Perfectly classic and timelessly stunning, this beautiful Boston Harbor Hotel wedding is one for the books. Captured by Rebekah Kay Photography in a way that will make you swoon and then some, each image sitting in this gallery is worthy of making your jaw drop. It’s the perfect post to cozy up to on this snowy day, and you can see it all here.
From the Bride…For those that know AJ and I well, they know our wedding day was written in the stars a long time ago. AJ and I first fell in love sophomore year of high school, and while we went our separate ways, we re-connected many years later … this time forever. After two more years, AJ swept me off my feet with his proposal on a vacation to Riviera Maya. We intended to wait until we got home before we started any planning, but it was nearly impossible. In the advertising and public relations field, event planning is a huge part of my job – so the thought of planning the event of my life had my wheels turning instantly. Family, friends, and co-workers may be surprised to know that I actually wasn’t one who had dreamed of this day my whole life and wasn’t ready to simply press go; my vision was starting from complete scratch. And very quickly, it was apparent that AJ’s role during the process (the most important of all) was being the endless resource of love and support – not only for his bride-to-be, but for our many loved ones seeking advice or answers along the way.
We had two guiding principles of inspiration that impacted every single decision and brought together even the smallest details that made this day truly special:
1) That the wedding day looked and felt very “Christina” + very “AJ” + very “Christina and AJ”. Both AJ and I have very different – but distinct – personalities that we wanted to stand out and marry together, not only in the décor but in tone and mood as well. The details of décor and flow were very important to us! We wanted the look and feel to be traditional and classic, but also romantic and relaxed. This led us to make several key decisions: having the ceremony at St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown, two streets from our home (also allowing me, my parents and bridesmaids to get ready at home and walk to the ceremony!); my dress choice that felt equally unconventional and elegant; wearing my hair down to look more like myself; the signature drink choices (The Groom’s Old Fashioned with Jack Daniels and The Bride’s Prosecco with raspberries); our Bentley and North Andover group photos, as these groups of people are some of the many that have impacted our journey; handing out Smolak donuts on the trolley rides where both AJ and I worked in our hometown; or finally, dancing to Bob Marley’s One Love as our last dance, because it’s AJ’s all-time favorite – and as he used to quote in high school, “as it was in the beginning, so it shall be in the end”.
2) Our next guiding principle was that everyone have a BLAST! Family and friends are our number one priority, and to us, seeing our friends and family happy make us happy! Given that all of our friends and family were traveling from near and far, it influenced us to find a downtown Boston based venue so it could be as convenient as possible: insert the dazzling and iconic Boston Harbor Hotel. Our greatest hope for the day was that our guests felt at home with the attentive service they so genuinely provided, and happily full with the flowing food and drinks. Trolley transportation to and from the church and Boston Harbor Hotel was aimed to provide some ease to any city stress driving and parking may cause our guests. Next, every single “vendor” decision was carefully made by finding people that AJ and I felt a connection with – from our invitation designers, florists and photographer to our videographer, seamstress and hair stylists felt like having a friend as part of our wedding – they were never really “vendors” from the start. The band was also certainly one of those decisions – the music from the talented Eye 2 Eye was intended to appeal to the varying ages, and by looks on the dance floor from opening to close, we think – and truly hope – that everyone indeed had a blast. Just in case our guests hadn’t had enough of a good time, and because we couldn’t bear to the party end, we continued to party on at a private space reserved across the street at Granary Tavern – with late night snacks and the very best of company.
We’re so thankful to everyone who helped make the 21st of September a day we’ll always remember.
Photography: Rebekah Kay Photography | Videography: Oxford Media Films | Event Planning: Monx Design House | Florist: Les Fleurs | Invitations: Gus & Ruby Letterpress | Ceremony Venue: St. Mary's Charlestown | Reception Venue: Boston Harbor Hotel | Reception Venue: Boston Harbor Hotel | Shoes: Valentino | Bridesmaids Dresses: Allure Bridal | Hair Stylist: Loxx By Justine | Lighting: Boston Uplights | Band: Wilson Stevens | Transportation: The Original Party Trolley | Bridal Boutique And Alterations: Madeleine's Daughter | Bridal Gown Designer: JLM Couture, Inc | Dress 2: La Femme | Groomsmen Tux: Men's Wearhouse | Make-Up Artist: Travi De La Rosa | Rentals: Peterson Party Center