Massachusetts Weddings

This sweet couple is living proof that every now and then a good, old fashioned blind date ends in the real deal. Fast forward a couple years and many dates later and you get this gem of a wedding planned by True Event. It’s a celebration of all things New England, with amazing East Coast vendors like Paper Moss and Gabriella New York Bridal Salon making every detail perfection. Leila Brewster snapped the photos, Elysium Productions filmed the day, and you can follow me to THE VAULT for even more.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/147802435 600 338]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From The Bride…Dan and I met on a blind date, set-up by a dear friend of mine from college. My friend, Sarah, worked with Dan and according to her, thought of me “immediately” when she met him. Incidentally, the timing wasn’t quite right for us to meet until about two years after Sarah had her initial gut feeling. When we finally did meet in November of 2013, it was only a few months into our relationship that we knew Sarah’s intuition was spot-on. Dan was certainly worth the wait! He proposed to me in September of the following year.

Living in Brooklyn, Dan and I are both “city people”, but spent many of our formative years in New England and knew we wanted to get married in a more rural, rustic setting. We also couldn’t quite get the idea of a barn out of our heads. Not knowing quite where to start, we enlisted the assistance of True Event who immediately helped us crystallize our very rough ideas and led us to the charming and exquisite Gedney Farm, in New Marlborough, MA. Gedney Farm embodied the “rustic elegance” we were craving and The Berkshires seemed like a centralized location, with most of our friends and family coming from either New York or Massachusetts.

Dan and I are both pretty “go with the flow” people, which we learned is both an advantage and disadvantage when planning a wedding. We wanted to hire a team of experienced and trusted vendors who would help us figure out exactly what we wanted without us being able to articulate much of a vision. With the wonderful people at both True Event and Gedney Farm now guiding us, we soon surrounded ourselves with a stellar team, making the planning process infinitely easier and more enjoyable.

For flowers and lighting, we used Maryanne Gillooly of Gillooly & Co. Design, who knew the space at Gedney incredibly well and completely encapsulated what we wanted in neutral and natural tones (ivory, pale pink, green) with splashes of jewel toned blue and purple. I love soft lighting and Maryanne illuminated the barn with numerous candles and strings of Edison bulbs, keeping the “rustic elegance” theme very much alive. She also created the most picturesque and enchanting spot for our ceremony on the knoll at Gedney Farm.

One of the highlights of planning was the tasting and with the incredible chef Rob Burnell in the kitchen at Gedney Farm, we had a difficult time narrowing down what we wanted, but were incredibly pleased with our choices. The cheese board in particular was a highlight and so exquisitely arranged! Numerous guests told us the food was some of the best they had ever tasted at a wedding.

As the wedding day approached, Sarah True of True Event was instrumental in making sure all the details came together. She also proved to be an extremely calming and nurturing presence in a very vulnerable time. The same should be said of Colleen Granahan, Michael Smith and James Love of Gedney Farm who were the perfect combination of kindness and professionalism. Leila Brewster and Elysium Productions were incredibly talented, creative and easy to work with and did a fantastic job of capturing the beauty of the day. And big kudos to both Emily Reale and Katie Bouchard who made me look more glamorous than I ever thought possible, while ensuring I still looked and felt like myself. Ceremony musician Steven Rutledge “nailed it” (as Dan so succinctly put it) and Unity (Wedding Band) was an energetic musical force able to get the most unlikely of guests on the dance floor.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the ceremony was the highlight of the day for me. Jim Sexton (a local interfaith reverend) officiated and was someone we had just met, but with whom we felt immediately at ease. The atmosphere gifted us the most glorious weather and with the sun shining down on us while we recited our own vows in front of all our favorite people, I knew it was a magical moment I would never forget.

THANK YOU to all those who helped make our day better than we could have ever imagined!

Photography: leila brewster | Cinematography: Elysium Productions | Wedding Planning: TRUE Event | Wedding Dress: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon | Invitations: Paper Moss | Catering: Gedney Farm | Makeup: Dana Chasen Thomases Owner Of Beauty Muse Bridal | Hair: Emily Reale | Band: Unity | Ceremony Music: Steven Rutledge | Transportation: Ormsbee Transportation | Venue: Gedney Farm | Bridal Boutique: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon | Floral Design & Lighting: Maryanne Gillooly Design | Officant: James Sexton

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

View Portfolio

New Year’s Eve calls for a bit of elegance, no? Well, we think this stunning Gedney Farm soiree fits the bill and then some. It’s overflowing with moments that are sure to inspire your evening (even if it’s just pinning every pretty image in the gallery, bubbly in hand), and was all captured beautifully by Roey Yohai. Gorgeous gold-rimmed goblets, a jaw-dropping Monique Lhuillier gown and breathtaking stationery from Julie Song Ink – I’d say this wedding is one fine way to end a stunning year!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/53566396 600 338]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From the Bride…Jason and I got engaged in our NYC apartment in February of 2012, and then he whisked me off to Paris that afternoon, where we spent a weekend roaming the city and talking about our future together. Once we got back, the search for the perfect wedding location began, ultimately bringing us to the Berkshires, and specifically to Gedney Farm. We wanted to get married someplace we had visited together before, and we loved the idea of a full weekend wedding (we liked to call it a “mini” destination wedding since everyone had to travel, even if it was just a few hours drive). The Berkshires provided the perfect country setting and made for a gorgeous backdrop thanks to all the fall foliage.

Our custom-illustrated watercolor invitations (by the wonderful Julie Song) really set the tone for a chic barn wedding. They were inspired by antique mirrors and bohemian floral imagery and so different from a typical wedding invitation. Once the invites arrived I think a lot of our guests were intrigued and excited to see what we had planned. We carried a lot of Julie’s artwork over into the day of our wedding too — using her designs on our welcome bags, menus, programs and on our chuppah for the ceremony, which was a truly special touch.

We both love a good dance party, so fun was the most important factor for us while planning the wedding. We incorporated formal elements like a black tie dress code, gold-rimmed wine glasses and chandeliers, but it was also in a very laid-back, natural setting, and we put a lot of effort into things like food, comfortable seating areas and music to make sure our guests had an amazing time!

Many details went a long way to making our wedding really special (all of which were made possible by the brilliant Annie Lee and her team at Daughter of Design). I know a lot of grooms are not really into wedding planning, but Jason helped me with everything, and we had a ton of fun working together during our engagement. Two moments that really stand out are shopping for pashminas downtown (we didn’t want our guests to freeze during the ceremony!) and Macgyvering regular mirrors into vanity mirrors for our table numbers. We also wanted to bring the comfort of the indoors outside so we decided to set up a lounge area in the tent and added a faux fireplace for effect. When Jason and I walked into the tent for cocktail hour, all of our friends had gathered together in that space – like they were waiting for us in our own home! Both Jason and I feel that no party is complete without a good cheese plate, but instead of having a cheese station, we had cheese platters set up on all the tables, so people could eat what they wanted without having to get up from their seats. At the end of the night, we had cake and dessert bars plated to the table, but the majority of our desserts were passed straight to the dance floor, so everyone could enjoy them without having to sit down. Our guests seriously danced all night!

All of the fun moments with family and friends were the best, but I also loved the quiet moments too. Following our first look, Jason and I spent a few hours taking pictures at various spots in the Berkshires, and it was during that time that we were really able to be excited about the night ahead of us, together. The rest of the wedding weekend feels like a total whirlwind but that period of time is vivid in my mind and really stands out as the start of our lives as husband and wife.

Photographer: Roey Yohai Photography | Videographer: Moho Creative | Wedding Planner: Daughter of Design | Florist: Ariella Chezar Design | Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Brides Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Catering: Gedney Farm | Band: Soulsystem Orchestras | Tent: Classical Tents | After Party DJ: DJ Teddy Brown | Groom's Tuxedo: Tom Ford | Invitations, menus, programs, placecards and signs: Julie Song Ink | Wedding Ceremony and Reception: Gedney Farm

I remember my very first trip to the Berkshires. That gorgeous countryside definitely took my breath away when I first laid eyes on it, and made me feel like I was worlds away from the city of Boston not a mere hour. Every corner you turn looks as though it came straight from a storybook, so whenever I see a wedding there, my heart leaps. And when that wedding is as pretty as this one from Christopher Duggan at the Gedney Farm, I can barely contain my excitement. See why here.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/71088223 600 338]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

I work as the Festival Photographer at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires each summer and photograph weddings in New York City, the Berkshires and destinations worldwide throughout the year. My wife, daughter and I live in a cabin in the Berkshires woods near Jacob’s Pillow June through August, and I was dying to photograph more weddings in the Massachusetts countryside.

So you can imagine my excitement when I met Paige & Scott, and they told me their wedding was going to be at Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Paige & Scott are great together and a lot of fun to photograph. They live in New York, and my studio is based in Manhattan during the non-summer months, so we were able to do a New York City engagement shoot. We had a great time making engagement pictures on The High Line.

Linda Baldwin did a beautiful job with floral arrangements and table decor. Paige designed all the wedding invitations and stationery herself! Everything was romantic and inviting. From the venue’s chandeliers to the signs pointing guests to the reception. It was a magical day, and I’m so glad I was able to share the experience with Paige and Scott. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Gedney Farm.

Photography: Christopher Duggan | Flowers: Linda Baldwin Flowers | Band: Jon Bates Band | Ceremony & Reception: Gedney Farm | Video: Veracious Productions

Ever since my sister’s engagement last May, I’ve been spending every last second of spare time helping to plan her rustic barn wedding.  A task that is made decidedly easier given that my “non-spare time” is spent perusing beautiful details and drop-dead gorgeous weddings.  And on days like today, when I get to bask in a pretty little Gedney Farm affair from Shane Godfrey Photography, I don’t have to do one ounce of planning… because it’s all sitting right here, perfectly executed, in the full gallery.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Shane Godfrey… In the winter of 2010 I shot a wedding out in the Berkshires at Gedney Farms. Ever since then, I had always wanted to go back during the warmer months to really see what this venue had to offer. Anne and Whitney found my work online and once we met up, we both instantly knew we would be a good fit for their wedding last May.

We started the day out at the Salon, followed by a beautiful ceremony, officiated by Scott and Louise Walker, up in the fields at the farm. We then walked around the grounds for a bit and took some amazing photographs in front of a few of the barns as well as in front of the on-site orange old school Chevy truck, which made for an amazing picture. Anne’s mother did all the flowers for the wedding (Orchids, Etc.) and Gedney Farms was the caterer for the event, it was a very DIY style wedding. During the reception there was a sing along with both of their families getting on the mic towards the end of the night, which was a lot of fun, followed by some crazy dancing! It’s been a little over a year now, but this wedding still sticks out in my memory as one of the most fun and beautiful weddings I have ever photographed.

From the Bride… Michael and I are an incredibly low key couple and wanted to keep our wedding as stress-free and intimate as possible. We thought Napa would be the perfect local for a destination wedding because it offers a little something for everyone – not to mention it’s a great place to travel back to for anniversaries!

Planning a Napa wedding from Texas can have its challenges, but Michael and I really shared in the entire process together from start to finish. We made one trip out to Napa to scout vineyards and immediately fell in love with the grounds at V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. With its lush stone courtyard and stunning barrel room, we knew that it would provide the ideal backdrop for our big day.

The actual weekend of our wedding was perfect – crisp November weather, gorgeous fall foliage, and all of our dearest friends and family. We hosted a welcome celebration at a private residence in St. Helena on the eve of our wedding. This was a great way to relax with all of our guests and kick-off the weekend festivities. The following evening was truly more amazing than we could have ever imagined. Michael and I had our “big reveal” before the wedding at the Old Rutherford Train Station, and then enjoyed a pre-wedding libation with our best friends and siblings. Our ceremony took place in a romantic candlelit courtyard as the sun began to set, with a reception that followed in the winery’s barrel room.

Megan and Michael Gratch live in Fort Worth, Texas. Megan works at an art museum and Michael is in healthcare.

Photographer: Shane Godfrey Photography | Caterer: Gedney Farm | Band: The Pulse of Boston | Wedding Venue: Gedney Farm

When I dream about the chance to re-design my big day, it usually looks something like this Gedney Farm wedding from Experience Events. A clean + crisp palette, modern meets rustic styling, crazy-gorgeous florals by Crocus Hale and a whole lot of charm. And that Jenny Packham stunner? I’ve definitely seen that beauty in my sleep. Join me in the full gallery of images by Clark + Walker Studio for so, so much more!

And be sure to catch this sweet-as-can-be wedding film from Long Haul Films!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/51684430 600 338]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Experience Events… Love this modern take on a rustic barn wedding! The bride came to coordinator Jessica Herberger of Experience Events looking for a venue with warmth and character that could host a weekend of activities for her wedding.  After touring Gedney Farm and the sister property Mepal Manor they knew it was the perfect backdrop for the clean, modern look they had in mind.  The wedding weekend was capped off with this beautiful wedding.  The ceremony took place in front of a drop dead gorgeous tree on the property.  The timing of the ceremony was set to make the most of the beautiful afternoon light peeking through the surrounding mountains.  The wedding then progressed down the street to the barn at Gedney.  Cocktails outside in the garden were followed by a beautiful celebration inside.  The tables were decorated with white burlap runners, white modern vessels and lots and lots of green-the result was clean, modern and warm.  All the paper goods were blind embossed to lend itself to the white on white look.  

[dotted]

Wedding Photography: Clark+Walker Studio | Ceremony Venue: Mepal Manor in New Marlborough, Massachusetts | Reception Venue: Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts | Wedding Coordination: Experience Events | Floral Design: Crocus Hale | Wedding Cinematography: Long Haul Films | Band: Lustre Kings | Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham

We know Wednesdays can be a bit tough but we are going to help get you over this hump day with the loveliest of weddings by Judy Pak Photography.  The pops of peach and coral and the whimsical details are sure to brighten up your day but the sweet, joyful love is going to keep you grinning from ear to ear throughout the week.  Click here to see it all in the full gallery!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… When my amazing husband and I started thinking about wedding venues, we wanted something that would reflect our personalities: a place where our guests would feel comfortable, welcomed and grounded, a place that would be just as memorable as the event itself. A barn wedding seemed to be the perfect union of everything we hoped for. Finding a site within our budget (that didn’t require cows being moved out) was a daunting task, until we found Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. Gedney was once a dairy farm but has been renovated into a quaint B&B and reception hall. It embodied the simple elegance and earthiness that we’d been searching for.

Steve and I, selfishly, chose not to share our “first look” with our wedding guests. We wanted that moment be ours alone. Gedney set us up at Mepal Manor, which is just down the road from the farm. The unparalleled brilliance of our photographer, Judy Pak, captured the enchanted spirit of the moment. We feel so lucky to have found Judy! Besides being fun to work with, she effortlessly finds beauty and life in what most people see as just ordinary.

Our ceremony was outdoors under a beautiful tree surrounded by family and friends. I chose a peachy-coral palette, which was perfect for August. Each of the bridesmaids were encouraged to choose their own dress style and color within the theme. Their choices highlighted the whimsical atmosphere, which was echoed by the playful flower arrangements and bunches of sunflowers we purchased from a farm near the wedding venue and a local farm near our home in Connecticut. Andrea Wadsworth of AW Confections infused the ambiance of our wedding into her cakes. Yes, cakes! Andrea made an individual cake for each of our tables; each was as beautiful and delicious as the next. Repeating the countryside theme, each cake was placed on blocks of wood, a DIY undertaking by the groom himself. To add a personal touch, our guests used their own wedding cake knives as a tribute to the relationships that have influenced us. Everyone involved, especially our family and friends, helped us pull off a truly amazing day full of love. 

Wedding Photography: Judy Pak of Judy Pak Photography / Second Photographer: Nilda V. Negron of Violet fotos / Wedding Venue: Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts / DJ: Scott Merkel of Mr. DJ / Makeup + Hair: Mepal Spa / Bride’s Bouquet: Bob Palmer of Wildflowers Florist / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Various / Bridemaids’ Bouquets: DIY / Centerpieces: DIY / Wedding Cakes: Andrew Wadsworth of A.W. Confections

Oh my goodness, this wedding is like my dream wedding come true. Each and every detail is so beyond gorgeous and I’m literally dying over the fabulous images from Photo Pink! I’m loving the mix of glamourous touches juxtaposed with the pretty rustic vibe of the venue and I’m sure that the design and planning geniuses at Charmed Places had a ball with this rustic glam fete. This is totally where it’s at! Definitely click here for more.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

See this gorgeous wedding come to life thanks to the talents at Vantage Point Films:
[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/27452585?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0 600 338]

From the bride… I know every wedding is unique. Too many details go into them to not be and too many wedding magazines told me so. But I loved the decision we made for our officiants – our dads! – and knew just how unique it was when not one person (town clerk, venue contact, wedding planner, all guests) had heard of a (non-clergy member) dual-dad ceremony. Aside from marrying Jeff (and wearing flats), it was the best decision made that day. Though Jeff and I are both Jewish, neither of us approaches the religion from anything more than a customary perspective. On this day of ‘us’ it didn’t make sense to bring in someone to forever bind us using Hebrew that we didn’t understand and quoting beliefs that simply didn’t mean anything to us. What did mean something to us: both of our parents were still successfully married and incredibly in love. They had nearly eight decades of combined marital experience under their belts. They were both married the second weekend of June. We wanted our ceremony to be about love, about finding soul mates, and about learning what makes this work. We also opted not to break a good tradition and get married ourselves the second weekend of June.

We asked my dad first. I think my mom may have tipped him off to this as I made the mistake of mentioning it to her first. He was humbled, honored, and accepted the role, while quickly adding “But if you realize that this is as crazy as it is and want to back out, I won’t take offense.” Typical advice from my dad, who’s always been keen on making sure I knew to never feel pigeonholed growing up – with his most famous line being (when I was too young to even think of marriage): “If we’re at your wedding and about to walk down the aisle, and you feel that any part of this is off — I don’t care what’s been paid for, I don’t care how many people came in to town for you — we will turn right around, no questions asked, and figure it all out. Don’t feel pressured.” As a side note, I was lucky enough to pull him aside right before I DID actually walk down the aisle to let him know I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Jeff’s parents had a slightly different response. After sitting them both down, we told them there was something important we wanted to talk to them about. This set off an endless round of guesses. “No, we’re not having a baby,” and “No, we didn’t run off and get married already.” So by the time we got around to asking, they were totally caught off guard and a bit dumbfounded. “But … is it legal?!” This is a question Gary asked us up until our wedding day. We assured him it was, and the two dads took to the internet to become ordained Universal Life Ministers. An official card and a bumper sticker stating his new title helped to abate Gary’s fears.

We opted not to hear it ahead of time as we wanted to be in the moment and LISTEN to what they were sharing with us, rather than go through the motions of a ceremony we were all too familiar with. All four parents had endless conference calls in which my mom read my lines, Jeff’s mom read Jeff’s lines, and the dads turned their emotions into a perfect script. They had one rule: they both had to agree to what was incorporated, and if one didn’t feel it was right, it was dropped, not brought to trial. The result was magical, memorable and something that the town clerk, our wedding planner, and our guests had never witnessed before … a marriage by the dads. After Jeff was walked down the aisle by both his parents, Gary stood under the chuppah (a nod to tradition and the one concession we made to my mom who jokingly – kind of — said “But you’re both Jewish, of course you need it!”). After the bridal party made their way to the front, both my parents walked my down the aisle. My dad joined Gary, the moms brought black choir robes to their respective husbands (a touch the dads insisted upon to clearly separate their roles of ‘officiant’ and ‘dad’) and it began. The whole ceremony, every page of which I loved, was timed to 28 minutes and was nearly 40 pages long. We have a signed copy by the dads in our living room, and leaf through it often to remind ourselves of the lessons learned and that moment the four of us shared.

Wedding Photography: Emily Dryden of Photo Pink / Second Photographer: Leigh Anna Thompson / Event Planning + Coordination: Lydia FitzGerald of Charmed Places / Event Design + Florals: Linda Baldwin Flowers and Decor / Wedding Venue + Catering: Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts / Cinematography: Vantage Point Films / Cupcakes: Barrington Bites / Music: Soulsystem Orchestras / Wedding Invitations: The Village Invites / Wedding Dress: Gustavo Cadile / After-Party Venue: Mepal Manor