Aly and Nick’s late September wedding at Harrington Farm in Princeton, Massachusetts came with a little more weather than anyone had ordered. A huge nor’easter moved through New England on one of the busiest wedding weekends of the fall, bringing strong winds and eventually a whole lot of rain.
But before the rain really got going, we caught a window outside. Aly and Nick had their first look just outside the tent at Harrington Farm, with their wedding party and family watching nearby. Despite some pretty wild wind gusts, we were even able to keep everyone outside long enough for wedding party photos before heading for cover.
And if you’re going to have a stormy wedding day, Harrington Farm is a pretty great place to have one.
We moved inside for family photos in front of the fireplace, which later became the backdrop for Aly and Nick’s ceremony. Vines and greenery were draped across the space, giving the room an enchanted forest feel that fit perfectly with the rest of their wedding. Their friend officiated the ceremony and did a wonderful job making it personal to the two of them.
The farmhouse porch also gave us another sheltered spot where we could still take advantage of the natural light and scenery around the property. We used it for some portraits of Aly and Nick while staying out of the worst of the weather.
One of our favorite things about this wedding was just how much of Aly and Nick’s personalities made its way into the day.
Their centerpieces featured wood slices, moss, greenery, lanterns with fairy lights, and little Princess Mononoke Kodama figures tucked throughout. A cardboard cutout of Survivor host Jeff Probst greeted guests and reminded them to fill out advice cards. On the dancefloor Aly wore white Doc Martens as her “bridal Docs.” And when it was time for dessert, Aly and Nick skipped the traditional cake knife and used a custom sword engraved with their names and wedding date to cut their cheesecake.
By ceremony time, the rain was pouring and it didn’t really let up for the rest of the night. Guests moved to the tent for cocktail hour before heading into the barn for the reception, and from there the weather became pretty irrelevant.
The dance floor stayed busy all night with an eclectic mix of music that fit this crowd perfectly. At one point, a very polite mosh pit even broke out.
Aly and Nick ended the night with a private last dance inside the barn before heading out for a glow wand send off surrounded by their friends and family.
We always wish we could guarantee perfect weather for every couple, especially on a beautiful fall weekend in New England. We can’t. But weddings like Aly and Nick’s are a good reminder that the weather doesn’t get to decide whether a wedding is going to be a great one.
This one was fun, personal, a little wild, and completely Aly and Nick. We had such a great time photographing their wedding at Harrington Farm and are so happy we got to be there for it.
Photography | Joe Dolen Photography
Venue | Harrington Farm
DJ | Greg Bedard DJ Entertainment & Lighting
Hair & Makeup | Love Notes By June
Florist | French Floral Design
Cheesecake & Brownies | Baked
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