Saratoga Springs Winter Wedding from Tracey Buyce

Once in awhile a wedding comes along that checks every single love of mine. This usually entails a sun-filled beach wedding somewhere tropical. But sometimes it is all about a romantic winter affair. And this baby has a whole lot of checks. Great photography at the hands of Tracey Buyce: check. A sea of beautiful blooms crafted by Renaissance Floral Design: another check. Modern meets whimsical meets traditional meets gorgeous: check, check, check, and check. It’s a clementine-filled love affair and you can see even more right here.



Colors
Seasons
Winter Weddings
Styles
Modern


From the Bride… Bill and I attended the same, small law school in upstate New York, but we didn’t meet each other until a school trip to Cleveland, Ohio. While there, and in true ladylike fashion, I challenged him in a drinking game. The rest, as they say, is history. After Bill proposed, we quickly decided on the historic Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs, NY and picked a December date. I had always wanted a winter wedding done in bright, punchy colors. No snowflakes, red-and-green, or sparkly winter inspiration for us.

With typical winter colors out of the running, the driving force for our wedding design came from my personal style, which I describe as a “marriage” of Anthropologie and CB2—a little bit vintage and whimsical, with a healthy dose of modern. The inspiration started with two things: orange clementines in milk glass, and an edge-painted, gray letterpress Irving invitation from Bella Figura. From there, I found the most beautiful gray, pink, and orange Aimee Wilder wallpaper—which ultimately ended up as the runner on the head table, and on the escort boards—and a concept and color palette started to take shape. Because I had lots of contrasting design components, I wanted a unifying element that we could repeat throughout the day. We decided on a gray-and-white chevron pattern and incorporated it everywhere—from the flower girls’ skirts, to the napkins on the head table, and the to-go cookies for the end of the night.

I also saw the wedding as an opportunity to flex my crafty, creative side (not something that gets much use in my day-to-day life as an attorney). I designed our day-of wedding paper and, with the help of my amazing mom, executed seemingly-endless DIY details like the table numbers, escort boards, and signage. The design was very “me,” but our day also highlighted some of the most memorable moments that Bill and I have shared as a couple. The cocktail hour featured a chef-manned Thai station (a nod to a trip Bill and I took after graduating law school), and the bar poured wine from our favorite vineyard. And although Bill and I didn’t know each other in our undergrad years, I have heard all about his college a cappella group and I’ve met many of his friends from those days. As a surprise, I arranged to have the group travel to Saratoga and perform between dinner courses.

Wedding Photography: Tracey Buyce Photography / Wedding Venue: The Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs, New York / Wedding Planning: Shannon Whitney of Wedding Planning Plus / Floral Design + Linen Rentals: Renaissance Floral Design, LLC / Rentals and Lighting: Clifton Park Rental Center / Wedding Catering: Mansion Catering / Wedding Cake: Villa Italia Bakery / Wedding Invitations: Bella Figura / Misc. Wedding Stationery: Bride’s Design / Band: Phase One of Craig Scott Entertainment / Bride’s Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Fur Wrap: Family Heirloom / Bride’s Earrings: Honeybee Collection (Hope Star Deco Earrings) / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Hair + Makeup: Make Me Fabulous / Groom’s Tux: Tommy Hilfiger