Tamara Merri

Oct 4, 2023

Olio Wedding on Boston's North Shore | Olivia & Chris

Updated: Nov 2, 2023

Olivia and Chris's wedding at Olio in Peabody, MA was super classy and sophisticated! I first met Olivia when she was a bridesmaid at one of my previous couple's wedding, Bridget & Dan. I'll also be photographing one of Chris' groomsmen's wedding next year. It's always such an honor to work within friend groups! Olivia and Chris met when her bestie introduced her to her bf's bestie. We love an organic love story origin. They have strong connections on the North Shore of Boston, so Olio Event Space was the perfect venue for their summer wedding!

wedding portrait for wedding at Olio Event Space in Peabody

Here's what Olivia had to say about our time working together:

"I met Tammy at my best friends wedding a few years before I got engaged and knew that when the time came, I would be reaching out to her. Her energy was amazing and she knew exactly how to instruct us to pose, without it feeling forced. We had so much fun throughout the entire day. During our pre-wedding meeting, Tammy walked through the flow of day and made sure we felt prepared for what was to come. She also offered great advice when it came to our timeline planning so that all of our important moments were captured. I just received my full gallery of photos and I couldn’t be happier. She captured amazing candids and was able to fit all of the various backdrop settings that I envisioned. So lucky to have these photos to remember this day."

Thank you, Olivia!!

Getting Ready

Both Olivia and Chris both grew up on Boston’s North Shore and now live there together. We started the day with Olivia and her bridesmaids getting ready at her mom’s house, while Chris got ready with his groomsmen in their own home. Photography was a priority for Olivia so we scheduled plenty of time throughout the day for flat lay detail photos and getting ready portraits throughout the day.

Wedding Ceremony at St. John’s Prep

Chris went to high school at St. John’s Prep, an all-boys Catholic school in Danvers. MA. They decided that getting married at the chapel at the school was the perfect place to tie the knot. Olivia and Chris had a true first-look moment as Olivia walked down the aisle with her dad. I love Chris's expression when he sees her! Their ceremony was emotional and meaningful, not only for Olivia and Chris but for all of their family and friends too.

Boston North Shore Wedding Photographer

After the ceremony, we spent time taking portraits with their wedding party and family members. We started on the beautiful grounds of St. John's prep (where they also took their engagement photos) before hopping in the limo and driving over to Peabody for the reception. While Olivia loves taking photos, Chris does not. So It was really sweet to see them interact and see how she calmed him down and centered him in the moment. A connection without words! So special.

Wedding portraits for Boston North Shore Wedding at Olio in Peabody

Before heading into their wedding reception we walked around “downtown” Peabody, just outside Olio, for more portraits of just Chris and Olivia. It was so fun to just walk through the streets and photograph them together! Some popular locations for portraits outside of Olio are the median, the Peabody Library, and a vintage-ish red wall just down the street.

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Wedding Reception at Olio Event Space

Olio is such a cool reception venue! It is essentially a blank space that gives you complete control over the design and vendors for the day. Olivia and Chris booked it for its industrial and modern vibe. They did a great job on the design of the space with the help of their planner Sarah with Without a Hitch! Sarah, also the owner of Olio, was so wonderful to work with!

I really loved photographing all the reception photos because Olio has such a unique interior. The concrete-looking walls and string bulbs over the dance floor were perfectly balanced with the pink florals and white linens on the tables. The long head table for their wedding party and their partners was gorgeous! Everyone, of course, loved the neon sign with their last name for photo ops.

Chris and Olivia had the most perfect choreographed dance I’ve ever seen to kick off the reception!! After toasts, parent dances, and dinner, the dance floor was packed all night!