Another week of wedding goodness has come and gone. It really blows my mind how quickly time flies when you’re enjoying great weddings. Luckily, we have plenty more where that came from. A special treat tomorrow – a gorgeous display of wedding cinematography – and then we’ll be back to business as usual Monday morning. You saw oodles of romantic, fun, unique, and beautiful weddings this week, but we’ve got an awesome engagement shoot to send you off into your weekend. It’s fun, it’s festive, and it should put you right into the Summer Lovin’ mood. Kristin Vining sent over this Nantucket Engagement, and it’s just another batch of pretty we can add to the mile long list of why we heart Kristin. So grab your crab bibs and have a wonderful weekend! xoxo
The cure for anything is saltwater–sweat, tears, or the sea. – Isak Denisen. This short declaration is all I could think of when I poured over this wedding, and then again when I read the story. This sweet Massachusetts couple, with help from Blissful Beginnings Wedding & Event Design, planned their perfect seaside affair to incorporate not just their friends and family, but another very important aspect of their lives – the ocean. Photographed to perfection by Nadra Photography, this affair is filled with sea breeze, sandy beach, driftwood and seashells. All in all, the cure for anything. Click here for more!
Getting married at my family’s beach home felt natural. I had taken many walks on this beach. It’s a place of simple beauty and pure honesty that has always inspired me, and always will. For Jay and I, our strong connection to the ocean has come from our childhoods as well as our own explorations of surfing, walking, talking and silent contemplation. On this beach, we grew up. It’s where got to know each other, and where we still do. We got engaged, and married there.
At first mention of a ceremony on the beach, I had to talk Jay out of the “difficult” aspects of creating a beach wedding, but he soon realized how perfect it felt and how unique it could become. All we needed was a little help from Melanie from Blissful Beginnings Wedding and Event Design. She made our dream come true – barefoot.
The seacoast is part of our family history and definitely a part of our future. The never-ending reach, the respectable power, the constant flow, inspiring change, and comforting return. We’ll forever be lured by the sea and forever be in awe of each other and our love. In our wedding bands we engraved, “Like The Sea”.
It’s no secret – we love our Little Black Book vendors. They are the best of the best, they have the most amazing services to offer, and they take care of our special couples like they would family. That notion extends to all our LBB family, especially Willowdale Estate. Believe it or not, this quaint venue, situated in Massachusetts, not only housed this charming wedding, but planned and designed the event as well. They do it all! Which is just what this sweet couple wanted. Working with Boston Uplights, fabulous photographer Jamison Wexler, and so many more of the Bay State’s best, Willowdale made this day the biggest day of our couple’s lives. Click here for more!
The moment we set foot on the grounds we knew that Willowdale was the place for our wedding. The arts and crafts charm, the attention to detail, and the beautiful gardens were all part of our vision for the perfect wedding day. We didn’t have to plan anything extra in order to manufacture ambiance; Willowdale already had exactly the vibe we wanted. The way the light falls on the venue makes everyone look and feel their best; it is as inviting a place as I’ve ever been.
The ceremony was breathtaking. It’s easy to get caught up in the planning and the excitement of the day, but Ross and I both made an effort to be present at the ceremony and to take it all in. The stunning courtyard garden and all of our loved ones there with us was one of the most special memories we have.
The overall vision for the wedding was to throw the best party for our friends and family as possible, and to look great doing it! We incorporated home-made everything whenever we could, and personalized every aspect of the guest experience. From the “Love Drunk Arnold Palmer” signature drink, to the framed family photos placed strategically throughout the venue, to the individualized center pieces, we wanted our guests to feel how much love we put into making this a special event for everyone. Willowdale provided the perfect backdrop to showcase our personal style. The event was all about celebrating our marriage, and letting the guests enjoy themselves!
Sometimes it’s the dress that gets us all in wedding blogger tizzy mode, other times it’s the flowers, or the cake, or just one photograph that really makes us feel like we were there on the big day…and other times it’s the description. And this just happens to be one of those times. I could go on and on about the darling florals or the sweet as can be candy table. But it’s the meaning behind the details that got me this time. Lisa Berry was on hand to capture all details and moments and there’s so much more in the gallery!
From Lisa Berry: Kirby described her vision as “elegant farmer’s daughter.” Her parents raised and picked the berries for the jam on the tables. Kirby’s father suddenly passed away during her engagement, and in their loss, the jam took on a new importance to the family, and her she and her mother worked hard to make the cloth covers and fill the little jars with fruit. Those jams on the tables seemed like such a beautiful symbol, much like raising and caring for a child, loving them, and then giving them away. The wedding day was reserved as a joyful day, and small things perfectly brought her father into the celebration. Kirby remembered antique shopping as a family for those elusive blue bell jars. The little sheep on her cake were a present from her dad. Her mother stitched the table numbers, made the quilt for guests to sign, and was just generally wonderful. Kirby’s mother and brother led her half way down the aisle, and then she went on alone to give her father a chance to walk her down the aisle. Not a dry eye in the church at that point. Kirby had her heart set on peonies but had given up as they’re out-of-season in August. She was joyfully shocked when her florist came in to her room with a bouquet full of them – she had been carefully tending peonies in her own fridge for months for the surprise. Dave was so supportive, and adoringly in love with his bride. The whole thing was so authentically romantic. I really admire this couple and love to be able to share their wedding with others.
When Dorothy sang of that magical place over the rainbow, it is very possible she was referring to this very wedding. Every last detail of this Massachusetts wedding was magical, right down the to the actual rainbow that hung above the bride’s family’s farm at the end of the evening. Now THAT is some pretty serious wedding planning. Pineapple Productions, a team of some of our favorite wedding planners, completely outdid themselves with this sweet affair – it was perfect. So click your heels three times and meet me in the gallery for more!
From Pineapple Productions … Tara and Mike wanted their day to be a celebration of family, friends and life, so they chose the family farm for their wedding venue. It was beautiful, peaceful and it held meaning to the bride’s family. It was important to both Mike and Tara that the day not only be about a celebration, but also giving back.
They chose apples as the central theme for the wedding because it is fondly known as the “fruit of life.” The catering chef used the apples from the centerpieces the next day in his desserts. In lieu of favors, they decorated the fireplace with children’s books (one for each guest). Mike and Tara donated the books afterwards to a children’s shelter. They could not have asked for a more wonderful gathering of their loved ones!
Tara picked long stem lilies because white made the whole day seem pure and natural. The mini chalkboards that we created had the buffet station menu on them for each table. The escort cards were also handmade – real apples – with the guests names written on a green leaf.
The bridal party and guests were transported to the wedding via school bus, which made for a fun, nostalgic surprise. The day was beautiful and sunny right up until the end of the ceremony, when a quick rain storm rolled in. Everyone took it all in stride and as Tara and Mike were taking portraits outside, a full rainbow appeared above the farm. An array of homemade Italian cookies that Mike’s mom had spent months making were sent home with the guests. There were personal touches everywhere!
If you love flowers, and umm, who doesn’t, you’re gonna love this next little beauty from the good old Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It’s so overflowing with amazingly beautiful flowers that I can practically smell the tuberose and hydrangea from here! Captured by the super talented Eric Limón, this wedding is sure to make you a wee bit jealous of its gorgeousness. Head to the gallery, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Our ceremony took place in a perennial garden with an aisle lined in hydrangea trees and underneath an iron arbor entwined in white flowering vines. The abundance of existing flora reduced the amount of additional elements needed, thus reducing total cost. My bouquet was filled with mostly white roses, hydrangea, anemones, and tomato vine. My sister’s mirrored mine while the bridesmaids held smaller versions punctuated with bright pink anemones. Tim, the groomsmen, and our fathers wore tuberose and sedum boutonnieres.
Cocktail hour was simplified with variegated fig leaf, thyme, and moss topiaries potted in Campo de’Fiori containers at each cocktail table and one either side of the bar. The favor table and existing well were adorned with large urns filled with flowers similar to my bouquet. These arrangements were quite large, giving a nice juxtaposition to the smaller potted plants on the tables.
For the reception we went for looser arrangements filled with vines, opened and unopened dahlias, hydrangea, thistle, roses, and dusty miller (just to name a few) punctuated with chocolate cosmo. My mom came up with the ingenious idea of having two different types of containers; formal mercury glass vases (that went beautifully with the slate grey bridesmaid dresses) and concrete urns. We spent the year collecting vessels from Campo de’Fiori, antique stores, Homegoods, and even the dollar store! Each rectangular table became unique with different vessels of varying height that ran the entire length. Personally, I am not a fan of tall centerpieces; why create something gorgeous only to lift it to a height that only Shaq could really enjoy? We couldn’t be happier that we purchased our own vessels; they are a constant reminder of a great and beautiful day.
Good morning and welcome back to another fabulous wedding filled week here at SMP! We truly want to start you off on the right foot this Monday morning so we are bringing you some seriously amazing photos from Dave Robbins Photography. I love the way he captured such intimate and real moments with this easy-on-the-eyes couple. And their nuptials under the tree? Adorable. The way he lifts her off her feet during their first kiss? I’m dying. You’re definitely gonna wanna pour yourself another cup of coffee and head on over to the gallery.
From Dave Robbins: A Gorgeous wedding with sweet and fun couple, Camilla & Dave. Camilla got ready at the beautiful Mepal Manor and drove down the road to Gedney Farm in a vintage car. Guests walked to a ceremony on top of a knoll at Gedney Farm-maypoles along the path to show them the way. The Crossword Program offered a touch of whimsy during the ceremony. and the couple walked blissfully back down the path to cocktails in the garden. Cocktail decor was light and fresh-seaglass bottles, garden flowers and spring colors of peach, pink and lavender. Guests lounged in adirondack chairs and enjoyed the jazz music. After a quick “costume change” for the bride the guests were invited into the barn for dinner and dancing. Dinner and barn decor was more elegant with golden apricot dupioni overlays, springtime flowers in pewter cups and votive chandeliers hanging from the rafters.
What do you get when you mix two high school sweethearts, a bed and breakfast, and one amazing photographer like Lisa Berry? Give up? You get one of the sweetest and most charming weddings ever! I’m seriously loving the au natural simplicity of the surroundings. And the fact that it’s on the Cape? Well, that just makes it even better! Head over to the gallery for even more summertime sweetness.
From Lisa Berry, Photographer: Both creative RISD grads, these two managed to tame their perfectionist, project oriented tendencies, and worked hard to keep their wedding very simple. I was impressed by their restraint when it came to the details. They focused on the big picture, on their relationships and the things that really mattered, and the day felt substantial and joyful. They were high school sweethearts, so the wedding was a long time coming! Emily knew just where to splurge and where to hold back and managed this sweet wedding on a modest budget. The whole event felt balanced, and in perfect proportion, much like the bride herself. They invited a small gathering of best friends and family and held the ceremony in the garden behind their Cape Cod Bed & Breakfast. Jon’s step-mother made the flower arrangements with Emily’s ideas, and they added a soft subtle color to the reception rooms. The garden basically adorned itself, and they added only the white japanese lanterns and a very natural arch at the front. Photography was a splurge for them, and they brought in a film photographer and fellow RISD grad. Cupcakes were brought in from their favorite bakery in NY – taste over looks with these little cakes, possibly the most scrumptious I have ever had and I eat a lot of wedding cake. The men intentionally left off having boutonnieres, and it gave a clean look to their suits. The maids were chic in short midnight blue sheath dresses, and held small bouquets of gathered roses. While dressing, Emily wanted to recreate a b&w photograph of her mother putting on her veil from a few decades back. In the frame, you can see Emily with her veil in the mirror, and also the original print in the shot.
It’s midweek, and we’ve got a reason to swoon. We’re tossing out the anchor in Essex, CT today. IRIS Photography sent over these nautical images, and we’ve been dying to share them with you since the second they landed in our inbox. This perfect New England wedding is sure to put a smile on your face, a wiggle in your step, and an Ahoy! to your morning. The primary color palette, inspired by Nantucket Red, played so well with the maritime ambiance, especially with the always stunning florals from Hana Floral Design. The fun doesn’t stop here either, sail over to IRIS’ blog for more about this great couple!
There was never a question in my mind that I wanted to get married on the banks of the Connecticut River in my hometown of Essex, Connecticut. Fortunately, when my husband proposed in our New York City apartment, the respite of a quintessential New England town seemed the perfect antidote to our hectic city lives.
Our ceremony took place overlooking the water in Essex’s Main Street Park and guests walked through town to the reception, held under a tent at the Essex Yacht Club. Our entire wedding was built with nautical New England in mind. My husband, never one for tuxedos, decided early that he’d like to wear a blue blazer and Nantucket Red pants. A color scheme was born! The bridesmaids wore classic navy J.Crew cotton cady and the flower girls wore white, short-sleeved eyelet dresses with navy cardigan sweaters.
The deep blue hydrangeas, scarlet red peonies, and vibrant yellow roses were a perfect compliment to the bold navy and Nantucket Red. When it came to table décor, we really went for it with color and design. We constructed a bold tribute to our nautical surroundings. Our tables were named for classic (and silly!) love songs. Escort cards detailed our favorite line from the song, and they popped out like small signposts from our favors, tiny metal pails full of navy and white M&Ms.
The food was delicious – surf and turf provided by the Essex Yacht Club. We skipped the cake and had a brownie sundae bar instead. It was a big hit! Our DJ kept everyone dancing well past our designated ending time, and then we all strolled over to the historic Griswold Inn tavern room to finish up the night.
We rounded out the weekend with a few DIY projects, including a welcome brochure with a map of our favorite food and shopping spots in town plus a canvas bag embroidered with “Essex, CT” and filled with snacks and other goodies. Although the weather was far from perfect, the amazing photographs from Iris Photography really say it all. Everyone only remembers the fun!
As we reach the end (don’t worry we still have one more wedding to go) of another whopping wedding Wednesday, we thought we’d hit you with a good ol’ dose of DIY. I’m pretty sure Massachusetts has the best barns for that perfect rustic backdrop and this wedding by Lara Kimmerer brings charm and down-home goodness by the bucket full! It was certainly a labor of love but the result is something spectacular especially when you see the ecstatic looks on the faces of the darling bride and groom. This is only a snippet of this New England beauty so make sure you visit the full gallery to see even more!
From the Bride… When Burton and I got engaged it was a happy moment entangled in an intensely sad time in my life. My mother had just passed away from a horrible bout with lung cancer. As happy as I was I couldn’t imagine planning the wedding without her. Trying to find the dress without my Mom seemed like the saddest thing I could think of. So we just let ourselves enjoy our engagement until things felt stable enough to begin.
That day came about a year after her passing. We decided on a date in the fall (about 9 months away) and started in. We knew we wanted our wedding day to be totally ours. It needed to feel down home, comfortable and inclusive, our food to be fantastic and the guests to be our families and closest friends (150 people). Just like everyone else now a days we didn’t have much money. That fits our style, though. We set a tight budget for ourselves and fought tooth and nail to keep to it as closely as possible. In the planning there was a short list of details that really meant a lot to us and a long list of things that we could care less about. That helped us write the budget and kept us sane and focused in the circus that is wedding planning. We were going to do it our way. That turned out to be so important and made everything so special to us.
We settled on Codman Community Farm in Lincoln, MA, for the location because the space was beautiful, the people were laid back and the price was right. The farm is a working community farm that had weddings there before but had no staff to set up and take down the tables, chairs, decorations, etc. This was a REAL barn and we were going to set it up ourselves (chase a couple chickens out) and take it down the following day! But we knew it was the right place because whenever we went back to visit during the planning we just walked around beaming! It felt like home.
Our budget for catering was $5000 for everything (food, staff, etc.) and great food was one of our priorities. I feel strongly about food ethics so it meant a lot to me to try to have our food sourced locally. Most caterers won’t even start their ovens for that price never mind locally source things. With a lot of persistence I found a local-food-only personal chef on yelp.com that was excited to cook for 150 people and was willing to accept my budget. We REALLY, really lucked out. Through her we also bought 6 buckets of farmer’s market flowers for $25 a piece for our centerpieces and bouquets. Of course, we had to put all those things together before the wedding but that’s a great way to save a LOT of money. The flowers were amazing so it wasn’t hard.
We rented most of the tables, chairs and silverware but were able to borrow all the plates from a friend who collected a bunch of different china sets for her own wedding. It was a nice touch to have all the mix and match plates in the barn. We also bought and borrowed cases and cases of mason jars for the center pieces and for drinking glasses. It just went so well with the barn!
The biggest challenge for us was worrying about how the day was going to come together. We saved a lot of money on labor by doing everything ourselves – but then we had to do everything ourselves! So for peace of mind I scraped together a little money and hired one person willing to try to orchestrate the set-up and decorations. When the day came so many of our loved ones chipped in without blinking an eye or even being asked. They spent a crazy day and a half making the barn and the ceremony site look magical. They are the ones truly responsible for making the day beautiful. Our friends and family really went over and above and then showed up the day after to help clean it all up. Amazing. We spent our wedding day overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity of spirit and positive energy. That ended up being what it was all about in the end and that’s the lesson we will carry with us forever.
From Edna with EFD Creative …When we began the planning process with Kerry and Kurt last summer, we wanted to introduce a “touch of winter” but nothing over the top, something with a classic touch and feel. Of course we had no idea that this February we would have record snowfalls, so in the end it was very appropriate! We came up with the snowflake motif for the invitations and branded that throughout the event with everything from the table names, signage, and seating chart down to the chocolates placed at each seat at the dining table. We also incorporated icy branches and went with a soft white feel for the flowers. The cake detailed birch branches and the secondary color (blue) in the sugar flowers, which went nicely with the bridesmaid dresses.
Kerry and Kurt live in China where Kerry is studying for her Ph.D in political science from the University of Wisconsin. His family is from Canada and Austria so many of the guests traveled from all around the world to be part of this day. Having the event at the Hampshire House was a fun way to bring in the historic feel of Boston. It truly is a Boston landmark… the Cheers bar is located on the first floor! But what really caught their eye was the warm and cozy feeling the library had to offer. With their love of education and books, they felt right at home.
Because Kerry and Kurt’s relationship began abroad in China and their romance included traveling to many countries around the world, they wanted to tie that into the event. They named their tables after all their favorite travel destinations and included a photo to share with the guests of their experience at each spot. As very special party favors, the groom carried a heavy bag of scrolls across the world, each of a different scene in China. They were a huge hit; an authentic keepsake for each guest.
We are just now getting the BEST winter weddings and photo shoots in our mailboxes! And although some of you girls who live where it’s STILL snowing might think you want to move on ~ we REALLY don’t. Not just yet. This next week, on The Little Black Book Blog, we have a few more weddings from those brave souls who adore the snow and pray for a bushel of it on their wedding day. How else will they get those winter-wonderland-shots that they’ve always dreamed of? Here’s a peek at what’s in the line-up on The LBB Blog.
So as you see, we’re not done yet! One more small request … we want to hear from ALL of you winter wedding sweethearts! We want to hear a loud and resounding round of applause for these couples ~ and their wedding vendors who have choreographed the most spectacular weddings during somewhat less-than-predictable circumstances. We want to hear from you this week!
According to the superstition, a little rain on your wedding day is supposedly good luck. Well, I don’t know about rain but sometimes a few clouds can make an already stunning wedding that much more gorgeous. The pretty pinks and bold blues throughout this wedding by Callaway Gable just pop and the green of the Martha’s Vineyard countryside glistens under those gray skies. No matter the weather, this wedding glows with so much sweetness and style it lights up the whole island! Check out the full gallery for even more inspiration!
These two New Yorkers chose Martha’s Vineyard as the perfect place to be married. It’s no wonder – Lindsay’s family has a summer home where they have been vacationing her entire life. It is also where Russ proposed.
The wedding took place up island on the Allen Farm, a working sheep farm founded in 1762. The 100-acre property is located next to the ocean, overlooking a lagoon and Lucy Vincent beach. The bridal party stayed in the main house at the farm during the entire weekend. The wedding took place outside, overlooking the lagoon, and the reception was held under a big tent. At the bottom of the hill, at the lagoon, there stands a little cabin with a wood burning stove. This is where they signed their ketubah with family, and this is where they spent their first night together as husband and wife. The ceremony took place under a chuppah handmade by Lindsay’s aunt. As you can see from the photos, the view was breathtaking.
Wedding Photography: Brian and Allison Callaway of Callaway Gable / Wedding Planner: Patrie Grace of With Grace / Caterer: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons / Florals: Island Ambiance / Venue: Allen Farm in Chilmark / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Priscilla’s of Boston / Groom’s Suit: Jos A. Bank / Hair: Pure Touch Salon / Makeup: Makeup Artistry by Tamika Patrice / Band: Jerry Bennett Entertainment / Cake: Cakes by Liz
Can you believe our favorite day of the week is already here? The day we get to double up on pretty posts and share even more wonderful weddings with you! If you needed a little extra boost to get you through the work week then today’s lineup will certainly do the trick and help you make it all the way to the weekend! Don’t forget, you can see even more of each wedding by checking out the full galleries!
A Nantucket wedding just wouldn’t be complete without a little nautical thrown in! Zofia Photography captured this superb sea town wedding filled with history, loads of handmade details and precious vintage pieces. I’m absolutely in love with the flags on top of the cake (made by the mother of the groom) and the Christmas cracker favors (a New England must have). It’s hard to have a bad time with a paper crown on your head! There are even more fun photos from this East Coast island party in the full gallery!
Jason and I dated for ten years – we were high school sweethearts. I’m from Colorado, he’s from New Jersey and now we live in Boston. He’s in his residency at Tufts Hospital and I started my job a week after we got engaged in January. Between work and wedding planning, it was a busy nine months! When we were deciding on a location for our wedding, we had two obvious choices – Nantucket, where Jason’s parents retired some years back, or my hometown of Aspen, Colorado. We chose Nantucket because it was closer to where we live, the East Coast was where most guests would be coming from and, of course, it is a beautiful place for a wedding — a destination that feels worlds away but was not too far for most of our guests to travel. Jason and I love the history and feel of the island – Moby Dick, the cedar houses, and the beautiful bleakness that can come over the place. In designing the wedding, I wanted to have a vintage Nantucket feel and look that was not overtly nautical. We also wanted to throw a great party! I took a lot of inspiration from my mother, who passed away in 2006. She threw wonderful parties that always managed to bring out the kid in even the most staid adult.
Since we were splurging on the location, DIY projects, which I already love, became a focus. With the help of family and friends, we made all the paper goods, the cake topper, the guestbook, the favors, the directional sign and the escort card flowers. My mother in law made the cake, the linen pew flowers, embroidered the gift bags and made the table runner and tablecloth under the escort card flowers. She’s a champion. I made all the paper goods – invitations, menus, programs – with the amazing design assistance of my sister, Rye, who is a talented artist and graphic designer (and who also spent almost as much time as I did wedding planning!). She found among my grandfather’s things a dance card from a dance a relative attended in 1881 in Leadville, Colorado as well as a 1930s hand-drawn vintage postcard from Aspen. These gave us some great elements to work with, and let me bring in, in a small way, my family’s long history in Colorado. I used vintage postage stamps, which was a lot of fun. We brought in lots of authors, boats and state-themed stamps to make things more personal – I’ve actually bought stamps since the wedding, for myself. They’re little pieces of art! I noticed that while women commented on the invitation itself, the men commented on the stamps. Something for everyone.
I also made the seating cards, which were by far the most labor-intensive project. I ordered copper tags from an electrical supply wholesaler, bought a metal hand-stamping kit, and stamped each attendee’s name on a copper tag when I had free time over the course of several months. With the help of my bridesmaids, I tied each tag to sola flowers, feathers and dried flowers, each of which corresponded to a particular table. As the favors, I made sea salt caramels. They were wrapped in Christmas-cracker style poppers with exploding snaps, and each contained the candy and a paper hat I made in our wedding colors. Guests also took home photos from our photo booth.There were lots of small personal elements. Jason and I met in an English class. The books on the table were books we read in that class or by authors we read together. We share a love of classical music, and chose as the processional song Nulla in Mundo by Vivaldi, a piece we’ve listened to together hundreds of times over the years. For his wedding ring, I gave Jason my grandfather’s ring. On my bouquet, I tied my grandmother’s locket, which is engraved to her from her father and contains photos of the two of them. We love food and cooking, so when we had the chance to have a raw bar, we took it! More than anything, we knew our guests were travelling to be with us, so we wanted to show them a great time. We had croquet and a beanbag throw during the cocktail hour, which was a lot of fun, and assembled gift bags with Cape Cod potato chips, lobster gummies, information on the island and luggage tags that I made myself.
Many have said it before, but I will say it again – the photo booth was the hit of the party. Inspired by my mother’s love of costumes and dress up, I gathered a lot of fun costumes. Early on in the night I put on a cowboy hat and hit the dance floor, and after that, there were more costumes on the dance floor than there were by the photo booth. Certain hats never came off certain guests – it made for great photos and a really silly, fun night.
This first week in 2011 has brought so many more wonderful examples of just how fantastic this wedding world is! We have an over-abundance of occasions to share with you this year … don’t even know how to fit them all in! We’re also going to be including lots and lots of wedding films. What better way to immerse yourself in the love and romance of the day! We’re very proud to bring you our first 2011 wedding film feature from Naomi Raiselle andGenerations cinemastories.
From the beautiful bride … The entire day was a dream from beginning to end. We started out on Derby Wharf in Salem, where our photographers, Tara and Ben (who were the best!) from Hitched Studios took pictures of the entire bridal party with five HUGE paddle balloons. My mom has her own balloon business, Balloon Creations, and supplied us with the balloons. Then we all headed via Salem Trolley to the church. The minister, who is not only good friends with Judd, but Judd is also the god father of one of his children, performed a wonderful, worshipful, and funny wedding service. Then we went right down the street to the Peabody Essex Museum to eat, drink, and dance! Every single detail was captured by Generations cinemastories. They were everywhere, documenting everything. Not only are they fantastic at what they do, they are very special people whom we just love! It was by far a night to remember and we couldn’t have done any of it without the help of our family and friends.
From Naomi at Generations cinemastories … The clip we feature here is the trailer we just sent to Jana and Judd. We opted to give a retro look to the piece in response to the retro influences in the wedding and chose to film with different types of cameras in order to accomplish this look. The grain and texture of certain scenes are an intentional departure from the crisp, bright look of much of the DSLR footage we’ve been seeing recently – even though we shot a fair amount of the wedding with DSLR cameras and special lenses.
Jana and Judd met on a blind date in Salem MA. Jana is an artist and Judd is an history buff, so their choice of the Essex Peabody Museum in Salem as a reception venue for their December 11 wedding was perfect. The reception was held in the East India Marine Hall (the same room seen in the movie, Bride Wars). The couple held their ceremony in the United Methodist Church with plenty of parking, also in Salem, a wonderful, warm circular church with graded seating – offering each guest a perfect view of the ceremony and great sound.
Jana’s dress was gorgeous. And with a birdcage veil anchored by a white maribou feather, and an antique mink stole, this bride was everything right about retro. The dress was a trophy from Filene’s Basement’s Running of The Brides.
There were also tiny notes of brilliant cobalt blue throughout the décor, beginning with Jana’s fabulous blue suede high-heeled pumps and continuing through the blue cobalt water goblets on the black and white tables in the reception.
Jana, her mom, and Judd hand-created Christmas ornaments of clear balls with peacock feathers and decorated the tables as a gift to each of her guests. Each ornament included a note telling of a donation in the guest’s name to Starfish Africa, (founded by one of the groomsmen) which helps put Kenyan youth through high school.
In Jana’s own words: “This past summer I, along with a few killer- athlete girlfriends, my mom AND dad (he’s a champion) met me downtown Boston in the wee hours of the morning prepared and ready to attack! We had a plan that went out the window the second they opened the doors. It took us 29minutes flat to find ‘the dress’ and to wind up interviewed about our exciting experience on TV.
Judd’s mom, Sandy, was in charge of the wedding plans and coordination, leaving the artistic design up to me. The palette for the wedding suddenly emerged after our first tasting with Capers Catering. They fed us a red beet salad with fresh goat cheese, garnish and a purple & white orchid. I loved the flowers and colors so much they became the inspiration for everything moving forward. I wanted the girls to look unique and love their dresses. All the bridesmaid’s dresses were different shades and styles and most came from Nordstrom and Lord and Taylor. My mother wore an eggplant dress from Nordstrom and my mother-in-law wore an eggplant dress from Ultimate Bride in Milwaukee.
The invitations, that I drew myself, had the orchid motif as well.
Judd’s college friends came from all over to be his groomsmen and ushers. With eleven groomsmen, four ushers and one best man (Judd’s dad), coming from around the country, the Men’s Wearhouse was a great solution for well-fitting, formal tuxes that looked modern and young. I loved the way the light grey and purple played off the colors of the bridal party. The bridal party also picked up the groomsmen’s light grey in their matching grey suede pumps.
Peter Barter Florist, (my uncle) special ordered flowers from Holland. For the centerpieces I wanted simple arrangements, classy but elegant -and something that made a statement. I knew exactly what I wanted: curly willow in tall 18″ glass vases with white orchids cascading down the sides. (They were BEAUTIFUL.) As for the bouquets I wanted simple straight up astilbe.
My uncle called me two days before the wedding and told me they looked breathtaking. Then he called me one day before the wedding (almost in tears) and told me they ALL turned brown overnight. Enter, simple, but very elegant, roses.
The food, created by Capers Catering, was outstanding. Then we all danced the night away to music, by our fabulous DJ from NuImage Entertainment. The DJ was off the hook awesome. The night ended with family and friends circled around Judd and me as we danced.
With a new year comes a whole slew of new weddings to delve into and from what we’ve seen so far, we’re pretty sure 2011 is completely raising the bar to a whole new level of gorgeous. Case in point, this elegant Boston affair that is boasting some serious art in the form of florals designed by the insanely talented Datura – A Modern Garden. It seems that everything they touch turns to wedding gold and we are seriously smitten with their latest creation. See the FULL wedding captured by Melissa Robotti and a whole lot more of that wedding gold we speak of in the gallery.
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Photography: Melissa Robotti Submitted: Datura - A Modern Garden
Zoe and Carolina were married on June 6, 2010 at the Colonnade in Boston, MA. The couple live in New York City and much of the planning was executed by Zoe’s mom, Julie Arnow. She designed the whole paper story, coordinated the linens and gave me creative direction throughout. I just loved being a part of this incredible celebration. We designed three distinct tablescapes – in one, hand-tied giant allium are accented with callas and mokara orchids and support a globe with purple vanda orchids and a floating candle. This table featured satellite designs of burgandy peony and purple vanda. Our second table design featured the same flowers in a tall radial design with graceful lines. And for the rectangular tables we created armatures of curly willow and wove them with green anthurium, purple vanda orchids and fuchsia phaelonopsis orchids – accenting these tall components were clusters of burgandy peony, eggplant callas and purple vanda orchids.
It’s hard for me to resist a wedding this lovely. It’s a little different than your standard SMP fare, but I think that’s why I love it so very much. The flowers, the color palette, the great fashions…all inspired by trips to Paris, Nantes, Geneva, Amsterdam and Belgium. The bride and groom approached their wedding with the mantra of keeping it personal and in each and every detail…it shows. Photographed by Lisa Rigby, this little wedding will definitely put a smile on your face. Click here to see even more.
When we first got engaged, we really didn’t know what we wanted for our wedding. We had a very organic planning process, with many of our ideas changing along the way from various adventures we had together. Howie and I decided that photos were our top priority, but we couldn’t find a photographer that we both really loved. I had found a photo of a beautiful Orthodox wedding, and I had it saved on my desktop so that I could compare it to photographers aiming for that same emotion and style. After a couple months of not finding anything we both really loved, I discovered that the photo I was using to compare others to was take by Lisa Rigby, who lived right here in Boston. We actually chose our wedding date based on her availability.
We spent several months trying to find a venue with an indoor area that had personality, and with grounds for an outdoor ceremony so that we could enjoy the crisp autumn air and the gorgeous colors of October in New England. The Commander’s Mansion was perfect for us. Each room in the Mansion has its own character, with nooks for us to place photos and flowers, and many places for guests to sit and talk as they explore the house.
Our wedding had many influences from Belgium. Last February, we toured Europe by train, stopping in Paris, Nantes, Geneva, Amsterdam… and, our favorite stop of the trip, Brugges in Belgium. We were already ardent fans of Belgian beer, so Brugges was absolute heaven for us. We strolled through the medieval walled city, stopping every so often for an astounding lambic or a real Leige waffle. Those waffles were a revelation to us, such a huge difference from what is typically served here in the States. We visited the “Tea Salons”, where tea was always served with a little chocolate on the saucer. Many months after our trip, we hit upon the idea to serve elevenses (an English term for an afternoon snack accompanied by tea) before our ceremony. We hired Waffle Cabin, based in Vermont, run by a Belgian couple from Brussels to make true Liege waffles from scratch at our wedding- exactly like those in Belgium. We also served two different types of Belgian Lambic beers at the reception.
Our invitations and Ketubah were designed by our close friend, Carrie Siegel of Two Trick Pony. We thought her Dutch inspired designs worked well with our wedding. For escort cards, I ordered post-cards from John Derian, and they also doubled as our guestbook. We wrote our address on one side so our guests could mail it back to us with a note later. The flowers choices were inspired by my favorite Flemish still life painter, Jan Davidsz de Heem.
My grandmother flew out to Boston, her first flight ever to come to our wedding. As a wedding gift, she gave me her blue sapphire bracelet to wear for my “something blue & borrowed”. My Aunt Marcy made my garter with lace and a button from my grandmother’s wedding dress for my something old. We spent a long time writing out our own ceremony. We took excerpts from a Greek children’s novel, “From I’ville to You’ville.” Our close friend Vic was our officiant. Another friend, Jim, was our DJ and played a lot of wonderful 30s & 40s vintage jazz during the reception. The lace for the bouquet was bought during a trip we took together to Albany one weekend.
You know a wedding is going to be good when the bride makes her surprise entrance on an airplane. You also know it’s going to be good when it’s planned by Desiree Spinner Events. You know it’s going to be down right blog worthy when the bride is part of the Desiree Spinner Events team. Buckle up, this wedding is full of personality and style so you’ll want to be sure and check out the gallery for all the lovely images by Hike Photography.
Working in the wedding industry while planning my own wedding has been such a fun experience, and I feel so lucky to have had Desiree and Sara alongside me to help with the day! My fiance is a youth pastor, and so we knew we wanted everyone from our church to be able to come to the wedding–the airfield seemed like a great place to put so many people! From there, my father and I came up with the idea of flying into the ceremony as my “entrance”. We took off 45 minutes before the ceremony started, and circled Cape Cod until it was time for us to arrive. The landing was one of the most magical times of my entire life. Hike Photography captured the moment perfectly—the guests were not told about the surprise landing, and so the entire crowd jumped to their feet and began cheering the moment the plane touched the ground. It was such a cool moment to get out of the plane with my father, and immediately begin our walk down the isle. Sara from DSE hand-stamped all of the birdseed packets which we attached the the programs I designed, and after everyone had a chance to enjoy a snack from a signature DSE dessert table, everyone lined up for the big send off.
The wedding was filled with small, eccentric details—which is exactly how I wanted it. When one of our groomsmen’s vests didn’t arrive on time, we replaced it with the most ridiculous vest we could find…mickey mouse! The groomsmen played a bit of a prank on Josh, pretending to throw the ring across the field when it came time for the exchange (the real ring was safe and sound in the best man’s pocket!). All of the bridesmaids (and my “bridesman”, Dave!) were invited to wear whatever shoes they felt most expressed their personality—and I was so thrilled to see everything from gold sparkly pumps to brown chuck taylor’s on my wedding day! The reception took place in an antique auto museum, playing into the “planes, trains and automobiles” theme, which we carried throughout the wedding using stationery that my fiance and I designed.
From Desiree of Desiree Spinner Events: When Kaleigh got engaged last winter I could not have been be happier, not because I knew I would be helping, but because she has become like a little sister to me here at the DSE office. She works so hard for all our clients and I knew I wanted to work that hard for her with her wedding. The airfield was the perfect place for her HUGE guest list,and even more perfect is that her dad is a pilot for the Air Force and said he would fly her in on the wedding day. Kaleigh came up with the planes, trains and automobile theme for the wedding and her save the dates and invitations (all handmade by her) reflected the theme from a train ticket save the date, to an “airmail” invitation. Kelly Hike from Hike Photography was so amazing, she captured Kaleigh and Josh’s love and laughter so perfectly I was so glad she was there. Sara and I designed a little tented area for the guests with dessert and cider to snack on while Kaleigh and Josh greeted every one after the wedding. We covered the poles in satin ribbon and hung paper flowers from the tops of the tent as well. Every one really came together for this amazing day from the florist to both the families, to make this wedding gorgeous for such a sweet couple. Sara and I hope that the day was magical for Josh and Kaleigh and we had a blast helping. xoxo Desiree and Sara”
This Rhode Island wedding by Steve DePino is just so put together and so full of class and sophistication that it is hard to believe it was all designed and planned by the equally as gorgeous couple. I was half convinced that I was looking at a J Crew spread instead of a real wedding! A clean and classic theme with chic black and white decor does not have to equal a completely formal or stuffy affair. Guests enjoyed comfort food like grilled cheese and fried chicken with beer while dancing the night away to Katy Perry and 80’s pop tunes. SO fun. Click here to see even more from this grand fete!
John and I met at Providence College as freshmen in the winter of 2003; he from New Jersey, I from Massachusetts. After getting over our Boston-New York sports rivalry (luckily he’s a Mets fan), we became inseparable and fell in love. We graduated, lived states apart, and couldn’t stand to be without each other, so in 2008 I moved to New York so we could be together. We got engaged in March of 2009 and our wedding location was a no-brainer. Working in NYC is great and we love our hectic city life, but we sometimes find ourselves wanting to climb to the top of the Chrysler building just for a view of the ocean. Rather than risking our safety, we escape to Watch Hill, RI every chance we get for a much-needed dose of family, friends, and serene coastal living and that’s exactly where we would tie the knot.
It was important to us to be married in a church, so our ceremony was held at the Watch Hill Chapel: a quaint, white chapel built in the 1870s on a bluff overlooking the sea and now the reincarnated Ocean House (a “rebirth of the last iconic New England seaside resort”…their words, not ours!) where we had our rehearsal dinner. We wanted the focus of the reception to stay on why everyone was there in the first place: our marriage! So we kept the chapel décor minimal with white flower arrangements on the first pews to designate family seats and two large cylindrical vases of white flowers on the altar.
We had a vision for our reception from the start that ultimately began with our classic black, white and gold save the dates and invitations that the unbelievably talented crew at Cheree Berry Paper created for us with calligraphy from Love Jenna. Cheree, Kristen and their team are paper geniuses, and made my stationery dreams come true by working black and white stripes and a monogram that Jenna created into everything down to our menu. I stuck to the same classic but neutral theme when it came to my bridesmaids. I didn’t want them to wear the same dresses, because really, when do you ever wear the same dress to an event as someone else? Luckily they agreed and together, we chose dress options in the same color family from J.Crew, Lela Rose, and Thread.
I wanted our tent to feel welcoming, but chic and sophisticated at the same time, so we chose a mix of white fabrics, string lighting and candles to complement and create warmth with our beige, natural weave tablecloths. We chose Tuscan and square tables as opposed to round for a cleaner look and incorporated Jenna’s calligraphy into the place setting with our menus and place cards. My vision of our flowers changed halfway through our wedding planning and luckily, I was in the best hands possible. Yumiko from Hana Floral design understood every single vision I had, suggested incredible (and better) options I didn’t know existed, and made us the most gorgeous white centerpieces and lavender bouquet I’ve ever seen.
Our dinner menu was comforting as well: beer and cheddar soup, gourmet burgers on brioche buns, buttermilk fried chicken, butternut squash and wild mushroom strudel, family-style sides, and homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert. We had a small, red-velvet cake to cut with a custom topper made by Garden4Arts on Etsy and each guest received a bite-sized cupcake from one of our favorite NYC spots, Baked by Melissa.
The rest of the night consisted of a packed and crazy dance floor, thanks to an appearance by our college mascot and Boston-based band Magnus, who rocked out to the Killers, Journey, Katy Perry, and our favorite 80’s tunes. Dancing the night away with 150 of our closest family and friends nearly eight years after we met was a moment in time that we’ll never forget. It was the best day of our lives and we feel so lucky to share it with all of you!
When I was venue hunting for my own wedding, the Crane Estate at Castle Hill in Ipswich, Massachusetts just happened to be at the top of my list. It’s this massively gorgeous estate just outside of Boston and if nothing else, promises a total fairytale wedding. Well, I love, love, love what this particular couple did with their estate style wedding…infusing the formality with spunk, charm and fabulous color. Photographed beautifully by Heather Parker, this is one of those weddings where I would have killed to be a guest! Click here to see SO many more details including the most darling table numbers you’ve ever seen in your life.
Andrew and I currently live in Chicago, IL. I grew up outside Boston and Andrew grew up in the Chicago area. We met when we were both in college at Vanderbilt and continued on to live in Charlottesville, Virginia for 3 years while Andrew was in law school. We loved living in the south, but moved up to Chicago to be closer to family. Planning the wedding from half way across the country was difficult but we pulled it off!
I had dreamed about getting married at Castle Hill from when I was a little girl. When Andrew and I first got engaged we were living in Virginia and later in Chicago. I had sent my mom out to check out venues and luckily she loved Castle Hill as much as I did. I have always been drawn to bright summery colors, but Castle Hill is a pretty traditional venue, so we always had to keep in mind melding my bright colors with the look of the venue. We used bright pinks and greens coupled with navy blue to achieve a summery look. Our décor had a subtle nautical theme, with shells and coral prints on our paper and fabrics.
When I first started envisioning what our wedding would look like I knew I wanted to add lots of personal touches and I wanted to make a lot of things myself. Andrew and I tackled many DIY projects together and our families also pitched in to help. I wanted all of our décor to meld with Castle Hill for an “elegant casual seaside” look. I pulled inspiration from a variety of sources and pulled it all together by using coordinated paper products from Anna Griffin and the matching fabrics, also by Anna Griffin.
The biggest project we took on was the escort card pinwheels. We made each pinwheel by hand and they were a huge hit at the wedding. The pinwheels also made an appearance on the cake, those pinwheels were also made out of paper, just mini sized! Our other projects included-paper pomanders to decorate the aisles, pennant banner to decorate the bar and the lawn, drink stirrers, table numbers, menus, programs (which I hand printed with a gocco). We baked over 1000 cookies for a cookie buffet. Our mothers really came through for us and did a lot of sewing, making all of the table overlays, and the chuppah top.
A few days before the wedding as my mom and I were baking our final batches of cookies for favors, my Mom asked how many hours I thought I spent on making everything for the wedding, I couldn’t even take a guess. “Was it worth it?” she asked me. I replied that I would have to let her know after the wedding was over. Looking back I think all the work and details we put into the wedding made the whole evening the special event that it was. Everything that we and our families made was made with love and creativity.
