Latitude 41 Wedding

Photographing weddings at Latitude 41 is so special to me because that is where I had my reception! I was so excited when Rachel and Peter hired me to be the wedding photographer for their July nuptials. So many of their plans sounded familiar to my own. The wedding reception, cocktail hour, and portraits would all take place at Latitude 41 and Mystic Seaport. The bride would get ready in Mystic and then head to the ceremony at Connecticut College. And to be honest, I was a bit jealous as we had looked into the Conn College chapel, but didn’t have an alumni connection to get in there!

Getting Ready in Mystic

The wedding day finally arrived and it was a beautiful sunny summer day. I joined the bride and her bridesmaids, mother and flower girls who were all getting glammed up in the Commodore Suite at the Hilton Mystic. The brides incredible low back wedding gown hung in the window getting lots of attention, and even more, oohs and aahs once her mother helped her into it. Her father was waiting out in the hallway where they shared one of the sweetest first looks I’ve ever seen!

A bride wears curlers as she gets ready for her wedding in mystic ct

Two little blonde flower girls in blue chambray are bored at a wedding

Wedding Ceremony

Then we headed over to Connecticut College Arboretum where the groom was waiting to meet his bride. Another incredibly sweet first look happened between the couple, and then we headed into the Arboretum for family photos. Bridal party and wedding portraits would happen later once we made it over to Latitude 41.

A groom in a gray suit and blue watch keeps his hands crossed in front of him

A bride walks down the stairs of conn college arboretum to a first look with her groom

Mystic Seaport Wedding Photos

What followed was a beautiful religious wedding ceremony at the Conn College chapel. Afterward, we hopped on the trolley and drove back to Mystic. A key benefit of weddings at Latitude 41 is the special access you get to the seaport grounds for photos. There are so many incredible wedding photo locations at Mystic Seaport – by the historic tall ships, in front of the cute little lighthouse, or around the cool old buildings like the Cooperage or the Thomas Oyster Co. We took major advantage of having Mystic Seaport to ourselves before walking back to Latitude 41 to join the cocktail hour.

A bride and groom exchange vows at their harkness chapel connecticut college wedding ceremony

A bride and groom hang out on their wedding trolley

Latitude 41 Wedding

I ran ahead to give the couple a few minutes to themselves before entering the craziness of their cocktail hour on the North Lawn. Another perk of having a wedding at Latitude 41 is being able to also rent this lawn area which is just gorgeous for a sunset cocktail hour.

As it started to get dark, everyone moved into the River Room at Latitude 41 for the wedding reception. The couple had hired one of the best wedding bands, Beantown, who got the party started right away. The dancing only stopped for dinner by Coastal Gourmet Catering, which was delicious. One of the best moments was when the bride’s grandfather got on the dance floor and led a family dance. He’d throw out a dance move, like a fishing cast, and the family would repeat it back to him. It was a really sweet moment to end a great wedding!