Timeless Style in Connecticut at Smith Farm Gardens

The majority of the inspiration for the design came from the property of Smith Farm Gardens itself. With such a stunning backdrop, this couple wanted the style of the wedding to replicate and enhance the gorgeous, summery, garden-party aesthetics that already existed. They wanted everything to feel really light and airy, with neutrals and florals that played wonderfully together.

Long Beach Island, NJ, holds a special place in Shelby’s heart. Her family had vacationed there nearly her whole life, and Justin just knew that he was going to propose on their family vacation in August. Justin had initially planned to propose on the beach, but the weather had other plans. Between him and Shelby’s family, they had all sorts of signage made to signify the date of the proposal, so there was no turning back. The day went on, and the weather was still not cooperating. As the afternoon came,, Justin and her siblings decided to go to a local eatery on the bay for a drink. As they finished up, the sun was setting on quite literally the dreariest day, and it was at that point that Justin got down on one knee and proposed. Shelby (completely unaware) with her messy bun and t-shirt dress was completely surprised. Once they returned to their rental house, she realized that her family had set up an entire party full of gifts and champagne. Although NOTHING went according to plan, it was the perfect day.

Shelby had fallen in love with a Made With Love gown she had seen on Tik Tok during the early planning days. However, there were very few dress shops near her that carried the brand, and even if they had carried the brand, they didn’t have that exact style of dress. She scheduled multiple appointments at other establishments and brought her family along, but found herself still thinking about that one particular gown. She finally tracked down the gown at Everthine Bridal in Madison, Connecticut (over two hours from where they lived). She took a road trip alone, tried on the dress, and bought it that same day.

The Bridesmaids' Dresses were purchased from Birdy Grey and were a beautiful sage green to complement the venue.

The charcuterie display at cocktail was incredible along with a plated meal and signature drinks with the detail of the couple's cats.

Dusty roses, cappuccino-inspired blushes, and neutrals with lots of greenery were our inspiration for the florals. Arrangements incorporated roses, ranunculus, eucalyptus, and more. The decor included a glass shelf champagne display, parasols, and a charcuterie display at Cocktail Hour.

The Wedding Cake was designed and made by Marble Made Cakes. When Shelby and Justin expressed that they would like to do an intimate cake cutting I recommended they work with Marble Made Cakes for a beautiful design that fit the overall vision and design of their day. The cake cutting happened as a private moment between the couple with the backdrop of the field at Smith Farm Gardens.

The heirloom piece that was incorporated into the Bride's bouquet was from her Popa who had passed. Her Popa was like a second father to the Bride. He was her best friend and fell ill quite quickly just days before my 17th birthday. They had no idea that he would be gone within a week of being sick. She has expressed that it was an incredibly difficult season of her life. Her brother Cobi had been gifted all of his gold, including that cufflink. He had brought it to the florist without the Bride's knowledge and had it incorporated into her bouquet. Having a part of her Popa with her all day, physically and in spirit, was so special.

Our private last dance. We had everyone clear out of the tent (even the DJ) and the couple was able to share 3 minutes of completely uninterrupted time together before the night ended. It was intimate and emotional and was the best conclusion to the best day.

A note from the couple: Being from the border of CT and NY, we wanted to explore both Hudson Valley and Connecticut options. Early on, we stumbled across Cora Jane Photography and fell head over heels with her photography style. It was at this time that we had seen a blog post she had done from a wedding at Smith Farm Gardens. Without even seeing the property in person, we knew Smith Farm was special. We had set up an intro call with Cora and expressed to her a few of the venues we were interested in, and Cora gave Smith Farm a glowing review. Unfortunately, we were only able to tour the venue in the dead of winter, however, we trusted Cora, and our gut and decided to book one of the two Saturdays they had left for 2023 and it did not disappoint.