Late Summer European-Inspired Wedding at Cairnwood Estate

Lauren Megerdichian
April 24, 2023
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]The color palette for this wedding included shades of peach, blush, toffee, yellow, gold, ivory, and olive green, to complement the colors of Cairnwood Estate.[/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]The late summer golden hours of September were the inspiration behind our color palette, and Cairnwood’s European-inspired style was the perfect setting to build upon our vision for a romantic, fairytale day.[/field]

[field title=”Proposal Story”]Dan & I are high school sweethearts. After dating for 9 years (4 of them long distance through college), Dan surprised me with a thoughtful, beautiful proposal at Barnegat Lighthouse in LBI. After getting down on one knee, he then surprised me even more with our families waiting at a restaurant to celebrate with us. When we walked in, the entire place began cheering for us. It was magical.[/field]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]Perfect for the romantic dreamer with a love for modern luxury” is how designer Martina Liana describes this voluminous ball gown. Between the whimsical 3D floral elements, exposed corset, sparkle tulle layers, and cathedral length train – this dress had everything I could ever want. I added my own personal touch by customizing a removable tulle bow out of streamers that attached to the back of the dress and flowed into the train, and adjusting the straps throughout the day for three different looks.

I initially came across a photo of the dress online, early in my dress search. Three months and dozens of dresses later, I found myself constantly coming back to that photo. A lucky last-minute opening during a trunk show, and incredible parents willing to make the 2 hour drive to Kleinfeld’s in NYC with me, secured my chance at trying the dress on. It was love at first sight and I said “yes”! A surreal moment having grown up watching Say Yes to The Dress as a little girl.

I’ll always remember the many trips my dad and I took to my alterations appointments in the weeks leading up to my wedding. We would drive into the city, he’d patiently watch as every layer of tulle was pinned to perfection (thank you Josephine!), and we’d stop for a slice of NYC pizza before heading home![/field]

[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]My bridesmaids wore matching full-length dresses from Revelry in a gorgeous deep olive satin fabric – a neutral color with more warmth and depth to complement the overall color palette, florals, and greenery decorating the venue. The goal was a style that was elegant, modern, and could realistically be worn again. I have always loved the classic, simple silhouette of a satin slip dress and appreciated the extra support and structure Revelry’s dresses had compared to other satin options. The overall quality and opportunity for home try-ons helped ensure that my bridesmaids felt comfortable and were just as excited to wear the dresses! The flower girls matched in the kid’s midi-length version of the bridesmaids’ satin style, also from Revelry, and looked adorable![/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Dan chose a classic black tuxedo with a peaked lapel and satin bow tie for his wedding day attire. Inspired by his dad’s wedding fashion, he opted for a black satin cummerbund, but selected a tapered pant for a more modern fit. He finished his look with YSL’s Y Eau de Parfum and engraved cufflinks gifted by his bride. The groomsmen wore matching black tuxedos with black satin vests to differentiate their look from the groom’s.

The entire process was made incredibly easy by the wonderful staff at Chadmoore Formal Wear (thank you Graziano family!). This multi-generation owned shop has been our family and friends’ go-to for high school proms and special events over the years, so it was a joy to return for our wedding!

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]We kicked off cocktail hour with a flowing peach bellini tower! In lieu of a traditional champagne toast, guests raised glasses of this sweet mix of white peach juice and prosecco. This was my mom’s idea – we both love anything peach!

For signature drinks, we picked two of our all-time favorites – a Moscow Mule and a Spiked Arnold Palmer. At their seats, guests found small bottles of limoncello – generously homemade by a family friend. It has been a family tradition for years to toast his crowd-favorite lemon liqueur and was a special nod to Dan’s Italian roots.

Cocktail hour included some delicious hors d’oeuvres, such as mini lobster rolls, crab cakes, chicken sate, and tomato soup shooters with grilled cheese bites by Sage Catering. Philly cheesesteak egg rolls were a necessary addition as our families both originate from the area. Our only regret was not having the chance to eat more of the delicious filet dinner ourselves, as we ended up spending the hour making rounds to our guest tables.[/field]

[field title=”Florals & Decor”]Florals by Whisper & Brook Flower Co. brought my vision to life and made the stunning venue even prettier. Lush, full-bodied flowers and greenery tied the venue, bridal party looks, and design details together under one coordinating color palette. Natural, organically shaped bouquets and ‘growing’ garden arrangements throughout the venue added a romantic whimsy. A favorite focal point was airy greenery adorning the grand staircase.

A cohesive vintage gold design was kept between smaller décor details such as table numbers, bar signs, and framed photos of us over the years, as well as loved ones who could not be there with us to celebrate.

A statement piece was the 7’ standing mirror turned seating chart moment. It was a vision I had for months, which my mom, brother, and close friend helped me turn into a reality. A DIY not for the faint of heart! This mirror is now a statement piece in our living room![/field]

[field title=”Wedding Cake”]Our wedding cake from Bredenbeck’s Bakery was made up of 4 tiers, alternating between lemon cake with raspberry puree filling and butter cake with chocolate buttercream filling. The cake was decorated in simple white icing and was adorned with fresh flowers.[/field]

[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]Ceremony: Growing up Catholic, having a nuptial mass was incredibly important to us. We exchanged our vows in the most beautiful, ornate church – Immaculate Conception in Jenkintown, PA.

Special Moment: My mother’s grandfather gave a blessing at my parents’ wedding reception. They have saved his original handwritten copy of the blessing for the last 30 years. His daughter, my grandmother, recited the same blessing at our reception for Dan and I.

First Dance Song: Dan & I chose the song “You Make Me Feel So Young” as our first dance to honor our late grandfathers, who loved Sinatra. We spent a few nights watching videos and choreographing a dance together, even practicing once in the hotel hallway the night before. We had so much fun in the days leading up to the wedding dancing around our empty new house and will always have those memories to look back on.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Dan’s wedding band was his late grandfather’s wedding band.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]A family friend generously drove us in a gorgeous vintage 1940 Packard![/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]As we began to prepare for our wedding, we found out that we had actually crossed paths 6 years prior to meeting on the first day of high school, as we had made our First Holy Communion on the same exact day, in the same parish in May 2004. One of our good friends gave us an incredible gift on the night of our rehearsal when he surprised us by editing together video footage paralleling the two of us on that day. It turned out that Dan walked in right behind me! And you can see each of us in the background of frames of the other. It was a surreal moment seeing ourselves making that sacrament together over 18 years ago, just hours before we would meet at the altar to exchange our vows.[/field]

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