another deployment for the US military.  These two embody what it means to be a close-knit family, and reflect that core value as they live their lives every day.

Again, I have to say….I don’t know where it started….it was probably on the long drive home after Joe and I had spent the day with Nora and Ty, that I began to feel a closeness with them, but somewhere along the line I began to think of them differently than just clients.

This all came full circle for me as I bawled my way through coverage of not one, not two, but THREE of the most incredible toasts I have had the pleasure of hearing.  It occurred to me in those moments, that my intuition of these two was dead on, and all I had observed in the way they carried them selves and lived their lives was true!  They are two of the most genuine people I have had the pleasure of meeting and I am truly honored to of been handed the task of documenting these two families coming together!!!! (still fighting the tears as I write this…..)

Alright…enough gushy stuff!  One of the major reasons this day was so awesome is because Nora and Tyler put all of the right people in place and trusted them with no questions asked!

Dorian Patrick of Dorian Mode Photography….not only the Ying to my Yang…but truly an AWESOME photographer!  I’m so lucky to have him as my second shooter this year, and I couldn’t be more happy with the work he is consistently pumping out!!!

The rest of the lineup:

Venue: Eolia Harkness State Park

Videographer: Tom Morlock Videographer extraordinaire!!!!  Not only is he a master at his craft, but he is a pleasure to work with!

Flowers: Dennis Beauregard Design
141 Rockewell St. Norwich, CT 06360

Dennis was awesome to work with and the flowers and all of the arrangements at Harkness were AMAZING!

Food: A Thyme To Cook A true food artist and a joy to work with!

DJ: JP Artistic Entertainment I have to say one of the best DJ’s I have ever heard at a wedding.  He was able to keep the dance floor packed the whole time by mixing all of the oldies in with all of the booty shaking new stuff!

 

And of course….let’s not forget the photos!  I mean that’s why we are all here!

I loved that Nora’s mom had all of these awesome photos and other things all over the house.  How cute is the photo below with the plaque that I found in the kitchen about being a mean mom?  Clearly the Sullivan’s did a great job being mean enough to raise some amazing kids!

Nora and Ty’s two little babies….Tiny Tim and Lilly!  They made their debute on the blog in the fall, but they truly bring the party here in their cute little outfits!

Some coverage of the guys provided by Dorian!

I love the first shot below that Dorian got of Ty being escorted by the priest (also a family friend).

Right after the ceremony we headed to Harkness to start the formals.  We were quite surprised to go out on the lawn and be greeted with this thick fog, but in true BTL fashion….we rocked it!

Dorian worked with the ladies while I had the guys, and I love this shot he got of them under the tree!

The two shots below are Dorian’s and I love them!

The shot on the right of Nora is from Dorian as well and it is GORGEOUS!!!

Below are a ton of details that were a combination effort of Dorian and I!

For Nora and Tyler’s first dance Tyler’s oldest brother sang while Nora’s younger brother played the key board to…..”Making Memories of Us”, an AMAZING son by Keith Urban!

They only had about 24 hours to practice together and they were fantastic…..not to mention, again…..How Awesome is that???

Normally toasts don’t get a whole lot of coverage on the blog, but there is always an exception to the rule!  Below are a combination of mine and Dorian’s different perspectives of the toasts, but I can’t even begin to explain how touching each and every one were.  From Tyler’s brothers being hysterical, practical, and touching, Nora’s 3 closest friends explaining what a true friend she has been through the years, to Nora’s two brother’s explaining how much Nora means to them and how overwhelmed with emotion they are to be able to welcome Tyler to their family…..(pretty sure that was a run on sentence, but whatever). To the final touch of Tyler’s father giving them advice and welcoming Nora into the family (the only girl with 6 boys).  I can’t believe I was able to take any of these photos cause I was bawling like a baby…..

Love the two shots below that Dorian got of Tyler dancing with his mom!

Nora was captain of the cheer leading squad  so what more fitting than some cheering on the dance floor!

Nora and Tyler had a specialty drink made in honor of Nora’s brother, followed by a very touching toast from Nora, and a dance to “Party in the USA”!

A ring shot fit for a Soldier!

Nora and Tyler had school buses to take all of their guests back to the hotel safely and of course it was pouring rain!

 

One more big thank you to Nora and Ty for choosing me!  I was so honored to be a part of this wedding, and I hope you guys enjoy the photos as much as Dorian and I enjoyed taking them!!!