Garden.party.glam. Seriously, this wedding by Studio 563 does elegant alfresco so incredibly well. Backyard casual feel meets elegant ballroom – and wowza, it produces quite the pretty party! I suppose that is what happens when the bride is an interior designer, and knows what makes her heart flutter. The entire blush-filled affair will make your heart flutter too, and you can see it all in the full gallery of images!
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From the Bride…Reid and I were introduced by my cousin who also happened to work with Reid. Within a week of meeting we had our first date and first kiss. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before I knew he was the one. After a year and a half of dating we bought a house, moved in together and got engaged. I was never one of those girls who had been planning their wedding since they were young. I was starting from square one and had to figure out a direction, quickly. I knew my dress and the venue would be two major pieces of the puzzle in defining the feel of our wedding. It was only after I found “the” dress, a strapless embroidered lace gown, and “the” place, a historic home-built in the 1800’s, that I was able to move forward in planning the elegant garden-like atmosphere I began to envision.
Since I am an interior designer I was excited to get creative and plan every detail of our wedding! With a name like Mansion at Judges’ Hill the venue could easily conjure up thoughts of stuffy formality but once I stepped on the grounds I knew it was the place for us. The cobblestone courtyard was small and intimate, shaded by blooming crepe myrtles. The reception ballroom had high ceilings and crystal chandeliers so it was important for me to balance that sophistication by adding homemade touches and casual details. We are not over the top, fancy people and I wanted our wedding to reflect that without becoming too casual.
The color palette was subtle with soft coral and ivory and small pops of deeper pinks. I wanted our wedding to have an elegant romantic feel, from the design of the invitation to the bridesmaid’s dresses. I used vintage glass cakes stands and my grandmother’s glass candy dish for the cake and petite fours. The Eiffel Tower decorative picks were a nod to my husband’s time spent in France. The favors were organic chocolate truffles boxed and tied with a hand-dyed silk ribbon and tea stained tag that I stamped with “Merci”. The place cards were brown kraft bags I cut at the top with scalloped scissors, stamped and glittered with each guest’s name. The ivory card inside hid the table number and was also tied with the silk ribbon. I requested the flowers be freeform with lots of movement, a mixture of garden roses, peonies and greenery. At the end of the day I wanted our wedding to be a beautiful relaxing party for everybody and I was proud to have achieved just that. Not to mention I got to marry the love of my life!
Ceremony + Reception Location: Mansion at Judges’ Hill / Wedding Photography: Studio 563 / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee / Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor / Cake + Petit Fours: Michelle’s Patisserie / Florist: Westbank Flower Market / Bracelet: Etsy / Hair + Make-up: Sheila Staehley at Aura Veni Salon / Invitations: Sloane Ware / String Quartet: Allandale String Quartet