This is how I picture every New England wedding to be. A soft, romantic love-fest with an intimate chapel ceremony, followed by a backyard tented reception chock-full of lovely. In other words, a perfect day crafted by a talented team of vendors (think Lens Cap Productions, Sperry Tents and Greenlion Design) featuring one of the cutest couples you will ever meet. See it all right here in the full gallery.
From the Bride… Though we met in college and shared similar social circles, Christopher and I did not really connect until six years later at an impromptu local alumni get together I helped plan in Boston where we discovered we had a lot in common. After swapping countless pictures and stories of our beloved golden retrievers that night, it was clear we had many shared interests & values and that a relationship was in our future. Our very next date after that was to a Red Sox baseball game a few weeks later where I was treated to cold beer and an extra large “Monster” hotdog at the game. Chris now jokes that watching me scarf down park food on that hot summer day in under a minute, was the moment he fell in love with me!
Five years later, on an unsuspecting sunny St. Patrick’s Day afternoon, outside the very apartment in which I lived for most of our courtship (and as Christopher reminded me “where it all began”) he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.
We knew we wanted a short engagement, so we set a date for four months later. Already committed to one another, our family, friends and cherished dogs, we wanted to exchange vows to reflect these important relationships and let them shine for what they are. So much of our relationship was rooted in our shared appreciation for simple joys, we wanted to maintain that space without the pageantry weddings can often hinder. With that in mind we decided we wanted to create the feeling of an ‘at home’ kind of a wedding. I’ve always admired DIY, crafty weddings and those thoughtful and personal gestures to our wedding.
We were married in a quintessential New England chapel. From the moment Christopher and I saw the beautiful red doors of this quaint Westport chapel, we knew this was the place we wanted to declare our commitment to one another. The ceremony was intimate & simple and reflected our relationship
metaphorically, but it also allowed us to create a focus on the vows…
“I take you to be my wife/husband
I promise above all else to live in truth with you
And to communicate fully and fearlessly
I give you my hand and my heart
As a sanctuary of warmth and peace
And pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor
As I join my life to yours”
As an added bonus to the already charming ceremony, we drove away from the ceremony in my mother’s 1976 yellow convertible Volkswagen beetle. It was special to begin our journey together as husband and wife in a fun and familiar family car, with our dogs in tow in the back seat, a private moment alone on the way to celebrate our recent nuptials. I sat up on my knees the entire ride back waving at every passing car, my veil flying in the wind, while Chris honked the old horn. As we pulled down the driveway one of the members of our band played ‘here comes the bride,’ announcing our arrival.
My parents were generous enough to let us hold the reception at their riverfront home in Westport, MA. With such a gorgeous backdrop set we made sure to honor our surroundings by serving locally sourced foods from the nearby farming community, beers from the craft brewery down the street, used a local bakery for the cake & desserts and garden picked flowers and herbs from my parents gardens, even using my Mothers watering can collection to show off some of the blooms. My mother is also an incredibly talented seamstress, having made many outfits for my sister and I as children, including my high school prom dress. And while she didn’t attempt to make a wedding gown, she did make the veil for my vintage headpiece, as well as sewed the table runners and pennant banners for the wedding. We even decided to use some of her sewing pieces as props throughout the wedding.
Wedding photos of our grandparents, parents and siblings were displayed – honoring those uniquely different marriages in our families that we reflect and continue to learn from. Wildflower seed packets were given as favors to guests in hopes that they through the simple yet symbolic gesture of planting flowers, we aim to share our happiness, express how grateful we are for the people who have nourished us individually and also in our relationship as it grew. It was the wedding of our dreams… we felt the day reflected who and what we value/are and we were able to share it with the people we care about most in this world.
Photographer: Courtney Perkins Ryan | Photography: Courtney Perkins Ryan | Florist: Greenlion | Wedding Dress: Vows | Invitations: Wide Eyes Designs | Ceremony Venue: Acoaxet Chapel | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Catering: Smoke And Pickles | Hair & Makeup: The Beautiful Bride | Band: Rare Form | Groom's Suit: Tommy Hilfiger | Cake & Desserts: Beach Plum Cafe | Cake Topper: Hand Painted by Bride, supplied by Goose Grease | Guest Book Poster: Once Upon a Paper | Other Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Tent & Table Rentals: Sperry Tents
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