There’s a certain mystic to Cape Cod weddings and this nuptial, captured by Joyelle West, is no exception. Surrounded by pristine beaches and a gently blowing breeze, this modern affair is overflowing with romantic red florals by Allison Phalen and proves that it doesn’t get any more romantic than a day by the sea with the one you love. More right here!
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From Joyelle West…A fashion-forward couple from New York has a modern and chic spin on a Cape Cod beach wedding. A family home on a beautiful in Cape Cod beach was the setting for this summer wedding. The couple lives in New York City, so their wedding was not a traditional affair, but instead had a sophisticated, modern approach that ended with a giant bonfire on the beach.
From the Bride… Amy Odell… Rick and I live in NYC but got married at his grandparents’ home on Cape Cod. We looked at a lot of venues but ultimately decided we wanted to have the wedding at a place that felt special (we got engaged on the beach there as well) and would go back to often. Plus, we love that beach and used it throughout the weekend. We had a bonfire after party on the beach with s’mores and invited everyone over the next day for a picnic brunch and beach time.
As for the wedding, we wanted something simple, elegant, chic, modern. The traditional Cape Cod route — salmon/blue/nautical touches — isn’t really my style so we went with a color scheme of red, pink, and burgundy. We also put tons of twinkle lights in the ceiling of the tent and had a black and white dance floor. I was so fixated on nothing being too fussy or over the top that I worried I would regret the floor for looking like “too much” but it actually looked amazing against our flowers and the green grass. We didn’t want to detract from the setting, either — we didn’t have any large, over-the-top floral arrangements or anything like that, but you don’t need it when the place you’re getting married is so pretty!
We did a lot of research to find vendors, with the help of our planner Jamie Bohlin. I have to say planning a home wedding is a ton of work and we could not have done it without her. We spent a long time looking for our amazing photographer (!) and incredible florist and it completely paid off. Our caterer, Casual Gourmet, was also amazing and even ran to the liquor store when we ran out of champagne partway through the wedding.
For bridesmaids dresses, I gave the girls a color (pink) and let them pick out something they liked. I didn’t ask for a certain length or anything. I can’t imaging forcing anyone to spend money on a dress they don’t want just so it can be the same as everyone else’s. Everyone ended up with a different shade of pink, which I expected, but looked fabulous all together.
My dress was by Reem Acra. It was pretty simple except for a bit of asymmetrical lace detailing and a dramatic Grecian back. It also came with a very long veil with a little lace detailing that I was completely obsessed with. My shoes were a bargain buy from ASOS for $80. I needed a thick heel that wouldn’t sink into the grass and they carried an adorable silver pair that I still wear!
My makeup was done by Carly Cardellino, my close friend and the beauty editor of Cosmopolitan.com. She gave me a purple-hued smoky eye and pink lip and really glowing skin, inspired by a look I saw on Diane Kruger. The hair was done by my hair dresser in New York, Travis Speck, who works at Sally Hershberger. I have naturally wavy hair, so he just did a more finished version of it with extensions and lots of humidity-fighting product. I wore my hair down for the ceremony when I had the veil in and then he put it half up when I took the veil off.
Photography: Joyelle West Photography | Videography: Heirloom Pictures | Event Planning: Cape Cod Celebrations | Floral Design: Allison Phalen Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Reem Acra | Bride's Shoes: ASOS | Caterer: The Casual Gourmet | Hair: Travis Speck | DJ: Murray Hill Talent | Groom's Suit: Calvin Klein | Venue: Private Residence | Tent: Chase Canopy | Bride's Makeup: Chante Cutter | Bridesmaids' Makeup: Amanda McCarthy Beauty | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited