Now this is a wedding that is just as sweet as can be and it’s all set in the heart of one of my favorite cities in the country. Boston has the best of charming historical sites and gorgeous architecture and the blu Restaurant’s amazingly gigantic windows allowed these guests to soak up every bit of the gorgeous downtown. And that all came after the ceremony at the swoon-inducing College Club of Boston. See it all captured by Melissa DeSchamp Photography in our gallery right here.
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From the Bride… Greg and I live near downtown Boston, and immediate family spreads from northern NH to southern CT. Our challenge was to find a place where both families could come to enjoy the day with us. Greg and I were also determined to not spend more than $20,000 on our wedding. We had planned on having a small event with less than 70 people and really felt that we could have a beautiful wedding without cutting corners and stay within this budget. We wanted our wedding to be non-traditional in some respects (I didn’t pick colors, the bridesmaids picked their own dresses, and the guys wore suspenders of their own choosing) and traditional in others (we took our vows very seriously and wanted our parents involved in the process). We began our search in western Massachusetts at traditional wedding venues – museums, event spaces, local farms – and nothing worked within our budget that we were really excited about. I started to feel really discouraged, so on a whim, I broadened my search to the downtown Boston area and started to think outside the box. I came across blu Restaurant at The Sports Club LA. It was such a great space – very architectural and modern with almost a lounge feel. After contacting them, I learned that they had no charge to rent the space, only a food and beverage minimum. After tasting the food, Greg and I decided that this was the place for us.
Originally, we had planned to have our ceremony on their roof deck, a beautiful space that overlooked Boston Common. However, after learning that there was no “plan B” for weather, we felt it was too risky and that we should find a separate location for the ceremony. This is where we truly lucked out… After sifting through numerous churches and libraries, and finding that they would cost a small fortune, I came across The College Club of Boston. It was gorgeous. No need to decorate — the room was beautiful as is, with a baby grand piano, fireplace, period details and floral curtains. The cost of renting the space was $300. Yes, that’s correct, $300. Perfect! The money got you an hour and a half – just enough time to have a small wedding. And best of all, it was located directly across the Boston Common from our reception venue so guests could either walk through the park or take a city cab.
Our ceremony was perfect. We found a justice of the peace who asked us to answer survey questions and was able to completely customize our ceremony, crafting a “love story” for Greg and I using our own words. We had live piano music, a heartfelt ceremony and a reading by my oldest niece of E.E. Cummings’ “I Carry Your Heart in My Heart.” After the ceremony, our guests made their way to blu Restaurant’s roof deck for an extra-long cocktail hour (we gave them an hour and a half) where they could take in the sights of the Boston Common, the capital building and Beacon Hill. Again, a little quirky but worth it — you had to walk through the gym of The Sports Club LA to get to the roof deck. Thankfully, being a holiday weekend, the place was a very empty. After the cocktail hour, guests made their way to the restaurant for the first dance, dinner, speeches, an open bar, more dancing and a cupcake buffet. We surrounded the dance floor with high top tables and benches to make the dance area more of a club and keep people involved and having fun for well into the night. Overall, we wanted our guests to have fun, relax and just be there to celebrate our day, and we didn’t want to break the bank to do it. We managed to stay within our budget and have a downtown city wedding that was absolutely beautiful.
Wedding Photography: Melissa DeSchamp Photography / Ceremony: The College Club of Boston in Boston, Massachusetts / Reception + Catering: blu Restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts / Floral Design: Bow Street Flowers / Officiant: Elly Jackson of Boston Ceremonies / Bakery: Cakeology / Piano: Tony Malionek / DJ: Classic Events / Wedding Dress: Essense of Australia via Madeleine’s Daughter / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Hair: Shag Boston / Makeup: DIY by the Bride