A Handmade Dress, Ribs, and an Ice Cream Truck: Lizzie & Nick’s Cambridge Wedding
Some weddings have a vibe from the very first frame. Lizzie and Nick’s was pure joy — the kind where you stop trying to orchestrate anything and just follow the energy, because the energy is that good.
They got married at the Lesley University Chapel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and if you’ve never been inside that space, it’s one of those quietly stunning venues that doesn’t need to try hard. Beautiful light, beautiful bones, and on this day — a beautiful bride in a dress that her best friend made by hand. I keep thinking about that. Her best friend made her dress. That kind of love is everywhere in these photos if you know where to look.
The Ceremony: Lesley University Chapel, Cambridge
The Lesley University Chapel sits right in the heart of Cambridge, tucked into a neighborhood that somehow manages to feel both collegiate and residential at the same time. For couples looking for a non-traditional, intimate ceremony space in Cambridge, it’s genuinely one of the most underrated options in the city.
Lizzie walked in wearing a gown that was one of a kind — because it literally was. Handmade by her best friend, it had that rare quality of feeling totally personal, like it was made for her life, not a catalog. Nick’s face when he saw her said everything that needed to be said, and I was there with a loaded roll of 35mm to catch it.
The ceremony was warm, laugh-filled, and moved fast — in the best way. These two were ready to get to their party.
The Reception: Cambridge Boat Club
From the chapel, the whole crew walked over to the Cambridge Boat Club for the reception, and if you haven’t been to the Boat Club for a wedding, it’s one of those spaces that photographs beautifully in every format. The light off the water, the open-air feel, the history of the building — it all just works on film.
But here’s what really made the reception: the food. Catered by Brassica out of Jamaica Plain, it was the kind of spread that makes you wish wedding food got talked about more. Ribs. Pork belly. Fresh-baked focaccia still warm from the oven. A raw bar. This wasn’t wedding food — this was a feast, and guests were absolutely living.
Dinner was cozy and intimate. Speeches that made people cry and laugh in the same breath. Tables full of people who actually knew and loved each other. And then — dancing. So much dancing.
The late-night surprise was an ice cream truck pulling up, and if you’ve ever watched a room full of adults rediscover their inner eight-year-old because of soft serve, you know exactly what those frames looked like.
On Shooting This Wedding: 35mm Film, 120mm, and Digital
For Lizzie and Nick’s wedding, I brought my full kit — 35mm film, 120mm medium format, and digital — because a day this layered deserves every tool.
The ceremony and quieter moments throughout the day were shot on 35mm film (Canon EOS3 with Kodak Portra 400), which gives that warmth and grain I’ll never stop loving. For the portraits after the ceremony, I switched to medium format — the 120mm Contax 645 — for a little more detail in the skin tones and that particular softness you only get with medium format lenses. Digital carried the dancing and low-light reception moments where I needed to move fast and not miss anything.
The result is a mix of textures that feels the way the day actually felt: spontaneous and warm and a little hazy around the edges in the best possible way.
Thinking About a Cambridge Wedding?
If you’re planning a wedding in Cambridge — whether that’s at Lesley University Chapel, the Cambridge Boat Club, the Harvard Faculty Club, or anywhere else in the Boston area — I’d love to hear about it.
I’m a Boston-based documentary wedding photographer shooting real 35mm film, 120mm medium format, and digital. My approach is simple: I follow what’s happening, stay out of the way, and make sure you end up with photos that actually look and feel like your day — not a version of it.
Currently booking for 2026 and 2027. Get in touch here →
Vendors
- Day of Coordinator: @annavivianplanning
- Photography: @rachaelshekphotography
- Florals: @traderjoes
- Catering: @brassicakitchen
- Venue: @cambridgeboatclub
- Venue: @lesleyuniversity
- Hair: @marychheng
- Ice Cream Truck: @thecookiemonstahboston
- DJ: @systemsdj
- Rentals: @peakeventservices
- Bouquet + Boutonniere: @junebugcharlestown
Rachael Shek is a documentary wedding photographer based in Boston, MA. She photographs weddings, elopements, and engagements across New England and beyond — on real film.
