This wedding gave me chills. From the moment I set sight on the images from Susan Baker Photography to the last line of the sweet description from the Mother of the Bride – chills. Because it’s beautiful defined, and with Matthew Robbins Design at the design helm and JZ Events planning every last moment to perfection, it’s a level of beautiful that simply can’t be matched. It’s understated elegance perfectly executed complete with a timelessly stunning Monique Lhuiller gown, and you can see every last gorgeous detail right here.
Hart Pictures keeps the gorgeous going with their oh so lovely film of this stunning soiree…
From The Bride’s Mother… From the moment they became engaged Woodney and John were adamant-they did not want a fancy wedding. They were quite terrified about the bells and whistles that weddings tend to come with. Both appreciate tradition but some things about some weddings just seemed “over the top”. The challenge for the bride’s parents was how to plan a wedding that was within the couples comfort zone while also being gracious, fun and memorable for the guests and the couple. Initially, John offered to prepare the wedding meal himself-an idea that was gently rebuffed by all involved.
One aspect of her wedding day that had long captured Woodney’s imagination was her bridal attire. She thoroughly enjoyed shopping for the perfect dress and the Monique Llhuiller dress that she chose was just what she had envisioned. To really make the dress her very own, a very old linen hankie with pale blue embroidery around the border, once belonging to her late paternal grandfather, was monogrammed with the bride’s initials and the wedding date and sewn into the lining of the dress, This touch went unnoticed by others but was a special part of Woodney’s day.
After searching for their wedding venue for months, Woodney and John realized that the perfect place was right in front of their eyes all along- a lovely open field bordered by leafy trees at her parent’s home. It seemed a perfect spot for a 3 peaked tent to shelter their guests. It was a personal place to Woodney and seemed to have the right feel. Having the wedding at home also allowed them more control over the wedding dinner menu, something that they were very excited about. They were eager to serve some of their favorite comfort foods. After some research and recommendations, they found their ideal collaboration with Mary Guiliani and her catering company in New York City.
Woodney and John were also eager to find the right person to help them realize and refine their vision of the decor for the reception. They wanted the feel to be one of comfort, elegant simplicity, and softness with an abundance of summer colors- a gracious yet subtly sophisticated pastoral meal.
They found the ideal designer to achieve their dream in Matthew Robbins. Matthew seemed to understand and share their vision from the start. With his expertise, all of the many details of the reception were realized and fine tuned. An abundance of summer blooms in various shades of blues, purples and greens in assorted vessels created beautiful landscapes on each of the rectangular tables. The rough-hewn farm tables with bentwood chairs were left to be admired with cut lace table runners down the centers. Candles in copper lanterns and cut glass holders softly lit the scene. Old chalkboards provided the signage for the evening. The table numbers were calligraphed in white paint on slate slabs. Similarly, small slate pieces served as the escort cards painted with each guests name and table assignment and tied with cording to vintage skeleton keys. The look was one of warmth and welcome, as hoped for by Woodney and John to share with family and friends on their very special day!
[dotted]
Wedding Photography: Susan Baker & Francesco Mastalia from Susan Baker Photography | Ceremony Venue: Princeton University Chapel in Princeton, New Jersey | Reception Venue: Bride’s Family Home in Short Hills, New Jersey | Event Planner: Jennifer Zabinski from JZ Events | Floral Design + Decor: Matthew Robbins Design | Wedding Cinematography: Hart Pictures | Catering + Wedding Cake: Mary Guiliani Catering | Reception Tent: Sperry Tents | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuiller | Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Amsale | Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Brooks Brothers