First, I’m going to have to let out a little one of Abby’s squeals (eeeeeee!!!!) before I let Geneve Hoffman, today’s fab LBB photographer, take over! LoOoOoOoOVE these fabric covered initials. As you’ll see, these are just one of the many personal touches this bride brought to the gorgeous day! See their whole gallery here!
From the ah-mazing Geneve Hoffman ….
This bride is a photographer, and a stylish one at that, so I was flattered that she chose me to document her wedding day. I knew it was going to be a perfect day the minute I arrived…Kate had all her details laid out for me in one of the rooms of a charming Colonial period bed and breakfast called Inn by the Bandstand in Exeter, New Hampshire. We used every nook and cranny of the inn for her details and bridal portraits.
Flag Hill Winery is one of my favorite wedding sites–the scenery and location make it a very sought after venue. Heather Houle and staff are on top of every detail and allowed Denise, the brides mom and wedding planner extraordinaire, to work her magic and transform the vineyard into a scene straight out of a lush Victorian novel.
Where to start with all the fun moments and details…Kate was the curator of her own wedding and over the past year has been collecting precious little items from sources like Palomas Nest, Pomp & Plumage at Etsy to name a few. Her invites arrived to guests door boxed and nestled in petite twigs with a hint of what is to come…two corks with the Flag Hill insignia. Her vintage inspired dress and accessories played well with her soft pink, leather brown, and ivory palette. The boys wore khaki suits and looked ready to play their part in the beautiful garden party love story to come.
{click on any of the detail shots and you’ll be linked to the gallery of full size images}
Guests were greeted by sweet romantic signs all around the vineyard, handmade by Kate. Each guest found their table number and favor, an engraved wine glass with Kate & Adam’s name and the wedding date (a Flag Hill Signature), inside an antique chicken coop dressed up in vintage lace. Tables had antique gilt frames and white washed urns neatly filled with baby pink hydrangeas, twigs, and hypericum berries. The linens were a custom ordered ivory and tan damask, and reflected the hanging parasols to create a warm, inviting space for guests under the tent.
Their interfaith ceremony took place on the grassy lawn facing the vines and was decorated with pink hydrangea and copper galvanized shephard hook arrangements. Kate’s happiness burst through during her poignant and stirring vows…not a dry eye to be seen! They waltzed all around the vineyard after the wedding, and I was lucky enough to be capturing every romantic and joyous moment. Guests enjoyed the merry photo booth run by my assistant Angela Avery and literally framed themselves with ornate old frames. Kate created a little “library” on the grounds complete with a vintage typewriter, school house chalkboard, and leather bound guest book. The children (of all ages, ahem!) enjoyed the vintage spinning tops and giant alphabet blocks. The hand made date banner rocked gently in the warm Summer afternoon breeze, and made a great prop too!
Kate and Adam played with the vintage camera’s–which were fitting for bride photographer! But Kate graciously left the real photos to me, and what a true pleasure it was. Guests whiled away the hours dancing to the swinging tunes of a 12 piece band, enjoying the surprising red velvet cake, sipping wine, and strolling the extensive vines. Perfect. Wedding. Day.
Congrats, Kate and Adam! – Geneve Hoffman, photographer
And now, from Kate, today’s beautiful bride …
Adam and I met a short three and a half years ago through his sister. I had no idea he was going to be my one and only. Planning our wedding was at times stressful, but a lot of fun – and in the end, VERY rewarding. I did a lot of, “Hun, is this ok?? Do you like this color for the dresses? Are you sure I can’t show you my dress?!?!?!” His support throughout the entire wedding process has made me love him more than ever. I couldn’t have done it without him. Obviously! ;)
Our wedding weekend began at an inn built in the early 1800s where we had our rehearsal dinner and stayed the night. We booked out most of the inn with out of state family so the stay at the inn was extra special! Before I knew it, the wedding morning arrived and I was swept away to the vineyard where we would be having our ceremony and afternoon reception. Everything went by so quickly, but I was quite surprisingly composed throughout the whole thing! Even though my groom had forgotten his suit. ;)
So as for a little background – I am a full time graphic designer and part time photographer. I had a vision from the beginning of our engagement of a very soft, romantic afternoon wedding. I’m guilty of stalking Style Me Pretty for endless hours for my inspiration. In fact, I believe I spent more time with SMP than with my fiancé throughout my whole engagement! When my photographer asked what our theme was, I told her… “Style Me Pretty!!” That is a theme, right?? But alas… :) we settled for vintage glam.
Once we found the perfect venue, everything just started to fall into place. I am a huge fan of Etsy and support all of the wonderful sellers there are out there. Most of my accessories for the big day were Etsy purchases and I’ve included all of the seller links, so be sure to stop by their shops and take a peak! I received so many compliments on my hair piece, jewelry, date banner, etc. and everyone asked, “Where did you get that?!” My favorite find had to be the vintage rosette headbands I purchased from Banner Boutique on Etsy for my 18 month old flower girl and 9 month old niece. They were a huge hit!
I designed all of my stationery for the wedding starting from the save the dates all the way through table numbers and menu cards. My goal for the entire wedding was to make everything as personable as possible, and it showed. Detail is everything, and it’s a whole lot of fun. Which leads to projects! Boy, I had a lot of projects. All of the furniture props you see were purchased at an antique shop here in New Hampshire and my father worked hard to fix them up. Our most talked about piece was our chicken coop! My mother had the idea of using the old coop as a wine glass holder. Each guest received an etched wine glass as their favor and the glasses also served as seating cards. I attached a small tag and hand wrote every name and table number for each guest. There were 16 compartments in the coop and there happened to be 15 tables plus our head table! Woo! With all of my ideas and projects galore, I maintained my vision. This was so important to me and to see it all come together was quite overwhelming. My parents and my aunt were a huge help with all of my DIY projects – right down to styrofoam letters and reupholstering an antique chair!
I wouldn’t have done a thing differently, except started sooner. If I had more time, I would have fit in a million more DIY tidbits. They really contributed to the whole ambiance of the wedding and we will forever be grateful for the friends and family who joined us on such a beautiful day!
Yay for Style Me Pretty “bride-style”
Bridal Prep Location: Inn By The Bandstand, Exeter / Photography: Geneve Hoffman Photography, NewYork, Maine / Hair & Makeup: Brittany Demaine of My Reis Salon / Cake: Candice French / Entertainment: Wicked Smart Horn Band / Flowers: Creative Gardens, Lee, NH / Event Planning & Design: Bride, with help of Mom / Ceremony & Reception Location: Flag Hill Winery, Lee NH / Bride Shoes: FiFi by Filippa Scott / Dress: Milana by Maggie Sottero from Madeleine’s Daughter / Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo Bridesmaids Shoes: Davids Bridal / Etsy Shops: Pomp & Plumage, Luxe Deluxe, Garter Lady, Well Wud Ja Look At That, Sushi Pot Parts, 31 Vintage Road / Lanterns: Luna Bazaar