Paul and I were college sweethearts — we met at the University of Connecticut, and we both felt (although didn’t admit it to each other until years later) that it was love at first site. Fast-forward six and a half years, Paul proposed during a Christmastime trip to Newport, Rhode Island. We were about to head out to our favorite restaurant for dinner when Paul dropped to one knee, and asked me to marry him. I think you can guess what my response was!

We had always wanted a summer beach wedding. We wanted to say our vows to each other surrounded by our closest friends and family with waves crashing behind us and our toes buried in the sand. So, we decided on my hometown– a sleepy seaside town on the Connecticut shoreline.

As a makeup artist in the bridal industry, I am constantly inspired by beautiful weddings, and so I relied on the help of my magical team of wedding professionals to help me create my day. Kelly Sharkey and Emily Denny, my teammates from Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, provided hair and makeup for my bridesmaids.  The girls all raved about their makeup for days, and it was so special for me to have my team with me on my wedding.  I chose to do my own hair and makeup, to have a few moments to myself to reflect on the day.

As far as flowers went, I gave my florist, Yumiko, from Hana Floral Designs, full creative license, and essentially told her to “surprise me.” My Mom and I collected vintage vases, milk bottles, and pitchers from flea markets and antique stores for the table arrangements, which Yumiko and her team filled with succulents, gloriosa lillies, ranunculus, parrot tulips, and various other blooms in bright reds and oranges.  My bridal bouquet was stunning, and wrapped with vintage fabric, called ‘barkcloth’ which my Mom and I also found in our flea market adventures.

My photographer, Maggie, of Maggie Conley Photography, caught candid moments that I treasure. Every picture reflects personality and character, and working with her was a dream. Maggie is easy-going, understanding, and full of love. Her quiet presence allowed for personal moments to be captured without being interrupted, and at the same time, she managed to wrangle a wedding party of fifteen all together for photos after the ceremony! Quite a feat!

Our ceremony was personal and heartfelt– my Dad walked me down the aisle to “Somewhere over the Rainbow”, a song we have sung together over the years, and our officiant was one of his golf buddies. Paul’s mom, through ‘happy tears’, performed our ‘Blessing of the Rings’ ceremony.  One many favorite memories from the day was pausing, just at the start of the aisle with my Dad.  The music had started as our cue, but we stood still for a few beats just to take it all in.  It was a special moment for me and my Dad.

After the ceremony, guests only had to walk a few feet over the sand to our tented reception, which was a lightfilled, magical space created by Erik and Christen from Ryan Designs. Grapevine globes lit up with twinkle lights were suspended from the ceiling, candles flickered on every tabletop, a lounge area next to the dance floor provided respite for guests who still wanted ‘in’ on the action, and a deck with cocktail tables and tiki lanterns provided a quiet escape next to the water for my husband and I to steal a few kisses away from the crowd.  It was perfect.

Our DJ, Rich Gumpert from Powerstation Events, kept the dance floor packed! During dinner, we had an eclectic mix ranging from reggae, to bluesy standards, and in between courses, people couldn’t be kept from the dance floor! I still have guests telling me that certain songs they hear on the radio remind them of my wedding! Rich lent a microphone to a friend of ours who serenaded Paul and I after dinner, and then again at the end of the night when my college a cappella friends and I sang to close out the evening.  Not only did he keep the party going, (really! we couldn’t get people to leave!) he was amazing to work with.  From the moment we first met with him, not only did it feel like he was like a great friend, he was reliable, accommodating, and knows his music inside and out!

Dinner was much anticipated, provided by Francois Kwaku-Dongo and his team. I think I may be the only bride I know who had specifically set aside time to enjoy my entire plate of dinner!  After our initial tasting, Paul and I were raving to friends about dinner months before the wedding.  We loved everything he had prepared, and aside from a couple favorites that we chose, we also told Francois to “surprise us”, and we couldn’t have been happier.

Our beautiful cake, a divine vanilla mousseline, served with raspberry sorbet, was made by Wendy Laurent.  Yum!  Guests who still had extra room for their sweet tooth, were treated to 46 different choices from an old fashioned ice cream truck, driven by “Papa Joe”, the ice cream man my childhood friends and I all grew up with. Paul and I managed to sneak to the front of the line for toasted almond and strawberry shortcake bars! From the flowers, ambiance, music and food, to being surrounded by all the people who mean most to us, Paul and I couldn’t have asked for a more memorable, and fun evening to celebrate our new life together.

Bride’s Dress: Blue by Enzoani / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff / Groom’s and Groomsmen Attire: Jos A. Bank / Hair and Makeup: Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Event Design: Ryan Designs / Flowers: Hana Floral Design / Photography: Maggie Conley Photography / Cuisine: Francois Kwaku-Dongo / Cake: Wendy Laurent / Ice Cream Truck: “Papa Joe”

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Post tags: Beach Weddings, Bill Levkoff, Blue by Enzoani, Casual Elegance, Connecticut, Francois Kwaku-Dongo, Hana Floral Design, Ice Cream Truck, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, Jos A Bank, Maggie Conley Photography, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Ryan Designs, Tented Reception, Vintage, Vintage Chic, Water, Waterside Weddings, Wendy Laurent
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride…Ted and I met our senior year at Connecticut College when our housing lottery placed me in a dorm, on a floor with many of the senior boys.  I was away from all my close girlfriends and decided to make the best of my situation and befriend the raucous boys on my floor.  As fate would have it, Ted and I instantly hit it off.  We began dating soon after and upon graduating, moved to New York City together.  Ted proposed last summer on a midnight stroll in Paris.  It was magical.

From the moment we began setting out planning our wedding, the only certain thing we knew was that our venue had to be Eolia.  It was so “us.”  Throughout college, we always went to the beach there during the spring months with our friends and had always admired the gardens and the mansion.  Once we locked in the date for our wedding (one week after Ted took the Bar Exam!!), the rest seamlessly fell in to place.  I set my heart on having a whimsical “Secret Garden” wedding.  I wanted flowers everywhere! My mother-in-law began collecting hobnail vases for the centerpieces as well as vintage flower frogs to be used to hold the table numbers (which were scanned copies of vintage flower prints).  Yumiko executed my vision perfectly.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect than what she and her “pink ladies” created.  Originally, when we first met, I had wanted sunset colors and lots of pink, but halfway through the planning I became worried it was becoming “too pink” (if there can be such a thing!). I stumbled upon my lavender Ferragamo shoes during a shopping spree at Bloomingdales and immediately decided to include lots of lavender and purple accents into the flower arrangements.  I chose the white bridesmaid dresses after seeing another Style Me Pretty bride use them at her wedding.  I fell in love with how clean and crisp the look was.  Many people questioned me with this pick but then once Pippa Middleton wore a white dress to her sister’s wedding it all became okay with everyone!

Our wedding was so personal and so full of love.  We wanted it to be our families and close friends who have been with us from the beginning. My cousin is an Episcopalian priest and he officiated the ceremony.  Both Ted and I couldn’t stop smiling.  From our first look in the garden, to playing lawn games with our guests, to being introduced as husband and wife, to singing and dancing the night away- it couldn’t have been more spectacular.  We couldn’t have done it without our beyond fabulous vendors who worked tirelessly on making our wedding possible.  We found many of our vendors through Style Me Pretty and they were the epitome of professionalism and style, a huge thank you to all of them.

Location: Eolia Mansion / Photography: Maggie Conley Photography / Flowers: Hana Floral Design / Caterer: A Thyme to Cook / DJ: Power Posse Productions (860-572-7322) / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Thread / Flower Girl Dresses: Jacadi / Bride’s Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo / Hair and Makeup: Red Door Spa

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Post tags: A Thyme to Cook, Connecticut, Eolia Mansion, Hana Floral Design, Jacardi, Maggie Conley Photography, Power Posse Productions, Red Door Spa, Salvatore Ferragamo, Thread, Waterford
Post categories: Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance

And last but certainly not least – we’ve got a special highlight film from Buzz Media Company. If you don’t already have an obnoxious grin on your face (like I do) you most definitely will after seeing this great film.

emily + justin from Buzz Media Company on Vimeo.

Justin and my love story began in the unlikeliest of places, a Spring Break bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many of our closest friends were there with us on that fateful March night and then celebrated with us, over five years later, at our wedding. Those who were there from the very beginning will always hold a special place in our hearts and our lives, prompting us to take a Spring Break ’06 reunion picture on the dance floor at the wedding.

The one thing we knew when we embarked on planning our wedding was that we wanted a “kick off your shoes and dance” kind of party. The Connecticut shoreline has always held a special place in my heart and we wanted to find a unique venue that captured the beauty of the area. As soon as we drove up to Saltwater Farm Vineyard we were completely blown away by the metal airport hangar waiting at the end of the long gravel driveway. From the outside, Saltwater resembles an ice hockey rink and given Justin’s lifelong love of hockey, we thought this surely was a sign that this was our wedding venue. We fell even more in love with the space as we walked inside and gazed at the glowing metal wine tanks and towering wood beamed ceiling. We knew this was exactly the type of space we were looking for  - rustic, charming and utterly breathtaking.

Starting the planning process felt both exciting and overwhelming. With so many decisions to make, we enlisted the help of Sarah True from True Event and other amazing vendors to help us make our vision into a reality. My mom and I are both very artistic, crafty people and I knew I would want to take on various DIY projects as part of the wedding. With the help of friends and family we collected corks for an entire year and used frames made out of wine staves to create an escort card corkboard. I also constructed a scrapbook documenting our love story that served as our guestbook. These special touches are things we will be able to use in our everyday life that will continue to remind us of our incredible wedding day.

Working on designing our wedding paper was one of my favorite parts of planning our wedding. We worked closely with Paper Moss to create an invitation suite that would complement the rustic chic feel of the day. The creative process was incredibly fun and we watched Paper Moss create the most stunning, double letter-pressed invitation with a gorgeous hand drawn vine design. We were able to weave the design throughout the rest of the wedding paper and even the menu chalkboard.

When we woke up on the morning of July 16th, we welcomed in a perfect sunny summer day. Jennie Fresa and her team went to work as I sat around with my closest friends eating lunch and anticipating the excitement of this day. We could not have begun to imagine how the space would transform with Sarah’s magic touch. I knew I wanted a colorful wedding and chose a palette of jewel-toned purples with accents of bright blue and pink. We wanted to capture the rustic feel embodied by the winery and Sarah incorporated burlap wrapped candles into the table. Yumiko from Hana Floral Designs created the most unbelievable chuppah and bouquets that displayed the bridesmaids cobalt blue dresses. The rustic brown branches of the chuppah contrasting with the bright, colorful flowers and pure blue sky was absolutely breathtaking. This set the stage for our ceremony where we had the privilege of being married by my mother’s childhood friend.

Walking down the aisle on that July day was overwhelming. Never again would Justin and I be surrounded by all of the people who love and care about us. We chose to have a “first look” before we saw each other at the ceremony. I highly recommend this to any bride. There was so much anticipation building up to this moment and I was already feeling the emotions of the day bubbling over. Being able to see the smile on Justin’s face, and the tears in his eyes, when he turned around was priceless. We were able to stand together, look into each other’s eyes, and have a few moments to take in what we were about to do.  This also allowed Justin and I to share in the signing of our ketubah together with our families. The actual ceremony felt like a whirlwind to me and seeing each other prior did not take away the butterflies of excitement I experienced seeing Justin waiting at the end of the aisle.

Our guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the patio and then entered into the airport hangar for a night of eating and dancing. The room was aglow with purple up lighting and our guests sat down to a French family style meal catered by Gourmet Galley. It was really the amazing Hudson Project band that made the party unforgettable. They had the dance floor filled the entire night and took the evening to a whole new level. It was exactly what we wanted – a wedding dance party!

Our wedding day was beyond what we could have ever imagined. Not only were we surrounded by the love and affection of our friends and family but also the idyllic beauty of Saltwater Farm. We are so thankful to both Robert and Kathleen Photographers and Buzz Media for capturing the beauty of our day for us to relive forever.

Photography: Robert & Kathleen Photographers / Flowers: Hana Floral Design / Planner: Sarah True of TRUE Event / Hair & Makeup: Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Gown: Vera Wang / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Catering: Gourmet Galley / Band: The Hudson Project / Venue: Saltwater Farms Vineyard / Videographer: Buzz Media Company / Bridesmaids Dress Designer: Thread via Bella Bridesmaid / Invitation Designer and Stationery: Paper Moss / Save the Date: Posh Paperie / Desserts: Vanderbrooke / Chalkboard & Calligraphy: Meghan Chapin Calligraphy

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Post tags: Airplane Hanger, Bella Bridesmaid, Buzz Media Company, Casual Elegance, Chuppah, Color Palette Pink Blue Green, Connecticut, Corks, Flower girls, Gourmet Galley, Hana Floral Design, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, Jewish, Manolo Blahnik, Meghan Chapin Calligraphy, Paper Moss, Posh Paperie, Robert & Kathleen Photographers, Saltwater Farms Vineyard, The Hudson Project, Thread, True Event, Vanderbrooke, Vera Wang, Vineyard Wedding, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photographers, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Hair and Makeup by the always talented Jennie Fresa Beauty Library.

From Carla Ten Eyck Photography … This sweet couple declared their vows in an amphitheater over looking Long Island Sound at Harkness State Park, where the groom’s family would visit often during his childhood. During the ceremony, they included a parent recognition ceremony and wine ceremony. The father of the groom surprised the couple by playing the accordion as they walked down the isle while the groom’s aunt played the violin.

This wedding was overflowing with beautiful and ecologically sustainable details which the couple wanted to use from local vendors. Details included a tent decorated with cornflower, butter and white colored lanterns, two local cheese stations, bamboo paper with soy ink, a candy bar, lilac bush wishing tree, bird’s nest name cards and cake decorations, and food recipes from the Bride herself.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography / Hair: Nedelyn Perry, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Makeup: Emily Denny, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Flowers: Hana Floral Design / Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero / Event Coordinator: Gina of A Thyme to Cook / Cake: A Thyme to Cook / Ceremony Location: Oceanside Ampitheater, Harkness Memorial State Park / Reception Location: Eiola Mansion, Harkness Memorial State Park / Invitations: Bamboo Paper and Soy Ink-Sustainable from NYC / Shoes: Hey Lady Shoes / DJ:Todd from Powerstation Events

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Post tags: A Thyme to Cook, Bird, Birds, Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue, Color Palette Blue White, Connecticut, Eiola Mansion, Flower Girl, Hana Floral Design, Harkness Memorial State Park, Hey Lady Shoes, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, Maggie Sottero, Outdoor Wedding, Pearls, Powerstation Events, Summer Wedding, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Matt proposed after a surprise pre-Valentines Day dinner (as he called it) at one of our favorite West Village restaurants, the Little Owl.  I will never forget seeing Matt down on one knee in the middle of a snowy sidewalk, an outstretched arm holding the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.  I couldn’t believe my eyes!  And so, the planning began.

Matt and I were both born to families who LOVE to travel.  My mom is a flight attendant and has been for the majority of her life so I am a born and bred airline brat, Matt has been obsessed with airplanes since the days that I dreamt about marrying him, and we both spent childhood summers and fell in love in Montauk (a small swim across the Long Island Sound) which made Saltwater Farm Vineyard the absolute perfect venue for our wedding.  The vineyard and its stunning mix of old and new, rustic and modern, natural and landscaped, is an embodiment of so much of our lives.  We were married in the vines and had our reception in their 1930′s era airplane hangar which has been preserved and converted into a winery – it was perfect.

Quite the dreamer, I wanted to give attention to every little detail but yet still make it look effortless – despite the fact that we were doing everything ourselves!  Well, effortless it wasn’t, but we had more fun than I ever thought possible.  Matt was incredible and very involved in all of the planning (I know how lucky I am!).  Aside from our Elum Designs vintage letterpress invitations, he created everything – from itineraries to place cards, programs, menus, gift tags and announcements.  We designed, we printed, we cut – may I never have to use a paper slicer again!

Our ceremony was by far our favorite part of our wedding.  After a beautiful but foggy morning, the clouds parted and the sun started to shine just as our guests were arriving.  It was such dramatic timing – we couldn’t have planned it better ourselves.  As my mom and I stepped out of the hangar to begin our incredible walk down the grass aisle, a breeze caught my cathedral length veil, sweeping the whole thing out from behind me.  It took my breath away as I couldn’t help but wonder if it was my dad, who passed away a few weeks before my eighth birthday, wrapping his arms around me from above.  We (tried) to hold back tears of happiness throughout the whole ceremony which was so much more magical than I ever could have imagined.  After saying we do, our guests made their way back to the hangar where the feast and merriment began.

Wedding Photography: Charlotte Jenks Lewis Photography / Floral Design: Hana Floral Design / Event Design + Planning: The Bride / Location: Saltwater Farm Vineyard / Wedding Invitations: Elum Designs / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dress: The White Gown / Caterer: A Thyme to Cook / Groom’s Tuxedo: Lanvin / Bridesmaid Dresses:  Jenny Yoo / Groomsmen’s Bowties: Jeff Salinas / Bride’s Hair:  Rachael Lyon, Timothy Pamment Salon / Bride’s Makeup: Naomi Martinez

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Post tags: A Thyme to Cook, Charlotte Jenks Lewis Photography, Connecticut, elum designs, Hana Floral Design, Jeff Salinas, Jenny Yoo, Jimmy Choo, lanvin, Modern, Naomi Martinez Salon, Rachael Lyon, Rustic Elegance, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, The White Gown, Timothy Pamment Salon
Post categories: Contemporary

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

Dini and I met and began dating in high school. We were so overjoyed to be getting married nine years later. Our main goal for the wedding was to have it be a big celebration with all the people who supported us over the years. We wanted it to be fun, personal, and beautiful.

Sarah True helped us develop a romantic garden theme with a soft herbal color palate and Tuscan accents. Yumiko of Hana Floral designed the gorgeous centerpieces, which alternated between soft, romantic blooms and lavender, artichokes, and other herbs. Gourmet Galley designed a delicious Tuscan inspired menu and put together a beautiful dessert table in place of a cake. The Branford House was the perfect place for our reception. We had dinner and dancing on the lawn, with spectacular views of Long Island Sound and Fourth of July fireworks.

It was really important to us to make our wedding a reflection of us. Dini is Greek Orthodox, so the ceremony took place at his church. My uncle is a Catholic priest, so we asked him to be a part of the wedding as well. After the ceremony, we drove away in a custom roadster that Dini’s father and grandfather had built together. The car brought us to a dock, where the whole bridal party boarded Dini’s cousin’s boat. We drove the boat to the reception site, giving us time to relax with our closest friends before the reception.

Given that Dini is a marine engineer and that we met while on our high school’s crew team, it was important for us to incorporate our love of and lives on the water. For that reason, we also replaced a traditional guest book with a pair of wooden oars that we had our guests sign. At the reception, we displayed photographs from the weddings of our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. My mom and I made favors of homemade truffles, which we put into kraft boxes and tied with sage ribbon. Our family members made Greek and Italian sweets to add to the dessert table. The personal touches made the already beautiful reception feel like it was really representative of our relationship, and we could not have had a better time celebrating with all the people we love.

Wedding Photography: Justin & Mary / Wedding Venue: Branford House / Wedding Planning: Sarah True of TRUE Event / Catering: Gourmet Galley Catering / Floral Design: Yumiko of Hana Floral Design / Wedding Gown: Melissa Sweet via The White Dress by the shore / Bride’s Shoes: J.Crew / Tenting: Sperry Tents / Jewelry: Roberto Coin / Flower Girl & Ring Bearer Attire: The Blue Horse / Hair & Makeup: Rob Rivers / DJ: Renzo / Bridesmaid Dresses: Melissa Sweet

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Post tags: Blue, Branford House, Chalkboards, Connecticut, CT, Dessert Table, Gourmet Galley, Grey, Groton, Hana Floral Design, J. Crew, Justin & Mary, Melissa Sweet, New England Wedding, Peach, Purple, Rob Rivers, Roberto Coin, Sarah True, Sperry Tents, Tented Reception, The Blue Horse, True Event, Tuscan Inspired, University of Connecticut, White, White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

click here for more sparkle & hay!

From the darling Bride…Our story begins in Paris, in June of 2009, where Dan got down on bended knee and asked me to marry him in front of the Eiffel Tower. (Well, actually our story begins 6 years earlier on a college campus in Massachusetts, but this is the abridged version!). It is safe to say that when Dan & I became engaged I caught the wedding bug… bad.  I truly enjoyed every moment of planning & designing our wedding with the intention that it should not only be beautiful, but filled with meaningful details in order to tell the “story of us”.  Originally believing that I wanted a destination wedding (preferably a Villa in the Tuscan Hills or farmhouse in the countryside of France) the one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to transport our guests to a different place, if only through the ambience of the party.  This led to an interesting venue search as we began to comb the state of Connecticut for just the right place to say “I Do”. However, the moment we turned down the (slightly hidden) drive of Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, I knew this was going to be the place.

Pulling up it is as though you are transported to another place, and inside the meticulously revitalized space (I don’t dare say renovated as so much of the building’s authenticity has been preserved) a fantastic raw energy abounds.  The vineyard was originally a WWII aircraft hangar, the interior a delight for the eyes with towering high ceiling, gorgeous exposed wooden beams and ceilings.  The space comes as-is… and lends itself perfectly to personalization through colors, textures, linens, flowers, lighting, and all sorts of fabulous details. At the onset of the planning process to say I was all over the place with my design style is an understatement.  There is no way that I could have achieved this destination wedding in Connecticut idea I had in my mind alone – it was the creative mind and amazing styling of planner/designer Sarah True of True Event who refined my vision to that of a Provençal Rustic Chic style and brought it to life.  In a true collaborative effort, Sarah assembled a dream team of vendors to work on my special day, many of whom I would not have met without her, and am now so happy to call treasured friends.

Our perfectly Provençal rustic chic save the dates by Lucinda Wesson of Chocolate Creative Design were the first step to creating this special experience to share with our guests – a custom printed burlap pouch filled with lavender, a paper airplane (folded from the pages of a vintage French love poem book) cork from Saltwater Farm Vineyard, and piece of hay arrived at each of our soon-to-be guests homes.   Followed by Fleur de Lis tea stained parchment invitations and a dance program reception card packaged in a kraft paper & Parisian map lined envelope with a vintage inspired RSVP postcard – that guests loved so much many called in their responses and asked to keep the cards! The day of the wedding could not have been more idyllic.  We were greeted the morning of October 23 with beautiful sunshine and sparkling blue sky.  Preparing for the big day while surrounded by my bridesmaids, mother, and mother-in-law was such fun!  The lovely ladies of the Jennie Fresa Beauty Library worked their magic on us as we nibbled on our brunch, and I sipped my warm cup of starbucks (the one wedding gift I asked for from Dan).  The smiling face of Yumiko Fletcher of Hana Floral Design delivering my drop-dead-GORGEOUS bouquet was all it took to send me into pure euphoria (mind you this is only at 10am).  Always on cue, the only person whom I would want so close to me on that day (aside from Dan) Anna Sawin, of Anna Sawin Photography arrived just in time to catch me in this glorious moment (and snap a million photos of me running around the townhouse my parents had rented in the borough of Stonington exclaiming “I’m getting married – this is the best day of my life!”.)  A demure, composed bride I was not – you could not have wiped that ear-to-ear smile off my face if you tried.

A Newport Trolley brought us to St. Mary Church in town, where our guests were streaming into the pews (which were perfectly anointed with small terra cotta pots wrapped in twine, filled with silver brunia berries, lavender, blush spray roses, herbs and greens).   From that moment on the day began to fly, the girls were down the aisle in an instant, and then that moment that you wait for your entire life was upon me – my walk down the aisle.  As I took my father’s arm it was all I could do to keep myself from running down the aisle and jumping into Dan’s arms, the moment I saw him there waiting for me I was overcome with excitement and just knew that all was right with the world.  While my father was the one who walked me down the aisle it was very important to me that both he and my mother “give me away”, so she stood up and joined us as we reached the end of the aisle.  We blinked back tears as my father lifted my veil and kissed me on the check, and then there was a slight blunder on our part as Dan & I were so excited to see each other that we kissed immediately there – before stepping onto the alter together.  Needless to say, I was giddy through the entire ceremony and on cloud nine when we were pronounced husband and wife.

Arriving at the vineyard that sunny evening my dreams had already more than come true.  Greeted at the entrance with a St. Germaine & Champagne cocktail (our signature drink) by Jeanette Holliday of Gourmet Galley Catering, I could not have imagined the breathtaking sight that awaited me inside.  Sarah had transformed Saltwater Farm Vineyard into a place beyond my wildest dreams.  A little bit vineyard, a touch of France, a sprinkling of shimmer, a hint of burlap and we were in another world.  The tables, with a blush linen and burlap & lace edged runner, were covered with mercury glass votives, lace wrapped tea lights, and burlap and lace wrapped water bottles (which I made myself!).  The centerpieces alternated per table; half had moss, lavender, and babys breathe filled wooden crates with a burlap covered wine bottle candelabra.  The others had mercury glass pedestal vases filled with lavender, queen anne’s lace, chocolate cosmos, silver brunia, dusty miller, blush Juliet roses, Café au lait dahlias and rosemary.  Carrying the invitation inspiration through, the table numbers and escort cards were recreations of vintage postcards representing places in the world which were meaningful to Dan & I.  On the back of each we wrote a little note to our guests seated at each table thanking them for sharing in our special day.  Another hit with our guests, we were thrilled when a week after the wedding we actually received one of the table number postcards back in the mail – with a note signed by the entire table expressing how much they had enjoyed themselves.  As we took in the culmination of all of the amazing details coming together to create our big day we were spellbound. All of the countless hours of planning had paid off more than imaginable when Dan turned to me and said “Wow… I knew it was going to look good, but I had no clue it would be this amazing”.

Guest cocktailed on the bluestone patio which had been transformed into an outdoor lounge, enjoying the panoramic views of the vines and the long island sound with the live guitar duo J2AM playing some of our favorite songs in the background. The party moved inside as the sun began to set, and the room began to glow.  The meal was flawless; the entrée, a tasting plate, featuring melt in your mouth short ribs and a hazelnut encrusted chicken which we still receive compliments on to this day.  Hours of dancing followed, with guests taking a moment later in the night to help themselves to a drink at the hot beverage bar or make s’mores outside by the fire pit.  Dan & I were able to escape for a few moments from time to time as well, which only allowed us to savor the day even more.  Before I knew it the time for our send off had arrived and cheering guests showered us in dried lavender sprinkled from French printed paper cones.  It was more than a dream come true.

Venue: Saltwater Farm Vineyard / Design and Coordination: Sarah True of TRUE Event / Photography: Anna Sawin Photography / Catering: Anna Lathrop and Jeanette Holliday of Gourmet Galley / Floral: Hana Floral Design / Paper: Chocolate Creative Design / Entertainment: Power Posse Productions & JA2M / Rentals: Rentals Unlimited / Transportation: Newport Trolley / Videography: Tim Ethier Video Productions / Beauty: Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Dress: Augusta Jones from Kleinfeld New York / Bridesmaids: J.Crew / Bride & Groom Forks: Beach House Living / Guest Book: LovliDay / Bridesmaid and Bride’s clutches: Oatmeal Lace Design / Hanger: LilaFrances

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Post tags: Anna Sawin Photography, Augusta Jones, Chocolate Creative Design, Connecticut, Gourmet Galley, Hana Floral Design, J. Crew, JA2M, Jennie Fresa Beauty Library, Kleinfeld Bridal, Newport Trolley, Power Posse Productions, Rentals Unlimited, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, Tim EIther Video Productions, True Event
Post categories: The Blog, Vintage Chic

So, without further ado, we are going to jump right into our first pretty number. Captured by Raw Photo Design, it is the complete epitome of a classic New England wedding right down to that candle clad fireplace. Total perfection if you ask us and so worth a visit to the gallery.

there is more where these lovely images came from in the gallery!

I love a theme. My mother and Aunt are clones of Martha Stewart and say that I too have the “theme gene.” I really wanted a wedding with a vintage elegance feel, that felt like a dinner party more than a wedding. We decided to keep the wedding small with only about 80 guests, half of that Johnny’s large family! I wanted a unique venue that really captured the elegance of a bygone era. As soon as I saw Eolia Mansion at Harkness Park I knew it was the perfect spot with its stunning English gardens. I did a ton of DIY projects on a fairly small budget and was inspired by so many beautiful weddings on Style Me Pretty. I searched high and low and found beautiful mercury glass vases for the niches which helped bring in the vintage charm. I created a moss covered M for my new monogram and used inexpensive silver frames to frame old photos of close family members. Ribbon draped moss wreaths on the glass double doors went to match the moss tray carrying the calligraphy escort cards.

I chose to use peaches to accent the beauty of the blush in the flowers. Johnny and I actually picked them at a nearby orchard the morning of our wedding! The peaches were so fresh and summery; they were even used in the chicken dish that was served with fresh basil and peaches. The gorgeous bouquets and the table centerpieces were done by Yumiko at Hana Floral Design while I created the extra garden rose pieces in silver mint julep cups for the ceremony and reception. All the décor really came together better than I could have hoped on the day!

Johnny and I met in a hostel in Cinque Terre, Italy the summer of 2006. I had been living in Spain and he was stationed with the US Army in Germany and we randomly booked the same hostel for weekend trips with our friends. We kept in touch and started dating a year later when he moved back to the East Coast. After 6 months of dating, Johnny decided to move to New Zealand and asked me to join him. When we moved home a year later, without jobs or a home, he surprised me with a proposal on the beach in Maine. It was perfect!

Photography: Raw Photo Design / Dress: Priscilla of Boston from White Dress by the Shore / Shoes: J.Crew / Florist: Hana Floral Design, Yumiko Fletcher / Ceremony and Reception Location: Eolia Mansion Harkness State Park Waterford, CT

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Post tags: Connecticut, Eolia Mansion, Hana Floral Design, J. Crew, Priscilla of Boston, Raw Photo Design, Waterford, White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance