Cedar Lakes Estate Woodland Weekend Wedding

Melissa Hammam
June 9, 2023
Categories: Real Weddings, Rustic, Seasonal Wedding Trend, Summer, The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

The wedding colors were a mix of light pinks, peaches, champagnes, yellows, summery greens, and whites.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

Every couple has non-negotiables for their wedding day — the things they absolutely wouldn’t go without. For Allie and Joe, it was having a fun, intimate weekend-long wedding with friends and family. What is more fun and more intimate than a camp-like getaway at Cedar Lakes Estate, where all guests stayed on-site in cabins? Another aspect that Chelsea, owner of Pearl Weddings & Events, was sure to incorporate into their big day was the bride’s dream to say “I Do” among evergreen trees. Lastly, it was very important that the wedding design, venue, and florist were working with sustainability in mind. We carefully selected a venue, the composts, a florist that grows her own and sources local flowers and designs sustainable, and we worked with a plantable paper stationery designer.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Allie and Joe got engaged in July of 2019. They were staying at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, for a weekend getaway. Joe proposed to Allie during the sunset, her favorite time of day. During their wedding ceremony, the couple was surrounded by their friends and family and became husband and wife as the sun set. The bride told Chelsea Suddes, wedding planner and designer that it was the most magical and sacred moment in her life and she will never forget it.

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

Allie’s chic and minimalist wedding dress was from Lovely Bride in NYC. It was a classy, elegant floor-length gown with full skirts and a romantic train delicately trailed after the bride. It had a structured off-the-shoulder design that gave it a modern, playful vibe that was perfect for this weekend wedding.

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

The wedding party itself was the three siblings of the bride and groom because they had too many friends! So the bride and groom invited all of their friends to get ready together. The bridal party even did a first look together! For bridesmaid dresses and that of her dear friends, the bride’s only requirement was that the dresses were floral patterns. She wanted the bridesmaids to be able to express each of their unique styles. The result was a stunning bridal party whose individual personalities were able to shine while complementing the overall design of the wedding.

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

The only members of the actual wedding party were siblings of the couple and were classic dark suits with simple neck ties, while Joe wore a classic bow tie.

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]

The catering was taken care of by the venue,Cedar Lakes Estate. There was a welcome dinner on Friday catered with warm southern food and a s’mores station for dessert. Saturday started with a wonderful rise and shine breakfast. Sandwiches were the only logical lunch option for Saturday’s pool party. At the wedding, there were passed appetizers of roast lamb loin and brie and fig grilled cheese, the name a few. The reception dinner was family-style beef tenderloin, and wild salmon with delicious sides. Dessert featured warm chocolate cookies with milk, bite-sized carrot cake, and lemon curd tartlets. In lieu of signature cocktails, the couple did a suggested cocktail of their version of a bay breeze. The late-night after party was college themed with red solo cups and the classic late-night college snacks like sliders. After a wild night of celebrating, guests left after enjoying a scrumptious Sunday brunch.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

We wanted the wedding atmosphere to be elegant but not over-stated — sweet and delicate like the bride. When designing, we had a big focus on every detail, no matter how small, to create a design that had impact. A perfect example of this was the flowers by Ailish Floral. Ailish was specifically chosen because she only uses local and sustainably grown flowers. They were the perfect mixture of delicate, wild, soft, and summery. Ailish combined cosmos, dahlias, garden roses, zinnias, and more into works of art that complemented the wedding’s color palette of shades of light pink, peach, champagne, yellow, white, and summery greens.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Allie and Joe’s wedding cake was everything that they could have wanted. Overstate and over the top wasn’t their style, and so was the simple, sweet, and delicate two-tiered vanilla cake by Cedar Lakes Estate with fresh flowers that matched the bride’s bouquet. And to top it all off, literally, was a topper in a delicate wooden script of their now shared last name.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

At the ceremony, there was a single piano player from Metropolitan Players. The family processional was to the instrumental version of A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. The bride walked down the aisle to the light and delicate Debut by Mélanie Laurent. The Recessional was an instrumental version of the lively You Are the Best Thing by Ray Lamontagne. During the ceremony, along with a unity tree planting ceremony, the couple’s family did a ring-warming ceremony where the parents of the couple held the wedding rings in their hands and imbued them with all their love and wishes for the couple. For the reception, there was an eight-piece band. Everyone danced and sang along to lots of the ’90s and ’00s throwbacks, modern pop, and some classic oldies. Allie and Joe’s first dance was a version of Can’t Stop Falling in Love by Haley Reinhart.

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

Allie and Joe’s wedding was a weekend extravaganza! The couple invited all their friends a family for a three-day weekend getaway to celebrate, dubbing the occasion “Camp Velli.” The entire weekend was an elevated camp experience for adults to celebrate the love of Allie and Joe. All guests stayed on the property and slept in cabins. The first day was the welcome party, where everyone gathered together to hang out. The second day was a pool party where guests could hang in a pool or swim in the lake. There was an inflatable “blob” that guests jumped onto and were launched off of into the water. There were other fun camp-like activities like bracelet making and outdoor games like corn hole. The third day was the big day when Allie and Joe said their vows.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

The pressed florals of the pink seating chart and the clear table numbers added the perfect touch to this woodland wedding. What makes them even more special is the fact that they were done by the bride’s mother! The seating chart itself was put together by Rent Pearl, sister company of Pearl Weddings & Events.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]

All the stationary for the wedding, the invites, weekend itinerary, and even the paper that the couple’s vows were written on was all made from seed paper from Whole Weddings, meaning that it could be planted. Allie and Joe read their vows to each other in private during their first look. Right after the couple said “I Do,” they participated in what is called unity tree planting ceremony and planted vows in a pot that will grow as they spend the rest of their lives together.

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]

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