All the weddings we feature here on SMP are beautiful (Pretty is in our name, after all), but every so often, I stumble upon a wedding that’s extra special. This is one of those weddings. One of the reasons why? The Fiddler on the Roof flashmob planned by the Bride’s mom and sister to kick off the reception. But there are so many more—see them all captured by Rachel Red Photography in THE VAULT!
From the Bride…Anthony and I met as seniors at Union College. After a month months of casually seeing each other, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend on March 6, 2011. Once we graduated, Anthony moved from his hometown of Wickliffe, OH, to be with me in Boston. Three years later on July 25, 2014, he proposed at my family’s beach house in Gloucester, MA!
Our wedding ceremony took place on September 12, 2015 in the same spot where we became engaged. With a huge lawn overlooking the ocean, we couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Gloucester and that’s where we spend the majority of our summer weekends now. It has always held a special place in my heart, and has become one of Anthony’s favorite places as well.
We wanted to personalize our ceremony as much as possible. We walked out of my neighbor’s house during the ceremony, which is the same house where my great-grandparents met and became engaged, and our wedding date was my grandparents’ anniversary. To remember those we have lost, Anthony wore a tie clip that belonged to his grandfather, and I wore my great-grandmother’s engagement diamond in a necklace. Anthony and I decided to tie a fisherman’s knot instead of lighting a unity candle, as an ode to the culture of Gloucester. We opted to have Beatles themed music throughout the day, because the song Oh, Darling was our song in college. I walked down the aisle to In My Life, and we shared our first dance to Two of Us.
Our reception was held at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. When we first walked into the museum, we immediately knew that’s where we wanted to have the wedding. It was the perfect mix between classic and modern, a blend of both our styles, and was more unique than anything else we had seen.
Anthony’s family is Italian, and my family is part Chinese, so we tried to fuse the two cultures together. We did family style Italian food, played Dean Martin throughout dinner, and danced the traditional Tarantella. For the Chinese side, we used a traditional Chinese wedding basket to hold cards, and our cake topper was the Chinese symbol for ‘double happiness,’ which is a sign of goodness and marital joy. Our favors were the traditional Italian almonds, with a double happiness charm enclosed.
One of my favorite details was the surprise flash mob that my mother and sister had planned. We had asked our minister to give a blessing before dinner, but he instead sang Sabbath Prayer from Fiddler on the Roof. After he was finished, wedding guests started jumping from their seats singing the song To Life, from the same show. I had been in a production of Fiddler on the Roof when I was younger, along with several family members and friends. Sabbath Prayer was also sung at my mother and step-father’s wedding years ago. It was a total surprise for Anthony and I, and a great way to kick off the party!
Photography: Rachel Red Photography | Cinematography: Well Spun Wedding Films | Floral Design: Garden Designs By Kristen | Wedding Dress: Allure Bridal | Cake: Sheri Nuttoli | Ceremony Venue: At Home | Reception Venue: Peabody Essex Museum | Bride's Shoes: Belk | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Catering: Vinwood | Hair And Makeup: Dellaria | Band: Chris White Band | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Flower Girl Dress: US Angels | Furniture Rentals: True North Rentals | Trolley: Salem Trolley | Veil: Nina