From the moment the guests laid eyes on the beautiful invitation suite from Bella Figura, they knew they were in for something special. And something special it was, based on the images from Alison Conklin Photography. Black tie but with a hint of classy boho, rustic but fresh, this wedding was superb.
You definitely won’t want to miss this video from Tweed Weddings – it’s beautiful!
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From the stunning bride… Having grown up just 10 miles down the river in New Hope, Pennsylvania, I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t familiar with Holly Hedge Estate until Ryan and I got engaged – but when we visited from New York City one night, we quickly decided that it was the only venue we needed to see. It is quintessential Bucks County with its rustic stonewalled barn, English courtyard and 15-room bed & breakfast nestled on more than 20 acres of beautiful property. The grounds provided the perfect backdrop for our intimate celebration with nearly 200 of our closest friends and family. For the outdoor ceremony and bouquets, I wanted flowers that would complement the nature surrounding us, so I opted for an assortment of whites and creams with brunia berry, thistle and succulents. For the inside reception, we added touches of dusty rose with mercury glass and wood elements, as well as globe string lights that cast a romantic glow over the dance floor. One of both Ryan and my favorite parts of the planning process was choosing the music. We hired the Philadelphia String Quartet for the ceremony, a 12-piece band for the reception and asked our family friends to sing a duet between readings (they killed it). My niece and nephew served as our flower girl and ring bearer and both wore silk outfits handmade by my sister-in-law, who also sewed us a special monogrammed ring pillow. I had our florist design matching baby’s breath crowns for me and my niece, which I put on for some of our photos. Otherwise, I kept my hair and jewelry simple, wearing diamond studs that were a wedding day gift from Ryan.
We decided to get married over Labor Day Weekend (one of the few available fall dates), thinking that the extra day off would be nice for our family members coming in from California and Charlotte, NC. The time of year also marked eight years since Ryan and I met in college at Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, September first had to be the hottest, most humid day of the year, and it poured rain the entire morning – but I say that it must’ve been my late grandma looking down on us when a ray of sunlight lit the walkway of our ceremony. After we said our vows, Ryan and I headed down the aisle as husband and wife to Jack Johnson’s “Better Together.” The courtyard quickly transitioned to cocktail hour, where we served mason jars of Dark & Stormys (the irony of the day’s weather forecast was not lost on us). This is our go-to drink in Nantucket, which is where we got engaged on a sailboat on the 4th of July. We used a photo of us right before Ryan proposed for our “guest book,” which was a wooden puzzle with enough pieces for all of our guests to sign. I don’t think our friends or family left the dance floor the entire night, except to enjoy dinner while our band entertained with Frank Sinatra and Andrea Bocelli ballads. We provided buckets of flip flops for tired feet and as favors, encouraged guests to “Take Home a Taste of New Hope” with a custom box of truffles from our family’s favorite local chocolate shop. At the after party back in the barn, we served Philly soft pretzels and cheesesteaks and continued celebrating into the morning hours. Way too many soft pretzels and cheesesteaks later, we retreated to the bed & breakfast with our bridal party. Ryan and I were the last two standing that night.
Photography: Alison Conklin Photography | Videography: Tweed Weddings | Florist: Mark Bryan Designs | Band: Ebe Amsterdam | Wedding Venue: Holly Hedge Estate | Brides Gown: Shopbop | Invites: Bella Figura