Welcome dinner · Chester, Connecticut

A pizza welcome dinner at Otto Pizza

Who says a welcome dinner has to be formal? For this couple’s night-before celebration in early October, family and friends gathered at Otto Pizza in Chester, Connecticut, tucked into the woods with a stone wall, stacks of firewood and a big white tent strung with café lights.

Long tables were set with red gingham runners, zinnias in glass jars and a mix of teal, blue and orange chairs. Then came the pizza, fresh from the wood-fired oven and stacked on tiered stands, with everyone lining up to grab a slice and find a seat.

I spent the evening wandering between tables, catching the conversations, the mannerisms and the expressions of everyone genuinely having a good time. As the sun went down and the tent lights took over, the night only got livelier.

Long outdoor tables lined with colorful metal chairs under a string-lit tent at Otto Pizza in Chester, Connecticut Couple standing beside a “The Night Before” welcome sign under the tent at Otto Pizza in Chester, Connecticut Red gingham table runner, zinnias in glass jars and place settings at a welcome dinner at Otto Pizza, Chester Black-and-white photo of the couple laughing with guests under the tent at Otto Pizza in Chester, Connecticut Wood-fired margherita pizzas on tiered stands at a welcome dinner at Otto Pizza in Chester, Connecticut Black-and-white photo of a woman in a white dress laughing as she walks between tables under the tent at Otto Pizza, Chester Two guests smiling as they fill their plates with pizza and salad under string lights at Otto Pizza, Chester Guests laughing together beside the garden during a welcome dinner at Otto Pizza in Chester, Connecticut Black-and-white photo of guests gathered around candlelit tables under the tent at Otto Pizza in Chester, Connecticut

Planning photos at your own welcome dinner

  • Schedule posed photos at the very beginning. Set aside 15–20 minutes as guests arrive for photos of the two of you, your families and any must-have groups. Once the food comes out and the drinks are flowing, the night can get away from you, and it turns into mostly candid moments (which I love too!).
  • Send me a short list of must-have people. Grandparents, siblings, the friends flying in from across the country: if I know who matters most, I’ll make sure they’re in the gallery.
  • Leave time for the details before guests arrive. If I can get there a little early, I’ll photograph the tables, flowers and setup while everything is still untouched.
  • Plan for the light. Evening dinners in the fall get dark quickly. String lights and candles make the atmosphere beautiful, and starting a little before sunset means you’ll get a mix of soft natural light and glowing nighttime photos.