I had to double check the location of this elegant affair to confirm that it really didn’t take place in Tuscany. Set instead in the Berkshires, 42 North created an Italian-inspired escape, complete with a stunning set up by Sperry Tents and Classical Tents, beautiful blooms by Dana Markos Events and chic calligraphy courtesy of Posh + Prep. Shannen Natasha captured all these details and more – all found in our VAULT right this way!
From 42 North Planning… When we first met Geoff and Taylor, we noticed immediately that they were in love. We were both so blown away by how the two of them had such a shared vision for their wedding, and the planning was a true team effort – which they navigated with such grace and patience for one another. Geoff and Taylor each took on their own individual roles: Geoff handling the wedding website, accommodations, and pre and post parties, and Taylor diving full force into decor and all other things pretty.
Geoff and Taylor had decided they’d like to get married at Geoff’s family home in the Berkshires before we first met with them, so when we came on board with the planning one of our first orders of business was to visit the property.
Needless to say, we were in a planner’s heaven. The property sprawled over acres of rolling hills of wildflowers, surrounded by farmland as far as you could see on all sides, and even featured a meadow (bonus!) and pear and apple trees. We had an absolutely stunning blank canvas to create an entire weekend experience for Geoff and Taylor’s guests.
We assembled a stellar team of vendors, to include Chive Catering, Dana Markos Events, and Classical Tents among many others. Together, we spent countless hours talking logistics and strategy to create an event environment from the (grass) up. Of course – we had to be prepared for the possibility of rain, so we had engineered a few contingency plans (with the help from our very trusted “tent guys!”), and luckily we didn’t have to use them.
Geoff and Taylor’s wedding day turned out to be a perfect summer day, which did such justice to the incredible environment our bride and team of vendors imagined up. The ceremony site was marked by a chuppah adorned with roses, hydrangea and lots of wild greens by Dana and his team, with rose petals lining the aisle, and the on-property pond as the backdrop. Cocktail hour sprawled through the property’s apple orchard, barn, and lawn, with lounge areas throughout. The tidewater tent was dramatically draped with silky mink curtains by Exquisite e=Events, which we pulled back at the end of cocktail hour to “reveal” the reception space to the guests.
Chive served up the most delicious family style dinner, while the band played dance music all the way through. Guests were eating, dancing, drinking, mingling, and enjoying! Between the magical setting and the beautiful couple, it was truly a night to remember.
We couldn’t describe it any better than the gorgeous photos by Shannen Natasha. She truly captured every essence of the evening, beautiful from the inside out.
From the Bride… Geoff and I first met in high school through mutual friends but we didn’t start dating until the summer going into our junior year of college. We dated long distance for a while and then broke up while I lived in Los Angeles, but we remained best friends throughout it all. When I moved back to Boston, we got back together and have been inseparable ever since. About eight years after our first date, Geoff proposed while we were taking a walk in the rain (under umbrellas) near our apartment.
When we got engaged, we knew right away we wanted to get married at one of Geoff’s family’s homes in the Berkshires, where we had spent a lot of time together. We both absolutely love the natural beauty of the area, and it truly is such a special place for both of us.
Even though we had a guest list of about 170 people, Geoff and I wanted the wedding to feel very intimate and elegant – like a chic Tuscan dinner party. We worked closely with our planners, 42 North and our caterer, Chive Catering, to customize our guest’s experience. We really wanted everyone to feel right at home! Our cocktail hour was outside, with lounge areas set up around the property to encourage our friends and family to explore and mingle. Chive Catering served the most delicious local, and sustainable food. For dinner, we opted for a family style first course of big plates of heirloom tomatoes and burrata, served with focaccia, olive oil for dipping, and small bowls of olives to be passed around; we wanted our guests to feel like they were at their own dinner table with old and new friends.
For the florals, we went for a very elegant look juxtaposed against the slightly rustic style of the property. Rather than wildflowers, we chose a lot of roses and hydrangeas. The florals outside of the tent were bright greens and creams and then entering the tent, we opted for darker greenery along with a lot of candlelight to set the mood. Dark green vines with white roses were placed sporadically on the tables. One of our favorite details was the beautiful floral garland that our florist, Dana Markos, created for us and wrapped around a tree above one of the lounging areas.
The small tiered cutting cake had subtle white butterflies and flowers to go with the enchanted look of the wedding. For dessert, in addition to the tiered cake, we had slices of organic lemon cake made by Pure Pastry, as well as the most delicious individual, warm fruit cobblers. Later in the night, servers came around with trays of late night snacks like pigs in a blanket, mini burgers, and homemade ice cream sandwiches. It was very important to us that we honor our loved ones that couldn’t be there with us on our wedding day. We incorporated small details to pay tribute to them, such as our late night snack of pigs in a blanket in honor of Geoff’s late father (they were his absolute favorite snack).
Our entire evening was magical – exactly the way we had been dreaming of it for the nine months leading up to it. The best part was that the party didn’t end after the band went home; we hired a late night DJ to play old school hip hop, and we stayed up until 2am dancing with our closest friends (bonus of having your wedding at home!). It was perfect.
[dotted]
Photography: Shannen Natasha | Cinematography: Cullen Wedding Studio | Event Planning: 42 North | Floral Design: Dana Markos | Wedding Dress: KENNETH POOL | Cake: Jenny's Wedding Cakes | Cake: Kim Gregory | Pure Pastry | Invitations: Minted | Catering: Chive Events | Makeup: Dani Wagener Beauty | Hair: Melissa Noel Hair Design | Calligraphy: Posh and Prep | Venue: At Home | Tent Rental: Classical Tents | Bride's Earrings: Ila | Floor Rental: The Greenwich Tent Company | Lighting, Draping + Lounge Furniture: Exquisite Events | Louis Chairs: Peterson Party Center | Maid Of Honor Dress: Amsale | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Rentals: New England Country Rentals