Barker House

1. What makes Barker House in Scituate a great place to get married?

The history alone makes it worth it.  That is one of the oldest most historic properties on the South Shore.  It's got the rustice vibes but with all the modern amenities.  The outdoor ceremony location they built is downright gorgeous and they're a short drive from the Scituate Lighthouse and Scituate Harbor.  

2. Where are the best places for wedding photos at Barker House in Scituate?

The landscaping and gardens at Barker House in Scituate are gorgeous, but honestly the best option is to head down to the Scituate Lighthouse.  It's just so iconic.  You've got the harbor on the right with the boats and sunset then you've got open ocean on the left of the jetty.  Up the street you've got beach or along the way back to the Barker you've got that tall sea grass in front of the water.  All make for gorgeous pics.  The blend of greenery at the Barker House and ocean at the lighthouse give a perfect balance of variety in your pictures.

3. What's the best time of day for portraits at Barker House in Scituate?

Family and wedding party pictures would typically occur either immedaitely following "First Look" or direclty after the ceremony during cocktail hour unless you built in a gap between a church ceremony and arriving on property.  

Regardless, at some point just before or near sunset I'll take just the two of you outside again for those soft-light intimate shots.  It should only take like 10 minutes but these are the shots you hire me for.  These are the jaw-dropping, tier enducing, OMG shots.  

4. Is a first look a good idea at Barker House in Scituate?

Absolutely!  The first look gives you a chance to truly see each other.  Express your thoughts.  BE together for a moment - away from everyone else.  Now you get to enjoy your own cocktail hour.  Now it's not such a whirlwind.  You're not as rushed, so less anxiety.  Totally worth considering.  

For the traditional "I want to see her coming down the aisle", let me give some perspective.  First, when she gets there you need to just shut up and get married.  You can't stop and talk.  At a first look you can.  Second, that heart-fluttering HOLY CRAP feeling when all your guests stand and you realize this is real, this is happening!  That feeling doesn't go away just because you already saw each other.  It actually may be enhanced.

5. What happens if it rains on your wedding day at Barker House in Scituate?

In all my years, I've only had maybe a handful of weddings that were 100% completely washed out.  It's so rare it's not worth discussing.  Yeah, maybe the ceremony gets moved indoors.  Maybe the family and wedding party pics are on the dance floor but there will almost certainly be an opportunity between drops to run outside for a few pics of the two of you.

The ceremony and pics in front of their fire place look amazing, so you're good there.  

6. How much time should we set aside for wedding photos?

I typically like an hour, but I'm SUPER efficient.  It really comes down to how large your group is.  How many in the wedding party?  How big is your family?  Are there divorces with step family?  Are there grandparents?  Do you want to include aunts, uncles, cousins?  The smaller the group the easier it is obviously.  

7. Can we stay on schedule without feeling rushed?

This is my super power.  You could be WAY behind schedule, then it comes time for the family and wedding party pics and poof, you're back on schedule.  I can be amazingly efficient to power through all those combinations so you can lower the anxiety and not lose any of your wedding.  

8. What's your favorite photo location at Barker House in Scituate?

Yeah,. . . we've got to hit the Scituate Lighthouse.  Honestly, you can't be that close and NOT go there.  It's iconic.  

9. Have you photographed weddings at Barker House in Scituate before?

I wouldn't be talking about it otherwise - absolutely.  There's a benefit to knowing the flow of things.  Where you're allowed to go and where's off-limits.  Knowing where the shadows will fall and knowing what will be in bloom.  Even just knowing how the staff approaches the day and their personalities.  It all helps make the entire day run smoothly for you.  There's an unspoken "nod and wink" between me and the day-of coordinator keeping everything perfect so you get the most out of the day.  

10. What should couples know before getting married at Barker House in Scituate?

Do the sweetheart table - not a head table.  It can get tight and you want room to move around.  Also, they are known for their Swordfish, so if it's an option on the menu and you like seafood, it's a must.

11. How many guests does Barker House in Scituate work best for?

I wouldn't go crazy.  If you've got a huge guest list ask for a diagram of tables to see how close they'll be.  It can get tight pretty quickly.  If I had to guess, I'd say 150ish but that's a guess.  This is definitely a venue where a small guest list thrives and larger list is felt.

12. Is Barker House in Scituate good for indoor and outdoor weddings?

I had a wedding where the couple chose to do EVERYTHING inside despite it being perfectly fine outside.  The ceremony setup and pics in front of the fireplace are all fantastic, so no worries there.

13. Where do you usually take family photos?

Almost all have been at the Scituate Lighthouse, but don't feel like that's the only option.  The gardens, ceremony location and even the front entrance are so beautiful we can do any and still get amazing pictures.

14. Is sunset really worth stepping away from the reception?

If only for the soft light and romatic vibe of that time of day - yes, absolutely.  You may (Maybe) get a good sunset, but you'd need to go out into the parking lot and it's not a great angle for sunset unless we hopped in a car and went down by the water real quick.  That pulls you away from the party and could interupt the timeline so it's totally up to you.

Regardless, we're going outside at that time to get those soft evenly lit photos around the flowers and shrubs.

15. What makes photographing weddings at Barker House in Scituate unique?

The cocktail space is the original building with all the centuries-old charm.  The Scituate Lighthouse obviously is a huge plus and overall this venue offers a ton of unique variety in your pictures.