Connecticut Weddings

In the world of drop-dead gorgeous weddings, Sperry Tents reigns supreme; from their sweeping panels of sailcloth to their premium flooring options to their breathtaking (+ totally creative) lighting.  Add all of that handcrafted goodness to a fabulous locale under the stars and it’s a day that is as romantic as it is sophisticated… or what we here at SMP like to call the perfect wedding.

Handcrafted by sailmakers in coastal New England, all Sperry Tents feature genuine sailcloth, solid wood support poles and pennant flags that will wave a charming hello to each and every one of your guests.  Think breathtaking tents available in an array of fabulous sizes that are more than perfect for your wedding, welcome party or going away brunch.  Which means that whether you are partying the night away with 400 of your nearest or dearest or preparing for the big day with an intimate rehearsal dinner, there’s a Sperry Tents’ size and shape just right for you and your celebration.

Start planning your dream day by contacting one of Sperry Tents’ Tri-State offices in Mystic and Greenwich, CT; Finger Lakes and Hamptons, NY; and New Jersey.  Trust us, you’ll be so very, very happy you did.

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Credits: Image 1: Leila Brewster (Photography) + True Event (Event Design & Coordination) + Hana Floral Design (Floral) + Rentals Unlimited (Rentals) + La Tavola (Linens) + Ryan Designs (Lighting & Draping) | Image 2: Eric Barry Photography | Image 3: Isabelle Selby Photography | Image 4: Charlotte Jenks Lewis | Image 5: SNAP! Weddings | Image 6: Orchard Cove Photography | Image 7: Susan Sancomb Photography  | Sperry Tents

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Hana Floral Design

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This wedding takes the entire notion of a perfect day and kicks it up a notch with some of the most beautiful details that you will ever see.  Think lush, romantic blooms from Hana Floral Design, sweet bridesmaid frocks from Jenny Yoo and drop-dead gorgeous images from Lauren Fair Photography.  And that, my friends, is just the beginning.  See it all in the full gallery.

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From Lauren Fair Photography… Kate and Charlie’s stunning, softly romantic nautical wedding was set at the lovely Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. The old ships and weathered wood buildings gave a perfect backdrop for photos, and in true New England fashion, it was an overcast and misty day until a beautiful sunset peeked out after the ceremony.

From the Bride… Knowing we would have many of our guests traveling from out of town, we decided to choose a destination close to where I grew up and where we knew friends and family would enjoy visiting during the summer. After touring several other venues in the area we fell in love with the idea of getting married on the water at the beautiful and charming Mystic Seaport. During the planning process we had so much fun exploring Mystic and discovering new restaurants and activities to share with our guests. Mystic has such an amazing nautical and rustic feel, so we wanted to add a romantic and vintage touch. Inspired by a bouquet from a real wedding I had found online, we stuck with a muted neutral color palette including blush pinks, ivory and a cool sea foam green, and used gold as an accent color. We carried this color scheme throughout our wedding day collateral, from our stationery and succulent escort card favors to our table linens and candy bar. The ceremony took place on the North Lawn at Mystic Seaport, overlooking the Mystic River at 5:30 pm.

Although the day had been overcast prior to the ceremony, as guests began to arrive the sun came out and made for beautiful sunset. Guests were seated in white wooden chairs, decorated with vintage pails filled with gray succulents, pale pink roses, peach spray roses, nude berries and various accent greens and herbs, hanging from mauve raw silk Midori ribbon. Two tall cylinder vases filled with garden and spray roses, peonies, hydrangeas, peach stock and berries, lisianthus along with various accent greens (dusty miller, acacia foliage, feather eucalyptus), accented the end of the aisle. All of our vendors played such important parts in making our day so special and unforgettable. Our incredibly talented photographers (Lauren Fair Photography) were a must have, once I had seen their work on Style Me Pretty we couldn’t hire anyone else. They did an amazing job capturing all of the magic of our engagement and wedding. We couldn’t have pulled everything off without Jenna Landon, our event coordinator with Coastal Catering.

Photography: Lauren Fair Photography | Videographer: Inspiration In Motion | Floral Design: Hana Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Legends By Romona Keveza | Ceremony Venue: North Lawn At Mystic Seaport | Reception Venue: Coastal Gourmet | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Coastal Gourmet | Hairpiece: Paris By Debra Moreland | Paper Goods / Invitations: CSD Branding

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
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Hana Floral Design

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Bridesmaid

Jenny Yoo

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Lauren Fair Photography

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This wedding looks like soooo much fun.  A sort of nautical meets rustic meets garden party style affair with lawn games, fabulous DIY details and some of the loveliest bouquets from McQuade’s Market that you will ever have the privilege to see.  Add in an entire gallery of gorgeous images from CLY CREATION and you can bet you’ll be spending hours upon hours in the full gallery.  Guaranteed.

From the Bride… Daniel and I first met at work, and from the moment we laid eyes on each other there was an instant connection. At first this connection was nothing more than glancing looks from nearby cubicles, however eventually Daniel worked up the courage to stop by my desk for some passing conversation. These conversations were small at first, but eventually transitioned into poignant debates on a variety of important topics like what makes up the perfect sandwich, chip and drink combination for lunch.

While funny and light-hearted, these conversations represented a deeper connection than even we were not fully aware of. What has made our bond so strong over the past four and a half years is our mutual appreciation for, and adventurous spirit to find good food and good drink.

Eventually Daniel mustered up the courage to ask me to attend a happy hour with him, to which I agreed. Since then the rest has been history, and we have been enjoying good drink and good food ever since.

About our wedding planning:

Simple. Rustic. Good food. Good drink. This was the wedding we set out to create – everything else would work itself out.

From the very beginning we wanted our guests to have a great time in a setting that truly represented our personalities and our relationship. Light hearted, fun, and always on the look out for a great party, our vision came to life in Mystic, CT through an amazing waterside ceremony, tented cocktail hour, lawn games, great food and flowing drinks.

We started our wedding planning journey back in October of 2012, passing through the small New England beach town of Mystic, CT. After touring many venues in NYC (too expensive) and southwestern CT (also too expensive) we finally found Latitude 41 in Mystic which had everything we wanted: a great outdoor space, a romantic and rustic party room, and a chef who we met with and who personally guaranteed an amazing meal – a key deciding factor. After locking down the venue we knocked off a few of the necessary and essential to dos: great photographer – check, florist – check and DJ – check. We also planned to incorporate a bit of our differing cultures by holding a Jewish wedding ceremony, and a Chinese family style dinner for our rehearsal.

Once the essentials were taken care of that’s when the real planning began – given our conservative budget we embarked on a DIY journey that neither of us could have anticipated, but one that was worth every ounce of effort in the end – it really gave our wedding the personalized, natural and rustic touch we were aiming to create.

Everything from handwritten chalkboards, to hand-stained corn-hole boards were built and designed down to the smallest detail. Our table centerpieces were created from of store bought and recycled mason jars. Cocktail menus, signature drinks, and even lawn signs were all in a days work for us during our final stretch before the big day. The two biggest endeavors were the place cards and party favors, which we designed to reflect both our personalities. As avid tea drinkers, we used individual tea pyramids with heart-shaped name tags to both let our guests know what table they were sitting at, as well as give them a little piece of us to take home and enjoy. Finally our party favors took 12 straight hours to design, hand print, stuff with our favorite potato chips (salt and vinegar), as well as candy – dark chocolate, peanut butter and spicy combinations and tie with ribbon. Every detail was meticulously thought through in order to express something about us as a couple, as well as add a bit of personality to every experience our guests partook in throughout the night.

All in all the wedding was an amazing experience that both of us will never forget. We were able to reflect our personalities and cultures to our family and friends while having a great time in the process.

Photography: CLY Creation | Floral Design: Trish Of McQuade's Market | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Wedding Cake: Mystic Market | Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Make Up: Naomi's Studio & Salon | Groom's Suit: J.Crew | Wedding Venue: Coastal Gourmet | Bride's Accessories: J.Crew | Rob From Aria Melod: Aria Melody DJ

I’m new to the East Coast, but one thing I’ve learned quickly is that when it comes to style, these New Englanders don’t mess around. So when this charming little wedding came my way, I wan’t surprised to learn it was hosted on the coast of Connecticut. It’s a preppy chic soiree planned out by the lovelies behind Jubilee Events. With a host of nautical-driven details plus photography by Katie Slater, I know this wedding will become a new fave after a bit of time spent in the full gallery right here.

And the wedding day video Vantage Point Films? Don’t dare miss it!

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From the Bride…We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of the people closest to us and the Northeast where we’d fallen in love. We chose Mystic, Connecticut for its harbor and New England charm and fell in love with Eolia mansion the minute we found it. From its gardens on the coast to the home itself, it fit our intimate vision perfectly. We booked the last available summer Saturday in August and I spent the next year praying it wouldn’t be 100 degrees for our wedding day.

With 120 guests and a serious budget, I scoured Etsy for sweet details and we attacked DIY projects on the weekends, building things like wooden cornhole boards and stamping cotton bags for the lavender toss. We came up with a navy blue and pastel color scheme based on the mansion gardens and Connecticut coast. My Mom sewed pillows for the window seats in the house and covered our initials in moss to hang from the doors while Jeff’s Mom and sisters and I sat for hours folding tissue paper pom poms for the tent. With many homemade details and decor items, Diana from Jubilee Events was my wedding planning angel, pulling everything together on our big day in a perfect bow. Jane from Just For You Floral Design brilliantly captured my vision for flowers (even though I had no idea what it was), and we ended up with a stunning mix of dahlias and garden roses, babys breath and blue thistle. I think I squealed loud enough for the entire hotel to hear when she brought our bouquets in the morning I was so overwhelmed by how they turned out!

Our weekend was dreamy and everything we could have asked for despite a small hiccup in the weather! We had an incredible rehearsal dinner and welcome party the night before under perfectly sunny skies, but then woke to a total downpour on our wedding day. With so much of our day taking place outside, I spent the morning considering our “plan B’s” and glued myself to The Weather Channel on my iPhone. At 4pm the clouds parted, and we were married an hour later under beautiful pink skies. A few months earlier I’d had a dream of my late grandmother telling me “it will be all right,” and I like to believe she took care of the weather for us. One of my favorite moments of the night was standing outside with Jeff during dinner, watching our guests eat and mingle by candlelight in the house – exactly the fabulous dinner party we hoped for!

It wouldn’t have happened without the best all-star team of vendors in Connecticut who executed everything flawlessly, our rockin’ band who kept our guests on the dance floor, and the very talented Katie Slater who captured all of our memories in stunning photographs. It was the perfect love-filled-to-the-brim weekend and we adored every second!

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Wedding Photography: Katie Slater for Carla Ten Eyck Photography | Wedding Location: Harkness Memorial State Park | Hotel: The Whaler’s Inn, Mystic CT | Wedding Planning: Diana Chouinard at Jubilee Events | Floral Design: Just For You Floral Design | Caterer: Gourmet Galley | Wedding Cakes: J Cakes | Cinematographer: Vantage Point Films | Wedding Dress: “Peral” gown by Pronovias | Bride’s Veil: Bride’s Mother’s | Bride’s Monogram Ring: Bride’s Grandmother’s | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik “Sedaraby” pumps via Nordstrom | Bride’s Jewlery: Nicole Miller + Rent The Runway | Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale G560C in french blue via Bella Bridesmaid | Bridesmaid Chevron Clutches: Etsy, Toriska Bags & Crafts | Hair + Makeup: Jennie Kay Beauty | Groomsmen: Jos A Bank + Vineyard Vines | Groom’s cufflinks: Etsy, Waxwing Jewelry | Rings: Rumanoff’s Fine Jewelry | Cocktail + Ceremony Band: Gypsy Wisdom | Rentals: Party Rental, Ltd. | Photobooth: Party Animalz, Ltd. | Save the Date Postcards: Posh Paperie | Invitation Suite: Mr. Boddington | Vintage Stamps: Ebay | Calligraphy: Etsy, lilflower, for Invitations and Michelle Dowling for Day of | Officiant: Rev. Victoria Burdick | Cake Toppers: Etsy, Charlene/ Creative Butterfly XOX INC | Signature Drink Straws: Etsy, Giddygappers Custom Paper & Decor | Chevron Favor Bags: Whisker Graphics | Custom Pillows: Bride’s Mother | Chalkboard Handwriting: Etsy, Julie Hays Designs | Chalkboard signs, cornhole boards, lavender sachets, table numbers, window frame seating chart, tissue paper pom poms, moss initials: DIY by Bride + Groom

We are just so stinkin’ smitten with this wedding over here at SMP, and the images from KCK Photography have sent us straight from simply admiring to truly obsessing with every inch of this fete at the Latitude 41 Restaurant. I don’t know if I should start with the heartwarming story of the father of the bride’s courage and strength to rise out of his wheelchair and walk her down the aisle or with the wonderful team of supporters that helped fill this DIY wedding with all the loveliness and pretty perfection a girl could ask for. To top it all off, some of the most gorgeous and most radiant flowers from McQuades Marketplace gave the day just the right amount of charm. Find the full wedding in our gallery, right here.

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From the Bride… We knew that we wanted our wedding to reflect our laid-back personalities, non-traditional attitudes, love of the ocean and all things handmade, homegrown and locally sourced. This also meant involving our friends and family in as many aspects of the wedding planning and day-of celebration as we could. We wanted everyone to walk away from our wedding loving our day as much as we knew we would and to not only party the night away, but know that they were all involved in helping to create memories that we will hold onto forever.

The planning process was quick and easy, but the actual execution took forever!I am a graphic designer and thus took on the task of designing all of our wedding stationery (save-the-dates, invitations, menu cards, seating cards, program, etc.). I spent months collecting vases and mason jars to hold candles and flowers, sewed our burlap table runners and linens, built wooden garden boxes to use as vases, made our card box, animal-shaped meal cards (cut from wood, painted and name tags attached), our initial letters, the Mr & Mrs signs that hung from our chairs, the “fish on a hook” table numbers, sanded our oars to be used as our wedding guest book, and painted and wrote our seating chart on an old factory window that we found for $10 in a warehouse down the road. I even sewed the flower that I wore in my hair from material from my dress and the veil that my mother and aunt both wore in their wedding. My 10-year-old niece chose my dress. The bridal party wore bracelets made by my husband’s aunt to welcome us into the family, and anything that was not handmade was bought from other artists on Etsy. We collected props (hats, crazy glasses, eye patches, beaded necklaces and other fun props that you would find in a photo booth) and had them all available for guests to choose and wear through our reception.

Guests arrived to my cousin playing the cello, and our justice of the peace, DJ and makeup artists were close friends of friends. Our photographer is a close friend who I nannied for in Boston for many years, my jewelry was my grandmother’s, our hair was done by my sister’s best friend, and the list goes on. Our flowers and cake were from the local market in Mystic, and although I had no idea what I wanted and provided absolutely no direction to the baker and florist, other than “make it look simple/homemade,” I couldn’t have asked for a better cake and flower arrangements. Our amazing food and beverages were provided by Coastal Gourmet, and our guests are still talking about how delicious and beautiful everything was! The day was more than we could have ever hoped for and was, by far, one of the most emotional days of our lives. My father, who is confined to a wheelchair, found the strength to walk me down the aisle with my mother, and my husband and I were able to steal away few moments alone to leave our guests after the ceremony to honor his parents, who passed away from cancer just over two years ago. When I look back on our photos, I feel like I’m right back there on our wedding day. I can smell the salt water, hear the boats, feel the breeze, remember the emotions going through me and laugh and smile at all of the good times and great memories that will forever hold dear to our hearts. It was truly a simple but amazing day that I will remember forever.

Wedding Photography: KCK Photography / Wedding Venue: Latitude 41 Restaurant, Mystic, Connecticut / Wedding Coordination: Keri Gannon of Coastal Gourmet / Floral Design: Tracey of McQuades Marketplace / Event Design, Styling + Paper Goods: DIY by the Bride / Catering: Coastal Gourmet / Wedding Cake: Mystic Market East / DJ: Dave Christina (401-477-3952) / Wedding Dress: Jasmine Couture / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Hair: Mandy Thew / Makeup: Erin Infantino of Simply Gorgeous by Erin

Connecticut is this little dream land for me. Even though I’ve never actually been there, I seriously think it is the most magical place in the world and judging from the images from this amazing wedding by Visual Obsession Photographers, I’m right! It is everything you could hope for in a Connecticut wedding: the perfect preppy-nautical-boaty wonderfulness that makes this state so great, plus the venue at the Greenmanville Church at Mystic Seaport has one of the most breathtaking ceremony backdrops I’ve seen. This bride used her graphic design skills to make every lovely detail polished and so, so adorable that you would never know they were DIYed. There is so much more in the gallery, right here.

From the Bride… I never thought I would end up having the type of love I have seen my parents share over the past 27 years. They met when they were 14 and 16 and have been together ever since. I always wished that could be me. Well, I’m not far off. Mike and I met when we were 18 and 19, as freshmen attending Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. We hit it off right away and spent the next 8.5 side by side. After moving in together two years ago, I really wasn’t expecting a ring anytime soon. Well, Mike surprised me, that’s for sure. He proposed in our new apartment and took me out to a beautiful dinner, where both my parents and his parents were waiting to celebrate our engagement. It was everything I could have ever wished for.

With me being from Connecticut and Mike being from Massachusetts, we tried to find a venue mid-distance for our families and friends to attend our wedding. After looking at a few venues, Mystic Seaport beckoned. Mystic is so beautiful, and we felt its rustic, casual feel would offer the perfect backdrop to our special day. We wanted a casual feel to our wedding, no sit-down dinner, just tons of seafood and stations piled high with delicious offerings for our guests. We took on the nautical theme, and I ran with it. We got married in a little church on the grounds of Mystic Seaport, where our 175 guests barely fit — we wanted a very intimate ceremony where our guests could truly be a part of our commitment to each other as husband and wife. The wedding was a success, and not one thing went wrong. If I could do it again I would in a heartbeat.

Planning our wedding was easy for me. I am a graphic designer, so I was eager to take on the creative side. Spreadsheets and Excel didn’t interest me, so everything I did, I did my own way, inspired by the beautiful setting at Mystic. Adobe Illustrator was my best friend throughout the process. I designed everything for the wedding, which began with save-the-dates and extended to engagement party invitations, the wedding invitations, the nautical-themed table names and even the signature drink. I got out my X-Acto knife, glue guns and DIY hat and created our escort card display and aisle decorations. Not pictured are the wedding favors I crafted for the guests. The favor included five pieces of salt water taffy wrapped up in a little bag tied with green and white baker’s twine. I also found the oar, painted it and sanded it myself with the help of my mom and dad!

Wedding Photography: Visual Obsession Photographers / Ceremony: Greenmanville Church at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut / Reception: Latitude 41 at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut / Floral Design: Just For You Floral Design Studio / Wedding Cake: Mystic Market / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: Christine Meahan Designs (The Bride) / Violinist: Golden Scroll Soloists / Reception Band: Silver Streaks Band / Wedding Dress: Demetrios / Bride’s Shoes: RSVP / Hair: Borrowed & Blue / Makeup: Simply Gorgeous by Erin / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Sung / Groomsmen’s Suits: Men’s Wearhouse

A beautiful wedding comes in so many shapes and sizes. It can be big and grandiose or, in this case, a sweet, understated whisper of a thing. And seaside Connecticut is probably the most perfect spot on the planet for this type of affair. It’s all quaint and charmy and is matched perfectly by everything from the lovely floral halo by Hana Floral Design to the elegance and ease in Justin & Mary’s photography that is so uniquely theirs. It’s their photography style stamp if you will and we eat it up by the spoonful. See so much more in the full gallery.

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From the Bride… To be entirely honest, I did not begin our wedding planning with a specific vision in mind! It’s funny, but I hadn’t thought about what my dream wedding would look like until I got engaged, so Dennis and I took a very spontaneous approach. We decided on Mystic Seaport for our location because Dennis treated me to a weekend trip there and I fell in love with the place. We both loved how scenic, romantic, and historic it was and we knew that if we just let its vintage East Coast aesthetic inspire us and lead us where it may, everything would fall into place. I did not want to be overwhelmed, so I decided to read just one wedding preparation book that my amazing maid of honor gave me and kept a single scrapbook to store ideas. When my maid of honor came out of the dressing room wearing her dress, I knew I had my wedding colors: royal blue, pale pink, and white. The only thing Dennis and I knew we wanted to do was our theme: movies! We met in a film class back in college, and he now works as a film director. Our love of film was what brought us together, and we paid homage to the great films we loved (including Back to the Future and Gremlins!) in many aspects of our ceremony and reception, from our processional music to our cupcakes.

Looking back, I’m so glad we chose Mystic Seaport because we were able to work with a group of such dedicated and professional coordinators and vendors. I especially loved how most of our vendors knew one another and were all excited to work together at our wedding. One of the memories of our wedding planning that I cherish is how it allowed us to meet new people and be inspired by their professionalism and vision towards their businesses. I tried to recreate this in New York City where we live and did the majority of our planning. I bought my dress from Saja and my veil from Bridal Veil Falls because they are exceptional boutiques with designers who truly care about the experience that the brides go through. Since I did not start out with a concrete image for my wedding, it was important that I surrounded myself with people whose vision I admired and trusted. Of course there were bumps and stressful times along the way, but our friends and family were always there to rescue us and cheer us on. 

My favorite part of the wedding was showing our slide show at the reception! Dennis worked for weeks making an amazing slide show out of old film clips and photos of our friends and family, and it was hilarious! Everyone was having a blast watching it, and I just felt so fortunate being in that moment. What I think makes a wedding magical is how it brings together all the people you love at the same time in the same room, and the slide show was emblematic of how all of our lives were woven together over the years. Our wedding helped me see and appreciate all the amazing people in our lives and for that I am so grateful to my family, friends, and vendors!

Wedding Photography: Justin & Mary Photography / Ceremony: Greenmanville Church at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut / Reception: Latitude 41 in Mystic, Connecticut / Wedding Coordination: Alyson Devaney of Coastal Gourmet / Floral Design: Hana Floral Design / Catering: Coastal Gourmet / DJ: Power Posse Productions / Wedding Dress: Saja / Veil: Bridal Veil Falls / Hair: Kanako Hair & Nail Salon / Makeup: Yuko Takahashi / Bridesmaid’s Dress: Joanna August (Dare Long Dress in Sapphire)

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Hana Floral Design

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Not only was Katie and Colin’s wedding one of the most elegant we’ve seen, it also had a sensational bridal party! The maids wore Amsale. The little man and maids were in Annie Girl from The White Dress by the shore. And the lovely Katie … Vera, of course!

Katie’s mom, Brenda and Traci Romano planned this sensational event and Yumiko of Hana Floral Design is responsible for the unbelievable flowers. We are so happy that so many of our Little Black Book members had a hand in this amazing wedding!

from Yumiko:  We used antique green hydrangeas, various hot pink garden roses, magenta stock, pink phlox and orchids for the centerpieces, as well as for the bridemaid’s bouquets. While the maids wore a gorgeous Amsale dress in a muted plum shade, the bride really wanted pink flowers mixed with greens.  The bouquets
definitely popped against the dresses.  Katie carried a muted ivory, blush and green bouquet, with her
Grandmother’s rosary attached to it.

This may well be our new favorite wedding … (am I allowed to say that?) …

Photography by Mary and Justin Marantz … we think you are true artists … and love your blog!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
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Hana Floral Design

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