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From the Bride…When John and I started planning our wedding, we first considered what we wanted the day to be like.  We decided we wanted to be surrounded by family and friends, we wanted it to exhibit our personalities, and we wanted it to be fun!

I grew up in southeastern Connecticut and had always thought I would get married in the church where I was baptized and confirmed.  Although we met in Washington D.C., John is also from Connecticut, so it worked out nicely when we decided to have the wedding at the Ledyard Congregational Church.  John and I bonded over Connecticut, sharing a new bottle of wine, and our mutual desire to travel and see the world.  Thus, once we found Saltwater Farm Vineyard – a rustic airplane hangar set on a sprawling vineyard with a view of the Long Island Sound – we knew we had found the perfect place for our reception!

We had a lot of fun with planes, postcards, and wine corks, to fill our rustic vineyard reception with a travel theme.  It started with our wedding invitations that had a boarding pass-style response card.  With the invitations, we created what ended up being the symbol of our reception – a pale yellow bi-plane with a trail of navy blue smoke in the shape of a heart.  It was one of my favorite little details as it tied so many things together.  We maintained the travel theme by having “gate numbers” instead of table numbers, postcards instead of a traditional guest book, a world map of the places we’ve traveled, and little wooden bi-planes and iconic structures such as the Temple of Heaven in China scattered about.  All of this was done with the help of friends and family who collected postcards, made the map, assembled the wooden puzzles, and cut corks for the place cards.

John and I included details of our personalities and interests everywhere we could think of.  Our first trip together was to Walt Disney World and so our cake had a hidden Mickey.  Our favorite movie is “UP!” so we included mailboxes to put the postcards in.  Our hot hors d’oeuvres were some of our favorite foods – sweet potato fries and cheese filled pretzels.  We provided a brief description of the meaning behind each table destination for our guests.  We knew our little cousins and nieces loved s’mores, and so we had a s’mores pit outside.  And at the end of the night, we stood by the door to thank each of our guests and wish them a great evening.  Even with all of this, my favorite part of the evening was when John and I had our first dance to Jason Mraz and Colbie Collait’s “Lucky” and everything seemed to pause.  I looked around the room, at some of the faces of our family and friends and there was so much love and happiness.  It is a moment I will never forget.

Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals Exclusive / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bride, Bridesmaids + Flower Girl Jewelry: April’s Adornments / Wedding Ceremony: Ledyard Congregational Church / Reception Venue: Saltwater Farm Vineyard / Transportation: Viking Tours of Newport / Caterer: Gourmet Galley Catering / Florist: It’s So Ranunculus / Band: HotHouse Band / Wedding Cake: Felicia’s Sweetface Pastry Shoppe / Wedding Photography+ Videography: Captured Photography by Jenny

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Allure Bridals Exclusive, April's Adornments, Captured Photography by Jenny, Connecticut, Felicia's Sweetface Pastry Shoppe, Gourmet Galley, HotHouse Band, It's So Ranunculus, J. Crew, Ledyard Congregational Church, Rustic Chic, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, Viking Tours of Newport, Vineyard Style
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Tim and I were introduced by mutual friends in New York City where we live.  We wanted the wedding to feel like part of nature away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Our venue search took us to every corner of Connecticut (where I grew up) before we discovered Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park and fell in love.  When we visited there was a terrible storm.  Even in the torrential downpour it was breathtaking.  Eolia is a magical place that had all the elements we wanted for our special day.  A gorgeous mansion with a show stopping view of the water and the most beautiful gardens you can imagine.  The grounds are lovingly and meticulously cared for.

It was important to us that the wedding reflect Tim and I as a couple.  I wanted to design the ceremony music and readings to reflect our interests, personalities and values.  The wonderful harpist Sharon Rondeau arranged “The Dog Days Are Over” for the bridesmaid’s entrance and learned “Clocks” for our recessional.  I felt that we created a ‘Midsummer’s Night Dream’ romantic atmosphere.  I always wanted mostly white and silver for the colors and once I saw the mansion I thought that purple and white flowers with lots of greenery would add to the ‘secret garden’ feel.  Our florist Ganims Garden Center and Florist was unbelievable.  I gave her photos and pictures of my dreams (from Style Me Pretty) and she managed to exceed my expectations.  I wanted the centerpieces, bouquets and archway to fit in with the lush canopies and vines of the gardens.  We used Lily of the Valley in memory of my father and gardenias in memory of Tim’s grandmother.

All of my bridesmaids have such different and wild personalities, I could not even consider putting them in the same dress.  I loved each of the Amsale dresses they chose in the violet crinkle chiffon.  I used Etsy to find the Original Pear who did a great job on our programs.  They had a drawing of an oak tree similar to the one at the mansion with our initials carved in a heart on the trunk.  Our eco-friendly Oak Tree favors came expertly packaged from the Magnolia Company.  To incorporate Tim’s love of skiing, we used wooden skis from his parents basement for our guest book.  To incorporate my love of yoga (I’m a yoga teacher) I created the escort cards with drawings of yoga poses instead of numbers to help people find their table.  Even though we wanted our guests to feel like part of nature we also wanted them to feel glamorous so I added crystal candelabras and touches of sparkle inside the mansion.  The cake was the best of both worlds.   A lotus flower sitting atop a tier designed to match the shimmering crystals and pearls of my dress.  All of the details were expertly managed by Josh Chalmers, my knight in shining armor.  Because of him, I did not have a worry in the world on the big day.

We had a first look which I would highly recommend.  Tim and I were able to have a special moment together, just the two of us before the ceremony.  Our photographers Rob and Kathleen were amazing at taking our nerves away and putting us in a calm state of mind.  Also, we were both happy not to miss a moment of the party.  Its so rare that you have everyone that you love all in one place.

My favorite memories of the day are all on the dance floor, especially our first dance.  Tim was a good sport and learned to salsa!  Our band, Brick Park, tore the house down.  No words, photos, or video could ever do this band justice.  Thank goodness for our videographer Ian Meltzer of Revery Media who captured my adorable three year old flower girl Abby dancing to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with her dad, because I missed it.

Photography: Robert & Kathleen Photographers / Bridal Gown: Ines Di Santo / Bride’s Shoes:  Miu Miu / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Flowers: Ganim’s Florist / Ceremony Location: Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park / Reception Location: Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park / Event Planner: Josh Chalmers / Band:  Brick Park Entertainment / Hair: Angela Dubreuil from Naomi Martinez Salon / Make-up: Javier Rosa / Cake: Felicia’s Sweetface Pastry Shoppe / Caterer: Grand Gourmet / Table Cards: Yoga Poses, a nod to the bride’s profession as a yoga instructor

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Post tags: Amsale, Bowties, Brick Park Entertainment, Color Palette Purple, Connecticut, Eolia Mansion, Felicia's Sweetface Pastry Shoppe, Flower girls, Ganim's Florist, Grand Gourmet, Harkness Memorial State Park, Ines Di Santo, Javier Rosa, Josh Chalmers, Lanterns, Miu Miu, Naomi Martinez Salon, Outdoor Ceremony, Robert & Kathleen Photographers, Summer Wedding, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photographers, Windsor, Yoga
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Honestly, I don’t even know where to start!

The precious pillow toss? The ice-cream bar? Cupcakes galore? Cute-cute-cute escort & table cards? The dichotomy of grand floral displays vs. sweet, simple blooms? The mantle filled to overflowing with floating candles? (dot, dot, dot)

Suzanne and Justin … this all started with a TIE ???

What’s another word for PERFECT ?

Thank you … to everyone involved in bringing Suzanne and Justin’s wedding to fruition. You all did an amazing job! And we are so proud to feature it on Style Me Pretty.  Any and all who contributed to their day, please let us know below!

For all of the delicious details (and so much more), Justin and Mary Marantz have posted this fabulous wedding on their site. These guys stand for all that is good, all that is beautiful … all rolled up into one awesome package.

Oh! Wait! We can’t leave out Julia! Julia is now their 2nd shooter ( or 3rd?). Her wedding was featured HERE (so detail-oriented it’s 6 parts) … and her all-time favorite vintage-themed engagement shoot HERE! Ha! Love it!  Love you guys!!

***

Branford House Mansion ~ University of Connecticut, Groton CT

A Floral Affair

Felicia’s Sweetface Pastry Shoppe

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Floral Affair, Branford House, Connecticut, Felicia's Sweetface Pastry Shoppe, Groton, Justin and Mary Marantz, Tie, University of Connecticut
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Photography, Wedding Style

Just in case you missed the first post {here}, Suzanne and Justin were married this month at the Branford House in Groton, CT.

Mary described them as “two people who shine from the inside out” …

Suzanne’s mom walked her to the beginning of the aisle, where Justin met her.

Her beautiful bouquet was by A Floral Affair.

Seriously. I’m right, aren’t I? It doesn’t get any better.

To answer just a couple of the questions we know you’ll ask … Suzanne’s beautiful gown is from Nicole Miller. Her necklace is her something borrowed (from a friend) and something blue, by Ralph Lauren.

Next up, the details of the day … from Justin & Mary Marantz!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Floral Affair, Branford House, Connecticut, Felicia's Sweetface Pastry Shoppe, Flowergirl, Groton, Justin Marantz Photography, Nicole Miller, Ralph Lauren, ring bearer, Shawl
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Wedding Style