wedding at Hammond castle

From our first call, until the day of the wedding, I was so looking forward to it. The wedding venue was Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA. Yes, a Castle. Pretty much every wedding photographers dream. The bride was a natural in front of the camera. We had an engagement session together in the summer before, in Boston. You can view some of the photos from it here. I have never been to Hammond Castle so I went very early to walk the grounds and look over the space we would be in this day. The more I walked and explored the more excited I was. I had my camera and check my framing on some doors and walls. To make sure the would fit in the frame. I then headed to the Castle Manor Inn for the getting ready part of the morning. What better place for a bride that is getting married in a castle? We had a good time setting up her dress and flowers for some photos. As the time for the ceremony came closer it was time to head to the venue. The harpist filled the grand hall with music as the family and guests found their chairs. The wedding started and the groom saw his bride for the first time all day. I always take a photo of the moment he sees her before turning to capture the bride on the way down the aisle. This day, like many others, was special. His face told me she was coming and when I turned she looked amazing. They were married in short order.

This wedding had a traditional tea ceremony following the ceremony. This was my first time being involved in this tradition. This is one reason to have great communication with your couples. She provided me with a short walk through of how it would look and what was important to them to have be photographed. It was special to be there as just close family were allowed to witness this ceremony. The venue did not disappoint for photos. Being that I really love a wide style of shooting taking in the grand space was a great fit with my gear and my vision of the day. We made use of the drawbridge and the arches that looked out over the ocean and also the back side of the castle and the stone steps down to the lawn area.

Using an off camera flash to light the couple and really make then stand out in the images is something I pride myself in. I have worked hard to learn this skill and hope you can tell when viewing my work. I put together this slide show of the wedding using the best story telling images from the day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it. If you have are having your wedding at the Hammond Castle please feel free to reach out and ask me any questions. I would love to be there for another one.