When a handful of New England’s best vendors come together – looking at you, True Event, Hana Floral, Tie That Binds, Sperry Tent, and Katie Slater – beautiful things follow. Set on the Connecticut shore, this wedding features a classic church ceremony, a tented seaside reception, and too many pretty moments to count. Find your happy place here in The Vault.
From The Bride…Robbie and I met at boarding school in Connecticut when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore. Our school had a “walk back” tradition that when a guy liked a girl he asked to walk her back to her dorm before night check in. I remember him throwing a football with his friend before asking to walk me home and I thought he was such a show off! Looking back, we were so young but our connection was instantaneous and grew stronger with every challenge life threw us. Little did I know Taft’s quirky tradition would lead me to my high school sweetheart and lifelong best friend.
Seven years of dating across state lines and different colleges later, our lives came full circle and we both landed back in Connecticut. At just 23 and 24, the one certainty in our lives was that we knew we wanted to build and celebrate them with one another. I was secretly hoping he would propose around the holidays but by 8pm on Christmas Day, I was sure he didn’t get any of my hints! Somehow he managed to catch me completely off guard and proposed to me outside of his childhood home in Montreal, Quebec late Christmas night.
Between Christmas and our plans for an August wedding, we had 8 months to plan. I knew immediately I wanted to have the wedding by the Connecticut shore. We booked the Catholic Church where I spent summer mass each Sunday and decided to do the reception at my father’s waterfront home. Determined to plan the wedding on our own, Robbie and I researched and found our amazing photographer, Katie Slater. Beyond her talent, Katie is an absolute sweetheart. We knew she was special when, in a winter storm, she trekked out to Elizabeth Park in Hartford so we could capture our engagement shots in the snow! After sourcing more fabulous vendors—Hana Florals and Coastal Gourmet—it became clear to us that we would need professional planning to pull off the backyard reception. Sarah True of True Event and her team worked with us the rest of the way and made the day everything we imagined and more.
The only way to describe our wedding day was absolutely magical. Someone told me before the wedding as long as you have the man you love at the end of the aisle, that’s all that matters. That advice gave me a sense of peace going into the big day and is also something that I hope other brides can remember when all the planning ends!
Many of the best memories from the wedding were unexpected ones. One of my favorites was when our band, The Hudson project, started playing ‘We are Young’ (so romantic, I know!) and asked all the guests to form a circle around Robbie and I while the two of us slow danced in the middle. The way Ryan Designs and Sarah’s team designed the lighting in the tent made it feel like we were dancing underneath the stars. I’ll never forget spinning around in the middle of the circle looking at everyone in my life I love surrounding me and then back at my awesome new husband and thinking, life doesn’t get better than this.
Photography: Katie Slater Photography | Event Planning + Design: TRUE Event | Floral Design: Hana Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Badgley Mischka | Wedding Dress: Watters | Cake: Zest Fresh Pastry | Invitations: Tie That Binds | Catering: Coastal Gourmet | Makeup: Timothy Pamment Salon | Hair: W Salon | Band: Elan Artists | Groomsmen Attire: Vera Wang Black For Men's Warehouse | Transportation: Black Swan Limousine | Transportation: Rockstar Limo | Venue: At Home | Accommodations: Mohegan Sun Hotel | Accommodations: Saybrook Point Inn | Bathrooms: Country Portables | Bridesmaid Jewelry: Judith Bright | Cocktail Hour Music: Suite Occasions Music | Lighting + Draping: Ryan Designs | Linen Rentals: BBJ La Tavola | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Tent Rentals: Sperry Tents