Massachusetts Weddings

This next DIY project falls under the “why didn’t I think of that?” category. A do-it-yourself Valentine’s Day Bouquet? It’s kind of brilliant! Not only is it easier on the wallet, the lady (or gent) in your life is guaranteed to be swept of their feet as a result of your craftiness. Not crafty you say? Have no fear, Pollen Floral Design and Zac Wolf Photography are here to share every last step.

Red Amaryllis
Ranunculus
Piano Garden Rose
Anemone
Majolica Spray Rose
Red Cestrum
Gardenia Foliage
Leucothoe Foliage
Red Leucadendron
Sea Star Fern
Floral Tape
Various Ribbon

Prep your flowers: remove any leaves or thorns from the stem so they’re ready to be used in your bouquet. Give them a fresh diagonal cut and let them soak in water for several hours before using them.

Set out all your flowers in vases or a bucket so you have easy access to your stems.

Start by making a small cluster of flowers. I like variety in my bouquets, so I usually start with a focal flower (in this bouquet, garden roses, amaryllis and anemone) and add in some smaller flowers (ranunculus, spray rose) and filler/greenery (bouvardia, gardenia foliage).

Once you have your starting bunch, you continue to add flowers to fill out your bouquet. Try to turn the bouquet in your hand as you add so that you are building it all the way around and not just in the front. Continue turning and adding flowers until you reach your desired size.

When you are satisfied with your bouquet, wrap the floral tape securely around your stems several times.

Tie on your ribbon wrap so it covers the floral tape.

Hold the stems together and make a clean, straight cut about 8-12 inches long. Spritz the bouquet with a floral finisher (such as Crowning Glory) and put it in water until you are ready to use your bouquet. If you are leaving it overnight, put it in your refrigerator so that the life of the flowers will be preserved.

Photography: Zac Wolf Photography | Floral Design: Pollen Floral Design

This is the sort of classic wedding that I live for: a stunning Boston Harbor Hotel affair with glistening water views and a traditional ballroom reception that will take your breath away.  It’s lush florals from Centre Pieces Design meets crisp navy and green hues meets all kinds of magic snapped up by the always amazing Captured Photography by Jenny.  See them all in the full gallery.

From the Bride… Andrew and I met on our first day of work right out of college. We quickly fell in love, and 5 years later, I was ecstatic when he decided to pop the question. I had dreamed about planning my wedding since I was about 4 years old, and the bright, historic Boston Harbor Hotel had always been at the top of my list of wedding venues. To probably no ones surprise, the Boston Harbor Hotel ended up being the first and last venue we toured, and the rest is history! Until… I started planning all of the details! Boy those details add up. Wedding planning quickly became my “other” full-time job, but as the day approached, everything came together. I wore a Lea Ann Belter dress, and my bridesmaids wore blue chiffon dresses while Andrew and his groomsmen wore classy black, white and silver tuxes… a tribute to the colors of our two colleges, Duke and Georgetown.

Andrew and I met for a “first look” right on the wharf down by the water, and after some pictures alongside the harbor and under the cavernous Boston Harbor Hotel dome, we prepared to start our wedding ceremony in the Wharf Room. The ceremony had special meaning for us, as Andrew and I put it together ourselves and the officiant was none other than my younger brother, Connor Green. Connor knocked it out of the park and gave us exactly what we wanted: a highly personal, fun and memorable ceremony. After an all-too-quick cocktail hour up on the rotunda above the dome, we returned to the Wharf Room to find it had been transformed into a stunningly elegant ballroom. As I addressed the crowd after our first dance, I couldn’t help but cry just a bit, thanking my parents, the rest of my family, Andrew’s family, and our friends for making the night a reality. All of the little details I had obsessed over for the better part of a year had come together into a wedding so perfect, my dreams as a child couldn’t come close. The night flew by, but I made sure to stop, soak it up, and make sure that I would remember it for a lifetime. We look forward to reliving that joyous night for years to come through our pictures thanks to Captured Photography by Jenny (the most amazing photographers), and many unforgettable memories.

Photography: Captured Photography by Jenny | Floral Design: Centre Pieces Design | Dress: Lea-Ann Belter Bridal Flagship Boutique | Hair: Jessie Heroux | Band: Hip Pocket Orchestra | Venue: Boston Harbor Hotel

This is traditional elegance done oh-so-right; a Fairmont Battery Wharf affair where vibrant blooms from Poppy Floral mix and mingle with crazy gorgeous views and an Amsale gown that will take your breath away.  It’s the kind of day where dancing the night away is atotal given and love-filled moments fill our gallery by the thousands.  See every beautiful second captured by Deborah Zoe right here.

From Deborah Zoe Photography… I often joke that I married my husband for his sister. Being an only child I just love having a sister, someone to get my nails done with, someone to be girly with, the sister I always wanted. I simply adore the extended family I gained when I became a wife.

That’s the way it is with Michael and Kristyn. It wasn’t just Michael and Kristyn who were getting married, it was an entire family affair. The Berry’s laughed with the Maiorca’s. The Maiorca’s cried along with the Berry’s. There were hugs and tears and kisses for everyone and each family member greeted the other with open arms and warm hearts. It was incredible to see how these two families joined together all because two people fell in love.

It was a beautiful day on Boston Harbor and as Michael and Kiki said “I Do!”, boats tooted their horns and people cheered while music played across the water. It seemed like the entire city of Boston was celebrating with them.

From the Bride… Probably my favorite part of the wedding was the ceremony. I loved being out by the Battery Wharf in Boston, standing in front of the water, our friends and family surrounding us. A good friend of ours married us, an MIT professor and former housemaster of our undergrad dorm.

Mike is part Mexican and we used the Mexican coin ceremony “Las Arras” as part of our own ceremony. The groom gives the bride thirteen coins, but Mike had some of the coins handmade specially for us. One was a wooden coin. One side had the NY fire department symbol, and the other side had the Long Beach fire department symbol in dedication to my grandpa who was the NY firefighter. I loved that he had coins made to represent our own relationship.

We chose Norah Jones’ “Everybody Needs A Best Friend,” for our first dance. Not too slow, light-hearted, fun, silly… it describes our relationship well. We had a big group of people on the dance floor till the very end of the night, and between mingling with people, Mike and I were out there dancing for a lot of it too! My last memory from the night was Mike dipping as we were encircled by friends and family while the last song played!

Photography: Deborah Zoe Photography | Floral Design: Poppy Floral | Wedding Gown: Amsale | Stationery: DIY (made By A Friend, Designed By The Groom) | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids Dresses: Watters | DJ: Entertainment Specialists | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Officiant: MIT Chapel | Hotel: Fairmont Battery Wharf | Bridal Shop: Vows | Catter: Fairmont Battery Wharf

Perfectly classic and timelessly stunning, this beautiful Boston Harbor Hotel wedding is one for the books. Captured by Rebekah Kay Photography in a way that will make you swoon and then some, each image sitting in this gallery is worthy of making your jaw drop. It’s the perfect post to cozy up to on this snowy day, and you can see it all here.

From the Bride…For those that know AJ and I well, they know our wedding day was written in the stars a long time ago. AJ and I first fell in love sophomore year of high school, and while we went our separate ways, we re-connected many years later … this time forever. After two more years, AJ swept me off my feet with his proposal on a vacation to Riviera Maya. We intended to wait until we got home before we started any planning, but it was nearly impossible. In the advertising and public relations field, event planning is a huge part of my job – so the thought of planning the event of my life had my wheels turning instantly. Family, friends, and co-workers may be surprised to know that I actually wasn’t one who had dreamed of this day my whole life and wasn’t ready to simply press go; my vision was starting from complete scratch. And very quickly, it was apparent that AJ’s role during the process (the most important of all) was being the endless resource of love and support – not only for his bride-to-be, but for our many loved ones seeking advice or answers along the way.

We had two guiding principles of inspiration that impacted every single decision and brought together even the smallest details that made this day truly special:

1) That the wedding day looked and felt very “Christina” + very “AJ” + very “Christina and AJ”. Both AJ and I have very different – but distinct – personalities that we wanted to stand out and marry together, not only in the décor but in tone and mood as well. The details of décor and flow were very important to us! We wanted the look and feel to be traditional and classic, but also romantic and relaxed. This led us to make several key decisions: having the ceremony at St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown, two streets from our home (also allowing me, my parents and bridesmaids to get ready at home and walk to the ceremony!); my dress choice that felt equally unconventional and elegant; wearing my hair down to look more like myself; the signature drink choices (The Groom’s Old Fashioned with Jack Daniels and The Bride’s Prosecco with raspberries); our Bentley and North Andover group photos, as these groups of people are some of the many that have impacted our journey; handing out Smolak donuts on the trolley rides where both AJ and I worked in our hometown; or finally, dancing to Bob Marley’s One Love as our last dance, because it’s AJ’s all-time favorite – and as he used to quote in high school, “as it was in the beginning, so it shall be in the end”.

2) Our next guiding principle was that everyone have a BLAST! Family and friends are our number one priority, and to us, seeing our friends and family happy make us happy! Given that all of our friends and family were traveling from near and far, it influenced us to find a downtown Boston based venue so it could be as convenient as possible: insert the dazzling and iconic Boston Harbor Hotel. Our greatest hope for the day was that our guests felt at home with the attentive service they so genuinely provided, and happily full with the flowing food and drinks. Trolley transportation to and from the church and Boston Harbor Hotel was aimed to provide some ease to any city stress driving and parking may cause our guests. Next, every single “vendor” decision was carefully made by finding people that AJ and I felt a connection with – from our invitation designers, florists and photographer to our videographer, seamstress and hair stylists felt like having a friend as part of our wedding – they were never really “vendors” from the start. The band was also certainly one of those decisions – the music from the talented Eye 2 Eye was intended to appeal to the varying ages, and by looks on the dance floor from opening to close, we think – and truly hope – that everyone indeed had a blast. Just in case our guests hadn’t had enough of a good time, and because we couldn’t bear to the party end, we continued to party on at a private space reserved across the street at Granary Tavern – with late night snacks and the very best of company.

We’re so thankful to everyone who helped make the 21st of September a day we’ll always remember.

Photography: Rebekah Kay Photography | Videography: Oxford Media Films | Event Planning: Monx Design House | Florist: Les Fleurs | Invitations: Gus & Ruby Letterpress | Ceremony Venue: St. Mary's Charlestown | Reception Venue: Boston Harbor Hotel | Reception Venue: Boston Harbor Hotel | Shoes: Valentino | Bridesmaids Dresses: Allure Bridal | Hair Stylist: Loxx By Justine | Lighting: Boston Uplights | Band: Wilson Stevens | Transportation: The Original Party Trolley | Bridal Boutique And Alterations: Madeleine's Daughter | Bridal Gown Designer: JLM Couture, Inc | Dress 2: La Femme | Groomsmen Tux: Men's Wearhouse | Make-Up Artist: Travi De La Rosa | Rentals: Peterson Party Center

Boston has classic weddings down to a science. Traditional yet fresh, sophisticated but not stuffy – that pretty city hosts some of my favorite fêtes. Case and point – this Boston beauty at the Four Seasons by Mark Davidson. It’s traditional elegance defined, and you can see it all right here.

From Mark Davidson…Nick and Chelsea had there first look on the stairs at the Four Season. The couple then were married at the BU chapel in Boston. We then spent some time in the Boston common take some relaxed portraits. Nick and Chelsea then celebrated in their wedding surround by their friend and family at the Four Seasons.

Photography: Mark Davidson | Florist: Victoria Lacava | Wedding Dress: Watters | Ceremony Venue: Marsh Chapel | Reception Venue: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Make Up: Dani Wagener Beauty | Hair: Augusto Cipollone | DJ: DM Productions | Bridesmaids\' Dresses: Watters | Ceremony Musicians: Justin Thomas Blackwell | Custom Printing: Inviting Company | Groom Shirt: Custom from Hong Kong | Groom Shoes: Johnston & Murphy | Groom Tux: Hugo Boss | Lighting Design: DM Productions | Portrait Location: Boston Public Garden

As far as I’m concerned, Nina and Gramps are the cutest couple to ever grace our pages. Not only is their UP-themed anniversary session as sweet as they come, but they’ve got a story that’ll touch your heart ten times over. You see, these sweethearts wed 61 years ago but were stood up by their photographer. Knowing some proper photos were long overdue, Lauren Wells, Cambria Grace, Pop & Circumstance and Wild Folk Studio gathered together to give them the beautiful captures they deserve. So here’s to you, Nina and Gramps. Here’s to love 61 years later!

From Lauren Wells Events… Meet Nina & Gramps: they have been married 61 years, have never taken their rings off, remain the best of friends, and have just one picture from their wedding day – their photographer stood them up!

On a personal level, us grandkids (they are my husband’s grandparents) thought an anniversary shoot would be the perfect holiday present for them, and that they would cherish photos of the two of them. On a professional level, I thought it would make for a perfect styled shoot, so I used the movie UP as inspiration. (Gramps is always wearing a bow tie, anyways!)

Caroline from Wildfolk managed to bring the balloon colors to life in her flowers, and Nina cried when she got handed her beautiful bouquet. Working with Cambria is always a dream, and these photos are pure magic – us grandkids cannot wait to see Nina & Gramps’ faces when they open these photos on Christmas morning!

Photography: Cambria Grace Photography | Event Design: Lauren Wells Events | Floral Design: Wild Folk Studio | Vintage Props: Pop & Circumstance

Hold the phones SMPers, because today we’re in for a little something special. A blogger-bride introduction, to be exact. Because when we heard the gorgeous, stylish, CRAZY talented Amelia of Colour Bloc was rocking some new left hand hardware, we knew chronicling her wedding planning adventures was an absolute must. She recently teamed up for a photo sesh with the amazing Cambria Grace, and we’re spending the afternoon getting to know miss Amelia a wee bit better!

Hi lovelies! I’m Amelia and I started an art consulting business and blog called Colour Bloc about a year and a half ago. You’re probably wondering, “What the heck is an art consultant??” In a nutshell, I help collectors build their art collection by identifying their taste and then sourcing artwork that appropriately fits with the aesthetic of their home, office, or restaurant. Whether I’m working with a client who wants artwork specifically for their living space or one who needs assistance with growing a more investment based collection, I thoroughly enjoy the process of locating the best piece for the assignment!

I would not have taken the leap to start my own business if it wasn’t for my fiance, M, short for Mike. He’s been right by my side for every moment of my business ever since; from helping me pick the name to giving advice as to deal with different client personality types. He has celebrated my professional victories and has picked up the pieces when I have felt overwhelmed and stressed. Although he isn’t actually working for Colour Bloc, I know that my business is just as much his pride and joy as it is mine.

On the topic of feeling proud and happy, that brings me to the exciting topic of our engagement! M proposed this past March while we were visiting Amelia Island, Florida for the weekend. That Friday started off with an early morning flight down South and ended with a congratulatory bottle of champagne from one of my closest friends and a new stunning piece of hardware. I felt like we spent the weekend floating on a cloud.

With our big day only six months away, I’m looking forward to sharing the exciting planning process with you. I’ll be posting about everything wedding related, from engagement photos to wedding day hairstyles. It may feel overwhelming at times, but I promise you will have the most beautiful and wonderful special day, because you’re marrying your perfect match! xoxo, Amelia

Photography: Cambria Grace Photography | Makeup: Dani Wagener Beauty | Bridal Shop: Ceremony

Fact: when two people this adorable tie the knot, it’s one crazy awesome celebration.  One that includes pretty pink hues, two fabulous settings (I’m talking to you Harvard Faculty Club and MIT Chapel) and a whole lot of happy.  It’s basically wedding perfection from start to finish and you can see every last love-filled moment (and there are a lot of them) captured by CLY Creation right here.

From the Bride… We first met when I was an architecture graduate student at Harvard and Juney was visiting MIT as a prospective architecture graduate student. A large group of us went out to dinner together after all the open house activities and we were immediately drawn to each other. My first words to Juney were, “You’re from California, huh?” With those words, a several month long courtship followed including long-distance phone calls to South Africa (where I spent the following summer on a fellowship), Juney riding his bike all the way to Harvard from MIT to walk me home at night, and hand-delivered soup from MIT to Harvard when I was sick. Juney also moved in down the street from me with my classmates when he came for graduate school. The rest is history!

The most over-the-top DIY item from our wedding is something most people don’t pay much attention to – our table number holder! Juney was interning at a company that designs and fabricates metal building components. After vetoing every table number holder we could find, Juney ventured into the company’s metal shop in search of scrap material to create our own table number holders. With the help of the amazing guys in the metal shop, this turned into a full blown design project. Juney designed and drew shop drawings and the guys at TriPyramid custom fabricated them out of solid stainless steel, even ordering a special blade to cut the slots!

Our family and friends actually ended up choosing our venues for us. Before Juney and I were even dating, my mom would fantasize out loud about me getting married at Harvard Faculty Club. Before we were even engaged, our friends would joke about how perfect it would be if we got married at MIT Chapel and hold our reception at Harvard Faculty Club. The two schools brought us together and became the backdrop for our relationship. In the end, we didn’t even consider other venues. MIT Chapel also happens to be one of our favorite buildings in the Boston area and where I got baptized earlier this year!

Photography: CLY Creation | Floral Design: Madison Floral | Wedding Dress: Vows | Ceremony Venue: MIT Chapel | Reception Venue: Harvard Faculty Club | Bride's Shoes: Louboutin | Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew | Band: La Vie En Rose | Groom's Attire: Nita Fashions | Bride's Hair: Lindsay Griffin | Bride's Make up: Veronica Shin | Photo Booth: Pic Flips Boston

This summer I explored Thompson Island for the very first time, and it was an instant kind of love. With the ultimate mix of sunshine, sand and picturesque charm, it’s the perfect spot for marrying just off the pretty Boston coast. Exhibit A? This gorgeous island affair captured by Sandra Costello Photography and Media Northeast. It’s casual elegance to a T, and we’ve got sooo much more waiting right here.

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From the Brides… We chose Thompson Island, which is located in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area, as the perfect spot for our wedding day. The island itself is unique and beautiful, but the location also captured two of our favorite places to be; the beautiful city we live in, and the peacefulness and beauty of being near the ocean. We also picked the Island because we loved the idea that our day could help a great cause. A portion of the wedding expense went to supporting the island’s Outward Bound Education Center which is a not-for-profit organization that provides outdoor adventure and experiential learning programs for young people from diverse economic backgrounds.

The island itself was so gorgeous and we didn’t want to hide that. We wanted the island’s beautiful colors and textures to shine through, rather than cover that up with any additional bright colors or bulky decor. Our incredible friend Marc Hall from Marc Hall Design, helped to make our vision become a reality. He used very natural colors, and very elegant, but minimal decor. The entrance and exit from the boat was a dramatic but simple display of wooden lanterns hanging along either side of the railings down the dock. The tables were covered in a gorgeous fabric that resembled burlap, and beautiful lanterns hung over the long family style tables and gently spun around in the breeze. The flowers were all greens, whites, and champagne colors and all were displayed elegantly down the centers of the tables along with candles that lit up the entire space. In addition to the very natural/minimal approach in our decor, we also had a vision of including some vintage elements into our day. Our lace dresses played a part in this, as well as the lace details on the place cards, invitations, and place settings.

The last, but most important piece of our day, was filling that island with our incredible family and friends. We truly feel that we are the luckiest people in the world to have the friends and family that we have around us. There is no doubt that we will carry the love and joy that we felt on that day with us for the rest of our lives.

Photography: Sandra Costello Photography | Videography: Media Northeast | Event Design: Marc Hall Design | Floral Design: Marc Hall Design | Wedding Dress: Christos | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Ceremony Venue: Thompson Island | Reception Venue: Thompson Island | Hair: Nurture Salon and Spa | Band: Ryan Grow and B-Side Charlie | Officiant: Arlington Street Church | Tent: Peterson Party Center | Quartet: Boston String Quartet | Tent + Rentals: Peterson Party Center

It may be chilly outside but this weekend is all about warmth and goodness as one of our favorite people, Maggie Batista over at EAT Boutique, is hosting her annual Holiday Market highlighting over 60 artisan food and drink makers, authors, culinary experts and food trucks THIS WEEKEND. Held at the Cruiseport Boston, the event will take place from 11am-5pm and will be more yummy than you can possibly imagine.

Awarded 2013 Best Culinary Brand Award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Eat Boutique showcases small batch foods by boutique food makers. And personally we’ve worked Maggie a million times and are consistently blown away by the hidden gems that she sources. And we imagine that this year’s market will be better than ever.

Here is what you can look forward to…

· Feast on food from: Mei Mei Street Kitchen, Island Creek Oysters, Union Square Donuts and more.
· Eat, shop for gifts and mix with 60+ artisan food and drink makers, cookbook authors (incl. Joanne Chang), culinary experts, and food trucks at Cruiseport Boston from 11am-5pm
· Drink and be Merry: Small batch beer, wine, cider and cordials from The Brooklyn Brewery Cheer Hall, and Craft Beer tastings with Rebecca Millette (founder of Massachusetts’ GirlsPintOut) and Holiday Bubbles Tasting with Alicia Towns Franken (former wine director of Grill 23)

For a full schedule and information on tickets, click here.

Vendor: Eat Boutique

It honestly doesn’t get more charming or more adorable than this Boston engagement session from Zac Wolf Photography. This couple is just as cute as they come, and the images in this gallery? Equally sweet. So do yourself a favor, and allow some time to get lost today in all the lovely right here.

From Zac Wolf Photography…Clancey and Andrew are an adorably smart and well dressed couple soon abandoning their New England home for the sunny West Coast, I am glad we got to celebrate their Boston home by basking in the sun around Beacon hill and the Esplanade.

Photography: Zac Wolf Photography

On its own, this beautiful inspiration session is an amazing work of art; a bohemian-inspired masterpiece crafted by some of Boston’s finest vendors, with enough pretty to last your entire work week.  But look beyond those gorgeous florals from Whim Events  and enchanting images captured by Shannon Grant and this, my loves, is sooo much more than that.  In fact, it’s a workshop dedicated to raising funds for one very, very amazing cause – Images for a Cure.  Heartwarming, pretty and so, so, so awesome. Click here for more.

And a little behinds the scenes peek at all of the amazingness from Shannon Grant Photography…

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From Shannon Grant Photography… Every year I contribute to an amazing non-profit called Images for a Cure that benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Usually it consists of a day of portraits and the session fees are all donated. This year, I wanted to do something different so I planned a workshop for aspiring wedding photographers instead! Reaching out to some amazing local wedding vendors for help styling, we came up with a city chic theme with a Bohemian nod. Something very Boston but with a different flavor to give it that more fairy-tale, organic vibe I love!

With the help of the generous vendors involved, awesome photographers, and one of my very own “Real Brides,” we raised over $1200 for the BCRF. I’m hoping to do another of these events for 2014 and with any luck, we’ll raise even more to go towards this worthwhile cause!

Photography: Shannon Grant Photography | Floral Design: Whim Events | Wedding Dress: Amsale | Hotel: The Liberty Hotel | Dress Boutique: L'elite Boston | Hair/Makeup: Kacie Corbelle | Non Profit: Images for a Cure

A Boston engagement session always sounds like a good idea to me, but a Boston engagement session snapped up by Zac Wolf is pure genius. Because that means you get to walk away with a collection of images as gorgeous as the one sitting right here in this gallery – and ladies and gents, it doesn’t get much better than that. See it all here.

From Zac Wolf… Meghan and Daniel are one of those couples you click with right from that first meeting. So happy I got to photograph their engagement session in their old stomping grounds of the South End. I love the South End, so many awesome spots to shoot and there are always nice dogs walking around while we are shooting.

Photography: Zac Wolf Photography

By now you probably know about our love affair with all things Fall. From our Fall Decor Guide to our Apple Picking Party, from our Cider Donuts to our Apple & Goat Cheese Tartletts – Fall equals love in our book. And now that we’ve seen the what the girls from DomestiKated Life + Little Flower Cottage + Bring to Light Photography can do with a little Fall Apple Goodness. Well, we’re more hopelessly in love than ever. Click here to see the entire spread.

As a couple of New England girls, we’re almost obligated to welcome fall with open arms. With our love of the crisp autumn weather comes the annual New Englander ritual to visit the orchard and get our apple picking fix. Admittedly, we went a little overboard this year, and came home with a bounty of cider donuts, crisp apple cider, and bushels upon bushels of our favorite apple varietals.

How does that saying go? When life gives you apples, make apple pie? Something like that! Well, we made lots of mini mason jar pies, salted caramel apples, and a baked brie with apple compote for a post-orchard autumn apple fete on the porch.

And it’s not a party without a signature cocktail — our autumn apple punch was a perfect pairing for our tasty treats. We mixed up Bulleit Rye, apple cider, and cardamom clove simple syrup with a squeeze of lemon juice and served them in mason jar mugs with an apple garnish. A day at the apple orchard was extended with an afternoon of friends enjoying apple themed food and drink.

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Photography: Bring to Light Photography | Styling & Design: Domestikated Life | Flowers: Little Flower Cottage

It’s funny how fate works.  Like when a good friend tells you that they have the perfect match for you and years later you find out that they were so, so right.  That’s exactly how it happened for these two sweeties, and that awesome set-up?  Well, it ended up being “the one” in so many ways.  Love is an amazing thing, SMPers and you can celebrate right along with these two cuties in the full gallery captured by Audrey Courchesne.  It’s amazing.

From the Bride… When I think about meeting the love of my life, Jas, I can’t help but think that everything happens for a reason. We share a wonderful friend and she wanted to set us up for years before we actually met. The timing was actually perfect, but we both wish it had been much sooner and feel very lucky! From the very beginning, we felt like we had known each other forever and blending our lives together has brought us a lot of joy and kept us busy.

Our engagement wasn’t a big surprise, but it was cozy and relaxed just like how we feel when were together. Jas proposed by presenting me with individual cards he had written with the top ten reasons he loves me. As I opened and read each one I was tearing up and he was smiling at me the whole time and wiping my tears. He is not expressive, so when he writes me cards they are so deliberate and thoughtful making them incredibly special.

When I look at our engagement photos (which is often), I feel a swell in my heart! Jas revealed to me that on the first couple of days after we received them he couldn’t stop looking at them, which is so sweet and just how I was, too. The photos, taken in Boston’s Seaport District and on Castle Island, capture exactly how comfortable, caring, and warm our love is.

Photography: Audrey Courchesne

We’re ALL about random acts of kindness around here. And when it comes in the form of styled-to-a-T-bloomage, it’s a win-win. Coined “The Lonely Bouquet,” the idea is to place a bouquet of pretties around your neighborhood and brighten the day of an unsuspecting stranger. Cute stuff, right?! Pollen Floral Design took this idea to Boston’s South End with Cambria Grace there to capture. You can find more info on #thelonelybouquet and this week’s winners below. Happy weekend, indeed! xoxo

From Krissy of Pollen Floral Design… The inspiration for this little shoot came from The Lonely Bouquet Project started by a small, organically run flower garden in Belgium called Fleuropean. In a nutshell, the goal of the project is to spread joy to strangers by leaving Lonely Bouquets around your neighborhood for a lucky someone to enjoy.

From Fleuropean, “The basic concept of the Lonely Bouquet goes a little something like this: 1) pick flowers fresh from the garden or forage straight from nature, 2) arrange the flowers 3) add a signature “take me!” tag, and 4) leave the homegrown arrangement behind for a lucky local to take home. Voila! You have just delivered a handful of flowers that will surely put a smile on a stranger’s face.”

We had a lovely time running around Boston’s beautiful South End searching for the perfect spot to leave our bouquets. Even Max, the black lab, took a little bite out of one! Hopefully, this will inspire florist, gardeners, shopkeepers and everyone else to spread the love with some beautiful blooms!! Check out all the different bouquets at #thelonelybouquet!!

Photography: Cambria Grace Photography | Florals & Concept Design: Pollen Floral Design

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And now for some winner love…

A big ol’ congrats to Mei Ling and Marisa T. who BOTH won a pair of tickets to The Love Tour!

On that same note Jen will be receiving tickets to The Love Tour along with free engagement session with Zoom Theory!

(Psssst: and because they are super awesome… everyone who entered will be getting tickets to the upcoming event + they’re offering $5 off the ticket price for the tour in Rancho Las Lomas!)

Keeping with the good news, Erin S snagged the one night stay for two, including a full breakfast, one reserved hour of wine tasting and its famous 5-course wine-paired meal from the Inn at Churon Winery!

If you didn’t win this time around, fear not! We’ve got some giveaway reminders right here!

Maggiano’s is giving one of our lucky readers dinner for two.

Secrets Puerto Los Cabos is giving away a pair of Wedgewood Vera Wang Love Knots Toasting Flutes.

Allure Bridals is hosting a Win Your Gown Contest with a price of any dress from their collections (valued up to $4,500)!

Adrian Tuazon Photography has a free engagement session up for grabs.

And last but not least, Aravina Estate is giving away a $200 dining voucher to one lucky SMP reader!

And a few fun discounts!

NatureBox are offering all SMP Living readers 50% off their first purchase on any sized box! 

Postable is giving SMPers 10% off your first thank you card order!

PF Films is offering SMP readers $500 off their film package! 

Snag a 10% discount from Toronto Bridal Style.

And Unique Visions Studio is offering a 10% discount to all SMP couples inquiring about their cinematography services!

This, my friends, is engagement session perfection.  A Boston beauty with one seriously adorable duo (see: their sweet engagement story below) and one drop-dead gorgeous image after another captured by MCMD Photography.  It’s also an ode to one of the world’s most stunning (+ amazing) cities, with some crazy awesome backdrops acting as the perfect compliment to every last minute of Bean Town lovely.  See it all in the full gallery.

From MCMD Photography… Lauren and Nolan will be getting married October 18th, 2013 at the Crestwood Country Club in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Lauren really wanted pictures in Boston but wasn’t specific as to where. So I knew right away that I wanted to start under a gorgeous willow tree in the Boston Commons and this turned out to be the perfect spot, as it began raining! Luckily, it passed quickly, so we made our way to the Boston Common Bridge, where somehow, no one was on it! I’ve never seen it so empty, so we definitely took advantage by doing a few jump shots! It was beautiful to witness the love between these two… they would go from buckled over laughter, into a deeply romantic moment of just breathing each other in. It was truly wonderful to experience and I’m so excited to be shooting their wedding this October!

From the Bride… The story of our proposal is very sweet. Every year there is an event in Halifax, Massachusetts before Christmas where they shut down all of the streets and line the roads with white bags, tea light candles, and beautiful Christmas lights… and at the end of the night they have fireworks. They have these adorable small town activities like ice sculptures and ringing the old school bell and such. We go to this every year with Nolan’s family. His grandmother lives in Halifax, and everyone gathers at her house to open gifts, drink hot chocolate and make gingerbread houses. Anyways, we were at this event back on December 11, 2010 and Nolan suggested that we go for a walk on our own.

He took me to this old playground that was all decked out in Christmas lights and candles and looked beautiful! We played on the playground for a while and then decided to lay down and look at the stars. Looking back it was very romantic in a sweet way. We finally decided to walk back and rejoin everyone for the fireworks. When I stood up, Nolan knelt down on one knee and said, “Lauren Foley, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” Of course, I said yes! And we walked back and watched the fireworks and shared our good news with everyone.”

Photography: MCMD Photography | Shoes: Steve Madden | Ring: My Jewelry Box | Bride's Attire: TJ Maxx

One thing I know for certain?  Shane Godfrey is awesome.  He’s super sweet, super talented and sends us some of the prettiest weddings you will ever lay your eyes upon.  Case in point?  This gorgeous little number held at the ever-amazing Four Seasons, aka, a traditional stunner with beautiful blooms from Winston Flowers, a Vera Wang masterpiece and all kinds of amazing moments that will literally make your heart sing. (Seriously.)  See every last one right here in the full gallery.

From Shane Godfrey… I met Olga and Patrick only a few short weeks before their wedding, and I happened to still be available for their wedding date. We immediately clicked at our first consultation. Being a small business owner, Patrick and I started talking web tools and he actually got me interested in both Paypal and a signature service called Hellofax which I still use today! (Thanks Pat!)

We started the day at the Four Seasons where the girls got ready and Olga got into her amazing Vera Wang dress and Jimmy Choo shoes. The guys got ready at their apartment in Beacon Hill, and walked down to the Boston Gardens where we met up for a first look with the bride and groom in the middle of the garden. We then walked around and finished up all the photos before the ceremony started inside the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel. Patrick’s father was actually the acting officiant for their wedding ceremony. They were such an easy couple to photograph and it was clear to see that they are a couple in love. As a result, the photos of the bride and groom were a breeze, and the party kept on going through the night until we finished out with a sparkler send off. But not just your typical sparkler send off. They ordered three foot long sparklers which put out some serious light for some great end of the evening photographs!

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Photographer: Shane Godfrey Photography | Wedding Venue + Catering: Four Seasons Hotel Boston | Officiant: Bill Cahill (Groom’s Father) | Floral Design: Winston Flowers | Wedding Dress Designer: Vera Wang | DJ: White Label DJs

We’ve seen a lot of fabulous entrances on SMP, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen the Groom and his groomsmen enter the ceremony on a zip line. Actually I know we haven’t. That is until today. And that’s really just the beginning of all the fabulous snapped up by Juan Maclean Photography. We’re talking the amazing setting of Artists for Humanity mixed with the Paris Creperie food truck mixed with one seriously fun couple. Yep. It’s that good. And it’s all waiting for you right here.

From Juan Maclean Photography…This was one of my favorite weddings of this past year. Fun couple, fun wedding party, fun venue, fun all around. The wedding was held at the Artists for Humanity building located in South Boston, MA. Everything from beginning to end reflected both Tim and Wendy’s fun and genuine personalities. I think it’s very cliché to say that love was in the air but the reality is that both Tim and Wendy genuinely loved and served one another on their wedding day. The wedding was great because they were great.

They had family members and friends that traveled from across the country to celebrate with them. The ceremony, service, food and decor were fantastic. One of the highlights of the day was the groom and the groomsmen coming down a zip line at the beginning of the ceremony. That was a first for me, and something I will never forget. I’ve been shooting for years and that has to have been one of the most original and fun wedding entrances that I have even been a part of.

For the reception, the Paris Creperie, a local food truck favorite in Boston, provided food. This added to the already unique and stylish wedding this was.

The most amazing feeling I took from the day was the emphasis in both the ceremony and reception for all guests to feel like one family. As I reflect and look back at the photos I am again reminded of why I love what I do. It was a weekend I will never forget and I am so very thankful to have a been a part of it.

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Photography: Juan Maclean Photography | Flowers: Wendy Stetson Fescoe (Bride) | Ceremony Location: Artists for Humanity | Reception Location: Artists for Humanity | Shoes: J.Crew and Everybody by BZ Moda | Dress: Anjolique from Vows | Grooms Suit: Express | Bridesmaids Dresses: ModCloth, Express, Free People, American Living, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (altered from original design), BCBG | Hair + Make-Up: Sydney Lauren Robinson | Food Truck: Paris Creperie

When I first moved to Boston, I remember seeing a Bride walk out of the Ritz Carlton Boston in a gorgeous gown with a stunning smile – in that second, I had my very first “I love this city” moment. It was the perfect fall day, and the Bride couldn’t have been more breathtaking. This gorgeous wedding from Studio Atticus brought me right back to that very moment. And I am sure some young girl probably thought the same thing as this lovely Bride chasséd through the common. You can just tell the entire day was magical, and all the magic unfolds right here.

From Studio Atticus… Marisa and Adam celebrated their fall wedding at the Boston Ritz Carlton. There were many classic elements involved in their elegant event, but the formality was all counter-balanced nicely by the lighthearted nature of the couple.  Marisa even opted to go barefoot for the larger part of the day, her cute little bare toes hidden stealthily under a billowing and decidedly dreamy Vera Wang gown.

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Wedding Photography: Studio Atticus | Event Planner: Janie Haas Events | Wedding Venue: Ritz Carlton Boston | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Floral Design: Winston Flowers