Evan and Leah’s Wedding Celebration at The Chocksett Inn

Having photographed Evan and Leah’s engagement session, I already knew we were going to have a great day together. They are both easygoing, fun to photograph, and willing to be creative, which always opens the door for some great images. Their wedding at The Chocksett Inn(https://www.chocksettinn.com/weddings) in Sterling had that same relaxed energy from the very beginning. Everything took place right at the Inn, from getting ready through the ceremony and reception. The Chocksett Inn is especially nice for that kind of wedding because the entire day can unfold in one location, with getting-ready spaces, private gardens, a gazebo, and the reception ballroom all close together. The morning started with Lea getting ready surrounded by her bridesmaids and family while Evan spent time with his groomsmen. There were already plenty of fun moments happening on both sides. Leah’s dress looked especially beautiful hanging against the windows, and we were able to create some more dramatic portraits indoors using the staircase, mirror and window light. Even the couple’s dogs managed to make their way into a few photographs early in the day, which added another personal part of their story. One of the things I remembered from their engagement session was how comfortable Evan and Lea were together in front of the camera. That carried right over into the wedding day. They were willing to try things, laugh at themselves, and just enjoy being together, which gave us a great mix of natural moments and more creative portraits. Their ceremony took place outside in the gardens at the Chocksett Inn, with the white gazebo surrounded by trees and greenery. It was one of those September days where you could just begin to see hints of fall appearing in the background. Most of the landscape was still green, but touches of early foliage were starting to show, giving some of the portraits that first feeling of autumn without losing the lush look of summer. After the ceremony, we spent some time around the property with Evan and Leah and their wedding party. The gardens gave us a lot to work with, and everyone was clearly ready to have some fun. We photographed the full wedding party, smaller groups, and several portraits of Evan and Lea using the trees and landscaping around the Inn. Some of my favorite portraits came when we started playing with Leah’s veil. There are several photographs where the veil wraps around the two of them and another where Evan lifts part of her dress as they laugh together. Those images really fit their personalities because they never felt overly serious or posed. They were creative photographs, but they still felt like Evan and Lea. As the light began to fade, we headed back outside for another round of portraits. The nighttime photographs became some of the most dramatic images from the day, including silhouettes against the sky and photographs of the two of them surrounded by the dark trees. We also used the gazebo after sunset, lighting Evan and Lea against it to create a completely different look from the ceremony photographs taken there earlier in the day. Back inside, the reception quickly showed just how much fun this group was going to be. There were great reactions during the introductions, first dance and toasts, but once the dance floor opened everything really took off. Their families and friends were a real party crowd, and the photographs show it. There was constant movement, huge reactions, people singing along, dancing in groups and plenty of moments where it was hard to know which direction to point the camera next. One of the final photographs of the night was a huge overhead group shot with Evan and Leah surrounded by their guests on the dance floor. It was the perfect way to finish the story of a wedding that had been full of energy from beginning to end. Evan and Lea are simply a really nice couple, and having already spent time with them during their engagement session made photographing the wedding even more enjoyable. Between the early fall setting, their fun families, a great wedding party and a dance floor that never seemed to slow down, there was no shortage of moments to photograph. Congratulations to Evan and Leah, and thank you for having Metzger Studios photograph both your engagement session and your wedding day at The Chocksett Inn.