Weddings fall into many categories, but I think this gorgeous wedding from Katie Hall Photography is in a league all of its own. Because not only is it hosted at the lovely Cape Cod Lavender Farm (a place near and dear to the Bride’s heart), but it’s also it overflowing with personal touches that make this wedding stand out from the crowd. It’s as pretty as it is personal, and you can see every last gorgeous moment here.
From Katie… This wedding was beyond unique! From the location, to the details, to the people! Amazing couple with some really beautiful images! I sent the questions to my clients and here is what the bride wrote!
Our vision starts with the place. I worked at Cape Cod Lavender Farm for 6 seasons. That piece of land quickly became dear to my heart and remains one of my favorite places. Working on the farm is what peaked my interest in herbalism and helped start my path as an herbalist and nutritionist. So when Charlie proposed to me there wasn’t a question on where our wedding would take place–it would be at the lavender farm.
With the venue set as the lavender farm, my profession as an herbalist and both Charlie’s and my love for nature I started to plan the wedding with a “rustic herbal theme” in mind. I began with the flowers – I had heard that once herbs and flowers provided not only beauty and scent but also a particular significance or meaning in weddings (the language of flowers). I use herbs in a medicinal way but I also find their beauty comparable to or greater than ornamental flowers. At home when making a flower arrangement I will often use the catnip, yarrow, and other herbs growing in my garden to adorn the house. With this in mind, I asked my florist to use mostly medicinal herbs and flowers. I had rosemary and lavender in my hair, while the groom and groomsmen had lavender, rosemary and sage boutonnieres. Each table had three different glass apothecary style vases, holding a variety of herbs and flowers. Instead of using table numbers, each table was assigned a different herb, and that herb was presented in a terracotta pot as the centerpiece.
Herbs also infused the rest of our wedding. We gave our guests a lavender filled muslin bag stamped with “Liz and Charlie 6.29.13”. The bag holding our rings was filled with linden, a heart warming and soothing herb whose annual blooming three years ago coincided with Charlie and I falling in love. Our gluten and dairy free (the menu was predominantly gluten and dairy free – and delicious!) cake was filled with rose hip and raspberry jam and was decorated with Jonny Jump Ups (edible violet flowers). Our two signature drinks were herb infused. We had the ‘Sparkling Bouquet’, which was made with prosecco, a dash of elderflower liquor, a lemon twist and a sprig of lavender. We also had the ‘Blushing Bride Margarita’, which was made with hibiscus (giving it a bright red color) and lemongrass infused tequila. I made a lot of the herbal restroom amenities at my job at Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary in Boulder, Colorado.
It was important for us that the look of our wedding be coherent without being too matchy. To that end: no two tables looked the same and my bridesmaids wore dresses of their choice. I told them to choose a green dress, solid or print, not too dark or bright. I sent them paint samples to give them an idea of shades. Charlie told his groomsmen to stick to light colors, nothing black or dark. They could wear a full suit or partial suit–suspenders and vests encouraged! He got them non matching floral ties we found on Etsy.
Along with the herbal theme, we wanted to keep the look natural and rustic. The lavender farm helped with that but we added a few touches to help the feeling of the place carry over in to the tent. We produced many of our decorations and embellishments in a DIY manner and I was regularly inspired by frequent bouts of pinterest browsing! We used burlap on our tables and to wrap the bouquets. I made the place cards and table names from a piece of soft ivory paper with typewriter-style-text printed on it that I then sewed to a piece of stiffer brown craft paper. We made our guest gifts (stamped lavender sachets), we made the ring bearer box, we infused the alcohol for our cocktails. I made many of the bathroom amenities at work including lip gloss, lip balm, scented shea butter, spritzers, etc. I made custom floral print bow ties for Charlie and his grandpa. Charlie and his brother made the wood rounds for the centerpieces. I even made a special perfume to wear for the big day by blending essential oils in a base of jojoba oil.
Other elements of our wedding: the colors were lavender, sage, peach–but again, we didn’t want anything too uniform, so the color theme was subtle. Instead of a photo booth, we used a Polaroid camera and had people tape their photo (using that fun colored decorative tape) in our guest book and leave a message next to it. We also had photos of our parents, grandparents – the marriages that came before ours – decorating the table. Charlie’s dad, a Congregational minister, married us – it was real sweet! We wrote our own vows, which was even sweeter still! Finally, and importantly, it all culminated in a hell of a party!
Photographer: Katie Hall Photography | Event Planner: Ellen Macy Events | Floral Design: Patrice R. Milley Floral Designs | Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller | Cake: Zephir Plume | Catering: Sumptuous Catering | DJ: Modern Artistry Events | Wedding Venue: Cape Cod Lavender Farm | Ceremony Musician: Jonathan Meek | Rentals: Party Cape Cod
