Lisa & Ernie: 10/23/2010

Often weddings are portrayed as pageants for prima donnas. If WE TV is to be believed, weddings are a tacky arms race to the altar.

A minute at Ernie and Lisa Covino's wedding would have told you that's miles from the truth. I've rarely attended a wedding with a more palpable sense of family, friendship, love and even humor woven through the ceremony, the reception and the rest of their lives.

We met the bride and groom at the Courtyard in Raynham, the Glee soundtrack was playing on a laptop as the bride got everything ready. Down stairs my able assistant was handling the groom and his family, getting a few sets of portraits out of the way in the spacious lobby so everyone could enjoy the cocktail hour.

The ceremony and reception were held at the Canoe Club in West Bridgewater. Nestled against a lazy New England river, the Canoe Club Ballroom offered everything for the bride and groom in one perfect package. The crisp fall air was perfect for an outdoor ceremony at the gazebo and DJ Dave carried the party until midnight when the bride and groom left the dance floor and headed off to their honeymoon.

This wedding was also had a lot of formal shots, different groups throughout the night came back to the venue's great photo room to get some pictures together. With the help of some off-camera flash it was easy to get large groups (though the attempt to get a photo of all 206 guests didn't work out as well as we had hoped), and it got me thinking about adding a photo-booth package. A photobooth is a great way to get shots of your guests without those awkward table shots.

It was a fantastic evening in a great space. Best wishes to a great couple, and I'd like to thank them for having us along to witness their special day.

UPDATE: A larger gallery is available here and you can view the full online proofing gallery at www.seemyprints.com (Event Name: ourwedding102310), online ordering is available for friends and family.