We have sooooooo many beautiful weddings that have been sent to us this summer by our very special Little Black Book members! Ranging in style from sleek and sophisticated to charming country affairs. Inside, outside, bold or filled with delicacy, they all have one thing in common. In each wedding, the couple expresses the mantra of Style Me Pretty. Each and every one wants their day to speak to who they are as a couple. Whether they incorporate age-old traditions or introduce new and meaningful touches of their own, the important thing, now, is to be certain that your wedding embraces you and your partner. Today’s bride, shares their story and says just that about her own wedding day!
I knew from the beginning that our wedding would be non-traditional. We come from different backgrounds, and we knew that we didn’t want our wedding to reflect a tradition that neither of us fully felt compatible with, but more so who we are as a couple and how we view the world. I probably would have gone off the deep end with all the non-traditional elements, but Mike is a little more conservative and pulled me toward the center throughout the process.
With that intention, we tried to be very purposeful with our choices. We knew we wanted a natural-looking event, so we chose an earthy palette (my rules: no bold colors, no glitter) with shades of sage, oatmeal, soft yellow, stone gray and blush throughout. As an environmental engineer and now law student, Mike is very concerned with the environment, so we tried to be very conscious of our waste. We incorporated as many recycled or reusable products as possible (soy candles as escort cards, found materials, etc.), we tried to “go local” and also limit our paper usage, and we found vendors who understood our sense of purpose and us and could work with it.
From Jessica, at Jessica’s Country Flowers … For the bride’s flowers, bouquets were hand-tied and consisted of peonies, garden roses, dahlias, billy balls, and various in-season, locally grown flowers. We used natural twine to wrap the stems of all of the bouquets. We used the same twine for detailing on all of the boutonnieres. We used a mix of high and low centerpieces. The low pieces were in wooden boxes with a gardeny mix. The tall ‘tree’ centerpieces were created out of curly willow branches, moss and roses along with cymbidium orchids. We finished the base of each tree with moss and river rocks to complete the natural look. The Chuppah they were married under was simple, with birch branches, fabric and only a few touches of flowers.
From the bride … We used the willow branch as our motif. As an English teacher, I appreciate the symbolism that a willow bends, but it does not break–like a strong relationship. It appeared on the invitations, on the small cake (made by a family friend), on the table numbers, and in the floral look. I wrote our ceremony, and it was officiated by my best friend’s father. It incorporated elements of both of our faiths that were dear to us, and we also shared a sonnet by Pablo Neruda, since I was living abroad in Chile the months before I met Mike, and he sweetly brought Chilean wine to our first real date.We chose ethnic foods that we love for our appetizers and served cookies and an ice cream sundae bar for dessert.
What a beautiful and meaningful way to begin your lives together! Congratulations!
Our thanks to Jessica at Jessica’s Country Flowers for sharing!
Photography: Leslie Dumke Studio, Flowers: Jessica’s Country Flowers, Make-up: Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, Ceremony & Reception Venue: Guilford Yacht Club, Caterer: Jordan’s Caterer, Invitations: Lilywillow Paper and Press, Dress: Modern Trousseau, purchased at The White Dress by the Shore, Veil: The bride’s Grandmothers, re-worked by The White Dress by the Shore, Bridesmaids gowns: purchased at Bella Bridesmaid in Westport, CT, Escort cards, programs, table numbers: The bride and her mother