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.
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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.
Photography: Lisa Rigby / Makeup: Dani Wagener / Gown: Justin Alexander / Bridesmaid dresses: Alfred Sung / Groom’s Suit: Valentino / Groom’s Shoes: Florsheim / Bride’s Shoes: Luichiny / Invitations: Two Trick Pony / Rentals: Fancy That Unique Party Rentals / Food: Sofra Bakery / Caterer: Butlers & Bars / Flowers: Bow Street Flowers / Venue: Commander’s Mansion / Escort Cards: John Derian Co. / DJ: Jim Siegel / Tea: Harney & Sons