Hi! I’m Mackenzie from Design Darling and I’m so excited to share all of our wedding events with you as a blogger bride for Style Me Pretty! I’ve previously shared our engagement pictures, my first makeup trial, little white dresses for all your wedding events, and where I found my bridesmaids’ dresses, and today I’m sharing the first event from our wedding weekend, the rehearsal dinner!
Will and I got married on Nantucket the Saturday of Labor Day weekend in September and had our rehearsal dinner on Thursday night followed by a welcome party on Friday night. My mother-in-law put together the most gorgeous event just across the street from the chapel where we got married two days later.
My parents had actually had their rehearsal dinner at the same restaurant 31 years ago! After our rehearsal in the chapel, we led our bridesmaids and groomsmen to the spot where our reception would be two nights later so everyone would know the route to take on the wedding day. Then we walked back to The Chanticleer, a charming little French restaurant in ‘Sconset with a carousel horse in the front garden and roses blooming all over the property.
The weather cooperated beautifully and we were able to enjoy an outdoor cocktail hour followed by dinner in the main dining room with all our nearest and dearest family and friends.
My mother-in-law Reggie worked with Annie of the Dallas-based 5 By 7 Designs on all the paper goods and I was so in love with how they turned out! A few favorite details were the personalized menus for our signature cocktails, the cocktail napkins and drink stirrers featuring the watercolor crest from our wedding invitations, designed by Kearsley Lloyd, and the menus that doubled as place cards with our guests’ names printed at the top.
She and her friends also ordered a variety of beautiful monogrammed napkins that we now get to use at home! And Reggie also owns a baking company called Highland Park Pie Lady and made custom cookies for guests to take home as party favors. I might have left with two or three in my Nantucket lightship basket.
I fell in love with this MDS Stripes gown just after we got engaged and knew I had to have it for one of the wedding festivities. I kept my accessories simple and classic: pearl studs and my go-to nude sandals. As much as I love an excuse to wear a little white dress, this gown felt so “me” that I just had to make an exception!
It was a fun-filled evening with lots of hilarious and heartwarming toasts and the perfect start to our wedding weekend. Stay tuned for more pictures from our welcome party, wedding day, and honeymoon!
Photographer: Cameron Clark Photography | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Chanticleer