Wedding showers (traditionally known as bridal showers) used to be an event held exclusively for an impending bride and the women on both sides; she would be ‘showered’ with homemade & household gifts, and in recent years off registries like Crate & Barrel or Target.
The world is changing! Modern engaged couples have different needs than previous generations (choosing honeymoon funds, home projects, or experiences over traditional household registries), and even making them a coed celebration (Jack & Jill), but the heart of a shower remains the same: surrounding the couple with love and support before they begin married life.
A wedding shower is one of the earliest chapters of a marriage story, it’s a moment when two families become married too! As a photographer, it’s stuff like this I love documenting… the relationships surrounding the couple, the generations gathered together, and the small interactions that become family memories.
While showers may not be the most common event couples hire a professional photographer to document, I see the same beauty in the gatherings surrounding the wedding day. Engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, welcome celebrations, and family gatherings give loved ones a chance to meet, share stories, and begin forming connections before the big day arrives.
A thoughtfully planned gathering creates space for two families to come together, celebrate the person they are welcoming into their lives, and create memories that extend far beyond the wedding itself.
Getting married is such a special journey. Around the world, couples celebrate marriage in countless ways! The wedding day is only one chapter. The story begins long before.
These images are from a shower I did years back in Newburyport, Massachusetts, at The Grog Pub. The location was sentimental – it’s where G&J were supposed to have their first date, (which didn’t go as planned and not my story to share haha but obviously this love story worked out) and since they had a coed shower, I was able to snag some cute portraits of them at the end.
I love being neighbors to Massachusetts. Newburyport is A VIBE y’all. If you’ve not been there or more specifically haven’t been to northern New England, it’s a must. Mass is the birthplace of NE, and many towns have preserved the cobblestone streets and brick buildings. According to the town of Newburyport, The Grog was built in the early 1800s and became the restaurant that it is today in the early 1970s. These quintessential towns carry so much rich history, highly recommend a visit in the near future.
