We’ve got a lot to celebrate today beginning with this stunner of a wedding from Brumley & Wells. For not only is this darling couple celebrating their one year anniversary (on America’s birthday, no less!) but see those napkin invitations? The Bride just so happens to be the brain and beauty CEO behind them. Join us as we toast this 4th of July celebration (and all the pretty it brings) via The Vault!
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From The Bride…Jake and I both grew up in Massachusetts but have fallen in love with the natural beauty of the west coast from visiting my brothers over the course of our relationship. After getting engaged, we took a trip to Sonoma, California to pick out the perfect wedding destination. After making a number of site visits to all the beautiful vineyards, we started the second leg of our journey to Portland. With only a tiny pocket of reception, we pulled over along side a windy road and sealed the deal. There we were on the phone with Belle Mer in Newport, Rhode Island. After thinking about what meant the most to us, we wanted our day to be where our family laid their roots and Newport was the perfect place for a Fourth of July wedding. It would be one of the best decisions kicking off planning the best day of our lives.
Newport, Rhode Island was not of significance to our relationship or our families before July fourth, but it was a place we were excited about making memories at in the next chapter of our lives. I had admired Belle Mer when it first opened 10 years ago. I was a 20-something just dreaming of my dream wedding. The modern and manicured design against the quintessential coastline of Narragansett Bay was perfect. To be able to bring everything we loved about Sonoma to Newport and then be surround by the love of our family and friends would be my dream.
We had exactly a year to plan and I was lucky to have a husband who wanted to be involved. We created “Wedding Wednesdays” to stay on track and enjoy the process with one another. The best advice we received was to make each wedding activity fun, so Wednesdays were dedicated to tackling our to-do’s over dates like coffee or wine and cheese.
I wanted our wedding to be an authentic representation of us and give our guests a great party. From our linen invitations to the beautiful blend of bridesmaids dresses, simple olive branches and homemade pies and ice cream, we chose the moments to be most thoughtful about without over doing the details.
After saying yes to Belle Mer, I knew my dress would help me establish the look and feel of the day. It ended up being the perfect blend of two designers. I chose a modern, timeless, chic silhouette by Nicole Miller from Lovely Bride in San Francisco and then added an unexpected, jeweled bolero by Hayley Paige. My something blue was my initials and our wedding date hand-stitched by my mom on the inside of my dress. My bridesmaids and mom wore a blend of tulle, lace and beaded silk from Monique Lhuillier and Adrianna Papell in shades of blush, taupe, and gray. Our two nieces wore simple tutus made by my mom and carried pennants that read “Team Cacci” and “Team Yee” written by Nashville hand-lettered Chelsea Petaja—my little surprise to Jake for his love for running and cycling.
I worked with Chelsea Petaja on all the hand-written elements to our wedding. Her bold fresh take on calligraphy complimented the simple design of our invite that I designed and had silk-screened on white linen. Each invitation was then finished the same way we make our Everyday Napkins and Handkerchiefs at my company, The Everyday Co. The rest of the invitation suite was beautifully letterpressed by my friends at Smudge Ink in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Our gifts to our bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents and siblings were our Everyday Handkerchiefs hand-stitched with everyones initials. They came in most handy during the ceremony!
It was important to included our family in as many moments of our wedding as possible. Jake and I knew we didn’t want to do a first look so instead, I did an unplanned first look with my dad and our photographer Jacob was there to capture the moment. With a tap on the shoulder as you would with your partner-to-be, I got to have the approval every little girl looks for from her dad. Needless to say, we both grabbed for his handkerchief! Our ceremony was laid out so that our family and friends were seated in a circle around us. Their presence and love was magical. After a cocktail hour of oysters (with crushed basil pineapple ice!), one of my twin brothers introduced us as Mr. & Mrs. while the other kicked off the night with a blessing and a toast. Our guests sat in an arrangement of long and round tables adorned with garden roses, peonies, blushing brides, café au laits, and hanging amaranths. Tall olive branches hung romantically over the rows of long tables as if they would in wine country. Together with our talented friend, Anastasia Francis of Orly Khon Floral, we created a warm, lush yet simple and effortlessly romantic aesthetic. Our head table comprised of our parents and siblings with glowing candles and a long lush green garland. Place settings had a white linen Everyday Dinner Napkin handmade by my mom for each guest as they enjoyed a colorful family-style meal paired with wines from California. Having our own Everyday Napkins meant we could share them with our guests and repurpose them for many meals together as a new family. We designed a rustic menu with custom side dishes recipes including ingredients and flavors inspired by Sonoma. For us, family-style represented a joyous celebration, tradition and coming together like one big family.
After dinner, we celebrated fourth of July with fireworks from Fort Adams, a summer variety of homemade pies by Cooks Orchard Farm from Vermont and ice cream from our friends at Richardson’s Farm in Middleton, Massachusetts. This was our nod to America’s Birthday and our way of thanking our guests for sharing the holiday with us. But the best part of dessert was the classic white two-tier wedding cake made by my brother and sister-in-law! The rest of the night was danced away to the impressive twelve-piece Motown band, Soul City.
What I loved most about our wedding was the love that filled Belle Mer that night. We wouldn’t change anything about the decisions we made or even the things we choose to leave out. We traveled 3,000 miles to realize the best destination was in your own back yard. If you’re thinking about having a destination wedding, consider who you want there and what means most to you. Choose your moments and think about the experience as a whole. Your wedding is only the first few pages of your next chapter. July fourth will forever be the day we remember as the best day of our lives.
A little background: We live in the South End, entrepreneurs, had know one another through very good mutual friends and lived around the corner from each other prior to dating but never knew it!
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Photography: Brumley & Wells | Event Design + Styling: The Everyday Co. | Floral Design: Anastasia Francis | Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller | Cake: Bride’s Brother + Sister-in-law | Invitation Design:The Everyday Co. | Letterpress: Smudge Ink, Inc. | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Monique Lhuiller | Makeup: Amanda McCarthy Beauty | Calligraphy: Chelsea Petaja | Lighting: Port Lighting | Band: Soul City | Groom’s Attire: The Black Tux | Venue: Belle Mer | Bridal Boutique: Lovely Bridal Shop | Bride’s Band: Ila Collection | Bride’s Bolero: Hayley Paige | Bride’s Bracelet: Flair Boston | Bride’s Hair: Christine Dopoulos | Bride’s Ring: E.B. Horn Jewelers | Bridesmaid’s Hair: Moselle Sath | Bridesmaids’ Dresses + Mother of Bride’s Dress: Adrianna Papell | Cloth Linen Napkins + Handkerchiefs: The Everyday Co. | Day-Of Styling: The Little Things | Film Processing: Mammum Film Lab | Flower Girl Dress: Bride’s Mom | Groom’s Ring: Long’s | Groom’s Wallet: Infinite Series | Groomsmen Shirts: Blank Label | Homemade Ice Cream: Richardson’s Farm | Pies: Cooks Orchard Farm | Rentals: New England Country Rentals| Rentals: Peterson Party Center
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