Kayla + Danny | Engagement Session | Colt State Park
We’re pretty late with this one, but better late than never right? Their wedding is next weekend so we thought why not share some photos from Kayla and Danny’s engagement session last Summer at Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island!
Fun fact: this shoot was supposed to be a week prior, but the weather put a damper on that. Luckily we got amazing weather for this one and it was a great shoot!
Another fun fact: Mike Neilan met Kayla at the Apple Store in Providence about a year and half ago when she was working there. Mike N. and Mike McDonough were at the Apple store buying a new iPhone and Kayla was helping them out with their purchase. Through conversation Kayla mentioned she was engaged and would be getting married in 2021, and Mike mentioned that he does photo + video for weddings. They exchanged information and sure enough a few months later, Kayla reached out!
Kayla and Danny are both such kind people, so friendly, and we were so excited to shoot their engagement session never mind their wedding day!
We walked around Colt State, doing some photos along the water as well as on the bridge. We’ve actually shot several engagement sessions here so we’re very familiar with the park. We love the variety it has to offer; the water, the bridge, the path with trees on the other side of the park, and more.
We finished the shoot with some awesome sunset shots on the water! We had a blast on this shoot with them and we love how their photos came out.
On May 22, 2021 we’ll be at the Century House in Acushnet, MA shooting photo and video of their special day and we can’t wait!
If you’re looking to find photo or video for your wedding, or you’re interested in an engagement session, fill out a form on our contact page and we’ll get right back to you! :)
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!
Jen + Connor | Engagement Shoot | Green Hill Park
Jen + Connor are getting married on 10/10/2021 and we had the pleasure of shooting their engagement session this past Summer!
These two are super easy-going! Although they’re from the Worcester area, they were willing to travel just about anywhere for their engagement shoot, they just wanted a nice spot. We kept it local and went to Green Hill Park in Worcester, MA, which is kind of a gem in our opinion. It’s pretty well-known but it’s a real nice spot with a variety of settings.
We ventured around the park before sunset and got some great images! We talked about how they met, who made the first move, and what their favorite things to do are. It was a fun shoot!
Jen + Connor just love being together and seeing new places. They’re tying the knot next October at Grand View in Mendon, MA and we can’t wait to capture their wedding! Hope you enjoyed these photos, if you’re looking to do an engagement session, reach out! We’d love to meet you :)
Paige + Will | 10.12.19 | Newport Beach House
It’s now been a year since Paige & Will got married in Newport, Rhode Island. (Happy Anniversary, you two!) What an awesome day filled with amazing events! We wanted to share a recap of their wedding day with you.
The newlyweds chose Neilan Media to document their Special Day with both photo and video highlighting the day’s events. From a production point-of-view, choosing us to shoot both the video and photos of their big day allowed us full creative control which enabled us to produce the top-notch content we delivered to them. Read on to get a glimpse into their stunning special day!
We started the day getting ready with Paige and her bridesmaids at the East Island Reserve in Newport. Champagne bubbles tickled the bridesmaids’ noses while they sipped and prepped for their extravagant afternoon. Will and his groomsmen suited up at Gurneys Hotel on Goat Island. Both locations were absolutely beautiful and provided a picturesque setting for great photos of everyone getting ready.
Paige & Will rolled around Newport in an antique Rolls Royce for their big bay. It was definitely a unique sight for us, and we loved it!
The couple said their “I do’s” at the iconic St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Broadway in Newport. Did you know? – St. Mary’s is the same church where Jackie and President John F. Kennedy got married back in 1953!
After being pronounced husband and wife we followed the newlyweds to Newport Beach House to take photos with the bridal party and family outside on the lawn. We had a lot of fun with the whole party and got through these photos very efficiently!
We had a 4:30 reservation at Ochre Court – a mansion on Bellevue Avenue – for photos with Paige & Will. This imposing historic mansion on Salve Regina University’s campus is often used for photography for weddings and engagement sessions. We were lucky enough to have a chance to shoot inside the mansion as well as across the entire grounds outside! We got some amazing photos with these two before heading back to their celebration!
Once we arrived back at Newport Beach House, Paige & Will got to enjoy cocktail hour and party the night away with their friends and family. We know 2020 hasn’t been the easiest year for most, but we hope it was filled with happiness and love for these two! Happy Anniversary!
Venue: Newport Beach House: A Longwood Venue
Photo/Video: Neilan Media
Makeup: Jennifer M. Viveiros
Hair: Styles By Stephani
DJ: Luke Rechnan Entertainment
Top 3 Wedding Venues in Rhode Island
There’s no shortage of amazing places to tie the knot here in Rhode Island! Between the ocean breeze, calm New England air, and scenic views, this state is primed to make choosing a wedding venue a difficult decision for any to-be newlyweds. Neilan Media has shot at over a hundred locations across southern New England, so we thought we’d share our top 3 favorite Rhode Island wedding venues. It was really hard to narrow down our list to just three! What do you think made our list? Let us know what YOUR favorite venues are in the comment section below!
Harbor Lights – Warwick, RI
Smack-dab in the middle of our tiny state we find the centralized city of Warwick. It’s an easy drive from any spot in the West Bay, and a quick jaunt over a few bridges for those far-flung East Bay and Massachusetts residents. Warwick is home to a plethora of great venues, but up there on our list is the popular location of Harbor Lights.
Harbor Lights isn’t just a great wedding venue. Its host to a marina, a 9-hole golf course, two restaurants, and a pool. It goes without saying that this may be one of the most distinctive venues for a multitude of events; not only weddings. But boy, when it comes to weddings, Harbor Lights does not disappoint. Here’s a video for a couple we were lucky to work with in the Summer of 2018.
Newport Naval Base Officers’ Club – Newport, RI
One of the most iconic seaside New England towns – Newport – is home to countless, stunning wedding venues. Heck! Everywhere you turn there’s another beautiful location. Between the beaches, the mansions, Cliffwalk, and downtown, Newport is crawling with captivating settings.
Nowhere are those scenes more sweetly soaked in than from the unparalleled views of the deck at the O’Club; the Officer’s Club on the Naval Station in Newport. Situated on the western edge of Aquidneck Island just north of the spectacular Newport Pell Bridge, the Newport Naval Station boasts amazing views of Narragansett Bay. With three rooms capable of holding 30-125 guests, plus the deck and yard that provide exceptional views, the O’Club can host almost any size wedding and is sure to highlight the true beauty of the bay accentuated by the immense 51-year old bridge.
Now there is a small caveat to this location; though its beautiful setting and glowing reviews can set you sailing toward your dream wedding, in order to get hitched here, you’ll need to be in the military, OR have a military sponsor to sign off for use of the venue.
Newport Beach House – Newport, RI
Wowing each guest who walks through those venue doors, the Newport Beach House boasts 180º views of the ocean and the wave-washed sands of the Rhode Island shoreline. With stunning coastline to the east, and the mansion-dotted cliffs to the west, Newport Beach House is centrally located in one of the most picturesque places in Rhode Island. We can’t say enough to highlight the natural and architectural beauty found at the Newport Beach House.
There you have it – our top three favorite venues in the Lil’ Rhody! Was your venue on our list? If we expanded the list, what other places would you suggest?
If you’re still searching for photo or video for your special day, we’d love to talk! Head to our contact page or leave a comment below!
3 Apps to Say “I do” to
It goes without saying that Wedding planning would be nothing without the proper resources. With technology experiencing exponential growth seemingly each day, it’s not hard to see we have so many resources right at our fingertips…literally! Each day thousands of apps are downloaded on the app store. The market’s flooded with wedding apps!
Of course, there’s Pinterest and Instagram; the tried and true source for inspiration and aspiration, and sometimes perspiration. These apps are great for open-ended searching, when you’re not really sure what you’re looking for but when you find it “you just know”. Instagram can be great for searching wedding hashtags, looking at vendors work, and much more. These simple, but irreplaceable apps are a perfect start for a bride-to-be, but it doesn’t stop there. Here are a few other options that you hay have overlooked, but are worth checking out!
Mint:
When you can keep track of your money, planning is simpler! (And not to mention, a little less stressful.) Mint is an app provided by Intuit – you know, the tax guys. I think they know a thing or two about keeping track of your cash! Mint allows you to keep your financial life together, so you don’t have a fractured wedding budget. You can categorize your spending to document what you’ve been putting money toward. Check it out!
Mint’s pie chart budget organization tool.
WeddingHappy:
Let WeddingHappy be your digital wedding planner of sorts. The app keeps you on task; giving you an active countdown till your Big Day. It will give you step-by-step suggestions for your “To-Do-Before-I-Do” list. Over 16,000,000 wedding tasks have been completed using WeddingHappy! What’s more, they even have a feature that allows you to track your budget here, inside the app as well! With thousands of glowing reviews, this free app is certainly one you should look into.
Trello:
Out of left field comes a workspace app that many of you in the tech world may recognize; Trello. Trello is your go-to virtual sticky board; letting you stick “Post-its” on your own designated, digital board. Create cards to build out your To-Do list! You can attach files, add “team members” (Bridesmaids or your hubby-to-be), add due dates and set reminders as they approach. This is super helpful to use throughout the planning process as it allows you to create individual checklists inside each card – so you can be sure to stay focused on each task individually.
As I write this, I too am planning my wedding! Let’s get a look inside one of my Trello cards. Here’s what we’ve got for our Ceremony so far. You see, we’re still in the middle of dialing in our date and venue, so most of you will be a bit further along than us! - Max M.
Inside this card I have our checklist that we need to complete in order to have the ceremony all set and taken care of. I’ve also added my fiancée to the card as well so that she can contribute and be notified when there is any action on the card. I can also attach images to reference some of our favorite venues and assign a due date to get an accurate countdown before my card is due.
We know there are tons of apps out there to help you plan your wedding; some specifically design for your Big Day, and some were designed for other reasons but can still be great wedding planning tools! We hope some of these ideas help stay organized as you march down the aisle toward your wedding day!
If you have any questions for us, please submit a form on our contact page! Got an app that you use and want to share? Leave it below in the comments! Hope you’re all doing well and staying safe. <3
CAKE CAKE CAKE | 3 Wedding Cake Ideas
Time to get your wedding cake! Do you want something small? big? 2 tiers or 3 tiers? What flavor? So many options! Here’s a few ideas to help you choose your cake!
Here’s a smaller cake from a wedding we shot at Newport Beach House back in October of 2019. We loved the wood background at the venue and the simplicity of this cake.
This is a slightly larger cake from a wedding at Merrimack Valley Golf Club in May of 2019. Check out that chocolate chip inside and the ribbon outside!
Here’s a 4 layer cake from a wedding at Alpine Country Club back in October of 2018! The subtle pinkish red gradient going up the cake is a very nice touch along with the red / pink flowers on it. Perfect for a fall wedding!
Why not one more for good luck! This is one of our personal favorites.
This cake is from a wedding in June of 2019 at the Easton Beach Rotunda Ballroom in Newport, RI. With the beach chairs and sea shells up top, this was perfect for a beach wedding!
Thanks for reading! We hope this helped you pick a cake! If you have any questions for us or if you’re looking for photo or video for your wedding day, don’t hesitate to reach out here!
Ashley + Steve | 9.27.19 | Mount Hope Farm
Capturing the love between Ashley + Steve on their wedding day couldn’t have been more fun! On the morning of September 27th, 2019 these two love birds prepared for their big day at the picturesque Wyndham Newport Hotel; an idyllic setting situated at the base of the Newport Bridge on Narragansett Bay.
After a quick commute off Aquidneck island over the Mount Hope Bridge, rumbling above the boats dotting the sun-soaked bay below, Ashley + Steve arrived at their beautiful venue; Mount Hope Farm. This gorgeous 127-acre farm in Bristol boasts uncontested views of Rhode Island in early Fall.
After their first look, we had some time to shoot the bridal party photos before the ceremony.
Ashley + Steve’s ceremony took place in the lush, sunlit lawn of the Governor Branford House on the Mount Hope Farms grounds. The couple said their “I do’s” smiling in the sunshine with their friends and family.
What’s a wedding without a proper reception?! The party got started in The Barn, a charming 160-year-old building nestled among the fields and trees of Mount Hope Farm. Warm colors peppered the rustic tables garnished with a summer harvest of local greens. Surround by their loved ones, Ashley + Steve dined and danced into the night.
With weather as warm as their smiles, we enjoyed every moment of capturing this special couple’s big day! Congratulations Ashley + Steve!
To inquire about your wedding, whether it’s for photo or video, fill out this contact form here and feel free to look around our site to see more. Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Vendors:
Hair/MU: Glam By Cori
Photo: Mike Neilan Media
Video: Fast Track Media
Venue: Mount Hope Farm
Catering: Russel Morin
Cake: Bella Confections
Lindsey + Tiger | 9.21.19 | Harrington Farm
Do you remember, the 21st night of September? Well Lindsey and Tiger sure do because it was the day they got married!
We had the pleasure of capturing Lindsey + Tiger’s special day at Harrington Farm in Princeton, MA. They started their day at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester, MA where they got ready and did their first look. Tiger had a bet with his groomsmen that he wouldn’t cry at the first look, it’s still up in the air whether he won or lost that bet. The wedding party and family then went to a nearby park in Worcester for more photos, and then off to the venue for the ceremony and the reception!
The weather was great for their wedding; a little hot during the day but better than raining! They had a wonderful ceremony and a blast of a party after. We worked with some great vendors there which we will link to below. Take a look at their highlight video and let us know what you think!
If you or someone you know is interesting in photography or video for their big day, don’t hesitate to reach out! See more of our work here on our website and you can email us directly at mywedding@mikeneilan.com
Photo: Alyssa Parker Photography
DJ: Greg Gates Plowman
Venue: Harrington Farm
Flowers: Whole Foods Market
Makeup: Kimberly Fosher
Hair: Shannon Hughes
Cake: Bean Counter Bakery
Katie + Steve | 07.05.19 | Gibbet Hill Barn
The funny thing about this couple is that the bride Katie actually went to college with our founder, Mike Neilan! Very soon after Katie got engaged, she reached out about having us do her wedding video and we’re happy it all worked out! We were glad it didn’t rain on their wedding, but instead it was one of the hottest days all Summer and with an outside ceremony it wasn’t easy, but we all braved through it!
They started their day getting ready at an Inn around the corner and made the short trip to Gibbet Hill for the ceremony and reception. Their vows almost made us cry while editing this, so check those our for sure. Mike actually went to college with the photographer too! Her company is Freckled Mermaid Photography
The wedding was a blast; we had an awesome time with Katie + Steve. They had a few fun surprise dances at the reception as well as some glow sticks to throw around, which made for some cool video. Again, don’t miss their vows in this video! Check it out and let us know what you think!
Venue: Barn at Gibbet Hill
Photo: Freckled Mermaid