Carriage House at the Barney Estate Wedding by Studio SMC Photography

I know summer is just around the corner and I should be longing for days spent lounging on the beach, but once I laid my eyes on this breathtaking Springfield soiree by Studio SMC Photography, I couldn’t possibly think of anything, but my favorite season – Fall.  Yep, with the changing leaves and warm hues as their backdrop, this adorable duo tied the knot in one seriously stunning affair… and from that gorgeous gown to the cozy vibe, I simply can’t get enough.  Click here for more.

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From the Bride… I was never one of those women who start planning their weddings when they were little girls. So when Dave and I got engaged, we were very overwhelmed with planning a wedding from scratch! We both grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and recently had purchased a home there, so we knew we wanted the wedding to take place in Western Massachusetts. Thankfully we were able to start planning the ceremony since I’ve always wanted to get married in my alma mater’s chapel in South Hadley (Yay for Mount Holyoke College!). As for the reception, we fell in love with the Barney Carriage House in Forest Park. The space is lovely and the tent was exactly what we were looking for! We were so happy to have the party in Springfield.

Dave and I are both close to our large families, so we knew from the beginning that we would have a decent-sized party. We’re both pretty laid-back, geeky types, so we wanted to have a fun, bright, crafty feel. I’ve always been crafty, so I knew there would be a lot of homemade details. I had a lot of fun collecting inspiration and seeing it all come to life! I spend a lot of time knitting, so knitting a wedding shawl was one of my top priorities. Having an heirloom that I actually wore all night is one of my proudest accomplishments. It was easy to incorporate our colors of red, yellow, and orange throughout the details. I loved picking out all the different fabrics for the escort cards and table covers. Dave made the cornhole sets that were used during cocktail hour and the reception. We picked up the cornhole bags in our wedding colors on a road trip to Kentucky we took three weeks before the wedding! I never felt that strongly about flowers, so I collected a couple of inspiration pictures of the flowers I liked to give to my friend and florist, Kae. She knocked it out of the park and gave us my dream flowers. I was worried about dress shopping since I’m plus-sized but I’m happy to report I had nothing but great experiences in all the local bridal shops. I wasn’t sure about wearing a strapless dress, but my Sophia Tolli gown fit me like a glove and I felt fabulous wearing it. My jewelry was custom-made by Roxy’s Jewelery using pearls my grandparents had given me over the years, in hopes of giving me a pearl necklace for my wedding. Sandra of Studio SMC Photography captured all the details and moments of our wedding perfectly with her wonderful eye.

Our ceremony was a reflection of our relationship and our personalities. I walked down the aisle to the “Princess Bride” theme and our Justice of the Peace opened the ceremony with a perfect imitation of the “mawage” speech from the movie. We both have Celtic backgrounds, so we felt strongly that a hand-fasting was the best representation of tying the knot and getting married. After the ceremony, we had a receiving line, per the suggestion of our photographer, Sandra. It was wonderful to be greeted by our closest friends and family, surrounded by all the love. I can’t imagine starting our marriage any other way. The rest of of day was pretty near perfect, as well. I can’t imagine a more perfect day.

Wedding Photography: Studio SMC Photography / Wedding Ceremony: Abbey Chapel at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts / Wedding Reception: The Carriage House at the Barney Estate in Springfield, Massachusetts / Floral Design: Edge Floral Design / Cupcakes: Gregory’s Pastry Shop (413-586-9900) / Wedding Invitations: Paradise Copies / Tree Guest Print: Lovliday / Wedding Dress: Sophia Tolli via Pearl Bridal Boutique / Hair: Salon Karma / Makeup: Makeup Artistry by Liz / Jewelry + Hair Accessories: Roxy’s Jewelry Boutique / Shawl + Parasol Cover: Knitted by the Bride / Bridesmaids dresses: Alfred Sung / Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse / Cufflinks: Squishy Sushi / Bride’s Shoes: Payless