Natasha and Joe’s Holyoke wedding photography was spectacularly surrounded by love and crazy weather. Let’s hear about their wedding day from the two of them.

Wedding Date

May 15, 2022

How did you two meet?

We met each other our freshman year of High School through classes and mutual friends. We would go to football games together and gatherings with friends. After almost a year of being friends, Joey asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of freshman year. From that point, we have been together since.

How did he pop the question?

Joey had candles burning, along with long stem red roses on our coffee table in the living room with a book he put together. The book retold the story of our relationship from the moment we met until the moment he was about to propose. He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I of course said Yes! After that, we went out to a sunset picnic at Naumkeag in Stockbridge, MA to celebrate our engagment.

What was your favorite moment(s) from the wedding?

Watching everyone have a great time and enjoy themselves!

How long have you been together?

It was officially 13 years of being together the day we got married!

How would you describe your overall wedding experience?

What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding

Start the planning process early so you have time to make adjustments as needed. Also, don’t stress the small things, let them fall into place. Everything will work itself out for the best!

What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple?

Trust your photographers and let them do their job. They know the best course of action to take in order to capture amazing photos!

Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one?

My dress was an A-line white dress with a shimmer underlay. I had a train with a scalloped lace bottom along with flower and leaf lace on the top of my dress. There were also lace on parts of my dress throughout it. I went to a few different places and tried on dresses. Initially I thought I was more of a plain dress person but the more I tried on, I learned that I needed more on the dress but not too much. I knew this was the dress because I imagined myself walking down the aisle to Joey and instantly got a feeling that it was the one, I never had that with the other ones I tried on.

How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?

It was a wonderful experience working with you and Lesley on our wedding day. You both were very professional, calming and enjoyable to be around. Your love for the job truly shows both in person and in your photos you take.

Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell me why or why not!

We decided not to do a first look. Joey wanted to see me for the first time walking down the aisle with my dad. It was perfect because seeing his face said it all with the genuine look he had.

Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos?

Read over all the helpful tips that Greg sends out to you in your email!

Any tips that you have about preparing your wedding party for the photos? What did you tell them, how did you get them to cooperate, what did you do or what would you have done differently?

Joey and I let the bridal party and families know ahead of time about pictures and who would be in them. We made sure that they were nearby during the cocktail hour and designated a runner to get people to make the process go smooth and fast.

We love to hear about vendors you love. 

Crystal Vasquez and Company from Westfield, Ma for my hair and makeup along with my bridal party were amazing to work with. They were all friendly, caring, and approachable. They all were able to create a fun environment for all included the day of, especially making the two young girls in our wedding feel just as important. They knew how to make each one of us feel beautiful!

Our DJ, Manu from Marx Entertainment in East Longmeadow, ma was fantastic! He was friendly, was able to lighten the mood, and bring energy to the dance floor. He checked on us throughout the night and made sure we were doing okay. DJ Manu was very proactive on all basis for the wedding. He truly was an awesome DJ!

Rebecca Fitzgerald from Forget me not florist in Easthampton, Ma was a pleasure to work with. I did a few phone calls with her and showed her inspiration photos of what I wanted from the bouquets for the girls to the boutonnieres for the guys. We left the centerpieces up to her vision and just gave her the color scheme. She did am amazing job!

Amanda Long and her team at The Log Cabin- Wedding Venue Holyoke, MA – Such a pleasure to work with and very proactive to ensure everything was in order for the day. Was always an email or call away if we had a question.

Bella from Cerrato’s Pastry Shop in Springfield, Ma was a pleasure to work with. She gave us her honest opinion on what we should have/ with how much for the Italian Pastry table. She accommodated some gluten free desserts for two of our guests along with making our wedding cake look beautiful!

New York Lace Couture- Dress, Taunton Ma Every vendor we had was truly amazing and such a blast to work with. We couldn’t have asked for anyone better!

Did you find a store/site that had everything you were looking for? Use this space to talk about your favorite shops. You can include where you got your dress, sites you got your veils/décor/accessories, etc

Amazon, Etsy, and Hobby Lobby

What were you most anxious, nervous, or fearful about regarding your wedding day, and what was the outcome?

We were very anxious about the weather because we wanted to make sure we could have an outdoor ceremony with photos and sparklers during the night. The morning was a little cloudy with some rain but it cleared up for exactly what we wanted and it couldn’t have been a better outcome!!

What’s one piece of advice you would give to other couples for planning their wedding?

Enjoy every minute because it goes way too fast!

• What was the first song you danced to as husband and wife? Father-daughter dance? Mother-son dance?
  First dance as husband and wife: From the ground up by Dan and Shay Father-Daughter dance: I loved her first by Heartland Mother-Son dance (Joey’s mother passed away when we first started dating. He did this dance with my mom, who has been a mother figure to him since the day his mom passed away) My wish by Rascal Flatts

Click here to view other wedding blogs from the Log Cabin in Holyoke.