Here at Style Me Pretty, we love a good paper suite, and this one from Amie Kesler and Cotton Press Paperie is seriously so good. And it’s just the start of this pretty day from the talents at Hitched By Heather and Alicia Jayne Florals. See every beautiful moment captured by Vicki Grafton Photography and Storymix Media in The Vault!
From The Couple…If we had to describe our wedding in one word, it would be magical! When we started planning for the big day, we wanted to make sure every piece and detail reflected us and our journey over the past 10 years of our relationship. We wanted it to feel like an extension of us, from the choice of music to our favorite foods to our signature drinks.
From The Bride…I wanted to keep the color palette timeless and neutral with touches of gold to really make the event feel as special and beautiful to our guests as it was to the both of us. One of the most important things to me during the planning process was the flowers! I wanted to keep the decorations simple and let the flowers and centerpieces speak for themselves. I had a vision of transforming our reception space into an evening garden filled with green vines, big blooms and lanterns with candles. Flowers were incorporated into everything from the Save the Dates, to the custom portfolio wedding invitation to the Out of Town bags.
My mom is originally from Hong Kong with her traditions deriving from Macau, a coastal region once ruled by Portugal. As a bridal tradition, she made hand sewn Portuguese bridal dolls for each Bridesmaid and female family member as a remembrance of the day. Traditional paper “cuttings” filled with macaroons were also prepared and offered for guests to take. One of my favorite features of the day was our cake that was hung under the stairway of our reception space. It was a beautiful touch and something unique that we had never seen before. All the details really turned out exactly how I had envisioned the day to be. I feel really lucky to have had the best team possible between our wedding planner, Hitched by Heather, our amazing florist, Alicia Jayne Florals and our incredible photographer Vicky Grafton.
From The Groom…I found myself taken aback all throughout the day; when I turned around at first look and saw my exquisitely beautiful bride, during our ceremony where the groomsmen and myself were impeccably greeted by a three-piece string band playing Europe’s “The Final Countdown”; at our remarkable ceremony surrounded by our family and friends.
We wanted the ceremony to be fun, elegant and thoughtful while showing off our individual personalities. I think we accomplished that. We started with passed signature drinks consisting of Jasmine’s champagne and my Moscow Mule in authentic Moscow Mule mugs. We may have warmed US – Russia relations that evening with how many Mule’s were consumed. The passed foods were equally thoughtful and delectable; zesty crab cakes on brioche with Old Bay sauce, peking duck tacos, and ahi tuna bites. Outside of the venue we had an oyster bar, serving up local oysters raw or steamed with various toppings and sauces. The food stations continued to show the effort and thought we put into choosing our menu; a dim sum station with banh mi sliders, spring rolls and kabobs, a carving station with marinated flank steak, a potato bar and finally a build your own salad station. If your mouth isn’t watering yet, the night closed with passed ice cream sandwiches, macaroni and cheese cupcakes and mini chicken and waffle sliders. I hardly need to say it, but Millof’s Catering did a flawless job delivering the menu we envisioned.
The rest of the evening was equally enchanting with good food and drinks, and even better friends and family to share them with. The wedding party introductions will always stay with me, even though we had a combined sixteen bridesmaids and groomsmen. Everyone let loose and was able to have fun with their individual introductions and songs. Another thing I’ll never forget is the incredible speech’s from my two best men, especially Chris Frantz. Love you Franchise! I’ll never forget dancing with my mother and watching Jasmine dancing with her father. And finally, I’ll never forget seeing my best friend walking down the aisle, towards me. The love of my life.
Photography: Vicki Grafton Photography | Cinematography: Storymix Media | Event Planning: The Hitched Company | Floral Design: Alicia Jayne Florals | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Kathryns Crafty Cakes | Invitations: CottonPress Paperie | Stationery: Amie Kesler | Ceremony Venue: Our Lady Star Of The Sea | Reception Venue: Annmarie Gardens | Bride's Shoes: Diane Von Furstenberg | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Joanna August | Catering: Milloffs Catering | Makeup: Miranda Paige | DJ: Jon Depompa | Bridal Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar | Rentals: Something Special By Tracey | Vendor: Cotton Paperie