Kellie & Matt’s New Years Eve Wedding

New Years Eve is my favorite day of the year to photograph a wedding. People love a good reason to celebrate, but combine two good reasons together and it always shapes up to make for a fun, memorable night. Kellie & Matt’s Beechwood Hotel wedding did not disappoint. In addition to it being their wedding day and NYE, these two are literally the sweetest people you’ll ever meet AND high school sweethearts so everyone was beyond excited to share the day with them. Settle in, this is a good one…

What better way to start an NYE wedding highlight than with a bit of sparkle, yeah? Ring shots first, then.

Kellie and her girls started their day at Beechwood Hotel, where their wedding reception would be later that night in the Grand Ballroom. I loooove the rooms at Beechwood. They’re elegantly updated with a luxurious coziness to them. I always recommend this hotel to brides getting married in the Worcester area. Luxurious coziness is a good way to describe the bridesmaid attire, with their beaded Nordstrom bridesmaid dresses and fuzzy shrugs. And Kellie’s sparkly Jimmy Choo heels!

Kellie has the best group of girls. Three sisters (two of her own & Matt’s) plus several besties make for a fun & supportive group, totally ready to rock the day.

Meanwhile, the guys and a whoooole bunch of family & friends were getting ready at Matt’s parents house, the beautiful location of their engagement session pictures last winter – check that out here. Probably one of the cutest engagement sessions I’ve photographed to date, even being in the middle of winter.

Family is most important to Kellie & Matt, so I wasn’t surprised when Kel presented her dad with a heartfelt written note before they headed out for the first look.

We let everyone else start making their way downstairs, which let Kellie take a breath and quiet her nerves a bit, and I could create some beautiful portraits of her. Here are two of my favorites. Expression & reflection. 🙂

They shared their first look on the doorstep of one of their favorite places, Matt’s parents’ house…which quickly becomes “our house” to anyone who visits more than once. So I think technically, I’m now in that group. 😉

Their first look was so sweet. Love Matt’s expression here as Kellie whispers over his shoulder. Little did they know, people were watching from every window in the house…first AND second floors.

Kel looked like the most beautiful snow princess. If my boys saw her, I’m sure they would think she was Elsa. The nice Elsa, of course. It was cold, but she braved it for the beautiful evening light outside. And when her and Matt get together, I’m pretty sure they don’t feel the chill. They laughed and danced and got ready for the biggest day of their lives.

Their beloved family!

The ceremony was a full mass at Saint Mary’s Church, just down the road from Matt’s parent’s home. They were married by Father Edward Hanlon, one of Kellie’s dad’s good friends.

I love this guy’s style…and Kel’s attentive sisters making sure her dress looked perfect.

If you follow my blog, you know I love the wedding moments shared with grandparents, like this one of Kel and her beautiful grandmother.

I saw this beautiful light during the ceremony and HAD to get them in it…

After the ceremony, it was party time at Beechwood Hotel for their wedding reception. The ballroom looked absolutely spectacular, with candles and centerpieces by Jeff French Designs.

Bubbles during their first dance!

Who doesn’t love a little Adele singalong? These two definitely do! (Hi Sarah & Taylor!)

The speeches and toasts gushed love for these two, and the bridesmaid dance pretty much sealed the deal that this was going to be an incredibly fun night.

District 21, a Nightshift Entertainment band, was fantastic. I highly recommend them. They played everything from the intros to parent dances and even a special dedication dance to Kellie’s grandparents to celebrate their 63 years of marriage. Is there anything more beautiful than the smile on her grandmother’s face?

We highly recommend District 21. They kept the dancefloor packed for hours. HOURS. Talented and friendly too.

This is the epitome of how every bride should feel on her wedding day. Pure, unadulterated joy.

Before the New Years hats and boas and beads came out, we snuck outside for a few minutes to cool down and capture some night portraits. To freeze time for just a moment so the two can soak it all in together. And then back to the party, and a ball drop surprise courtesy of Matt’s super-thoughtful mom, Anne, who helped with so many of the wedding plans and details. CONFETTI!

Its almost time…

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Good times with great people. Congrats to Matt & Kellie, and Happy 2016, loves!