Cape Cod Wedding with Sweet Charm

There is just something so sweet about this next wedding. The undeniably gorgeous bride, the pretty vintage styling, the total understated elegance. Sent us by Olive, at The Casual Gourmet, this wedding is pure yumminess. To see the full wedding click right here.

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I really wanted the entire day to be a romantic, glamorous, garden affair with vintage touches. We chose to get married in Chatham, on Cape Cod. My parents bought our house in 1982, the year I was born, and moved to Chatham full time when I graduated from high school.  We spent most of our holidays growing up at the house, and have so many many wonderful memories there. There is no place I’d rather be than at my home in the town by the beautiful ocean I love.  As it was where we were engaged, and a place where we fell in love, Dave and I knew it would be the perfect setting for the wedding.

I decided to wear my mother’s dress, and to have her walk me down the aisle. We went to Priscilla of Boston – same salon my mother went to and had a seamstress named Lula (who has been at Priscilla for over thirty years, and may have even worked on my mom’s dress originally!) work on the dress.  She removed the neck area to make an open sweetheart neckline. 

I knew the flowers had to be beautiful, graceful and welcoming. I wanted the softness of blooming garden roses and peonies, all loosely put together and looking fresh and just snipped from the garden. Nestled in my bouquet of white hydrangea and pale pink roses was a tiny picture of the my father, who had passed away a few years ago. He and I had many times looked out to our lawn together and talked about how beautiful a wedding at the house someday would be. It was so important to me that he be included in the day. The necklace that I wore was a gift from my father.

The food, provided by the Casual Gourmet, included both traditional Cape Cod favorites and upscale, elegantly presented cuisine, with many items sourced locally.  A raw bar, displayed in a charming little  dory, featured oysters and littleneck clams harvested on the Cape, an hors d’oeuvre of fresh caught local lobster with tobiko caviar and wasabi foam, a salad of organic greens and herbs from a nearby farm, and a dinner of Chatham haddock.

I’ll never forget how wonderful I felt the morning of the wedding. It had been raining for all of June, and I rolled over in bed to see the most brilliant, hot sun shining in on me. Dave’s family was staying at our home for the weekend, and that morning they, and my family, and the bridal party all came together to hang the lanterns and ribbons in the trees, and to place the paper butterflys in the trees.  I was wandering around taking photos of it all happening, and I just remember being totally overwhelmed with happiness, that these two families were coming together into one, and that we had such a beautiful happy day ahead!

Venue: Bride’s family home / Caterer, Cake & Event Coordination: Casual Gourmet / Florist: Katie McConnell of the Wild Bunch Studio / Photography: Paul Morse & Ralph Alswang / Band: The Mac Chrupcala Orchestra / Bridal attire: Priscilla of Boston, dress circa 1973-1974, Modified and tailored for this wedding also at Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Vineyard Collection from Priscilla of Boston / Flower Girl dress: US Angels / Ring Bearer dish: Paloma’s Nest / Tent: Undercover Tent / Tablelinens: BBJ Linens / Tableware Rentals: Rentals Unlimited / Calligrapher: Sharon Morgera