Boho-Inspired Wedding at The Barns at Wesleyan Hills

Rachel and Rich crafted a sweet boho-inspired wedding at The Barns at Wesleyan Hills in Middletown, Connecticut, and it was (like they are) quietly moving and deeply kind. You can learn more about them just visually by their Fall engagement shoot at Lake Wintergreen in Hamden, Connecticut.

They did a first look on among the gently waving willow fronds down by the pond, stopping to take wedding portraits on the bridge in the pretty afternoon light. While they “don’t like being photographed,” they are hopelessly in love with each other. As a result, it didn’t take much prompting to get the sweetest expressions whenever they had a moment to themselves. Rachel’s boho-inspired dress and their autumnal florals helped give these images a fairy-tale feel, and the grounds of The Barns at Wesleyan Hills offered us the perfect pockets of shadow and light to really cultivate this dreamy aesthetic.

ASIDE: So often, I’ll have a potential client say to me in an almost ashamed aside, ‘Oh, and by the way…I’m pretty introverted. I don’t like being the center of attention, and I don’t love having my photo taken.’

Big, fat ditto. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. It’s not a personality flaw, and it’s not a problem for me as a photographer.

I’m pretty damn introverted, myself. And I DEFINITELY don’t love having my photo taken. That’s why I’ve come to think of myself as the Introvert’s Photographer.

This is true for portrait photography, engagement shoots, and wedding photography. No matter what we’re doing together, your level of introversion is not a failure. If anything, it’s a strength.

Why?

Because as an introvert, you’re less likely to have seen yourself candidly in the way other folks see you. You likely haven’t been a camera ham since childhood, and you probably haven’t spent much time practicing in the mirror or asking people to photograph you.

That’s why taking your photograph can be SO DEEPLY MEANINGFUL.

ANYWAY. Their outdoor ceremony felt gentle and soft (a perfect reflection of their energy) with plenty of humor sprinkled in. Following the ceremony, cocktail hour overflowed with gorgeous hors d’ouevres and the cascade of white lights for which The Barns are renown.

Their first dance was followed by Rachel’s dance with her dad; Rich looked proudly on. They spent much of their reception engaged in conversation with their people, walking around and visiting, being pulled into what looked like hilarious conversations as I photographed them from the upper balcony. Every time I saw Rich cover his mouth, I knew someone had made him laugh.

I truly loved spending time getting to know these quiet lovebirds.

Venue: The Barns at Wesleyan Hills
Photographer: Cate Barry Photography
Second shooter: K Godfrey Photo
Florist: The Bouqs Co.
DJ: Powerstation Events