An intimate Nantucket wedding at The Chanticleer basically sounds like heaven to me, and one peek at the pretty captured by Henry + Mac and it’s safe to say it looked like heaven too. With sweet DIY touches to make the wedding personal, a candlelit dinner and florals so beautiful they’ll leave you breathless – this Nantucket wedding is a one for the books, and you can see all the reasons why right here.

From the Bride… Eric and I wanted to have a small wedding, to be surrounded by the people we love and care about the most. We got engaged in Nantucket and knew right away that it was the perfect place for us to be married. And as soon as we walked into the courtyard of the Chanticleer, we both knew that was it. It just felt right. It’s absolutely beautiful but felt relaxed and comfortable. It was a bonus was that the food is spectacular. When I started planning the decor for the wedding, my goal was for it to feel comfortable and not too fussy and for the color palette to be soft – pinks, peaches, creams, seafoam greens, gold. Most of our wedding was DIY – we created our invitations, menus, centerpieces (we spray painted the candlesticks gold and all the flowers were done by my very talented aunt). We were lucky because the restaurant is already so gorgeous that we didn’t feel the need to go overboard with flowers and decor. I loved the idea of everything being illuminated with a lot of candlelight, so there were lots of candles everywhere.

I think my dress fit the decor and space perfectly – it was flowy and breezy and super comfortable. It actually isn’t a wedding dress and I’m excited for when I can wear it again! The day and the entire weekend was beautiful and full of so much love. There were definitley some hiccups and and it wasn’t perfect, but the thing I remember most is how happy and loved I felt and that will stay with me forever.

 Wedding Photography: Henry + Mac | Wedding Venue: The Chanticleer, Nantucket, MA | Officiant: Lisa Ann Donegan | Floral Design: DIY by the Bride’s Aunt | Flowers via  Flowers on Chestnut | Beer + Wine: Cisco Brewery, Nantucket | DJ: Phil Taylor of ACK DJ Services | Hair + Makeup : Joey Rose of Rinse in Philadelphia | Wedding Dress: Chloe | Shoes: Miu Miu | Groom’s Suit: J.Crew | DIY Details: Bride, Owner of  Home, a furnishings boutique in Philadelphia

J.Crew is a member of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

I love coastal New England. And it’s weddings like this one from Katie Pietrowski Photography that make me remember all the reasons why. Beyond its gorgeous beaches, delicious clambakes, and shingled houses – what I absolutely love the most are the people that retreat to the stunning sandy shores. Take these two newlyweds for example, they nailed that seaside chic feel on their big day in a way you would only see in New England, and for that, I couldn’t love them more. See all of this seaside soiree here.

From the Bride… Tom and I were set up on a blind date by Tom’s roommate and one of my best friends, who were themselves best friends from Middlebury (they went on to get married themselves…I am convinced the setup was a ploy to make sure they ended up together!) But masterminded scheme, or fate…it ended up working! Tom and I dated for 3 years, before he proposed in a romantic/ridiculous fashion on a cold January night on the  Boston Harbor with a Pat Benatar impersonator to serenade us! (Pat B is my favorite).  

Planning the wedding was a ton of fun. I have always spent the summers in Falmouth, Cape Cod, and Tom had also been spending summers there with his grandparents, so it made perfect sense to have our wedding there, in the fields behind my parents’ house. Our vibe for the wedding was a relaxed summer feel from beach to field, we wanted it to feel very welcoming and low key. Basically an ideal summer weekend.

From there we just made the event our own, from the wedding party lunch on a schooner in vineyard sound, to a welcome cocktail party on the beach with bonfires surrounded by adirondack chairs made by Tom, his father and uncles, the beginning of the weekend couldn’t have been more fun!

And the wedding itself was no exception…it was pretty special to be able to invite everyone to my home and to share a place that was so important to me and Tom. As a sailor myself, the Sperry Tents made of sailcloth is just a magical venue set against the backdrop of the fields. We overstuffed our guests on tons of appetizers (Chef Roland is a genius with the apps) and oysters from the Shuck Truck. And then for dinner we mixed it up a bit by having our favorite Boston restaurant Orincco cater two of our favorite dishes. Well fed & boozed up (warning: those ball jars can hold a lot!), our guest took the dance floor by force, which isn’t hard when the band is Sultans of Swing! Of course, fake Pat Benatar made another appearance…it wouldn’t have been complete without her. And then we closed down the night with some Crab Rangoons – another personal element as my friends are all rang fans and dedicated celebrators of National Crab Rangoon Day (Feb. 13th!). The whole weekend was just perfect. And it was awesome to have Katie Pietrowski be able to capture it all from the first look to the last dance, she was able to capture all the little touches and all the guests experiences!

For all you beginning this process..HAVE FUN! It is a pretty awesome experience to craft an evening for all your friends and family. And even despite all the planning and hype, you will be blown away by the experience on your wedding day. The love, support and energy of everyone you love around you just can’t be described!

Wedding Photography: Katie Pietrowski Photography |Ceremony Venue: St. Josephs Church in Falmouth, Massachusetts | Reception Venue: Private Residence in Falmouth, Massachusetts | Floral Design: Judy Fligg from All About Flowers for Weddings | Catering: Chef Roland’s Catering + Orinoco Kitchen | Oysters: Shuck Truck | Band: The Sultans of Swing | Pat Benatar Impersonator: Susan O’Shea | Tent: Sperry Tents of Marion | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier (top) + Seams Possible (custom skirt) | Bride’s Shoes: J.Crew | Hair + Makeup: Caitlin Murphy Stylist | Rentals: New England Country Rentals

For more information on how Little Black Book Members are chosen click here.
J.Crew and Monique Lhuillier are members of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

Looking for some DIY inspiration? Look no further than all the details tucked into this Cape Cod celebration. It’s DIY done oh-so-right, all in the prettiest of Cape Cod settings, surrounding the most adorable of duos. Katie Gardner Photography captured all the crafty goodness, so be sure to soak up every last inspirational image right here.

From the Bride… Most of our friends and family were all in New England, so we knew right away that we had to have the wedding back east.  When I discovered Overbrook House I just knew it was perfect for us.  It was rustic, beautiful, secluded, required a DIY-er, was so quintessential New England and was conveniently located for many of our guests. This was the first party we had ever planned, it was a huge undertaking and we insisted on doing everything ourselves.  We were definitely on a budget and we knew that doing as much as we could ourselves would not only save us money but give us the most control and satisfaction with the finished product.

We decided on some themes early on: Romantic (French shabby chic inspired), Woodsy (forest, moss), Rustic (garden party), and Vintage (like stepping back in time).  With our DIY save the dates sent out, we started getting down to the details. I wanted it to feel like stepping back in time under the sailcloth tent with the soft lush romantic tablescape.  We decided to spend the money renting pricier but the beautiful sailcloth tent with wooden poles and antique-look lamps and the wooden painted ballroom chairs.  The chairs dressed up both the ceremony and the reception and banquet seating gave the reception a community feels which felt more like a small intimate party rather than a huge event.  

We spent a few days folding paper cranes then stringing them on twine so when we got to the venue we just had to tie them up, which seemed like it was going to be easy!  Well it turns out that strung up paper cranes get into a tangled mess so easily.  So we almost gave up on the whole thing about 10 times, but in the end they look beautiful and added a nice element to our ceremony location.  The other garland we created was hung from the limbs of the tree where we took our first look photos.  I had spent so many hours cutting, folding and gluing the garland that I was so disappointed when I ran out of time the morning of the ceremony and had to head inside to get ready without hanging it.  But when I came out to surprise Andrew for our first look, I was also surprised to find all the garland had been hung by my friends and family.

The bouquets and arrangements had to be rustic but also soft and romantic.  I wanted them to look like they were just picked at random from the most beautiful garden in the world. All the vases used for centerpieces were items my mother had collected in the months prior to the wedding at yard sales and antique shops.  I ordered the flowers online and had them delivered to the venue and our close family friend Brian Flynn and his sister.  It was a ton of work!  I had no idea so much worked went into the prep and arrangement of all these bouquets there is no way I would have been able to do them myself so Brian and his sister absolutely made our day.

Wedding Photography: Katie Gardner Photography | Wedding Venue: Overbrook House in Borne, Massachusetts | Officiant: Kathleen Lockyer (Bride’s Aunt) | Wedding Coordination: Cape Cod Celebrations | Floral Design: Brian Flynn, flowers via Fifty Flowers | Caterer: Clambakes Etc. | Wedding Cake: Cakes By Lori | Bartender: Boston’s Best Bartending | Ceremony Guitar: Tom Pendergast from Murray Hill Talent | DJ: Flavorheard Music Providers | Rentals: American Tent & Table | Wedding Dress: WTOO ”Natalia” | Bride’s Shoes: Chinese Laundry “Desert Queen Floral Wedges” | Bride’s Sash: the Bride | Groom’s Attire: Tommy Hilfiger + Hugo Boss | Groom’s Shoes: Calvin Klein | Hair + Makeup: Tamara Leeper (friend)

Watters is a member of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.