Graydon and Kimberlee’s Wedding at The Society Room of Hartford

Graydon and Kimberlee’s wedding brought together two very different Hartford settings, starting with a relaxed morning of getting ready and ending inside the dramatic surroundings of The Society Room of Hartford. Getting Ready in Downtown Hartford Kimberlee began the day at the Residence Inn by Marriott Hartford Downtown surrounded by her bridesmaids and family. The morning had plenty of activity and laughter, with everyone getting ready together before things became a little quieter as Kimberlee stepped into her wedding dress. We had some fun using the hotel itself for photographs. One of my favorites was an overhead portrait looking straight down at Kimberlee and the full shape of her dress. We also worked with reflections and window light for some more intimate portraits, along with plenty of candid moments between Kimberlee, her bridesmaids and family. Meanwhile, Graydon was getting ready with his groomsmen at The Society Room. The dark wood, patterned floors and dramatic light inside the building gave his photographs a completely different look from the bright hotel images. We were able to use that contrast for some strong portraits of Graydon before everyone gathered for the ceremony. A Ceremony Made for The Society Room The Society Room is one of those venues where the building becomes a major part of the photographs. The tall ceilings, columns, dark wood and huge windows give the room a sense of scale that is difficult to find anywhere else. Graydon waited at the front as Kimberlee entered with her family and made her way down the long aisle. Looking down from above gave us one of my favorite ceremony photographs, showing Graydon and Kimberlee surrounded by their wedding party and guests with the entire room stretching out around them. There were also some beautiful smaller moments during the ceremony, including the two of them holding hands during their vows and plenty of reactions from their family and friends. After they were officially married, they made their way back down the aisle together with everyone celebrating around them. Taking the Wedding Into Downtown Hartford After the ceremony, we headed outside and took advantage of being right in downtown Hartford. This is where the wedding photographs really took on another personality. We started on Pratt Street with the entire wedding party, creating a mix of more traditional photographs and some much less serious ones. The brick-lined street, storefronts and city buildings gave us a great contrast to the formal interior of The Society Room. Graydon and Kimberlee were completely comfortable together, which allowed us to keep moving and try different ideas. There are photographs of the two walking together in the middle of the street, quiet close-up moments, Kimberlee laughing with Graydon, and plenty of images where they simply look like they are enjoying being together rather than posing for a camera. Some of the most dramatic portraits came in front of the massive carved doors near The Society Room. The scale of the architecture made a great backdrop for the two of them, especially when we let Kimberlee’s dress and veil move. We even caught a passing bicycle in one photograph, adding a little bit of real downtown life to the image. Back Inside The Society Room Before the reception really got underway, we continued photographing Graydon and Kimberlee throughout the building. The old doors, staircase, patterned floors and darker corners gave us plenty of opportunities to create images that felt completely different from what we had done outside. That is one of the things I enjoy about a wedding at The Society Room. Within a very small area you can go from bright city photographs to dramatic architecture and then directly into the celebration. The reception brought everyone back together, with family and friends filling the main room as Graydon and Kimberlee began the evening. By that point we had already photographed them in so many different settings, but the day still felt connected from beginning to end. Graydon and Kimberlee’s wedding was a great example of what makes a downtown Hartford wedding so much fun to photograph. Between the relaxed morning, the incredible interior of The Society Room, the city streets and those enormous architectural details, there was always something different to work with. Congratulations to Graydon and Kimberlee, and thank you for having Metzger Studios there to document your wedding day at The Society Room of Hartford.