As a Connecticut wedding photographer, one of my favorite things is to see how my couples personalize their wedding. Kate and Jake’s wedding at Stone Acres Farm was full of so many incredible details. To say I was obsessed is an understatement! Kate and Jake met as neighbors in their sophomore year of college. Over the years, they became best friends, and in September of 2024, they became husband and wife!

Jake proposed a few days before Thanksgiving as they walked along their favorite path at Napatree Point in Rhode Island. Kate was so surprised, she still isn’t sure if she officially said yes! But no one can deny how happy she was as she walked down the aisle at Stone Acres Farm.

Getting Ready & A Private First Look

Kate wanted their wedding to feel coastal and welcoming. Stone Acres Farm in Stonington, Connecticut is the perfect venue for a coastal wedding. Plus, Kate and Jake loved that it is an active farm and they can return there for dinners and markets for years to come. (What a great way to celebrate your anniversary every year!)

To stick to the coastal theme, they included oysters during cocktail hour, and Kate embraced a light blue color palette in her shoes, bridesmaids’ dresses, and wildflower bouquets by Floral Designs by Melissa. The girls looked stunning standing beside Kate during the ceremony in the Stone Acres Farm gardens!

As an experienced photographer, I’m always prepared to pivot gracefully when the weather has other plans. Adjusting timelines and locations with ease so the moments still feel natural and beautifully true to you. In fact, Kate later told me their porch-side first look ended up being one of her absolute favorite parts of the day. For Jake, seeing Kate in her wedding gown was the most emotional part of the wedding. After the first look, we took some couples portraits around the farm and got pictures with the couple’s immediate family and wedding party.

Garden Ceremony & Tented Wedding Reception at Stone Acres Farm

Everything about Kate and Jake’s ceremony was perfect. Even the rain let up a few minutes before the processional started! Like everything, the ceremony was full of personal touches. Kate wore a pearl necklace her grandfather and parents had made for her, adding a pearl on each birthday. Sadly, Kate’s father passed away a few years before the wedding. So, before the ceremony, her mother gave her a locket with his picture that she attached to Kate’s bouquet so he could walk her down the aisle. The couple wrote their own vows, and Kate says hearing Jake’s vows was her favorite part of the day!

After the ceremony, Kate and Jake joined their guests for cocktail hour. They had an oyster bar, hors d’oeuvres, and time to admire all the handmade details. Then, everyone found their seat in the reception tent. Before dinner was served, the couple danced to September by Earth, Wind, and Fire. It was the perfect choice because their wedding date was the 21st of September! 85th Day catered a delicious meal with local ingredients, some even from Stone Acre Farm’s produce. The reception was full of laughter, happy tears, and lots of dance moves. Everyone had so much fun celebrating Kate and Jake, and I was honored to record their memories for them.

Coastal Connecticut Wedding Photographer

I simply could not get over all the details! Kate hand-drew all of their wedding day signage on her iPad, creating maps of their wedding weekend, newspaper-style programs, and even stickers for their wedding favors. Her mom hand-painted corn hole boards to match their wedding invitations, and they thrifted a garden trellis for their seating chart. Customized weddings feel more relaxed, more joyful, and more meaningful because every detail is there for a reason.

Whether you’re having a cozy coastal wedding like Kate and Jake, or are planning to do something completely different, I would love to help bring your vision to life! With 10 years of wedding photography experience, I promise that we can create the perfect weekend. Explore my wedding photography collections or contact me to chat about your dream wedding.