There are some parts of a wedding day you can plan down to the minute. And then there is New England weather in July. Kaity and Phil’s Salem Country Club wedding fell on one of those summer days when the forecast could have gone either way. Unfortunately, the rain did not simply pass through. It poured. And poured. And then, just for fun, poured some more.

But if you had walked into Salem Country Club that afternoon without looking outside, you wouldn’t have known that anything had gone differently than Kaity and Phil hoped.

They were remarkably relaxed about it. Of course, they cared about creating a beautiful day. Kaity had chosen romantic pink and white florals. She also selected an incredible lace wedding gown with a dramatic train, and the kind of enormous veil that will always have my full support. Phil wore a classic navy suit, complete with his initials embroidered into his shirt. Every detail felt thoughtful without becoming more important than the reason everyone was there.

And that was very much the theme of their day.

Kaity and Phil wanted to get married, celebrate with the people they love, and actually enjoy the wedding they had planned. Rain wasn’t going to change that.

A Salem Country Club Wedding That Felt Like Them

Salem Country Club is an especially fitting place for Kaity and Phil to get married. This wasn’t simply a pretty venue they found while wedding planning. They’re both golfers and members of the club, and it was obvious throughout the day that this was already a place where they felt at home.

The staff knew them personally. Kaity and Phil knew the people taking care of them. Those existing relationships gave their wedding a warmth that would be difficult to manufacture at a venue they had only visited a handful of times before.

That personal connection is also part of what makes weddings at Salem Country Club a little unusual in the best way. The private club hosts primarily member weddings.

And while I would have happily accepted a little sunshine and a chance to explore more of the golf course, their rainy wedding gave us the opportunity to see something arguably more useful: what happens at Salem Country Club when the weather does not cooperate at all.

The answer? The day keeps moving.

Their outdoor ceremony moved indoors seamlessly. We rearranged spaces as needed for portraits. The covered porch gave us enough protected outdoor space to photograph their entire wedding party. No asking anyone to stand in the rain. Even with a wedding party of 13, we had room to create the photographs Kaity and Phil wanted while keeping everyone comfortable and dry.

Most importantly, the changes never seemed to become the story of their wedding.

Kaity and Phil had built their timeline around being present. They chose to share a first look and complete all of their formal portraits before the ceremony. This meant that once they were married, there wasn’t a long list of photographs waiting for them. They could head into cocktail hour, hug their guests, enjoy their seated dinner, and spend the evening celebrating.

Before we could get to any of that, though, there was one very important first look to photograph.

Getting Ready at Salem Country Club

Kaity and Phil spent their entire wedding day at Salem Country Club, beginning with getting ready and continuing through the final hours of their reception. Keeping everything in one location made an already rainy day considerably simpler. There was no need to move a wedding party between locations. We didn’t worry about getting everyone in and out of cars while the rain came down.

Kaity kept her bridal details romantic and classic. Her lace gown featured a dramatic train, but the real showstopper was her veil. It was wonderfully, gloriously enormous. When a veil gives me that much fabric to work with for portraits, I am certainly not going to complain.

Her bouquet softened the look even further with white and blush pink flowers. The navy elements throughout the wedding added a classic contrast.

Some of the sweetest details, however, had nothing to do with the overall design.

While Kaity was getting ready, her sister surprised her with a short speech and a pair of matching pinky rings for the two of them to wear. With so many family members included in Kaity and Phil’s wedding party, relationships were clearly at the center of the day. Her sister’s surprise was small compared with some of the larger wedding-day moments to come. But it was also incredibly personal… the sort of gesture that means more because it belongs entirely to the two of them.

Once Kaity finished getting dressed, it was time to head downstairs to one of my favorite spaces at Salem Country Club.

And waiting there for her was Phil.

An Emotional First Look at Salem Country Club

With rain coming down outside, we moved Kaity and Phil’s first look into the same nautical-inspired room that would later become their ceremony space. And honestly, if we had to pivot indoors, this was a pretty lovely place to do it.

The room has so much character: exposed wooden beams, warm hardwood floors, oversized brass chandeliers, blue and white accents, and model ships that nod to classic New England design. It felt completely different from a traditional ballroom. We experienced an interesting, beautiful backdrop without ever needing to step into the rain.

But the room wasn’t really what mattered once Phil turned around.

He immediately teared up when he saw Kaity. Their first look was one of my favorite moments of the day! The two of them are naturally affectionate and relaxed together. Sharing this time alone before everything else began gave them a chance to take each other in without an audience waiting for the ceremony to continue.

Afterward, we stayed in the room for their first round of couple’s portraits. Kaity’s long veil and lace train were especially beautiful against the dark wood and architectural details. And, we could take our time creating romantic portraits. No one worried about her dress getting soaked five minutes into the day.

This is also where having a first look became particularly valuable for the way Kaity and Phil wanted to experience their wedding.

They knew photographs were important to them. But they didn’t want to spend their cocktail hour working through a long portrait list while all of their favorite people were celebrating a few rooms away. So we intentionally built their timeline to complete essentially all of their formal photography before the ceremony.

Once we finished Kaity and Phil’s portraits, Kaity shared another first look with her dad. From there, we moved onto their wedding party and family portraits.

Rainy Wedding Portraits Without Standing in the Rain

For a July wedding, I would normally expect to spend a significant portion of portrait time outside. Salem Country Club has plenty that I would have loved to use, including the golf course, abundant summer greenery and florals, and ivy growing along portions of the clubhouse.

This particular July day had other ideas.

Thankfully, a rainy wedding doesn’t mean every photograph suddenly needs to happen inside. One of the most useful features of Salem Country Club on Kaity and Phil’s wedding day was its covered porch.

The porch is lined with white columns and classic architectural details, which gave us a clean, bright backdrop while keeping everyone completely protected from the rain. We were even able to fit Kaity and Phil’s entire 13-person wedding party there comfortably.

Rather than repeatedly checking the radar and hoping for a five-minute break that never came, we could simply adjust the plan and keep moving. Kaity’s hair and makeup stayed protected. Her dress didn’t end up soaked, and no one had to sacrifice comfort for the sake of photographs.

That flexibility matters on any wedding day, but especially when you’re considering a venue in New England. A beautiful outdoor portrait location is wonderful. Having somewhere you would actually be happy to use when the weather takes it away is just as important.

And Salem Country Club gave us enough variety between its indoor spaces and covered porch that Kaity and Phil could still have a full collection of romantic wedding portraits without spending their day battling the weather.

By the time guests began arriving for their afternoon ceremony, we photographed every formal photo. There was nothing left hanging over their heads for later.

The got married and then enjoyed their party.

An Indoor Salem Country Club Wedding Ceremony

By the afternoon, there was no question about whether Kaity and Phil’s ceremony would need to move indoors. The rain had fully committed to the day. So, the nautical room where they shared their first look earlier transformed into their ceremony space.

This is where Salem Country Club’s rain plan really impressed me. Moving the ceremony inside didn’t feel chaotic or like everyone was scrambling to create a backup at the last minute. The transition was seamless. The room was already beautiful enough that it didn’t need much to feel appropriate for a wedding ceremony.

White chairs filled the space while two large floral arrangements framed the fireplace. Above them, the exposed wooden beams, brass chandeliers, and model ships added warmth and character. Kaity and Phil’s soft pink and white florals kept everything romantic and provided a beautiful contrast against the darker wood.

For a smaller wedding of fewer than 100 guests, the room also felt intimate rather than crowded. Everyone gathered close as Kaity walked down the aisle toward Phil, which suited a wedding centered around their relationships from the beginning.

And perhaps the best part of the rain plan was that once the decision was made, the weather stopped mattering quite so much.

No one needed to stare anxiously at a radar app or wonder if the ceremony could be squeezed into a ten-minute break in the clouds. Kaity and Phil could simply have their ceremony surrounded by the people they loved.

Cocktail Hour on the Covered Porch

After the ceremony, guests moved to Salem Country Club’s covered porch for cocktail hour. This had always been the plan, although on a sunny July afternoon guests would normally have been able to spill out onto the surrounding grassy areas as well.

On Kaity and Phil’s wedding day, everyone was perfectly content to remain under cover.

Because we had completed their couple’s portraits, wedding party photos, and family photographs before the ceremony, Kaity and Phil didn’t have to disappear for another hour of photography. They could immediately join the celebration they had spent so much time planning.

This was one of the things I appreciated most about the way they approached their timeline. A first look wasn’t simply about creating more time for portraits. It gave them more time with their people.

That felt particularly fitting for Kaity and Phil. Throughout the day, it was clear that they weren’t interested in chasing perfection at the expense of actually experiencing their wedding. They wanted beautiful photographs and thoughtful details. And they also wanted to be present for the hugs, conversations, drinks, dinner, and all of the ordinary little interactions that make a wedding feel like yours.

The covered porch continued to be useful later in the evening, too. Guests could step outside for some fresh air or find a quieter place to talk while remaining protected from the weather. Between its white columns and covered design, it ended up being one of the most valuable spaces at this Salem Country Club wedding, both for photographs and for the guest experience.

Eventually, everyone moved inside for a seated dinner and the rest of the reception. And with the formal photographs officially behind them, Kaity and Phil had nothing left on the schedule except celebrating.

A Relaxed Reception Focused on Celebrating

Once the reception began, Kaity and Phil could settle into exactly the kind of evening they had wanted from the beginning.

Their smaller guest count of fewer than 100 people made the reception feel personal, with so many of their closest family members and friends gathered together in one place. After a seated dinner, the evening moved into dancing and celebrating without Kaity and Phil needing to leave for another round of formal portraits.

That freedom was intentional. We had created plenty of romantic portraits earlier in the day. Their wedding wasn’t meant to become an all-day photoshoot. Once the important photographs wrapped up, my job shifted toward documenting what was already happening around them.

Later in the reception, Kaity changed out of her lace wedding gown and into a second dress made for dancing. Her dramatic train and enormous veil absolutely had their moment. But once the party really got going, she was ready for something a little easier to move in.

It was a fitting transition for a couple who had approached the entire day with such an easygoing perspective.

Their original vision may have included more time outside, views of the golf course, and considerably less water falling from the sky. But none of those changes seemed capable of taking away what Kaity and Phil cared about most.

They were married. Their families were there. Their friends were there. And they were having a genuinely wonderful time together.

What Happens If It Rains at a Salem Country Club Wedding?

After photographing Kaity and Phil’s wedding through an entire day of heavy rain, one of my biggest takeaways was how easily Salem Country Club adapted when the outdoor portions of the plan were no longer possible.

For couples considering a Salem Country Club wedding, that’s worth knowing. It’s easy to fall in love with a venue based on what it looks like on a sunny summer afternoon. Your rain plan deserves just as much consideration, especially when planning a New England wedding.

At Salem Country Club, the indoor ceremony option still has plenty of character. The covered porch provides a protected outdoor space for portraits and cocktail hour. And the venue was flexible about allowing us to move and rearrange what we needed to create beautiful photographs. Most importantly, the transition to the rain plan felt seamless rather than disruptive.

Would I have loved to take Kaity and Phil onto the golf course for portraits? Absolutely. The grounds, summer florals, greenery, and ivy around the clubhouse would have given us even more variety.

But I also didn’t believe they needed to stand in a downpour just to prove we could make a rainy wedding photo.

Instead, we worked with what the day gave us. We used the warmth and character of the nautical room, the clean architecture of the covered porch, and a timeline that allowed us to create everything Kaity and Phil wanted while keeping them comfortable.

Good wedding photography isn’t dependent on getting perfect weather. It’s about knowing how to adjust when the plan changes while still protecting the experience you’re there to photograph.

Kaity and Phil’s Salem Country Club wedding was a particularly lovely reminder of that. Their July wedding may not have looked exactly as everyone imagined when they first started planning it. But the things that mattered most never needed a backup plan.

Is Salem Country Club a Good Wedding Venue?

For the right couple, I think Salem Country Club offers something particularly valuable: it already feels personal.

Because the club primarily hosts member weddings, many couples getting married here aren’t choosing a venue they encountered for the first time during wedding planning. They already have memories here. They know the property, recognize the staff, and have a connection to the club that extends beyond their wedding day.

That was certainly true for Kaity and Phil. Golf is something they genuinely love, so celebrating their marriage at a place where they already enjoyed spending time together made sense. Throughout the day, I loved watching them interact with staff members who knew them personally and were genuinely excited to celebrate with them.

From a photography perspective, a Salem Country Club wedding also offers more variety than you might initially expect. On a clear day, the golf course, greenery, summer flowers, ivy-covered portions of the clubhouse, and classic white architecture would give us plenty of outdoor portrait options. The covered porch is especially pretty for photographs because its white columns naturally frame the couple while still allowing plenty of light.

And after Kaity and Phil’s wedding, I can confidently say there are worthwhile options when none of those outdoor plans are possible.

The nautical room was easily my favorite interior space to photograph. Between the exposed beams, warm wood, chandeliers, blue and white details, and maritime touches, it has enough character to create portraits that feel intentional rather than simply finding an empty indoor corner because it happens to be raining.

Salem Country Club also handled the logistics of the weather well. The staff was attentive, flexible, and willing to let us adjust spaces when necessary. Their ceremony could move inside. The entire wedding party photographed under cover. Cocktail hour continued on the porch without the day feeling as though it had been completely rearranged.

For a couple already connected to the club, particularly one who loves golf and wants an intimate New England country club wedding, there is a lot to appreciate here.

Salem Country Club Wedding Vendors:

Photographer: Christine Hazel Photography

Venue: Salem Country Club

Bridal Shop: Tulle Bridal

Hair and Makeup: The Artists Hair and Makeup

Florist: Petals

Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A Bank

Cake: J Cakes

Stationery: Lama Works

Jewelry: Long’s Jewelers

Shoes: Betsey Johnson

Transportation: Ludwig’s Limousines

Justice of the Peace: Christine Landry

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Ashley and Michael’s Chatham Bars Inn Maternity Photos

Amy and Joe’s Mayflower Beach Engagement Photos

Salem Country Club Wedding Frequently Asked Questions