This wedding photographed by Carrie Coleman was filled with some of the most meaningful touches! From the location on the grounds of the boarding school where the Groom grew up, to the semi-circle of chairs so the couple was surrounded by their loved ones during the ceremony, to the personalized vows, to the custom cake topper featuring their pup – each little detail represented something special. But the sweetest of all has to be the jars of cookies, baked with love by both mothers from beloved family recipes. We can’t think of a better way to show these two families coming together than that!
From the Bride… Michael and I were introduced by a mutual friend of ours, Megan. When Megan first met Michael, she just knew he was the one for me, and when we met two months later, there was an instant connection – it turns out Megan is quite the matchmaker!
From the Groom… Hannah and I had been dating for four years before I proposed. Hannah’s mother offered me Hannah’s grandmother’s diamond ring – Hannah’s grandfather bought the ring in the diamond district in New York City just after World War II and the ring had been passed down to Hannah’s mom. I took the ring to a jeweler and had the diamond reset in a simple 18k gold band.
I had planned to propose when we took a trip to Maine, but when the ring was finished sooner than expected, I couldn’t wait to do it. I wrote a note, put it in a little bag, and tied it around our dog’s neck. The note read, “Mom, I would really like it if Michael could become my dad for real. Love, Muggins.” I released Muggins upstairs and put a Van Morrison record on the turn table (pretty early on in our relationship, we bonded over the song “Crazy Love”). Just as the song started playing, Hannah walked downstairs. I got down on one knee and proposed. Meanwhile Muggins, sensing the excitement, was jumping up and down on both of us.
From Carrie Coleman Photography… When planning their wedding, Hannah and Michael knew that they wanted something beautifully simple and very personal for their closest family and friends. The hillside at Woodberry, the boarding school where Michael grew up, was the perfect backdrop for the ceremony with its view of a lake down below. Guests sat in a semi circle, surrounding the couple in support and love. Michael’s sister, Kellye, officiated the wedding, and Hannah and Michael wrote their own vows, which made their ceremony incredibly personal.
Guests enjoyed cocktail hour under the grove of trees on Woodberry’s main lawn, playing corn hole on the set Hannah’s dad crafted, before entering the tent for a delicious dinner by Red Hub Food Co. Hannah had figurines of her dog, Muggins, and her sister’s dog, Gertie, custom-made for their cake, and the dessert table also featured glass jars of cookies made by both mothers from family recipes. This joy-filled wedding was certainly one for the books!
Photography: Carrie Coleman | Floral Design: Hope Zeitler | Wedding Dress: BHLDN | Cake: Arley Cakes | Bride's Shoes: Jack Rogers | Catering: Red Hub Food Co. | Hair + Makeup: Tyler Young | Bow Ties: The Tie Bar | Groom's Attire: Combatant Gentlemen | Bridesmaids' Skirts: Revelry | Bridesmaids' Tops: J.Crew | Private Property: Woodberry Forest | Rentals: Gibson Rental | Silk Ribbon: Adorn Company | Striped Pajamas: J.Crew
