Parents walk bride down the aisle at the Graduate Hotel Providence ballroom photographed by Ashton Sotiro Photography

Graduate Hotel Wedding

Weddings + Elopements

August 11, 2026

Moody and Editorial Wedding at the Graduate by Hilton Providence, Rhode Island

Hotel wedding venues are some of my favorite for intricate interiors, moody lighting, and an air of grandeur. The Graduate by Hilton Providence was the perfect venue to capture that moody and romantic wedding aesthetic that I love so dearly.

I traveled from Washington DC to Providence, Rhode Island to capture Shira + Zak’s wedding day. We first met when the couple hired me for their engagement session, where we went to a cute cocktail bar to take sultry and editorial flash photos for their Save the Date photos. After the session, we ended up sitting down for drinks and chatting about the wedding they were planning, and soon after, they hired me to photograph it!

About the Venue

The Graduate Hotel is nestled right in the middle of Providence, Rhode Island, about a 15 minute walk from the Amtrak station, making it the perfect spot for your wedding guests to congregate. I had the pleasure of staying here along with most of the wedding guests, so I was able to explore a lot of the hotel before capturing the wedding.

The lobby area has so many gorgeous design details, with a grand staircase in the center, making it a great spot for family and wedding party portraits, and newlywed photos. The stairs lead to a mezzanine level that offers many unique angles. I had my second photographer stand up there to capture angles from above, while I remained on the ground level to capture angles from below – then we switched as newlywed portraits continued!

The ballroom offers a gorgeous area for both the ceremony and reception, and that’s exactly what Shira and Zak did. The staff flipped the room during cocktail hour to transform the space from emotional ceremony to exciting dance floor. The florals added to the beauty and the large windows offered lots of natural light to compliment the moody wedding design.

The Wedding Day

The day began with cutesy getting ready photos in the bridal suite. I was in love with all of the gorgeous patterns that the room’s decor had, and we used the vintage telephone in the room for some fun bridal photos before she got into her dress. We went up to the 18th floor of the hotel for the first look, and then explored the lobby for fun couples’ portraits and solos of the bride and groom. It was so much fun incorporating the hotel’s glamorous interior design to complement the couple’s poses. We wrapped up the morning with group photos of the family and wedding party on the staircase before getting ready for the ceremony.

This wedding ceremony was an absolute dream. The ceremony incorporated traditional Jewish elements, including a beautiful floral chuppah, and ending with the breaking of the glass and everyone cheering “Mazel Tov!”

As everyone moved to cocktail hour, the ceremony room was flipped to make room for the reception, and I was absolutely in awe of the decor. Grand floral vases decorated each table, donned in burgundy tablecloths, and everything bathed in golden candlelight. Dinner, cake cutting, and first dances commenced, which I photographed using both flash and ambient light to capture the ethereal vibes and moodiness of the venue.

Then, the party really exploded with the Hora and the rest of the night was history! It was such a pleasure documenting this gorgeous Rhode Island wedding and I’ll be counting down the days until I visit Providence again!