Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than their autumn-inspired rehearsal, I saw Heather Waraksa’s captures plus Buzz Media’s film of the big day and officially found my new favorite wedding. It’s an ode to all things fall (read: an entire wall of apples on display), with New England’s famous foliage playing backdrop. Bellafare planned, Matthew Robbins designed, and Facetime Beauty took hair and makeup to the next level. One little look inside THE VAULT and you’ll be totally convinced an autumn wedding is for you.
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From The Bride… Before the wedding, I had a two-year fellowship with the Yale Sustainable Food Program. I was their Lazarus Fellow in Sustainable Food an Agriculture, and I organized educational programming for the Program. Before that, I worked as a line cook at the restaurant Rouge Tomate in NYC, and went to culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute.
Chris is currently on sabbatical from Dalberg Global Development Advisors, a management consulting firm working to fight poverty, where he is a Project Leader. He’s worked with the company for 5 years. While we travel, we’re both writing children’s stories, a passion of both of ours.
We met while we were undergraduates at Yale University. We first met at a party when I was a newly-minted freshman and Chris was just starting his senior year. The party was broken up before we could really talk, so we went our separate ways. As fate would have it, Chris came back for an extra semester (the fall of 2007) — he played football at Yale, and had red-shirted for a season because of injuries. We started dating when Chris was back for his ‘victory lap,’ so to speak.
Two things were very important to us: the weekend atmosphere and the food. We really wanted a location where our family and wedding party could stay on property, so we could all be together. We also knew that we wanted to get married in the Northeast in the fall, because the foliage is so gorgeous. Winvian offered the exact atmosphere we wanted, as well as the food. They cultivate their own organic vegetable garden, raise chickens, pigs, and lambs, and the chef (Chris Eddy) works only with seasonal, local ingredients. During my time at the Yale Sustainable Food Program, I had gotten to know some of the local farmers that Winvian worked with, so it all seemed perfect. Not to mention, Winvian does all wedding catering a la minute (nothing pre-cooked or pre-made) and the chef does it himself. Suffice to say, Winvian was everything we dreamed of, and more.
I would our theme was “cozy fall weekend.” We had blankets everywhere, a bonfire with s’mores at the rehearsal dinner, fires roaring in all the fireplaces across the property, and at the reception, an entire wall was lined with apples (inspired by the restaurant Bouley in NYC that does this every fall).
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From Bellafare… The bride, Kate, had always envisioned lots of greens for her wedding day but no florals. Based on this, our gray/gold/and green themed emerged and was cohesive throughout the wedding day.
Upon arrival, guests were greeted with spritzers to get the special evening started. After settling in, guests took their seats on vintage church pews lined with potted plants and cozy pashminas and pillows, to keep warm during the brisk Autumn day. The heartfelt ceremony was performed by the bride’s grandmother, Gammy, and included an ode to Kate and Chris’ childhood stuffed animals. Following the ceremony, guests sipped on cocktails outside of Grandma’s kitchen and rested their feet on the gorgeous collection of ottomans, couches, and chairs that Matthew Robbin’s team curated.
Once guests had a chance to mingle, they were invited to dinner in the Gordon Brown House. As they walked through the stone pathway leading to the barn, a surprise fireworks show kicked off the night! Immediately upon entering the Gordon Brown House, guests could smell the fragrant apple wall alongside the entrance, which was designed after one of the couples’ favorite restaurants, Bouley.
Each guest’s name and table number was hand written on a wooden stake nestled into a bed of herbs. A vignette of apples, vintage books, and benches were placed outside of the barn near the entrance and gray fabric was elegantly draped throughout the tents and entrance of the barn. The tables varied from rounds with a luxurious custom gray linen and long wooden tables with custom striped taupe and ivory runners down the center. Each place setting include a rustic yet sophisticated white Tuscan charger with a watercolor menu painted by hand. In addition to the collection of greens on each table, the barn rafters were wrapped in elegant garland, which framed the dance floor.
To finish off the look, Matthew’s team installed copper rattan lanterns that illuminated the barn in a romantic glow. Again, the cuisine was five-star with the emphasis on the locally sourced and fresh ingredients. After being glued to the dance floor all night, the guests departed with a tiny jar of herbed salts made from scratch by the bride and groom!
Photography: Heather Waraksa | Cinematography: Buzz Media Company- Wedding Films | Event Design: Matthew Robbins | Event Planning: Bellafare | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Jewelry: Julie Vos | Rings: Sofia Kaman | Catering: Winvian Farm | Hair And Makeup: Face Time Beauty Concierge | Lighting: Event Lights | Band: Elan Artists | Groom's Attire: Michael Andrews Bespoke | Venue: Winvian Farm | Bridesmaid's Gifts: Julie Vos | Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab | Stationery And Calligraphy: I DO INVITATIONS by Sue Coe Designs
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