I’ve never met a Jillian Mitchell wedding I didn’t absolutely love. She’s a rising star of wedding photography, and today we’re swooning her latest work of art – a Massachusetts estate affair, to be exact. It’s classic elegance to the core (hello, long, windblown veil + cream rose bouquets) and you can pin to your heart’s desire in the gallery right here!
From the Bride… I always knew I wanted to be married outside, and that my wedding needed to have a vintage flare to it… think Anthropology, soft, feminine and with lots of texture. The Bradley Estate offered 90 acres of green hills, a tree lined backdrop, and flowers galore. The main house itself is a New England historic home, it was perfect. Each table was dressed in cream linens and covered in vintage lace. The flowers were shades of pink and cream, housed in small mercury glass vases with extra attention paid to the head table.
My dress was designed by Lazaro who is known for his beading and crystals. Every time, I put it on I loved it more and more. Although the entire bodice is crystals it has a warmth and antique feel to it and it was the first dress I tried on. The bridesmaids wore cream; again I wanted them to be soft and feminine. I mixed up the length; some girls wore long, others wore short. I played with the texture and color, no girls dress was the same.
We originally decided against a first look. My fiancée and I were adamant the the first time we saw each other had to be in front of our friends and family. The more we evaluated the day, the harder we knew it would be to accomplish all the pictures we wanted, and still have time with our guests. You do all this planning and it’s over in a flash, we wanted to experience what we had planned. Jillian (our photographer) explained the benefits of the first look, and how it would allow us time with our guests at the reception and more time for photos of the two of us.
So, after careful consideration we reconsidered. Seeing Stephen for the first time in the garden, alone, with no one else around was without a doubt the best part of our day. Experiencing the first look with my future husband brought all our hard work, both with our relationship and on our wedding, to life. It was moment captured in time and on film, and I will never forget it.
Photography: Jillian Mitchell | Floral Design: Charlotte Design Flower Boutique | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Ceremony Venue: The Bradley Estate | Groom's Attire: Vera Wang | Video: Craft House Productions