Castle Hill Rehearsal Dinner

Katie + Drew | Rehearsal Dinner | Castle Hill

I photographed both Katie and Drew’s Castle Hill Rehearsal Dinner and their Newport Beach House wedding (as well as their engagement!). And it was an honor to share in their celebration weekend!

I have one regret from my wedding day – not hiring a professional photographer to document our Rehearsal Dinner. I thought that I would do it or friends/family would send me photos from their iphone. Boy was I wrong!! And now I just have the memories from that special night with our closest friends and family. I so wish we hadn’t decided to cut costs and had these memories in an album.

For this reason, I am a big advocate for couples booking a photographer for their Rehearsal Dinner. It really is such a special reminder of your whole wedding weekend and all the people who came from near and far to celebrate with you! It also really helps me as a photographer get to know the couple, any family dynamics, and who the important “players” are for the wedding day.

An hour before their Rehearsal Dinner, the lawn at Castle Hill was maxed out with spectators viewing the start of the Volvo Ocean Race in Newport, followed by a torrential downpour afternoon storm!! And then, suddenly, the skies cleared and the sun came out for a beautiful evening! Cocktail Hour was out on the patio so guests enjoyed passed appetizers while watching sailboats float across Narragansett Bay and power boats go out for sunset cruises. Dinner followed in the dining room with toasts and soft candlelight and beautiful light from sunset streaming in through the windows. It couldn’t have been a better night to celebrate Katie and Drew!