Weddings of the East Bay & South Coast | 2024

WEDDINGS

of the East Bay & South Coast

A hidden gem

A hidden gem

Fall River Country Club offers a truly beautiful venue that is tucked away in a secluded area of the north end and is surrounded with spectacular scenic views of the Taunton River. We specialize in small intimate gatherings or special events up to 180 guests. We host only one wedding at a time. It allows us to provide exceptional service and a memorable experience catered to each individual couple.

A hidden gem

A hidden gem

Fall River Country Club offers a truly beautiful venue that is tucked away in a secluded area of the north end and is surrounded with spectacular scenic views of the Taunton River. We specialize in small intimate gatherings or special events up to 180 guests. We host only one wedding at a time. It allows us to provide exceptional service and a memorable experience catered to each individual couple.

Fall River Country Club offers a truly beautiful venue that is tucked away in a secluded area of the north end and is surrounded with spectacular scenic views of the Taunton River. We specialize in small intimate gatherings or special events up to 180 W h l ddi i . It allows us to provide exceptional each individual couple.

Fall River Country Club

Fall River Country Club offers a truly beautiful venue that is tucked away in a secluded area of the north end and is surrounded with spectacular scenic views of the Taunton River. We specialize in small intimate gatherings or special events up to 180 guests. We host only one wedding at a time. It allows us to provide exceptional service and a memorable experience catered to each individual couple.

Fall River Country Club offers a truly beautiful venue that is tucked away in a secluded area of the north end and is surrounded with spectacular scenic views of the T t Ri W i li i ll i ti t gatherings or special events up to

. It allows us to provide exceptional each individual couple.

4232 North Main St

Fall River Country Club

Fall River, MA 02720

all River Country Club

4232 North Main St

all River Country Club

Fall River Country Club

4232

508-678-9374

4232 North Main St

Fall River, MA 02720

www.fallrivercc.com

Fall River MA 02720

4232 North Main St ll

508-678-9374

F ll Ri MA 02720

www.fallrivercc.com

Weddings Bridal/Baby Showers Birthdays

Today’s weddings are classic,

Glitz and glamor are backwithout the old-fashioned traditions of yesteryear

BY JULIA STEARLY

It seems the days of big weddings are back again — but they’re not like they used to be.

Throughout the pandemic, weddings became virtual, or they were “micro,” all with the same themes of intimacy, casualness, and a “let’s do this” attitude. Now that those days are mostly behind us, trends are changing once again, and weddings are becoming more personalized, more creative, and more unique than ever before.

“A lot of clients are still doing parent dances and toasts, but it’s not commonplace like it once was at all. There are no rules!”

RACHEL KOGER WEDDING PLANNER

Wedding planner Rachel Koger of Cose Bella is in a great position to see this all first-hand. She said, “I’m seeing a lot of larger weddings. During the pandemic, we had to have really small groupings, and now I’m seeing that fading out and we’re really starting to see those bigger, grand events again, which is exciting!”

Not only is this shift being represented in the size of the weddings, it’s also shown through the style of the events. While before the norm was boho-backyard-natural-chic, it appears to be changing over to a more glamorous vibe. Koger said, “People are starting to be a little more spectacular for sure. We’re seeing the black tie affairs again. I’m even seeing a lot of assigned guest attire - they’ll give a color palette and recommendations on what the guests should wear.”

What is sticking around from the Covid days, however, is the stray from tradition. While the aesthetics are returning to a more timeless style, the actual festivities are not. “Clients are

not traditional

NATALIE FOLCHI, FOLCHI CREATE PHOTOGRAPHY

Couples are choosing glitz and glamor again, but with their own unique style.

TRENDS: The big, grand wedding is back in style

From Page 3

really loving that old-Hollywood style, so they’re getting a little bit fancymore traditional in the look, but not in the formalities. Formalities are sort of heading out the window,” Koger said.

Conventional, run-of-the-mill traditions are being left in the past by many couples, who are putting more emphasis on guest experience and having fun rather than going through the motions of what is expected. Koger said, “I’m seeing fewer toasts. There’s not really traditional dances. People are getting rid of dinners altogether –there’s a lot of stations rather than plated meals. It’s a lot of cocktail hour style receptions, which are fun. I call them ‘Great Gatsby parties.’ A lot of clients are still doing parent dances and toasts, but it’s not commonplace like it once was at all. There are no rules!”

Festivity as an idea is not being discarded, rather new ways to celebrate

After years of small, intimate weddings during and after the pandemic, many are trending back toward big and grand once again.

NATALIE

Even when things are the same, they're different

From FACING PAGE

are being implemented. “Everyone’s kind of making the wedding day their own,” Koger said. “One of the most important things, of course, is guest experience. Guests remember the day, but if it’s missing that unique special thing that makes you you, I think you kind of missed the bar. We all have those quirky things about us, so if we can incorporate that into our wedding days - that’s really special. It’s a wow factor. If you love the rainbow smoke and it’s a pride wedding, go for the rainbow smoke! I had a client who loved bagel seasoning, and they had the cutest favors with bagel seasoning. Just something like thatthe guests love it, and it makes it all the more personal for the couple.”

Ditching traditions doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning structure altogether - in fact, this evolution sometimes calls for more of it. Many couples are even designating a block

of time to really take in and cherish the moment. Koger said, “I actually have clients this year that are doing a first look, but they don’t want it photographed. They want to be completely by themselves. They want it private, and they want it intimate. I have a lot of people scheduling in ten or twenty minutes after their ceremony to be alone, the two of them, and just be married.”

“People are starting to be a little more spectacular for sure. We’re seeing the black tie affairs again.”

RACHEL KOGER WEDDING PLANNER

While these changes aren’t exceptionally out of the ordinary for the couples themselves and likely a good portion of their guests, Koger shared that it’s often a bit of a learning curve for members of older generations. She said, “It’s hard for the parents, because they got married in a different time,

and it’s really confusing for them a lot of the time. They’re planning or helping to plan a wedding and they don’t know where to start because it’s so different. It’s not spending two or three or ten thousand dollars and going to a hallit’s an all day event with all these moving pieces. There’s the hair and the makeup, and then the getting ready photos, and they’re like, ‘what’s a getting ready photo?’ It’s frustrating for them because they have an idea and that’s just not what we do anymore.”

Not only are couples veering away from traditional activities throughout the wedding day itself, they’re also incorporating modernity into the way the memories are held to be looked

back on. “Most people are getting rid of traditional guest books where you just write your name - I haven’t seen one of those in years. It’s usually polaroids, digital cameras, even boats. I think the most unique thing I’ve seen is what we’re calling ‘After the Tone,’ where there’s a phone, and guests pick it up and leave a message. As I’m sure you can imagine, they get funnier throughout the night, and people really have fun listening back to those recordings and remembering their day.”

As trends change and differences arise in aesthetics and formality, the reason for celebration remains the same, and the current shift aims to highlight that. Weddings are an ageold tradition, but each couple holds a unique style. Koger said, “It’s really special to see couples make their wedding their own. It’s about them and their love.”

CITY LUX STUDIOS

A local wedding planner says there are no “rules” for weddings anymore. Couples make the event what they want to be, whether that’s a Great Gatsby-style cocktail party, a black tie affair, or a pride wedding with rainbow smoke.

Traditional or mobile, photo booths bring out the smiles

Along with cocktails, food and dancing, photo booths have become a newly popular form of entertainment

BY SCOTT PICKERING spickering@eastbaymediagroup.com

Though grounded in centuries-old traditions, weddings have always reflected the times in which they take place. So it’s no surprise that one of the most popular forms of wedding reception entertainment today is the “photo booth,” where guests can get goofy, silly, serious or sultry, and capture thousands of memorable images of the big event.

“Photo booths are super fun and really popular,” said Debbie Cormier of Arpeggio Wedding Entertainment. A generation ago, Arpeggio would just be considered “DJs” for hire. These days, DJs are often part of full-service entertainment companies, providing music, lighting, games, photo booths, and lots of event management support.

Cormier has seen the popularity of

Wedding Cakes

Perhaps

All

A young guest checks out the mobile photo booth, which is carried throughout the reception to capture spontaneous images from people throughout the venue.

HEATHER CHICK PHOTOGRAPHY

OKSANA MIRO CREATIVE

The happy couple take a break from the dance floor to join in the mobile photo booth fun.

Instead of wedding favors, guests leave with 'selfie' prints

From FACING PAGE

photo booths grow significantly in recent years. It’s why the company has grown from offering one traditional photo booth — the kind you would find in an arcade or the mall, where you step inside, pull the curtain closed, pose for three or four photos and get a strip of classic printed photos — to offering five different varieties of photo booth, from traditional to digital to 360 to “mobile.”

“We started with one photo booth — looking back, it’s like a dinosaur,” Cormier said, though adding that it is still the most popular. Guests can leave with strips of funny or memorable photos, which become a new form of party favors from the wedding.

The other styles include a 360 Booth, where guests step onto a platform, strike a pose, and the booth captures their image from every angle.

A “Mirror Booth” is a giant, interactive mirror, controlled by a touch screen. Guests can capture their images and immediately text or share them to themselves and others.

Growing in popularity is the Roaming Booth. “A staff member brings it around

throughout the wedding. The mobile booth strolls through the cocktail hour, hops into the middle of the action on the dance floor, and visits guests in all corners of the venue.

“It usually takes a little bit of warming up, but once a couple of people get into it, it’s a huge hit,” Cormier said. “It’s great for taking candids and goofy photos. It’s not there to replace your photographer.”

Wedding guests often gravitate to the traditional photo booth, accompanied by silly props, to have fun and walk away with printed photos from the night.

As an added bonus, the host couple typically get a digital copy of every photo taken, so they can look back on the big day with thousands of images from every activity and scene imaginable.

STACY SMITH STUDIOS

Finding comfort in candids

For many weddings, the formal poses are taking a back seat to the joy of spontaneity, with images that are casual and candid

BY JULIA STEARLY

“Wait — hold on, we need a picture!” is a phrase we’re all accustomed to hearing at any event or even on a daily basis. In this day and age, it seems like we’re always stopping to take a photo — for better or for worse, some may argue. Now, however, the candid, natural approach to photography, with nods to retro film, is at the forefront, in daily life and on special occasions.

Therese Iacono, a local photographer with more than a decade of experience shooting weddings, believes that not only is this style here to stay, it’s bigger than the pictures — it’s the experience of taking them in a relaxed way.

make or break the end result. Anxiously posed smiles and nerves about looking “just so” fade away when you feel like you’re with a friend.

“I think that the days of focusing on just formal shots are pretty much over,” Iacono said. “Things come back — we’ve seen it. The ’90s came back with a vengeance! Formals could make a comeback if robots take over and we go back to standing in front of a camera and smiling until we hear the click,” she laughed, “but right now it’s crucial to get your client to feel comfortable enough to be candid in front of a camera. That’s 100 percent what people want.”

Point-and-shoots

“You can’t be candid around someone you don’t fully put your trust in.”

THERESE IACONO

“It’s not just about candid photos,” she said. “They want a photographer who they feel like is their best friend. I’ve noticed that people will say ‘Oh, we want candid photos,’ but what they’re really after is, ‘I wanna know what your vibe is and if you’re the kind of person I can consider a friend and ask you questions as we’re shooting or just hit you up.’ That comfort and familiarity go hand in hand with candids, because you can’t be candid around someone you don’t fully put your trust in.”

Having this comfort with your photographer on your wedding day can

To further this fun, relaxed, timeless style of photography, many couples are opting to provide point-and-shoot cameras, digital or film, to their guests in hopes of capturing their perspectives of the day. This goes back to the idea of comfort with a photographer. When you feel safe enough to laugh, smile, and dance playfully without much care for whether the person capturing the photo is judging you, that familiarity comes through the final image.

Iacono said, “A person’s soul translates through a picture their best friend took with a little point and shoot camera in a way it can’t through my lens because they don’t know me. One of my favorite things to do, especially if the couple didn’t give out a few pointand-shoots, is to give my camera that’s had more of a bumpy ride than my

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Curating comfort

Truly candid shots are supposed to be taken when the subjects are distracted, unaware of the lens and the photographer close at hand. For some people, that’s easier said than done. They can’t help but be aware of the photographer, which undermines the entire effort of being “candid” in the first place. What’s a photographer to do?

“The thing is, people will say they want candids and to feel like the

camera isn’t even there, but at the end of the day, some people just can’t help it,” Therese Iacono said. “So what do you do when you’ve pulled all the tricks out of your bag? You go to what the person’s partner can do to help them forget. Like ‘Ok guys, walk all the way that way until you literally can’t see me anymore, then come back,’ and their focus turns to each other. By that point, I can hide and get those great shots that show their excitement and love.”

Photographer Therese Iacono said she will often tell couples to walk far away from her, and then come back towards her. She may hide, so they forget about her, and she can get the most genuine, candid shots of the two together.

They smile for the formals, but they really want the candids

newest one to a groomsman on the dance floor. Those pictures are so funny and authentic. I can’t get those shots all the time! There’s a layer of civility that you can’t help but hold on to when a professional is involved.”

While it may appear that this style is trendy right now, it has never really faded away completely. Whether it’s through weddings, another special occasion, or just a regular day, candid photography is here to stay.

Iacono said, “I think it’s timeless. The image that’s a little blurry, the image of you laughing with your partner not looking at the camera, the shots that feel like the photographer is a fly on the wall — it’s just that, it’s timeless. When we’re candid in front of a camera, we see the parts of our personalities that are most important to ourselves or the person behind the camera. When we stand there in front of a camera and smile, it’s to please society and to be civil. When we see people’s personality through the camera, that’s what’s candid and timeless, and I don’t think that’s ever going to go away.”

Videography spotlight: Super 8 film

Leaning into the more retro aesthetic, a number of couples are choosing to have their weddings videoed on film. Therese Iacono has seen a lot of Super 8 videography, the sort of home-video style movies we’ve seen for ages.

She said, “It’s so unbelievably beautiful and it’s so personal. Super 8 film videography clips can only be up to like 15 seconds, so the videographer has to be really decisive about what they want to include. They’re making a 3, 4, 5 minute highlight reel. There’s only so much loaded film, so they’re walking down the aisle, and the videographer captures 15 seconds of that and is done with it. It creates the most beautiful thing. A Super 8 movie from the 1940s looks identical to one from today. It’s so heartwarming and cozy. There’s nothing like it.”

The photographer wants to see personality through the camera. When she does, the image is timeless.

500 HOPE STREET BRISTOL, RI

www.lindenplace.org

DISCOVER THE TIMELESS CHARM OF LINDEN PLACE

An intimate wedding venue that promises an unforgettable celebration.

Recite your vows in our sculpture gardens.

Celebrate in the gracious ballroom. This is where Gatsby swept Daisy off her feet!