Connecticut Weddings

From Carla Ten Eyck Photography… Megan and Ante’s elegant wedding at The New Haven Lawn Club this spring was such a joy to photograph! From the moment that I met them both, I knew we were going to have a great time together! They were so easy with the laughs and so kind to each other during our meeting and then our engagement session, I knew their wedding was going to be even better! I was not disappointed! Megan was the calmest bride. She took in every moment, was present, glowing and ready with her trademark laugh at every turn! her family was doting and loving and amid the hustle and bustle of the wedding day stopped every so often to tell Megan how beautiful she looked… This is one of my favorite things to see, that despite this being such a big day full of many moving parts there is still time to take it all in and savor each moment as much as possible. I often put myself in the parents’ shoes and wonder how I will feel when it is my son or daughter getting married, and it never fails to make me pause and see my brides’ weddings in a new, even more emotional way!

When Megan saw Ante for the first time walking down the aisle, I could feel his smile and his cute little wave to her as she walked down the aisle made me laugh, he was even cute and funny at that moment! We had so much fun doing portraits and the whole wedding party was easy going and wiling to do whatever we needed to get the pictures Megan and Ante wanted! My favorite part was walking around Yale’s campus with them, everyone was so helpful and amazing! They let us in by one of the coolest gates on the campus so we could get some fun shots of Megan and Ante there… I love those images so much, for that very reason! People being so nice and loving and supportive to total strangers because they know it’s a big day! We ended the night in total ballroom elegance at The New Haven Lawn Club where the night ran so smooth, surrounded by the stunning floral designs of Fleur de Lys, and the perfectly lit room… what a wonderful night!

From the beautiful Bride… After meeting at a local restaurant in Greenwich, CT, Ante and I were inseparable. Within the first month of dating he told one of his friends that he was certain he was going to marry me. After years of adventure, fun and life, he proposed to me on December of 2012 in beautiful Stowe, Vermont on a horse and sleigh ride. The rest is planning history….

When we began to start planning the wedding both Ante and I wanted a classy, elegant, vintage but fun wedding. Sometimes themes can takeover your personality and stifle the atmosphere, so we decided to ensure pure elegance with loud touches of us. I have never been one to envision what our wedding day would look like but we did know that we wanted it to be timeless. Through these wants and needs, we decided on a color palate that was softer. We utilized blush pinks, ivory, gold, pink and peach. Once I started on the color gold needing to be elevated the rest fell right into place.

Our invitations were gold booklets tied together with lace and pearls. The bouquet for me was made of pure soft colors with gold and pink ribbon wrapping the stems and a sentimental pin from my grandmother. The bouquets for the bridesmaids were slightly louder in color with the incorporation of bright peaches and pinks while their dresses were lighter gunmetal. The guys had pink orchids, with Ante wearing an ivory/white orchid. My dress was a flared Ivory lace with tulle liancarlo, that had a romantic lace back yet elegant V neck line. Ante was dressed in a two piece fitted Hugo Boss navy blue suit with the classy touch of suspenders (my favorite partJ ).

Our venue could not have been more perfect at the New Haven lawn club. The classic chandeliers and functioning fire places really set the romantic mood! Cocktail hour had an amazing raw bar and the best part is, Ante and I got to enjoy the hour with our guests! The decoration style of the ballroom was based on our color scheme and involved white/ivory glittery table cloths. The table were covered with endless candles, cork bottom favor cards and family appreciation cards. The center pieces continued the feel of romance by having floating candles and hydrangeas dispersed throughout strategically placed branches. Because we really still wanted to essentially have a great party the band had to be amazing and it sure was! We were able to achieve such a romantic dinner with true elegance and class but still managed to have a great great party! Oh did I mention the late night snack with cheeseburger sliders and parmesean French fries? AMAZING…

We wouldn’t change a thing and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day…. And an even more amazing honeymoon in Australia and New Zealand!

Thank you Carla ten eyck for capturing the best day of our lives!

Classic Vineyard Wedding

Classic meets laid-back elegance in this gorgeous Priam Vineyard affair and, let me tell you, it’s awesome. Think rich purple hues, cloudy + romantic skies and drop-dead gorgeous details all designed by the Mother of the Bride (who is obviously amazing). Oh, and those flower girls? Totally adorable. See every beautiful moment captured by Alicia Ann Photographers right here.

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Glitter & Gold DIY Wedding

From Alicia Ann Photographers… Chris and Erika’s vineyard wedding was a perfect one for a late summer/early fall day. They worked tirelessly at creating a concept that would be classic and high-end, but also feel relaxed and “homey” – just like they are. Together, they love going to vineyards and wine tasting, so it was perfectly appropriate that they would want to be married in a vineyard. With a chance of the rain in the forecast, the staff at Priam Vineyard worked quickly to move the hand crafted chuppah under a tent, as well as all the chairs. The tightness and intimacy of the ceremony made it that much more special and their closest friends and family piled in around Chris and Erika as they promised forever to each other. The reception was flawlessly designed by Erika’s mom and executed perfectly by Riverhouse Catering and the dance was hopping all night from the amazing band!

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Badgley Mischka

Spring 2014 Bridal

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This, loves, is a bride and groom after my own heart. A stunning couple that tackles DIY likes it’s no one’s business and, with the help of the amazing A Polished Plan, throws a wedding that is equal parts pretty and fun. Think lots of gold glitter courtesy of the “glitter addict” bride, a fabulous Lace Factory setting and sweet vintage stylings. See it all captured by The Melideos right here.

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From The Bride… I love the fact that when people ask how Ben and I met we have a fun story to tell. I had gone with a friend to watch her boyfriend’s band play at BB Kings in Times Square (which is a big feat because anyone who lives in NYC will tell you that is the last place they’d want to be on a busy Friday night). While watching the band play I noticed a cute tall guy standing rather alone, so at the end of the night I threw caution to the wind and approached him. We started talking and introduced ourselves, he told me he worked as a producer for Good Morning America but moonlit as a Calvin Klein Underwear model – to which I replied that was funny because I actually worked there! He made me show him a business card as proof and wrote his number on it for me adding “$10 says you don’t call.” I had lost my phone earlier that night and after searching the streets of the Lower East Side the following morning I gave up and went to the nearest Best Buy to get a temp phone. I really liked this guy and wanted to be able to call him! That night I got home to Brooklyn and saw that he had not only sent me a text but Facebook message and we agreed to meet up that same night. After a few hours of conversation, we realized I went to the same college as his parents in Colorado and that we had mutual friends in other states. I met his parents exactly seven days later and we’ve been inseparable ever since…

Three years later Ben proposed while we were running along the East River – complete with our dog Bailey in tow – and we began our incredible journey to create our beautiful wedding day. All we knew was that we wanted something that felt like “us,” relaxed and fun, and would be held in the fall, as close to the time we met as possible. Even though we were living in Manhattan, we wanted to find a venue outside of the city so it had the feel of a destination wedding but without all of the travel. We had originally found a great old mansion in Fairfield, CT that was a historical site with a lot of land and was right in our budget. Unfortunately, after Hurricane Sandy, there were weeks of cleanup and extensive damage to a lot of areas in the town and we had to find a new venue. Luckily, I happened upon an amazing venue in a sleepy little town further east in Connecticut, an old Lace Factory that had been converted into an event space. It was right along the river so it had a very relaxed vibe and had the interior charm of some of the loft spaces you might find in NYC.

We got right down to planning and soon realized that because of our busy work schedules and the distance, tracking down and meeting with the perfect vendors wasn’t going to be something we could do on our own. Thankfully, I discovered our amazing wedding planner, Sarah from A Polished Plan, and we literally couldn’t have accomplished anything without her! Because we were working on a budget, we weren’t able to contract Sarah for the whole process, but arranged a planning partnership so we could work together to recommend and book vendors and to reach out for “panicked help” throughout the year. She was able to suggest amazing vendors who were happy to work with our DIY approach and the final outcome was beyond words.

We wanted to have a “fall” themed wedding without doing the typical orange and red color palette so we chose muted versions of dusty teals and soft pinks with champagne, gold and a pop of coral for fun. I am a self-professed Glitter Addict, so once we settled on the colors I literally turned our apartment into a glitter factory. To save some money, both of our families started collecting different size tin cans and mason jars that we spray painted gold and glittered to use for the flowers and candles on the tables. Even our florist got in on the fun and glittered some of her own jars and containers! Our wedding was the weekend before Halloween, so I ordered 100 mini white pumpkins to use as decorations, some of which we painted gold or glittered to tie the whole theme together. One of my favorite discount finds for the wedding were the vintage LOVE marquee letters that I found at the Brimfield Fair last summer, spray painted gold and filled with string lights. We really wanted to give out favors but were afraid to overspend, so we decided to make caramel apples and use them as escort cards, as well. I went to a local farm and picked up five bushels of apples for a bargain and we had both of our families come to our apartment and turned it into a caramel apple factory! They were all so helpful with all of the finishing touches; we couldn’t have done it without them.

We wanted to have as many personal touches as possible to remind us of our loved ones. I used the lace from the bottom of my mother’s wedding dress to wrap around my bouquet and pinned it into place with a pin borrowed from my aunt that was my grandmother’s. We hung pictures of close family, childhood and college friends, and our favorites of us together along the long entry wall at the venue. For the bathrooms, I blew up embarrassing grade school photos of Ben and me to hang on the entry doors. I also found the business card that Ben gave me that night we met and framed it in lace and placed it on the guestbook table, proof that his pick up line was a real thing! Instead of the traditional guest book we opted for a Jenga set and wedding mad-libs, whenever we need a good laugh we go thru them – we truly have some of the funniest people in our lives.

For our ceremony we were married under my grandparent’s chuppah that was used for their 50th wedding anniversary. My grandmother passed when I was 12, so it was very meaningful for me to know that a little piece of her was there with us. My childhood Cantor and close family friend was our officiant, he talked us into writing our own vows which we are so grateful we decided to do! We were able to laugh and really enjoy the moment, which meant the world to us.

My greatest piece of advice to future brides is to trust your gut. For almost every vendor that we booked, we had one that fell through first because of availability or just following our gut that they weren’t the right fit for us. What we ended up with was a group of absolutely fabulous vendors that helped make our day so beautiful and carefree we were able to focus on what was important – a celebration of our love with our closest family and friends.

Bridal Reflections Galia Lahav Trunk Show + A Giveaway!

My dears, get ready to mark your calendars, because Bridal Reflections is hosting an incredible trunk show from August 6-10th, 2014 featuring designer Galia Lahav! Showing a brand-new bridal collection, La Dolce Vita as well as her first ever evening wear collection, Moonstruck, this is a seriously special event you won’t want to miss.

Known in Israel and abroad for her unique and luxe designs, Galia Lahav’s collections are truly spectacular. Focusing on elegant style, incredible European fabrics and beautiful detail work, these fashion-forward dresses are perfect for the modern bride wanting something a little bit different.

To make an appointment from August 6-10th at Bridal Reflections’s Fifth Avenue salon for the Galia Lahav show, call 212.764.3040. OH, there’s more my dears!

The Prize: A lucky reader will win a $250 gift certificate towards any purchase at any of the three Bridal Reflections salons!

To Enter: Comment on this post with your favorite Galia Lahav gown!

To Win: One winner will be selected at random and announced on WIUP on Friday, August 8, 2014.

Terms & Conditions: Can all be found right here. Good luck my dears! xoxo

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Bridal Salon: Bridal Reflections | Gowns: Galia Lahav

Classic Mansion Wedding

Pair a foodie bride and her handsome beau with a fab team of vendors that includes Coral Pheasant Stationery + Design, BLUSH Floral Design and Jubilee Events (to name a few) and the results are this: a beyond breathtaking day that boasts classic details, beautiful colors and soooo much pretty captured by Binaryflips Photography, it will make your head swoon. Join me in the gallery for more.

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Design*Sponge Engagement Session Contest Winners

From the Bride… When Lev and I first started planning our wedding, we fell in love with the Wadsworth Mansion (near my hometown in CT) before we even saw it in person. We liked that there were multiple rooms for guests to explore, as if it was our own private retreat (albeit a very fancy one!), and the way the mansion was set off from the road and surrounded by trees and gardens.

Once we had decided on a location, it helped set the tone for everything else: classic, elegant and romantic. To complement the interior of the mansion, we settled on a color palette of dove gray, blush and cream—plus a touch of gold—that felt airy and light, but still muted enough for October. I was also inspired by Laduree and their gorgeous pastel packaging.

Lev and I agreed we wouldn’t spend a lot of money on gifts for the morning of the wedding, but we wanted to do something small. We were doing long-distance for most of the year leading up to the wedding, and for about 6 months of that, Lev had been recording little clips of himself along the way—and turned it into the sweetest video. I ended up giving him a vintage compass, since he is my biggest supporter and, cheesy as it may sound, the one who always helps me find my way.

Despite some early rain and gloom, the weather that day—which also happens to be my grandmother’s birthday—ended up being beautiful. The whole place was washed in this gorgeous golden light. Our ceremony was led by Mary Coburn on the lawn behind the mansion, and months later, I still receive compliments on the incredible job she did. She has an amazing way of getting to know you, capturing the spirit of a relationship and bringing people together.

Bouquets and arrangements contained lush blooms like garden roses, ranunculus and dahlias. For texture and a slightly vintage feel, we added dusty miller, silver brunia berries and gold-dusted scabiosia pods (a really lovely touch from Elizabeth of Blush Floral Design). We decorated our placecard table with vintage cake stands and compote dishes collected over time, plus loose and floating flowers, votive candles and ribbons.

I have a killer sweet tooth, so good dessert was a must! Later in the night, we re-purposed the cake stands for a display of cream puffs, oatmeal-maple whoopie pies, pumpkin cheesecake squares, mini pecan pies and macarons in blush and cream. Our wedding cake featured a single, whimsical sugar bloom that was gold in the middle with pale pink petals fading into ivory.

Our invitations incorporated two design elements—a wreath and a bow—and two patterns—lattice and damask—that were used throughout our reception. The wreath was used for our table numbers and programs, and an actual wreath was hung on the front door of the Wadsworth. There were pink bows on my shoes and bows tied to our seats at the table. Finally, the lattice print from the invites appeared our dessert labels, while the damask print appeared on our menus.

My bridesmaids wore soft and subdued shades of pink, cream and gray by Amsale and Donna Morgan. Everyone wore their hair at least partially down, which was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision—but I loved the way the casual hair styles contrasted with the guys’ formal tuxedos and bow ties.

My dress was a ball gown by Liancarlo. I tried on an embarrassing amount of dresses until I fell in love with its delicate, crystal-studded bodice and flowing, ethereal skirt. My earrings were a gift from my grandmother, who was given them by my grandfather on my mom’s wedding day. My something borrowed was my grandfather’s wedding ring, and my something blue was a ring my mom gave me some 15 years ago that I’ve been wearing ever since. Both of these were tied to my bouquet.

A few other personal touches we added to the wedding were a guestbook filled with handmade envelopes in different patterns and colors for guests to leave us notes, a display of family pictures, and signature cocktails (a pear drink I make every winter, and a Brazilian coffee drink that satisfies Lev’s coffee addiction and relates to one of his favorite trips). At the end of the night, guests helped themselves to a Connecticut classic—Foxon Park White Birch Beer—and freshly-popped popcorn in two different flavors: salted butter and caramel cashew.

My best advice to brides is to enjoy the planning process as much as possible. Spend some time sifting through ideas and thinking about how you envision the day before you dive in—and then take it on little by little. And, make it your own. Everything doesn’t have to match perfectly. In fact, it will feel more organic if it doesn’t! Then, once the day arrives, let go of all those little details and focus instead on savoring every moment.

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Amsale

Amsale Bridesmaids Fall 2014

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Donna Morgan

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When Amy Azzarito Of Design Sponge and Jorge De La Barra offered a free, styled engagement session for SMPers, we of course jumped at the chance to get you pretties in front of the camera. Well, the winners have been chosen and their sessions have been captured, and it’s safe to say they are gorgeous. We’ve been waiting in the wings to share the pretty with you all, and couldn’t be more excited that today we can finally let you in on all the goodness right here.

From Design Sponge…Couple One This super active couple -Heidi and Scott actually met at a Crossfit gym and hit it off as friends. Eventually, they realized that they liked hanging out just as much outside the gym as inside. Scott crafted an elaborate and personal proposal. He dragged Heidi to the gym for a work out with their closest gym friends. At Crossfit, all the workouts are named and this one was called the “Amazing gRace” (a little pun on one of the exercises named Grace) and one of Heidi’s favorite shows.

Scott had involved all of their friends into the proposal and had planned the workout to be a scavenger hunt with different elements. After the first workout, the couple headed to their car and drove to the clue location “Go back to where it all began”. In the years, the couple had been dating, the gym moved locations. So they drove to the original location, Scott parked the ran, got out and ran around to the side of the building. He came back with a bright teal green Vespa. Heidi had wanted a Vespa for nearly a decade (since she lived across from a Vespa dealership) and was over the moon about her gift.

The couple road the scooter to the next location where they found their best friend pretending to be Phil from the Amazing Race complete with a bottle of champagne for their “Toast or Roast” road block. After they completed the activity, Heidi was sure that Scott was now about to propose, but instead they got instructions to drive to the closest trail for their next clue.

Once at the new location, Scott took out a small speaker and played their favorite song and the pair walked to where their friends were waiting. A friend acting as Phil continued with the game and told them that they were “the last team arrive, but it was a non-elimination leg”. Scott then turned and proposed to while their friends quietly walked back to a picnic area they had been busily setting up while the couple scooted around town.

When I heard this story, I knew that we had to include the Vespa in the couple’s engagement shoot. Heidi wore a dress from Lovely Bride and paper artist Michelle Bablo made a couple of fun signs for the couple. She also made some celebratory streamers for that all-important Vespa. The couple have two rescues dogs and they wanted to include one of them in the shoot so Homer joined us all at one of the spots that Heidi and Scott visit most summer weekends -the historic Nathan Hale house in Connecticut.

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Walk Through A Wedding Workshop Inspiration

From Design Sponge...This pair was over-the-moon about the prospect of starting their life together so we shot their engagement in Prospect Park, which just happens to be right around the corner from their apartment. This park is an absolutely magical place to shoot and after a long winter indoors, it was just what the doctor ordered. We discovered new locations around every corner. The fantastic team from 2h flowers, toted buckets of flowers into the park, scouted out the perfect branch and created a little hanging flower backdrop. Emily, at Lael Cakes, made us a stunning cake for a picnic setup. And we had one final surprise for the couple – their favorite saying is “Jackpot”! (As in, I really hit the Jackpot when I found you.) So we enlisted Michelle Bablo to help us make a sign to celebrate the couple’s good fortune. What a fun magical day in a favorite Brooklyn spot.

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have a front row seat to all the pretty we share on the daily. But what I love even more? The backstage pass that gives us a peek at how it all comes to life. Enter this lovely workshop hosted by Justin & Mary and designed by Stacie Shea Events. It’s designed to take photogs through every step of a wedding and the result is a serious dose of gorgeous. From Carrie Wilcox‘s bursting blooms to Roseville Designs invitations, this gallery is a perfect midweek pick-me-up!

From Stacie Shea Events… Justin and Mary Marantz put on the Walk Through A Wedding series for two days of amazing action packed information on what it takes to be a wedding photographer. The first day is typically all shooting and walking through each step of the wedding day as if Justin and Mary were actually shooting it. They cover everything from the getting ready to a dark church to posing the couple to shooting the reception complete with killer details.

Justin and Mary start bright and early at their home in New Haven talking about the “Why” and the first day typically goes all day winding up with some fantastic night shooting. Throughout the first day they cover all those trouble spots like posing an unruly bridal party, organizing the family shots, off-camera lighting at the church and reception, what to do if you only have 10 minutes for the portraits, and how to have a game plan to shoot the reception details before they get destroyed. Everything for this amazing workshop is set up to be just like a real wedding, so this is literally a one stop shot for all those things that many photographers struggle with.

This past May an amazing team of vendors paired up to help put this workshop on for Justin and Mary at the Lace Factory in Deep River, CT. Justin and Mary work together to select a color palette that they would like to work with for the shoot and then Stacie Shea and her team paired what they feel are the most perfect lineup of vendors to match the theme. This workshop was based on Tweed, light blue and teal shades.

Intimate 30 Guest Wedding in Woodstock

I’ve heard about a million Brides say if they could change on thing about their wedding, they’d scale down the guest list. They’d opt for an intimate gathering of their nearest and dearest, which is exactly the approach this couple took. With just 30 friends and family to bear witness, they tied the knot at the most charming Connecticut mansion you ever did see. And what’s better? We’ve got the gallery from Yaritza Colon to swoon inside and out.

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From Yaritza Colon Photography… Gabe and Brooke had a very beautiful and intimate wedding with just closest friends and family at a wonderful Connecticut Mansion where Brooke’s uncle also has a restaurant. They had originally planned a larger event, but then changed their vision to a small intimate gathering of about 30 guests.

From the Bride… When we first got engaged, we were planning on having a larger wedding with 100 guests or more. But when it came down to it, we wanted our special day to be pure and simple so we could enjoy every moment of what we were doing – committing to each other for life – and not be distracted by throwing a huge event.

Once we decided to go intimate, we also made an effort to see to it that we enlisted as many people as we knew as possible to help us. For example, my uncle is a co-owner of the Mansion at Bald Hill, and our good friend and talented musician did the ceremony music. In doing so, we were totally surrounded by people we knew and loved. It gave the whole day a really light-hearted, comfortable, and joyful feel. If I could go back and do it again, I would have done it the same way!

One of my favorite parts of the day was getting ready in one of the rooms at the Mansion with my Mom and my sister. We were drinking mimosas, getting pretty, and just hanging out having a good time. It really set the tone for the whole day.

Another totally memorable part of the day was after dinner when our siblings took glass markers and went to town on our car with things like ‘Honk! Just Married’ and ‘Love birds right here’. They even attached cans to the undercarriage! Driving away to our honeymoon with our car like that felt so classic and fun. We got almost 20 honks! By the time we got to the bed and breakfast, there was a thunderstorm and it was absolutely pouring out. All dressed up, we made a run for it to our room where there was a bottle of champagne on ice waiting for us! The whole thing felt like a scene from a movie.

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Wedding Dresses

Ann Taylor

Fall 2014 Weddings Collection

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Allure

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My recipe for a perfect summer wedding? A stunning outdoor venue, loads of sunshine and peonies + garden roses everywhere you look. It’s that simple. Of course, a crew of A-team vendors like Summer Street Photography, Hana Floral Design, Gourmet Galley and Wilson Stevens Productions doesn’t hurt one bit either. See the pretty results for yourself and don’t miss the film from The Pixel Perfection.

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Preppy Beachfront Wedding In Old Lyme

From The Bride…Tyler and I knew from the start that we wanted our wedding to center on family, friends, laughter and love. We have known each other since high school and we were so excited to celebrate our big day with family and friends who have watched us grow both individually and as a couple over the ten years that we have been together. Our first step in planning our wedding was to find a unique, memorable venue. We knew from the moment we first visited Saltwater Farm Vineyard that it fit the bill. The vineyard served as a beautiful backdrop for our ceremony and our reception was held on in the venue’s converted airplane hangar. With help from amazing vendors, our wedding was beyond what we ever could have imagined.

We awoke to amazing weather the morning of the wedding. I spent the afternoon sipping mimosas with my bridesmaids as the girls from New Leaf Hear Studio (I’ve been a loyal client for over a decade!) did our hair and makeup in the vineyard’s bridal suite. Yumiko from Hana Floral Design built the bouquets and floral arrangements around my favorite flowers, peonies and garden roses, and Jennifer Glissmeyer from Gourmet Galley made sure the whole day went perfectly.Tyler and I decided early on that we wanted to share a “first look” before the wedding. I am so happy we did – it was such a special moment for the two of us to share before the ceremony. The big day feels like a whirlwind – my advice to brides is to soak-in and savor as many little moments as possible – from the seconds just before you walk down the aisle to watching friends and family enjoying themselves at the reception.

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Hana Floral Design

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Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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Even though we’re excited summer is finally here, this peaceful end of summer wedding has us yearning for the oceanfront just as much. Sandy beaches, crystal blue water, ah… I can almost feel the salty ocean breeze just thinking about it. Needless to say, I could get lost in this gallery for a while. So keep scrolling and enjoy the ocean, and love’s, grandeur thanks to IRIS Photography‘s images.

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Romantic Connecticut Estate Wedding

From IRIS Photography…Katrina and Charles’ wedding last September at the 1940s shingled Old Lyme Beach Club, had a nice mix of preppy and unconventional…Katrina’s processional was to Led Zeppelin’s Over the Hills and Far Away, setting the tone for a more laid back beach side end of the summer soiree.

The couple are intrepid world travelers but wanted to come back to Charles’ hometown and ‘home beach’ to get married. The wild flowers and yellow linens complemented the cornflower blue and weathered shingles setting of the Beach Club. LBB member Sixpence For Your Shoe planners did a wonderful job pulling all the elements together.

From Sixpence For Your Shoe…Set on the day before equinox, Katrina and Charles’ seaside wedding at Old Lyme Beach Club was one for the books. Inspired by embracing summer for just one last day, we designed a buttoned-up beach club wedding featuring a cheerful palette of sunshine and deep blue sky paired with natural elements. Sweet details, such as escort cards strung up in an old boat and a bird inspired fabric for cocktail hour, infused a sense of fun into the day. Guests dined both in and out the 1940s clubhouse, with bistro bulb lighting lending old fashioned whimsy. Tables were set with soft buttery yellow linen, rattan chargers, and cheerful blue mason jars overflowing with wildflowers. Friends and family danced all night under a string lit tent that twinkled like stars, and at the end of the night, hopped on school buses with fresh baked, warmed donuts in hand.

Summer weddings are the bees knees. And when they’re held at your parents’ private estate, with one sweet tie-wearing pup named Pedro, floating blooms, twinkling lights, and all? They’re pretty much unbeatable. With Hudson River Photographer behind the lens of every ounce of elegant imagery, you’ll be smitten with this gallery.

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Vintage Garden Wedding Inspiration

From Hudson River Photographer… Elegant and charming, two words to describe this beautiful bride and groom. They married at Jennifer’s parents estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Their dog Pedro carried the ring! It was a simply gorgeous wedding.

What’s better than a slice of vintage goodness? Vintage goodness served with a sweet topping of the prettiest florals from Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design, of course! And as connoisseurs of vintage, we’re quite smitten with the whole thing. Jonathan Young Weddings has brought this lovely garden inspiration to life and you can feast your eyes on it all right here.

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Garden Weddings Outdoor Weddings

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Rustic-Meets-Preppy Vineyard Wedding

From Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design… After months of planning, The Mill House Of Woodbury, CT was the perfect location for this inspiration shoot, with cascading gardens and a plethora of antique furniture and tableware to compliment the vintage aesthetic. Our bride and groom, dressed in Lazaro, Rebecca Schoneveld, and Louis Purple were captured by talented photographer Jonathan Young. They strolled through the majestic estate surrounded by whimsical flowers designed by Rebecca Shepherd and handmade custom linens for propping by Heirloom.

To fit the setting, makeup artist Stacie Ford created a soft smoky eye for the rather gloomy weather – it rained a little in the afternoon, but the overcast created an enchantment to the story. To compliment the makeup, wardrobe stylist Ani Hovhannisyan opted for three different dresses for the bride, combining vintage colors and fabrics – two beautiful form fitting lace gowns and a silk chiffon princess gown. Topping on the cake was a pair of Jimmy Choo antique silver/gold pumps. The groom was to look dapper, tasteful and gentlemanly. As the day came to an end, our bride and groom were driven away in a vintage Chevrolet. It could not have been more perfect or serendipitous.

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Lazaro

Spring 2016

Fall 2016

Spring 2017

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Rebecca Schoneveld

2017 Collection

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Truth be told, this wedding is one of the best fusions of rustic-prep I’ve ever, EVER seen. It’s got no shortage of color, stripes and that East Coast style, but what really steals the show? The love – plain and simple. Summer Street Photography captured every sweet moment between Erica and Alex, and this little glimpse is only the beginning. Grab your morning mug o’ coffee and join me right here.

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Rustic Weddings

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Winter Cabin Wedding Shoot

From the Bride…We had been going to Rosedale for chef to farm dinners for several years and have always wanted our wedding to be there. We wanted to share our love of the farm and the local produce with our guests. We love to throw outdoor parties in the summer and we wanted our wedding to be the ultimate version of this. I would describe it as organic elegance when people asked our “theme.” Rosedale was the perfect setting for this with its endless fields of wildflowers and vines. Our florist did an amazing job highlighting our surroundings with her arrangements. As a dietitian food is important to me. Our caterer did a wonderful job translating the local produce into a delicious menu, and NoRa Cupcake’s flavors can’t be matched.

Matt and Kendra from Summer Street Photography were so fun to work with and captured our day perfectly. My favorite part of the day was our first look. We met at the largest tree in Connecticut. It was a beautiful spot to take in the day together before the ceremony. I will always remember those few moments we had to celebrate alone.

The details of our wedding were a team effort. My mom and I made the table runners and all of the signage. My husband and I are often separated due to his job and we always send each other postcards when we go to new places. We collected vintage postcards at Brimfield Flea market for the guest book as a nod to our tradition. My Uncle made the huge chalkboard for our table assignments and my father in law made the corn hole sets. I was so thankful to have our month of planner to put it all together. She spared me so much stress. I recommend it to everyone!

It was important to us to include family and friends in the ceremony as well. My cousin helped us “tie the knot” (a sailors knot) as a nod to my husband’s job as an officer in the Navy. We have it displayed in our home now as a reminder of the day. My bridesmaid did a reading of her choice and my brother and family friend played music during the ceremony and reception.

We had been together for 9 years before getting married. We have many friends and family that have shared in our adventures. Throughout the planning process we always tried to remember that we wanted to throw a party to celebrate our love with the most important people in our lives. Food and fun were our priority and I think we succeeded; we danced until 1 am. It is a day we will never forget.

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Watters

Willowby Fall 2014

Watters Maids Fall 2014

Wtoo Maids Fall 2014

C20 Mothers 2012 Part I

C20 Mothers 2012 Part II

C20 Mothers Spring 2013

C20 Mothers Fall 2012

Seahorse Spring 2013

Watters Brides Fall 2014

Watters Brides Spring 2013

Watters Brides Spring 2015

Wtoo Brides Spring 2015

Willowby Spring 2015

Watters Maids Spring 2015

Wtoo Maids Spring 2015

Encore Spring 2015

Watters Brides Spring 2016

Willowby Spring 2016

Wtoo Brides Fall 2015

Willowby Fall 2015

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Even though the summer is finally upon us, this shoot from Carla Ten Eyck Photography and Whim Events has us feeling all cozy. We love everything down to the cute stationary from Hartford Prints!, homemade glögg, glowing fires, and the abundance of plaid. There were too many good shots to pick from, so make sure to take a peek at the whole gallery for even more inspiration.

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Winter Weddings

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Rustic Weddings

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Vintage Chic Connecticut Wedding

From the gals at Whim Events and Hartford Prints…When planning this photo shoot, we were inspired by the warmth that a new marriage brings to a lifetime of family traditions. Many couples are looking for ways to create simple, yet meaningful, moments at their wedding and we love working with clients to bring those moments to life. We’ve learned that it’s not the size of the wedding or lavish items that make a wedding memorable and special, but the amount of heart the couple puts into it. Set at a cozy family cabin in the woods, we imagined that our couple, Luna & Helder, see the cabin as a special and intimate place of family dinners, food & drink shared by the fire, and long and lively conversations. The vibe of the shoot is cozy, warm, intimate, simple, humble, and homey. The colors are forest green, crimson, steel blue, charcoal, and nutmeg.

Proposal…We decided the shoot should tell our couple’s love story, so we planned their proposal, as well as their wedding weekend. We imagine that Helder takes Luna on a surprise hike near the cabin, where she unexpectedly finds a sweet and simple scavenger hunt he has planned. Little paper clues are left along the trail, leading them to the engagement site – a simple, winter’s picnic! Amongst warm blankets and hot chocolate, glass ornaments hang from the trees and in one of them, the ring!

The Wedding Weekend…Naturally, the couple plans their winter wedding at the cabin, an intimate and fun weekend for their closest friends and family to enjoy. The custom letterpress invitation, wrapped in stitched burlap, cleverly functions as both a book and a map, guiding guests to the wedding day. We saw the weekend as filled with joyous winter activities – a pancake breakfast, afternoon ice skating, an outdoor ceremony by the fire, a potluck dinner of family recipes, s’mores and cozy blankets – simple and meaningful ways to spend time together.

Following a day of activities, the ceremony is held outdoors in front of a large fire. The ceremony is sweet and casual, and guests stay warm in cozy blankets while drinking homemade glogg, a recipe of spiced wine made by the couple. Behind the ceremony hangs a large rosemary wreath and buckets of herbs. Luna carries a bouquet of herbs and daffodils.

After the ceremony, the group moves indoors, to a warm and glowing potluck dinner made from family recipes, as requested on the RSVP cards, and served on a buffet of cast-iron skillets and pots. Lanterns and dried herbs hang over the table to create a rustic and homey feel, while a chalkboard menu of each family recipe is displayed near the table. The tablescape is simple, adorned with herbs, greens, wine, and good conversation. Each place setting has a linen napkin, tied together with twine, herbs, and a cinnamon stick. The wedding favor, a bouquet garni of spices and a letterpress recipe card to make the family glogg, add a warm and thoughtful touch.

Finally, guests relax by the fire for more glogg, laughter, and, of course, s’mores! A station, complete with heart-shaped marshmallows, chocolate, sticks, and graham crackers is set up, featuring lanterns and candlesticks for warmth, light, and love.

We loved working on every moment of this shoot, inspired by the familial, friendly, and fun atmosphere of it all! We owe the deepest thanks to Carla Ten Eyck and her team, our models – Darcy St Onge and Sarah Carbone, and the fabulous styling of d.d. Nickel, for their hard work and great energy! We sought to create something warm, inviting, intimate, and beautiful, and hope that the Ruffled readers feel the good vibrations too!

To sum this shindig in just a few words? Casual elegance meets old world glamour with one of the prettiest Nicole Miller gowns you ever did see. It’s the handiwork of awesome vendors like Flora Flora, Ryan Designs and Katie Slater capturing every inch. You’d probably never guess it’s a budget beautiful day thanks to one very savvy bride, and these gorgeous snaps are only the beginning.

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Emerald + Gold Art Deco Wedding

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Estate Weddings Park

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Vintage

From Katie Slater Photography… Emily and Matt. What can we even say about these two?! So sweet. So in love. So absolutely gorgeous. Emily was absolutely stunning in her Nicole Miller gown (and killer bod). The day was a windy one! The fall ocean breezes swirled the shoulder piece of her dress like a sail. (Dare we say that maybe Matt is the wind beneath her wings…er, dress?) The lovely maids glowed in blush and gray and carried fluffy bouquets of white florals and pale succulents.

After the seaside ceremony, guests retired into the casual-chic reception featuring lots of candlelight and natural wood elements. You would never guess it, but Emily did a lot of the details herself! The day was just as sunny and love-filled as the beautiful couple.

From the Bride… I wanted the day to feel casual yet chic and beautiful. I kept the ceremony short and treated the reception like one big party. We had our wedding party sit in the front rows and only had our brothers stand up with us during the ceremony. Family style food, lots of candles and a great band all helped create the fun atmosphere I wanted for the reception. We had minimal speeches that were made during cocktail hour so that everyone could relax and enjoy themselves. I wanted an autumn-themed wedding without being too literal. As soon as I found the invites I decided to go with a tree theme.

I found barnwood table numbers on Etsy and used pinecones from an online craft store for place card holders. I used a mix of vintage-looking urns and wooden boxes for my centerpieces and kept all of the flowers very natural. We decided on white cottage roses, hydrangeas and succulents. I also knew that I wanted the ceremony to be outside by the water and that the end of October was pushing it for weather! I ordered cheap pashminas online and put them in a laundry tote I found that had a bark-like pattern printed on it. I had a fur stole that my grandmother had given me, and I was so happy to have it right there at the end of the ceremony to warm me up. Matt’s mom made all of the pizzelle cookies for our dessert table, they were a huge hit!

I tried to keep my costs very reasonable. My dress was under $1000 and only needed hemming. My florist was remarkably reasonable as well. I also did a lot of the detail work myself, which are things I actually enjoy. I hand sawed all of the pinecone place card holders and printed my own menus and programs with cardstock found online. The mercury glass votives were found at Christmas Tree Shop and the candles were very cheap on the web. We had so many extra candles we decided to do luminaries lining the front drive way of the mansion.

I always thought I’d be nervous on my wedding day but I was surprised that I really wasn’t. I think I felt so comfortable having all of our friends and family there that it felt really welcoming. I loved seeing our friends enjoy all of the details we put into the event and felt honored that they all came to celebrate with us.

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Wedding Dresses

Nicole Miller

Spring 2015

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

SPRING 2016

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I adore this Bride. She is stunning in her custom Donna Miller wedding dress, planned this entire elegant soiree in just a few short months and put her focus on the most important part of her wedding day: Marrying her best friend. Megan W Photography made sure no moment went un-captured and it’s a day so beautiful, it could bring you to tears.

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Winter Weddings

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Estate Weddings

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