An English Garden Wedding With a Tropical Twist at Cutlass Cove

Lauren Megerdichian
April 15, 2024
Categories: The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Blues, white, yellow, greenery[/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]Being that Max is from England and Vivian is from Florida, the only proper conclusion was to go with a tropical English Garden vibe for the wedding.[/field]

[field title=”Proposal Story”]Vivian and Max met while attending Boston College in 2012. After graduation,

they moved to Los Angeles, where Vivian attended University of Southern California for

graduate school and to complete her fifth year as a collegiate track athlete. Meanwhile,

Max pursued a career in sports working for Los Angeles Football Club.

After a few years on the West Coast, Vivian decided to move back home to

Naples, Florida and launch her own jewelry line, Henri Noël. Vivian is a third generation

jeweler who specializes in creating bespoke engagement & wedding bands, in addition to her core jewelry collection. The family jewelry business was a staple of Vivian’s

upbringing and has been an inspiration to her own custom jewelry that holds

long-lasting value and memories.

For the proposal, Max flew in his two siblings to Charlotte, North Carolina, where

he was living at the time, and had his sister convince Vivian to head to Lake Norman to

model for her (she is a photographer and graphic designer for Casamigos Tequila). By

Vivian’s own admission, she’d do “anything for tequila”, so she was a willing participant.

Upon their arrival at Lake Norman, Max took Vivian to explore the lake while his

sister got in position to photograph the proposal. After a short walk, Vivian turned a

corner to find a gazebo decorated in rose petals. Right there and then, Max dropped

down on one knee and popped the question! Shortly thereafter, Max took Vivian to

dinner, where she was surprised by close friends and family.[/field]

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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”]Vivian found her perfect dress early in the process – a Monique Lhuillier lace

gown paired with light blue Manolo Blahnik heels. During a shopping trip with her mom

in Miami, they shared a knowing smile when she tried on this gown, confirming it as

“the one.” Vivian once listened to a podcast once where Monique said, “If your dress is

not filthy at the end of the night, you didn’t do it right”. Vivian connected with those

words as she wanted a dress she wouldn’t want to take off all night but also one that was comfortable to move in. Vivian’s after party dress was a light blue Rachel Gilbert ruffle dress – she wanted to bring a pop of color to the night once she took her wedding dress off.[/field]

[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]Vivian opted mismatched blue bridesmaids dresses to showcase each bridesmaid’s style, as well as for baskets rather than bouquets for that English garden feel. [/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”][/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]The signature cocktail was a ‘Spaghett’, a staple at the couple’s favorite restaurant in Charlotte, ‘Vana’. It mixes Miller High Life with Aperol, mimicking an Aperol Spritz, but replacing champagne with ‘The Champagne of Beers’, another subtle nod to the wedding’s elevated but informal feel.[/field]

[field title=”Florals & Decor”] To help bring their English garden vision to life, the couple enlisted the help of Kehrin Hassan as their wedding designer. She helped the couple throw the wedding of their dreams by putting on a ceremony that felt elegant yet relaxed. Their tented beach wedding included a floral installation with elegant globe chandeliers that could almost pass for disco balls, which helped define the elegant yet fun ambiance. The tables were dressed with classic cutting boards tied in a blue bow. We displayed sliced lemons on top as a nod to Florida and a garnish to the guest’s iced waters. Then, to highlight the groom’s English side, our designer, sourced glass cloches filled with English bread pudding for . On the tables were lemons for nods to England and Florida with lemons and english pastries. [/field]

[field title=”Wedding Cake”]A simple white cake with beautiful florals[/field]

[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]The ceremony was not traditionally seated, but instead included long benches

with accent pillows joined by areas for guests to stand. After the couple said “I do”, the

music immediately kicked in, setting the tone for a night of dancing, highlighted by

Max’s upbeat and choreographed dance with his mother, who herself used to be a

professional dancer.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Given that Vivian’s father is also a jeweler, Max had the perfect co-creator when it

came to the engagement ring. Together, they sorted, color-matched and set each of the

marquise diamonds to create this one-of-a-kind eternity band.

Her accessories were equally meaningful. In her job, Vivian specializes in

refreshing and revamping jewelry styles. She believes each piece of jewelry holds great

sentimental value. Vivian wore a bezel-set diamond necklace gifted to her mom by her

dad the day she was born (she shares the same birthday as her father). She wore

heart-shaped diamond studs, which she felt was the perfect amount of sparkle. Vivian’s

engagement ring is a 2.25ct xxx GIA certified Oval Diamond set in a four-prong head on

a 1.20ct Marquise Eternity Band. The design was made more unique by the marquise

diamond’s horizontal setting in a rose gold band

Her wedding band is a 4.50ct marquise & Emerald-cut eternity band set in 18k

white gold. Max’s band is a 3-piece 18k Gold Trinity Band that represents Vivian, Max,

and their union. As mentioned before, Max is from London, so Vivian put the Union

Jack on the inside of the band along with the words “Today and Always”.

Vivian had 9 bridesmaids, each with their own unique personality. As such, she

allowed them the freedom to choose their own dresses. And since no outfit is complete

without some Henri Noël jewelry, Vivian created an iconic earring that each of the girls

wore in the gold color of their choice.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]Once engaged, the couple decided on Cutlass Cove Beach in Vivian’s hometown of

Naples, FL for the wedding. After seeing the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian six

months prior, the couple was unsure if they could still have their wedding on the

property. Thankfully, however, with the help of close family friends, they were able to

restore the area just in time.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]The couple shook things up in the layout of their wedding. The space was small for a guest count of their size so their planner/designer suggested structuring the cocktail before the ceremony to set the tone for a laid-back impromptu ceremony that would not require seating for all since it would not fit. On their invites, they

told all guests the ceremony would start at 4pm but really they had the cocktail hour

before the wedding ceremony. This allowed the guests to take photos and get a little

loose before gathering around for the ceremony. [/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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