We’re approaching serious fairytale territory with this Lenox wedding. This lucky couple enjoyed not only the gorgeous floral and foliage that goes along with a fall wedding but also perfect sunshine during their October wedding weekend. The combination of a beyond elegant setting, amazing details and sweet-as-can-be moments captured by Lisa Rigby Photography is setting the romance bar for another fabulous week here at SMP Massachusetts! See it all in the full gallery!
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The couple wanted to put their fingerprints on this wedding from start to finish. It began with the search for the venue. Growing up in the area, you would think the bride suggested this dramatic location, but it took the groom’s diligence in research to realize this historical cottage had recently been restored after 50 years of vandalism and neglect. The home is still in the Vanderbilt family and became the inspiration for the theme. They wanted an autumn wedding to enjoy the vivid fall foliage, but Mother Nature had other plans in store. The abnormally wet summer and warm autumn that occurred in 2011 muted those colors, but had one very special surprise in store for the bride and groom. October 8, 2011 in Lenox, Massachusetts, was 75 degrees and sunny when it normally averages highs in the 50’s. All of Columbus Day weekend, in fact, felt more like Labor Day weekend. The bride and groom credit that stroke of fortune to the grandparents whom couldn’t be with us in body but definitely were there in spirit.
The estate was rented from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon, and we had our bridal party and close family members stay with us on site. Elm Court is 70,000 square feet, so there was more than enough room to accommodate 30 guests. The rest of the guests either lived locally or rented rooms at local B&Bs. That was also one of the goals of the weekend — to have our guests experience all that Lenox and the Berkshires have to offer.
The bride and groom took weeks of dance lessons to learn the waltz and after all that prep, there was a “wardrobe malfunction” during the dance at the reception. The brooch on her new Manolo’s broke off. That, in retrospect, was the only hiccup the day would bring. The food was excellent thanks to Castle Street Catering, and DJ Kahn set the stage with big band music during cocktail hour-and-a-half, crooners during dinner and dance music late into the night. It was all perfectly captured by Lisa Rigby of Lisa Rigby Photography. It took over a year of planning, one caterer change and interviews with dozens of vendors, but they truly had the wedding of their dreams.
Wedding Photography: Lisa Rigby Photography / Wedding Venue: Elm Court Estate in Lenox, Massachusetts / Floral Design: Fleurtacious Designs / Wedding Coordination: Lynn Wheeler / Catering: Castle Street Café / DJ: Constantine Ptohos a.k.a. DJ Kahn / String Trio: Bel Canto Chamber Players / Rentals: Mahaiwe Tent & Party Rentals / Valet: Abbott’s Limousine & Livery Service / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Hair + Makeup: Seven Salon & Spa
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!
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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.
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See this gorgeous wedding come to life thanks to the talents at Vantage Point Films:
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
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