Despite all the months of planning, sometimes the best part of your wedding day happens organically. For Ali and Mike, it was when they snuck off to the shoreline for a few moments alone and to recharge and regroup amidst the excitement. This candid moment was a reminder of their promise, “I will settle you,” and also led to their favorite photo of the day. See it, and so many more pretty moments, caught through the lens of Sarah Der Photography, in The Vault!
From The Bride & Groom…We wanted our wedding to be both effortlessly elegant and shout “Ali and Mike!” down to the last detail. Our wedding incorporated some of our favorite things: love, Richmond, and Cape Cod. When we both arrived as freshmen on the Richmond campus, we spent a year falling in love with the school and the city, and the next three years falling in love with each other. Our jobs pulled us away from Richmond after we graduated college, but something told us that our love story with Richmond wasn’t over yet. We moved back two years after graduation, and the rest is history. Richmond played a big part in our love story, and we wanted to make sure that our wedding captured not only the easy-breeze vibe of springtime at the Cape but also the city that started it all.
Ali’s family started the wedding weekend by hosting a southern cuisine-inspired brunch. At the wedding, Mike and his groomsmen wore socks with spiders on them–a nod to the University of Richmond’s mascot, the spider. At the reception, the tables were named after some of our favorite Richmond and University of Richmond locations, and the ceremony cake toppers featured a bride spider and groom spider sitting in beach chairs surrounded by edible sea shells. We captured the lightness of the Cape with a relaxed brunch wedding, complete with champagne cocktails named “The Gazebo,” after one of our favorite places on the U of R campus. We created the effortlessly elegant vibe with an outdoor cocktail hour overlooking the bay, yummy and light brunch foods, and cool blue, green, and white local blooms (our florist even used sea glass in our flower arrangements!). We used handmade ombre calligraphy for the table names and escort cards, which brought the ocean indoors. We completed the brunch-y, relaxed feel by having newspapers with crossword puzzles (all about us and our friends + family!), pencils, and mimosas + coffee for guests when they arrived at our reception.
Our favorite memories from the day are when we were able to sneak away and share a few moments alone, as husband and wife (!). One moment that stands out in particular happened immediately after the chaos of the receiving line (great to do because we got to greet our guests, but it was overwhelming!). Ali is a bit introverted, so Mike walked Ali away from the receiving line and towards the shoreline so that they could have a few moments alone. Within minutes, Ali was feeling recharged and ready to enjoy the rest of the day. It was there that the words engraved in our wedding bands, “I will settle you” became reality. This moment was captured perfectly by Sarah (our favorite picture of the day!).
We were so excited to share Cape Cod with our friends and family! Ali and her family grew up sailing, swimming, and sandcastle-ing on the Cape, and she and Mike have so many fond memories of runs on the beach and evenings spent watching the sunset over the water. We really can’t imagine a more serene and beautiful place to start our lives as Mr. and Mrs.! We also recommend getting married in either the bride or the groom’s hometown–it was so nice to be home with Ali’s family before the big day!
We must admit, planning a wedding is a BIG job, and not one that comes without complications! Our best advice to engaged couples is to constantly remember the most important part of the weekend: becoming husband and wife, which is pretty much the happiest thing in the world. We were able to channel that happiness towards some of the trickier, more emotional aspects of the reception planning, and we ended up with a wedding that was overflowing with joy, love, and light.
Photography: Sarah Der Photography | Floral Design: Cindy Of Vintage Flowers | Cake: The Casual Gourmet | Invitations: Minted | Ceremony Venue: Our Lady of the Assumption | Reception Venue: Oyster Harbors Club | Bride's Shoes: Sam Edelman | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Catering: Oyster Harbors Club | Hair + Makeup: Cosmetique | Calligraphy: Dancing Ink | Band: The Moonlighters | Groom's Attire: Jos. A. Bank | Rentals: New England Country Rentals | Wedding Dress + Veil: BHLDN