Shopping for my wedding dress was one of my favorite experiences during my engagement. I love my wedding dress. A lot. But I have to admit that today’s Connecticut wedding has me head over heels for this polka dot Melissa Sweet dress. It’s ADORABLE, isn’t it? And do you know what makes any wedding dress that much more adorable? You guessed it – a pair of Jimmy Choos! Sigh. Fabulous fashion aside, Carolyn and Jamie’s classic wedding, shot by Orchard Cove Photography, is a whirlwind of elegant style. But as even Carolyn admits – it all started with that dress!Fear not, more pictures from this incredibly fashionable wedding here! xoxo Chantale from La Belle Bride
see more of the pretty details in the gallery
From our bride, Carolyn:
With the help of my mom and our amazing wedding planner, Lindsay, the style molded into vintage, garden and whimsy. Much of the decor was actually chosen with my dress in mind. It’s a gorgeous ivory modified A-line gown by Melissa Sweet. It has a sweetheart neckline, and the bottom flares out when I spin around. The material is actually a swiss dot organza with layers of silk charmeuse underneath. I wore a blush colored feather in my hair and a birdcage veil, and my shoes, a maryjane peep toe in a champagne sparkle material by Jimmy Choo, are my favorite. Jamie and his men wore classic black tuxedos with slim black ties, and Jamie decided against any sort of boutonniere or pocket square. The maids wore celery green silk chantung dresses with ivory sashes by Kathlin Argiro. They each chose a slightly different style, and we tied the sash to look similar to my own.
We had lots of ranunculus, peonies, hydrangeas, and roses in shades of white, cream, and blush with hosta leaves and lambs ears in our bouquets and centerpieces. The centerpieces were a mix of tall candelabras and shorter varieties. The fireplace was filled with tall ivory pillar candles, and the mantle was lined with a mix of tall ivory pillars and silver candlesticks with tapers. The linens were a minty green. We had silver dot chargers topped with ivory swiss dot napkins, and we chose these awesome whitewash chiavari’s. We had silver frames holding our placecards on ribbons, and our planner let us borrow her antique birdcage for our cards.
We were open to many different areas around New England for our wedding, and trust me – we looked at SO many places! We decided ultimately that we didn’t want to go out-of-state so we tried to focus on the areas of Connecticut that were special and appealing to us, one of them being New Haven. I was originally interested in the style of New Haven Lawn Club because it had a classic brick exterior with large archways, original floor-to-ceiling, paned windows, very high ceilings, and a hardwood floor in the ballroom. When I saw the huge art deco chandeliers, wall sconces and giant, breathtaking mirror over the fireplace that ties into the look of the chandeliers, I was sold.
I was told these fixtures have survived two fires since the forties, and I just imagine fabulous parties in there back in the day! That’s an atmosphere that we definitely wanted for our wedding. My mother let me where my great-grandmother’s blue topaz ring as my something old, borrowed, and blue. Also, I chose to have my mom and dad walk me down the aisle, which was special to me. I asked my mom to do a toast for us, and I danced to Angel in my Arms with my Dad, which is a song that he chose for us about a dad giving his daughter away on her wedding day.
Jamie danced with his mom to Sweet Baby James, which is what she used to sing to him when he was a baby. One of my most vivid memories of the day was seeing Jamie for the first time at our “first look”. I thought it might be weird to just see each other and talk while getting our picture taken, but it was very calming and private. We took so many pictures together and with the bridal party so it got the fun started early. It was wonderful to know that when I walked down the aisle, I no longer had to worry about seeing Jamie for the first time in front of everyone.
Ceremony & Reception Venue: New Haven Long Club / Photography: Orchard Cove Photography / Event Planning & Invitations : Lindsay from Sixpence Events / Florist : Marcy of Dragonfly Events / DJ : Rob Waldron of Standing Ovations / Ceremony Music : Millenium Music / Lighting : Dan of ShinDig Lighting / Table Linens : BBJ Linens / Videography : Dominick Boucher of Life Videos / Carolyn’s Dress : Melissa Sweet via The White Dress by the Shore / Bridesmaid’s Dresses : Kathlin Argiro / Hair & Makeup : Candice & Tonya of Naomi’s Studio & Salon / Cake: Creative Cakes by Donna