Nicole + Rory – Irish Cultural Center, Utica N.Y.

I’m having a hard time believing that this is our last wedding of 2019. Yes, our last wedding! It feels like we just shot our first wedding of the year, and here we are wrapping up our final edits! What an amazing year it has been, from May to October our couples have been incredible and we are forever grateful that we were welcomed into their lives to document so many incredible moments!

Nicole and Rory were the cherry on top of the season! When we first received their email, we knew we were going to love them! Especially when they mentioned one of their favorite things to do together was to “endlessly re-watch The Office.” Nicole and Rory met during a creative writing class at Hamilton College. Rory volunteered to be in Nicole’s group for a final project so that he might have the opportunity to try and be her friend! They were the two quiet kids in the class but that final group project gave them the chance to get to know each other! That led to a summer full of exploring their hometowns together, and they grew up just 30 minutes from each other! Early on in their relationship, they realized that they enjoyed each other’s company even after spending long periods of time together.

They told us that this is how they knew that had found “the one” because both being introverts and often needing time away from people, they never felt that way being together! Currently, they live and work near Brunswick, Maine with their two cats Eoin and Kieran. They both have jobs based around nature and animal conservation and they both love nature, hiking and exploring Maine! Even their proposal story involves nature! It was a Wednesday afternoon after work, Rory asked Nicole if she wanted to go visit one of their favorite places in Maine – Wolfe’s Neck State Park. During their hike, Nicole was pretty suspicious of Rory but it didn’t look like he had anything in his pockets. After reaching one of the beaches, they sat on some of the rocks looking out towards the ocean, by this time Nicole was sure of what was coming. Rory pulled the ring box out from the bottom of his backpack and got down on one knee in the sand. He told Nicole that he chose one of their favorite places on a Wednesday afternoon because they didn’t have to be in a new, exciting place doing something special for it to be a special moment to propose, because every day together, just like a seemingly random Wednesday afternoon, was special.

A day full of special moments perfectly describes Rory and Nicole’s wedding day! When I arrived at Haring Farm in Clinton where Nicole and her wedding party were getting ready, it only took a few short minutes before I saw some tears. Those tears (of joy) were the results from a wedding morning love note and a bag full of gifts from Rory. Each of the gifts were symbols of their future together, then a little further into the bag were six more envelopes, each containing a love note only to be opened on the anniversary’s marked. After some mascara retouches and Nicole’s mom helping her daughter into her dress, it was time for the first look. When Rory turned around and saw Nicole as a bride, my eyes got blurry behind the camera! They seriously light up around each other, it’s one of the sweetest things I’ve seen! We took a walk around the farm with them stopping for photos along the way, and even picking up a moth friend who wanted to hitch a ride to the ceremony. Who knows, maybe he did make his way over because we were so close by! Hamilton College Chapel was filling up with family and friends when we arrived and Nicole and Rory snuck their way in. It was so sweet to think that where they would be getting married was just across a path from the building where they first met! During the exchange of their vows, they substituted a simple “I do” for a much cooler “Absolutely I do”, a nod to our shared favorite show “The Office”. When Tom and I heard that, we both couldn’t contain a smile!

Another nod to The Office was waiting for us at the Irish Cultural Center. Where the desert table had a quote from the character Kevin Malone written on a sign near all the sweets! Once again, Tom and I couldn’t hold back our smiles, (and my nonstop laughter when I read it!) More surprises were in store during the cocktail hour and reception. Nicole surprised Rory with the Irish musical group, Comhaltas. A band that Rory’s late Grandfather was a member of. When Nicole wrote to us letting us know about that surprise, she also mentioned that having the reception at the ICC was about more than just having it in a cool new venue, they wanted to pay homage to the heritage! When the entrances, first dances, and speeches were finished, one more surprise was in store, this time from Rory to his new bride! Behind a keyboard, Rory opened his heart (and sung and played) a beautiful love song, and it was impossible NOT to cry! We adore Nicole and Rory for their undeniable admiration and devotion to make each other smile! We are so honored to have been a part of their day!

Congratulations Nicole and Rory, you guys are metals, gold medals!