Massachusetts Weddings

There’s something about the fresh, ocean air and looking out to where the water meets the horizon that make a seaside wedding. This backyard celebration captured by Justine Yandle Photography drew inspiration from its perfect location, allowing guests to take in all the beautiful scenery with a tented reception, thanks to Sperry Tents. Chris McClain Productions filmed the festivities, so press play below to see the nautical elegance, from the elegant Bridesmaids in navy Joanna August gowns to the adorable pup in his polka dot bowtie.

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From Justine Yandle Photography… Kara and Pat planned the most perfect backyard wedding at the family home in Duxbury, Massachusetts. They combined classic, seaside elegance with some masculine touches. Melanie of Blissful Beginnings seamlessly incorporated the Groom’s love for hockey into the day. This wedding truly couldn’t have been more perfect.

Photography: Justine Yandle Photography | Cinematography: Chris McClain | Event Planning: Blissful Beginnings Wedding and Event Design | Floral Design: Consider The Lilies | Wedding Dress: Judd Waddell | Wedding Dress: Katie May | Wedding Dress: Judd Waddell | Cake: The Catered Affair | Invitations: Gus & Ruby Letterpress | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Joanna August | Catering: The Catered Affair | Band: Rare Form | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Tent Rental: Sperry Tents

It’s official: I’ve found my dream dress. If I was to redo my own special day, I think I might go this romantic gown route – it’s pure perfection (that lace!). But even better, the whole intimate affair captured by Hello Love Photography. With Nantucket as the backdrop, it’s an absolute feast for the eyes – and lucky for you, we’ve gathered all the pretty pics together in our Vault – enjoy!

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From Hello Love Photography… Shelly and Colin got married in (arguably) one of the most picturesque and quintessential New England locations I can think of – the Wauwinet resort on the north easternmost tip of Nantucket. Their family and friends filled every room of the resort and made their wedding an intimate, personal, and beautiful one. Beautiful long tables lit by candles, lots of greenery, and one of my favorite dresses to date (the lace sleeves!) made this one for the books. And they certainly didn’t let a little rain stop them. :)

Photography: Hello Love Photography | Floral Design: Soiree Floral | Hair: Travis Speck | DJ: Beat Train Productions | Wedding Venue: The Wauwinet Inn

Located at a gorgeous estate on the water in Cape Cod, this couples’ wedding was a chic affair to say the least! Speaking of chic, the bride wore a Rosa Clara lace gown for the ceremony and changed into a more simple and sleek dress for the reception. Oh, and the groom wore a classic and sharp black tux from 9 Tailors. With a neutral color palette in shades of champagne and blush, the white florals and rich greenery pulled everything together making for one elegant reception design. The talented Studio Atticus captured the entire affair all ready for you to browse over in The Vault!

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From the bride… After getting engaged in Chatham just over a year earlier, we knew Cape Cod would be the perfect location for our wedding. We have quite a bit of family around the Boston area, and having it based in Chatham would give people the opportunity to have either a weekend away from home or a day trip, whichever worked best in their schedules. While we loved the area and the vibe, we wanted to avoid the common Cape wedding themes, so we decided early on that we wouldn’t have any beaches or boats involved. Our mantra for the aesthetics were “vintage, not rustic”—we wanted a clean and classic appeal with some romantic touches that would hold up for years and years to come. When we found the Winslow Estate property, we knew it would be a perfect fit for what we wanted. Right on the water, but more of a unique Spanish-style than Cape-style house, there was a lot of room for us to do something creative outside. As a plus, we and our whole wedding party were able to stay in the house and the guest house on the property, which allowed us to spend a great deal of time with them over the weekend, and gave the celebration more of a “home” feel than an “event space” feel.

One of our clean-and-classic anchors was that we didn’t want a strong themed accent color to the wedding. The groomsmen wore black tuxedos with black ties, and the bridesmaids were asked to choose their own dress with a desaturated blush and champagne palette. The best way to translate this to the flowers was to focus on whites and greens. Beth from Seagrass Floral Studio did an incredible job with the bouquets and arrangements. By using lots of blue-green and grey-green plants and ferns like Dusty Miller, she was able to keep depth and excitement without losing the simple whites-and-greens look we wanted. Included in my bridal bouquet was ivy from my mother-in-law’s own wedding bouquet 35 years prior, which was a great family touch. One of my favorite special details was the subtle running theme of the ivy; in addition to being a part of my bouquet, we wove ivy into the chandeliers and table arrangements, and a print designer/colleague of mine created the custom ivy monogram we used for our wedding programs.

We had two types of tables: three long Tuscan tables for the wedding party and immediate family, and round tables for the remainder of the guests. The round tables had white cloths with a romantic lace overlay. The Tuscan tables had runners with the beautiful ivy-laden antique candelabras, that had etched votive globes. To bring some energy to the room and add really subtle pops of color across the tables, our caterer Casual Gourmet brought in all different and unique vintage china to use for each of the place settings, so everyone’s seat was different. For lighting, DesignLight did an amazing job with stringing fabric-covered bee lights to give the interior of the sailcloth tent a soft glow, and the large chandeliers (draped with ferns, ivy and dendrobium orchids) really capped off the romantic atmosphere. Finally, while we love Mila our English Bulldog, she wasn’t able to make it to the wedding. I found some little gold bulldogs on Etsy that we used for place card holders, which was a fun little reminder of her for us.

Photography: Studio Atticus Photography | Videography: McElroy Weddings | Event Design: Elegant Engagements | Floral Design: Seagrass Floral Studio | Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara | Invitations: Goosefish Press | Reception Venue: The Winslow Estate | Bride's Shoes: Gucci | Catering: The Casual Gourmet | Hair + Makeup: Leather & Lace Artistry | Lighting: DesignLightCo. | Band: Sugarbabies Inc. | Groom's Attire: 9tailors | Groomsmen's Attire: The Black Tux | Bride's Reception Dress: Reformation | Quartet: Animato String Quartet

Classic New England looks a little something like this pretty celebration. A summer affair under a sail tent with the prettiest florals by Orly Khon Floral, planning by Tangorra Wedding Planning, all the gorgeous paper goods you could possibly imagine by Cheree Berry Paper + The Left Handed Calligrapher and lots of stunning images too. Pore through this day captured by Lisa Rigby Photography along with a film by Brighter Lights Media too.

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From the Bride…Pat and I began dating in college in Massachusetts, which is also where I am from originally. Even though our jobs have now taken us to Washington, DC, we knew that we wanted to get married back in my home state, where we first met. Selecting a venue took little to no time: both my parents and my Godmother got married at the Lyman Estate, a historic New England mansion. Seeing their strong partnerships, we figured that making our commitment to each other in the same spot would bring us good luck!

We envisioned the day being a casual, yet elegant, summertime garden party for our closest friends and family to relax, “eat, drink, and be merry,” and dance the night away! The estate is such a beautiful space for a wedding celebration, given its expansive lawn, gardens, and greenhouses. We wanted our guests to enjoy all that the Lyman Estate had to offer, which is why we hosted both the ceremony and reception at the mansion, just in different spots throughout the estate as the night went on: the ceremony was outdoors on the lawn, with the greenery as a backdrop; cocktail hour was held on the lawn and on the veranda of the house as the sun was starting to go down; we brought in a Sperry tent with a floor and bistro lights for dinner and toasts; and for the rest of the night, we went inside the ballroom of the mansion for dessert and dancing. Luckily for us, with a lot of the evening planned for outdoors, the weather was absolutely spectacular! Pat and I joked that the two songs we picked for the entrance and recessional, “Here Comes the Sun” and “It’s a Beautiful Day”, which were also printed in our programs, would have been very ironic had it rained! While we did have a very good Plan B, I was so thrilled we didn’t have to use it.

My favorite details from the wedding were the ones that felt uniquely “us” and are personal to our story: the venue’s significance to my family, having Pat’s Uncle officiate the wedding, hearing my freshman year roommate – who saw our love just beginning – give one of our readings, eating dinner with “Mr. & Mrs.” forks, the Bride and Groom wreaths on our chairs at dinner (to bring the garden to the tent!), putting crab cakes on the menu as a nod to Pat’s Maryland upbringing, serving funfetti cupcakes (I used to make Pat funfetti cupcakes constantly in college), passing little ice cream cones for dessert (so that no one had to leave the dance floor – we really didn’t want anyone to leave!), wearing my grandmother’s sapphire and diamond ring on my right hand, having the lace from my mom’s veil at her wedding wrapped around my bouquet, Pat giving a groom’s toast as a surprise to guests after dinner (he gives fantastic speeches at other people’s weddings, so it felt appropriate for him to give one at ours!), the list goes on…

I don’t know if I could come up with only one favorite moment, but my favorite memories are both big and small: helping my bridesmaids put on their dresses and figuring out how to style them (we left it until the last minute!), my mom zipping me into my dress, having our first look and spending time just the two of us in the Lyman Estate’s greenhouse and walking the grounds, reading Pat’s note to me before our wedding (a tearjerker!), not being able to get Pat’s wedding ring over his big knuckle at the ceremony, taking photos with our college and grad school friends, all of the wonderful wedding toasts, dancing up a storm!, and perhaps my favorite, singing with the band!

The feeling I remember most on the day is just pure joy and love – as you can see from the photos, I could not stop laughing or smiling. Guests told me later that I was the happiest bride they’ve ever seen. To which I responded, “What’s not to be happy about?!”

My biggest piece of advice to brides is to just enjoy and relish every single part of the journey! Even if planning is stressful at times, at the end of the day, your wedding is about you and your husband, and all of the people you love all in one place! (And how often does that happen in life?) Try to take in every second, because it really does go by so quickly!

Photography: Lisa Rigby Photography | Cinematography: Brighter Lights Media | Event Planning: Tangorra Wedding Planning | Floral Design: Orly Khon Floral | Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta | Invitations: Cheree Berry Paper | Rings: Barmakian | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Catering: Capers Catering | Makeup: Dani Wagener Beauty | Hair: Lindsay Griffin | Calligraphy: The Left Handed Calligrapher | Band: Night Shift Entertainment | Groom's Attire: Alton Lane | Groomsmen's Attire: Combatant Gentlemen | Ceremony Music: Anima | Hotel : The Charles Hotel, Cambridge, MA | Wedding Venue: Lyman Estate | Tent: Sperry Tent | Bridal Salon: L'elite Boston | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Harvard Faculty Club | Rentals: Peterson Party Center

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Jenny Yoo

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Can you believe this gorgeous setup is in a backyard? Yes, a BACKYARD. Right? If I didn’t know better, I’d think Jenny Moloney‘s captures of this day took place at a full on wedding venue. But with vendors like Black Bow Events, Anchor & Grace, La Tavola and Forklift Catering, just to name a few—the beauty of this day comes as no surprise. Considering your very own at home fete? Make sure to spend a little extra time in this gallery my friends.

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From Black Bow Events… When you think of backyard parties you probably picture picnic tables and checkered table cloths. But with over 200 guests, crystal chandeliers and tables dripping with white flowers, this backyard wedding was anything but typical.

Jen and Scott came to me with just three months to plan their wedding day. They had had a last minute change of heart and instead of eloping away from home, decided to marry in their hometown. The bride and groom grew up just a few miles from each other in Medfield, Massachusetts.

When they first mentioned that the wedding would take place in the bride’s parents’ front yard, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. But one look at the space and I couldn’t wait to start planning. There was plenty of lawn space to put up a tent large enough to hold 200 guests for dinner and dancing.

The ceremony was held just down the street at the local church that the bride attended growing up. The couple kept the guest list short for the ceremony, inviting just their very closest family and friends to participate.

The evening started with cocktails around the pool. To move the guests over to the tent for dinner, we enticed them across the yard by having the couple make their big entrance during cocktail hour in the bride’s white convertible! Adorned with flowers and a ‘Just Married’ sign, they made the perfect entrance to the sounds of the guests cheering and raising their glasses to the newlyweds. Guests enjoyed various food stations under the tent before the band kicked up the fun.

Jen and Scott and their families were a dream to work with. The bride gave me a few images that she liked and let me run with the rest. The result was an understated and elegant garden wedding using various textures of white and touches of slate blue accented with silver, wood tones, and lush greenery. Jenny Moloney captured it all beautifully!

Photography: Jenny Moloney Photography | Event Design: Black Bow Events The Black Bow Shop | Event Planning: Black Bow Events The Black Bow Shop | Floral Design: Anchor & Grace | Invitations: Minted | Reception Venue: Private Residence | Catering: Forklift Catering | Band: Eastern Standard | Venue: Private Residence | Tent: Peterson Party Center | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Rentals: Peterson Party Center | Rentals: Forklift Catering | Salt Signs: Forklift Catering | Wedding Day Paper Goods: Black Bow Events The Black Bow Shop

From bridal shower to just because I love my friends, this party is the perfect reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day. And if heart balloons and a flower wall are involved, well that’s just the cherry on top. Crafted by Lindsey M. Events along with florals by Apotheca and photographs by Lindsay Hackney, this shower turned Galentine’s soiree will get you in the mood to celebrate come February 14.

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From the planner, Lindsey M. Events… I have always dreamed of planning an ultra feminine and bright bridal shower photo shoot, and what better occasion than Valentine’s Day for a party with your best friends? After stumbling upon Trade, a restaurant in the heart of Boston’s Atlantic Wharf, I knew it would be in the perfect backdrop. As a planner and designer I live for contrast, and in this instance placing pink and girly elements against Trade’s industrial backdrop was exactly the contrast I needed. I like to call our color palette here “Go Bright or Go Home.” Metallic heart balloons and neon pink palm tree napkins are paired with yellow stripes and a whitewash floral wall. We embraced all things pink and girly for our bride-to-be and played with texture and pattern to create something fresh and energetic. With an all-star cast of vendors, our shoot came to life with more color and spunk than I ever could have dreamed!

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Party DIY's For Your Next Girly Get-together

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Party DIY's For Your Next Girly Get-together

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Flowers: Apotheca | Makeup: The Crown Boutique | Hair: Hair That Moves | Balloon Calligraphy: Lizzie Shea | Blue Dress: Cynthia Rowley | Bridal Shower Planner + Designer: Lindsey M. Events | Bride's Dress and Choker: ASOS | Confetti Hearts: Paper Source | Engagement Party Venue: TRADE | Fit & Flare Bridesmaid's Dress: ASOS | Granite Candle Holders: CB2 | Invitation: Emily A Howell Design | Macaron Picks: Happily Handmade Decor | Mini Pink Heart Balloon: Oh Shiny! Paper Co | Neon Yellow Necklace: J.Crew | Rentals: Be Our Guest | Taper Candles: Yummi Candles | Wardrobe Styling: AOK Style + Planning | Wedding Photographers: Lindsay Hackney

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting Boston, you know the charm our good city encompasses. Yes, I’m totally biased, but it really does ignite a spark—especially when it comes to weddings. Need proof? This heartwarming film captured by With This Ring Wedding Films is your answer. Grab the tissues for those sweet vows!

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From With This Ring Wedding Films… Oh Boston, it’s been too long! With This Ring was thrilled to be back – especially over Independence Day weekend – and even more thrilled to be able to spend time with Diana and David during their amazing wedding day at the Revere Hotel Boston Common, a sophisticated boutique hotel that takes inspiration from the city’s rich history while reveling in the unpredictable. These two got ready in their hotel suites and then tied the knot in Revere’s Space 57, one of the most versatile event spaces in Boston. Diana and David’s reception celebration continued into the evening with good food, good music and speeches from family and friends that came from the heart. Who could ask for more?

Photography: Mikhail Glabets Lifestyle Photography | Cinematography: With This Ring Wedding Films | Reception Venue: Revere Hotel Boston Common | Wedding Venue: Revere Hotel Boston Common

Listen up, loves. Whatever you have planned for Sunday, February 12th, cancel it… now. Because The Wedding Day Expositions South Shore – Cape and Islands Bridal Show is happening from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm and it’s a day of inspo you just can’t miss. From fabulous vendors to live music to yummy eats, it’s a must for planning your dream wedding. Scroll for all of the deets.

Whether you are knee-deep in planning or have just started your wedding journey, The Wedding Day Expositions South Shore – Cape and Islands Bridal Show is exactly the event you need to throw that celebration of a lifetime. Think a strolling fashion show by La Reine Bridal, cake tastings, live music, a hair and beauty trends showcase (+ free temporary lashes!)  and one amazing wedding professional after another all in one gorgeous locale. Not to mention the fab prizes that will be given throughout the showcase, plus your chance to really tour the Pine Hills Pavilion, a venue that gives new meaning to the words warm and rustic. Your going to love it.

Ready to really, truly plan that wedding of your dreams? Then grab your besties + your one true love and make plans to attend The Wedding Day Expositions South Shore – Cape and Islands Bridal Show on February 12th. You’ll love the Pine Hills Pavilion (lunch on premise at the clubhouse is an absolute must) and meeting all of the amazing vendors that will help make those visions a reality. Click here to get your tickets ($10 at the door and $5 online) and head to The Wedding Day Expositions’ Facebook and Instagram for even more inspiration. Have fun!

With family from Texas to Brazil, this couple decided on a destination wedding to group all their guests in one perfect spot – Cape Cod. Esq.Events Wedding Coordination came on board to help them design the day of their dreams, including rustic details captured by Li Ward. See it all here!

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Overbrook House is such an awesome wedding venue and our amazing couple made the most of the various spaces available. They hosted their families and friends on the property in Cape Cod: many visiting from Texas and Brazil. The ceremony was held on the lawn followed by cocktails and games in the garden and dinner in a sail cloth tent. The final stop was the dance hall for dancing and desserts. It was a warm, personal affair that continued well into the evening. The details and design of the entire event were elegant and whimsical fitting the rustic venue on the cape.

Photography: Li Ward | Cinematography: Waves Media | Event Planning: Esq.Events Wedding Coordination | Styling: Rust Luxe | Floral Design: Bittersweet Gardens | Reception Venue: Overbrook House | Catering: The Casual Gourmet | Makeup: Shannon Kartel | Band: Cuppa Joe | Tent: American Tent & Table, Inc | Tent Rental: American Tent & Table, Inc | Rentals: True North Rentals | Vintage Rentals: Rust Luxe

Winter Schminter, this celebration embodies sunny beach days and childhood carnivals but with a beautiful, peony-filled twist. Captured by Readyluck, it’s a study in taking a theme near and dear to your heart and translating it into the most beautiful thing on the planet. See even more cake and love by the ocean planned by Cape Cod Celebrations right here.

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From the Bride… I always envisioned doing something really fun and unique for my wedding. I wanted to combine those nostalgic and playful elements of our personalities with two of our favorite places to visit – the carnival and the beach! We’ve been coming to Wellfleet, a very cool and artsy beach town in Cape Cod, for years and couldn’t think of a better location than The Chequessett Yacht & Country Club. With a working rustic boathouse located right on a private beach, it seemed like the perfect spot to have our dream vintage seaside carnival wedding!

I did quite a bit of research on vintage carnivals and the color palette I was most drawn to was faded pastels, like a soft candy pink and mint with touches of red. I especially love the 1950s/early 1960s era and kept envisioning vintage ice cream soda shoppes, drive-ins with old marquee signage, pink cotton candy and red candy apples. One of my all-time favorite films is the 1988 movie “Big” with Tom Hanks, where he goes to a carnival and makes a wish on a Zoltar fortune-telling machine. I ended up renting a Zoltar Fortune-Telling Machine and had custom fortunes designed for our guests.

Other DIY elements included a kissing booth for guest photos custom built by Garth’s uncle, and our snow cone cocktail bar which consisted of a really cool cocktail menu I created just for our day! I found a company that sells organic gluten free snow cone syrup in wide variety of flavors which gave us a lot of freedom in creating custom snow cone cocktails. I was obsessed with having these vintage pink water goblets from a nearby vintage tea shoppe “Fancy That” in Walpole, Ma. I really think they were gorgeous statements pieces on the tables.

Our escort cards were designed as carnival tickets and placed on an easel with a really cool vintage-inspired carnival sign. We bought a vintage pink 1950s Royal typewriter along with some antiqued paper for the Guestbook. Next to that was a mailbox where guests folded their notes and stuck them inside. Our favorite moment had to be walking down the aisle as a married couple to our recessional song “You’re So Cool” from the movie “True Romance”. It has such a whimsical, carnival feel… Like what you would hear riding a vintage Merry-Go-Round.

Our favorite crafted detail was our custom cake topper that features Garth, myself and our dog Gypsy on a beach with carnival-themed banner. For our flowers, we wanted to have an airy, overgrown garden feel consisting of pink and watermelon colored peonies, clematis, garden roses, berries and white anemones. I am a huge fan of Monique Lhuillier wedding gowns. When I first saw my dress, it was in a magazine spread where the model was dancing around while playfully holding a piece of wedding cake. That definitely captured the style and mood of what I envisioned for the wedding – just like the song “Cake by the Ocean!”

My dress was youthful, elegant, romantic and meticulously crafted and designed. I have curves and wanted the dress to accentuate my shape. The embroidered detail on the top portion of the dress was incredible, but my favorite part was the bottom flowing layers of chantilly lace with overlays of draped tulle. For my jewelry, I just borrowed a small pair of diamond earrings from my best friend Jenny.

My glam squad was amazing as well – My old friend, who is also a phenomenal makeup artist, flew in from LA to attend and do my makeup. I was so thankful to have him there not only to make me look beautiful, but as a great calming support. I reached out to Stacey Keuhn, a local Cape Cod hairstylist who recently got Best of Boston for wedding hair, to tame and style my unruly tresses. For the cake, we had a 3-tiered naked funfetti cake with vanilla buttercream filling, adorned with our custom cake topper featuring Garth, myself and our dog Gypsy. We also had an amazing dessert cart loaded with ice cream cone cupcakes, strawberry shortcake dessert shots, apple crisp mason jars, creme brûlée soufflé cups, cotton candy, vintage boxes of popcorn and red candy apples.

For our Welcome Bags, we had buckets with jute rope handles holding 2 personalized bottles of water along with striped pink straws, Cape Cod chips, sea vegetable bath bar from LUSH and a custom designed map of Wellfleet done by Jolly Edition who did our invitations as well. For other favors, we had a photographer dedicated to taking instant polaroid photos at the vintage Kissing Booth as well the custom fortunes from the Zoltar Fortune-Telling Machine. We also had fresh bags of cotton candy, vintage striped boxes of popcorn and crates full of Raspberry Lime Ricky and Root Beer soda bottles which came from a local Cape Cod staple, Kandy Korner in Hyannis, Ma.

Advice: If your venue doesn’t come with a coordinator to help with day-of details, set-up and certain aspects of the planning process, I would definitely recommend hiring a coordinator for the day of. Our wedding consisted of so many details that we actually had to rent a U-Haul to transport everything to the venue and back. We couldn’t afford a full wedding planner so this put a lot of pressure and stress on us. Although I was intent on carrying out my vision, it slightly kept me from being in the moment on my wedding day because I was so fixated on the execution of those details. As everyone says, it all goes by in a blink of an eye so you have to be present and enjoy it!

Photography: Readyluck | Coordination: Cape Cod Celebrations | Floral Design: Wild Folk Studio | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Artisan Bake Shop | Invitations: Jolly Edition | Catering: Sumptuous Catering | Makeup: Jay-el Halo | Hair Stylist: Stacey Kuehn | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Transportation: Cape Destinations | Chalkboard Art: Dear Rose Studio | Music: DJ's Brian Mariano | Music: The Knot | Rentals: New England Country Rentals | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Rentals: Fancy That NYC | Video: A&A Productions | Zoltar Machine: WOW Entertainment

I called Boston home for four years. It’s a city with an incredibly special place in my heart and when I see a wedding like this it brings my love for Boston rushing right back. Set at the Royal Sonesta Boston and featuring music by Night Shift Entertainment, it’s a summer celebration with no shortage of fun. See photos and film by THE EWINGS PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO below.

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From the Bride… We wanted the wedding to be classic, not too over-the-top, and fun. The most precious memories I took away from the wedding were the church ceremony where I couldn’t stop crying from overwhelming happiness, the trolley ride back to the hotel, dancing and laughing our way through pictures, and dancing along to Soho’s amazing music with family and friends. Luckily Erica took amazing pictures throughout the entire wedding, so I’ll never forget a single moment of the day.

Hung and I were most passionate about the band and florals. We saw Soho perform at a friends wedding and knew we wanted them to play at our wedding before we were even engaged. Once we got engaged, we contacted Soho first and based the wedding date on them. They were already booked up for some dates of Summer 2016 18 months in advance, so I was VERY happy we contacted them before planning other vendors. Once we had the date, we knew we wanted to get married in a church, so we chose the Old South Church because of it’s incredible beauty and great location. The Royal Sonesta was an easy choice because one of my best friends, Julie Bourque, sold weddings at the Sonesta and told me to come in just to take a peak to get an idea of what looking at reception spaces would be like. We pretty much decided on the Sonesta that day without looking at any other places to have the reception. It was perfect.

As for florals, we were recommended to Marc Hall by Julie. After one meeting with Jimmy Guzman from Marc Hall, we knew they were who we wanted do to the flowers for the wedding. We knew this was going to be where we put most of the money into and I’m so glad we did because the floral arrangements at the wedding were absolutely stunning and were even better than what I hoped they would be.

The trolley from the Old South Church back to the Sonesta was something I will never forget. Hung’s groomsmen brought a giant boombox with a microphone attached onto the trolley and cooler full of bud lights and we just partied all the way back to the Sonesta. We had music blasting and we were all taking turns singing into the microphone over loud dance music. Erica, our photographer, said she had never seen anything like it and was happy she was able to capture it in both photos and video. After pulling up to the Sonesta, one of the groomsmen held the boombox on his shoulder and we paraded through the Sonesta to the back outdoor area to take photos where we continued a dance session. We barely got any standing portraits on the wedding party because we all couldn’t stop dancing! It was one of the absolute best highlights of the wedding.

Hung and I were both at a mutual friends birthday party 4 years back. We didn’t speak that night, but we definitely both noticed each other. A few days later, we both happened to be at The Harp in Boston, pre-gaming for the Celtic’s game that we each had tickets for. He tapped me on the shoulder and said “I’m not sure if you know who I am but we were both at the same party the other night…” and handed my friends and me shots… Obviously his way to break the ice :) He finally asked for my number that night and after 1 low-key date during a snow blizzard the rest is history!

Photography: THE EWINGS PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO | Videography: THE EWINGS PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO | Floral Design: MARC HALL DESIGNS | Wedding Dress: L'elite Boston | Ceremony Venue: Old South Church | Reception Venue: Royal Sonesta Boston | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Makeup: Natalie Shafie Makeup | Hair: C.E.L. Hair | Band: Night Shift Entertainment | Mens Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Transportation: Black Tie Limousine | Dance Floor: Rentals Unlimited | Transporation: Rockstar Limo

What do you get when you combine your future hubby’s heritage with the natural beauty of your seaside wedding venue? One unique, uber special celebration that guests won’t forget anytime soon. Infusing a Swedish style with their New England locale and flavor, these two were surrounded by everything and everyone they love – and Allegra Anderson captured it all. More in our Vault right here!

From the Bride… My now husband Dave is Swedish and ever since the first time I went to visit his family in his coastal hometown of Särö, Sweden, I have been in awe of all the natural and effortless beauty that Sweden has to offer and of Swedes in general. They are all so beautiful. Seriously. I can’t complain though because I grew up in a small New England coastal town called Rockport, MA which also rivals in seaside charm and beauty. Naturally with us both growing up in similar settings but thousands of miles apart we knew we wanted a seaside wedding and to really show our roots, and who we are as a couple. We wanted: 1. To get married on the beach (our favorite place to be) 2. To blend the two different cultures into our wedding, and 3. To have a non-cookie cutter wedding – we really wanted to infuse the charming New England laid back vibe with the beauty and romance of Sweden, so that our friends from both sides of the Atlantic could get a taste of each other’s culture.

This is when we found the Manchester Bath and Tennis Club in Manchester, MA which has its own private beach (turns out not easy to find in New England) to say our vows on, followed by a fantastic dinner and dancing on their porch and great hall overlooking the beach and the ocean. We decided what better way to introduce the Swedes to New England charm and style than by having a classy, fun clambake complete with bibs (lobsters are a REAL treat in Sweden). To capture the romantic Swedish beauty, I wanted my girls to be in blue floral flowy dresses since blue floral is a classic china pattern in Sweden and I found the perfect dresses for the occasion on reddressboutique.com for $90 each (did not want them spending $300+ for a dress they would wear once)! In Sweden flower crowns are very common and classic in weddings (and especially during Midsummer) so I wore a floral-like crown and to have my two Maid of Honors stand out, my mom made them these wonderful flower crowns to match their dresses. It was the perfect combination of Swedish and beachy.

To go with the effortless beauty look, our florist did a wonderful job of putting together our bouquets and table flowers. They looked like they were all cut from someone’s beautiful garden that morning and thrown together but they just so happened to be arranged perfectly. Our florist Sage Studio even added some herbs to our boutique to give it texture like rosemary and mint. They were absolutely stunning. We also put two candles on each table as part of the center pieces to add to the romance and simplicity.

A few other nods we had to the Swedish culture was that Dave’s dad read a beautiful poem about love in Swedish during our ceremony so that everyone could hear Dave’s native language. Also, our groomsmen and dads wore their nationality flag socks. Dave wore one Swedish flag sock and one American sock as a symbol of combining the two families. My dad wore one Union Jack sock and one American sock as a nod to our family’s British roots (my dad was born and grew up in England). My sister also carried the rings in a silver cigar box that my grandfather was gifted from the King of Siam during his visit to England in which my grandfather at the time was the head of his security detail at the Palace.

One of the most fun things we did was we imported Aquavit (which we could not find it in the US or at least not in MA). It is Swedish schnapps that is specifically used for celebrations in Sweden. I had my first taste of this at Midsummer in Sweden a few years back and thought we had to share it with everyone. We had a couple of our Swedish groomsmen hand out the bottles and shot glasses to the guests and told everyone to wait for our signal. As tradition goes, halfway through dinner, Dave stood up and gave a short explanation of what usually happens at a Swedish party. Then all of the Swedes stood up and started signing a popular Swedish drinking song which ends with taking the shot. This happened a few more times throughout dinner, as the tradition goes. Everyone LOVED it!

Our friends then surprised us with one more Swedish tradition that was a shocker! When the groom gets up to go to the bathroom all the men get up and kiss the bride on the cheek. This was unexpected and really fun I must say.

Lastly, we just had some small Swedish and N.E. nautical touches throughout the wedding which was really fun and we felt blended two cultures we love together really well. We also had our favorite desserts: cupcakes (my favorite) and an ice cream bar complete with Swedish fish as a topping (Dave’s favorite). It was a perfect day in every way for us and we really felt the day represented who we are as a couple and our cultures. Our amazing photographer Allegra Anderson captured it beautifully and all of our vendors were wonderful to work with and went above and beyond for us- we really were on cloud nine.

Photography: Allegra Anderson Photography | Floral Design: Sage Floral Studio | Cupcakes: Cakes for Occasions | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Red Dress Boutique | Catering: Chrissi's Cafe & Fish Market | Hair: Jennifer Elizabeth Weddings | Wedding Venue: Manchester Bath & Tennis Club | Bridal Boutique: Ceremony | Bride's Makeup Artist: Makeup By MollyG | Rings + Earrings: Hearts On Fire | Wedding Party Makeup Artist: Makeup Artistry, Inc.

This wedding has every element that make SMP hearts beat a bit faster. Gorgeous invites and paper goods (thanks to Bella Figura and Tie Thats Binds), beautiful florals (because Hana Floral Design is ah-mazing), and it all came together thanks to True Event. So is it any surprise that SMP had to attend in person and capture the behind the scenes action?! See all our footage below and don’t miss Elysium Productions’ film – aka the pros – and all of Leila Brewster’s beautiful pics in our Vault gallery as well! Win, win, win!

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SMP Goes Behind the Scenes at the Real Wedding!

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From the Groom… Now that we live farther away from family and friends, we wanted our wedding to be a chance for us to spend time with as many of the people we love as possible. Despite being based in Los Angeles, we chose Cape Cod because most of my family lives there or close by. The distance definitely made the planning and preparation process a challenge, but we were so lucky to have our family, friends, and wedding team on the ground to help us with the details and work we couldn’t cover from LA. On the day of, we didn’t have to worry about a thing – everything went perfectly and Megan and I were able to just enjoy our time with the people we love.

From the Bride… Garrett and I met in 2009 at a dive bar in New York City on Valentine’s Day. I knew during our first conversation that he was something special, but he was in a relationship at the time and didn’t give me a second look. Despite that, I told my mom after meeting him that I wanted to date someone like Garrett, who I called “Cape Cod Boy.” Two years later, we re-met in Hoboken, New Jersey. Garrett was single and he remained the cutest, kindest, and funniest guy I had ever met. Long story short, we kissed that day and started dating – and we’ll never stop.

The first thing that made me fall in love with Garrett is his devotion to his family and friends. We wanted the wedding weekend to reflect our appreciation and gratitude for the people we love, so we focused the entire weekend on spending as much time with friends and family as possible, starting with a Thursday night barbecue and continuing to Friday night open-house cocktails hosted by my cooler-than-cool mother-in-law and a Sunday brunch so that everyone could recover from the wedding night together.

What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?

I have a few highlights (the cake and wine tasting being the standout), but I can’t say I actually loved the planning process all that much. That’s why I hired the best team of vendors in the business. My favorite part of the process was getting to the wedding day and having no stress that weekend about my guests, my wedding party, or my vows. My husband and I were able to really focus on being with our family throughout the entire weekend because we could rely on our amazing planners, Sarah and Caitlin with True Event, and their team of hand-picked vendors.

Why did you choose the location that you did?

We wanted to get married close to one of our families and in a place that would feel casual but permit us to bring in touches of elegance. The themes of our wedding were “warm and inclusive” – we wanted every guest to feel like he or she was a part of the wedding party and to feel as though we, the bride and groom, were accessible to them. Bourne Farm was the perfect setting. Garrett’s mom lives about five minutes away in North Falmouth. The property is open to the public generally and used as a dog park and a pumpkin patch seasonally, which gave it the family-friendly vibes that we wanted. We were able to bring in a gorgeous tidewater tent and take advantage of the beautiful natural scenery while bringing in colorful personal touches.

What was your favorite design element?

This is the hardest question by far! I think I have to say that my favorite design elements were those made by our family: the beautiful bittersweet vine arch that Garrett’s cousin, Lauren made for us (and our extraordinary florist, Yumiko, glammed up with peonies and greens), and the white standing doors that Garrett’s aunt, Ruthanne, made for our ceremony site. I cried when I saw the doors from the trolley with my wedding party – they had moldings and details, and Ruthanne perfectly brought to life this vision I had described at the dinner table months earlier. She, Lauren, and Garrett’s family spent so much time and energy trying to make our day perfect and those design elements will always stand out in my mind because I know the love that they put into bringing my Pinterest-inspired visions to life.

Sarah, Caitlin, and Yumiko brought many other touches to the tent and cocktail hour that I loved, too – the beautiful garland on the head table; our gold flatware; our signature cocktail brought from our favorite restaurant in our new home city, Los Angeles, and named after the bar where we met in our old hometown, New York; and our guestbook, a coffee table book about Italy, where we honeymooned after the wedding.

I was so lucky to have Sarah to advise me on my vendors, and I ended up with a dream team supporting me on the day: True Event – Sarah and Caitlin – are not only creative geniuses and organizational wizards, they’re also just very kind individuals. I came to Sarah with two themes for our wedding – warm and inclusive – which have nothing to do with colors, linens, or music, and she understood our objectives right away and created a gorgeous party that far surpassed our wildest expectations. Hana Floral made our day so beautiful and single-handedly brought my request for bright and cheery pops of color to the blank slate of our venue. Leila Brewster is an enormously talented photographer and a friend who I would want by my side for eight hours (or more!) any day. And Julie Hill, who introduced me to Sarah (for which I am eternally grateful), made our gorgeous video that we’ll cherish forever.

Photography: leila brewster | Videography: Elysium Productions | Event Planning + Design: TRUE Event | Floral Design: Hana Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Anne Barge | Invitations: Bella Figura | Catering: The Casual Gourmet | Makeup: Dana Chasen Thomases Owner Of Beauty Muse Bridal | Hair: Emily Reale | Calligraphy: Kristen Henderson | Band: Sultans Of Swing | Transportation: Cape Destinations | Wedding Venue: Bourn Farm | Tent: American Tent & Table, Inc | Bathroom Trailer: Nauset Disposal | Cocktail Hour Music: Panneubean Steel | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Paper Accessories: Tie That Binds | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Trolly: Kenny's Coach

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Built by the Groom’s great-great-grandfather in 1850, this old farmhouse was taken over by him and his high school sweetheart, and when you have a site as amazing as this, you don’t need to look far when deciding where to say your “I do’s.” It was the perfect setting for their boho chic bash, planned and designed by Always Yours Events and captured for eternity thanks to Jenny Moloney. Get ready to get inspired in our Vault gallery right this way!

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From Always Yours Events… Last Autumn I had the pleasure of meeting Laura Spetalnick and Avery Chaplin at their gorgeous private estate and restored colonial farmhouse on Love Lane in Weston, Massachusetts to chat about their upcoming wedding over a cup of tea. Laura and Avery were high school sweethearts. Avery proposed to Laura with a stunning emerald engagement ring, so perfectly fitting and sentimental since he had given Laura an emerald “promise” ring when they had first started dating years prior. When they began the planning journey, they both agreed that their home would be the perfect backdrop for this remarkable celebration. The house on Love Lane was originally built in 1850 by Avery’s great great grandfather, and Laura and Avery moved back to the home after college to restore the farmhouse together. As they shared with me their family history as we walked out out into the expansive meadow just beyond their patio, I could tell that this wedding was not only going to be a beauty, but also magical in more ways than one.

This sweet couple hosted 260 of their family and friends in their backyard under a clear top tent strewn with bistro lights and stunning foraged privet bush greenery chandeliers. The entire design of the wedding was very much inspired by the couple’s farmhouse (which we had drawn and used on all of the stationery) and Laura’s stunning, couture Inbal Dror gown. Laura’s gown was a showstopper with it’s delicate draping sleeves, an open back and plunging illusion neckline. The bride instantly fell in love with the dress at Mark Ingram Atelier during a trip to NYC, as it reminded her of a bit of 1970s glamour, which then inspired the boho chic theme of the wedding design.

The color palette for the wedding was comprised of shades of mid tone greens, whites, charcoal gray and matte gold with pops of jewel tones including navy, forest green and mustard. The bridesmaids and flower girls all wore Jenny Yoo floral gowns with delicate floral crowns made of wax flower and smilax, which complimented the design of the wedding so beautifully. Under the clear top, guests danced on a reclaimed wood dance floor and dined at handcrafted farm tables covered in custom macrame runners and curated details such Love Lane honey bottle favors filled with the honey Avery cultivated from the beehives on the property. Guests enjoyed the honey signature cocktail bar featuring his and hers cocktails made with Love Lane Honey, to lounge vignettes filled with jewel tone vintage furniture, to the photo booth wall made entirely of greenery and wax flower and complete with white balloons tethered with smilax vines.

The Chaplins were such a pleasure to plan a wedding for, and their wedding planning journey was just as incredible as the wedding day itself. Every moment of Laura and Avery’s wedding was dreamy and ethereal, and two months after we are all wishing to go back to that gorgeous day.

Photography: Jenny Moloney Photography | Event Planning + Design: Always Yours Events | Floral Design: Fleur Events | Wedding Dress: Inbal Dror | Stationery: The Printery | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Catering: Russell Morin Fine Catering | Lighting: Lightworks Productions | Entertainment: Red Hook Orchestra | Transportation: Lti Worldwide | Tent Rental: Chase Canopy | Bridal Boutique: Mark Ingram Atelier | Ceremony Confetti: The Confetti Cone Company | Hairstyling: Jennifer Tawa | Lounge Furniture Rentals: Kadeema Rentals | Macrame Runners: Fiber and Threads, Etsy | Makeup Artistry: Natalie Lelless | Rentals: New England Country Rentals | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Rentals: True North Rentals

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Leave it to Olympic medalist, Sasha Cohen to take on the role of “bride” with incredible grace. She wed her love, Tom May oceanside on Cape Cod and the photos by Corinna Raznikov speak for themselves. “Tom and I both love the ocean. We wanted a non-denominational ceremony, something in nature,” Sasha said. “We were overlooking the water and got married just before sunset. It was absolutely lovely.” The Pink Polka Dot brought every detail to life and there’s more to see this way!

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From The Pink Polka Dot… When Olympic silver medalist, Alexandra “Sasha” Cohen wed Thomas May, all they truly wanted was “… Something small and charming.” said Sasha Cohen. The New York-based couple chose Cape Cod because their busy schedules made the East Coast more sensible than a location near Cohen’s Southern California roots. They picked a small country club, The Wianno Club, near where May’s parents have a summer house. May’s sister also was married in Cape Cod, so she was able to give some guidance when it came to planning. The guest list totaled 140. There were five bridesmaids, including May’s two sisters, plus the maid of honor, Cohen’s sister, Natasha. Among friends from the skating world were gold medal winner, Evan Lysacek, Tiffany Stiegler Stahl (who was a bridesmaid, just as Cohen had been for her in her 2014 wedding), Jennifer Markham and Christie Baca.

Sasha’s color palette vision was steely silver, muted blues, whites and peaches. She wanted to incorporate vintage, romantic elements as well.

“Karen, our florist, did an amazing job with the arbor, candles and lanterns and rose petals along the aisle leading up to the altar. It was transformed into a vision.” The white and peach florals were absolutely beautiful and helped create a romantic feel in the ballroom. Textured cream linens, lots of candlelight and menu cards with floral accents completed the tables. Lush floral pieces lined the unique horseshoe shaped head table to create an intimate seating arrangement for the wedding party. The escort cards were tied to antique keys and displayed in beautiful boxes of moss for a vintage look. Cohen met May at a birthday party in 2014 through mutual friends in NYC. They got engaged in July 2015 in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

“We explored the beaches of the Cape during the day and then Tom proposed at sunset on a tiny private beach right before we went out to dinner,” Cohen said. They were married by a justice of the peace and said traditional vows. Natasha’s sister read a poem. Cohen’s Galia Lahav-designed dress was beaded with antique-style accents and a dramatic cutout on the back with a brass zipper. One part of the day Cohen will never forget is getting ready to walk down the aisle with her parents. “That was a moment I took for myself – I wanted to really remember how it felt before all the commotion started,” Cohen said. “Our first dance was very special, (as were) the speeches and closing the night with a line of sparklers.” The newlyweds did a traditional first dance to “Stand By Me,” a favorite of May’s.”The lyrics are inspiring and very fitting for a first dance,” Cohen said. “We both felt it was the right message. “We took dance classes before, which was a lot of fun,” she added. “It was slightly choreographed. Tom was nervous. He’s not used to performing in front of people, but it went really well. I have to say the lessons paid off.”

The newlyweds honeymooned in Sydney, Australia and Fiji.”

Photography: Corinna Raznikov Photography | Coordination: The Pink Polka Dot | Floral Design: Lilacs | Cake: Artisan Bake Shop | Invitations: The Pink Polka Dot | Makeup Artist: Brandon Ward | Hair: Salon in the Mills, Sara Aspden | Band: Nate Bash Band | Officiant: Lucien Poyant | Ceremony Music: Bruce Abbott Music | Venue: Wianno Club | Paper Products: The Pink Polka Dot | Rentals: Be Our Guest

There’s nothing we love more than grabbing our besties and hitting the town for a little bridal show action. And when that show happens to be the Wedding Day Expositions Boston Bridal Show, it’s a happier day than most. Think yummy treats, live music and a cake dive (!!) all happening this Sunday, January 8th. Mark your calendars and get ready to plan that day of your dreams.

The Wedding Day Expositions Boston Bridal Show is everything you’ve ever wanted in a bridal event… and so much more. I’m talking a one-stop shop with all of the areas finest vendors, plus some seriously cool happenings and awesome giveaways, as well. From the live fashion show to the Macy’s VIP entry bags (for the first 50 guests!) to the full bar filled with tasty libations, this is definitely one event you can’t miss. And did I mention the cake dive? I mean, this is going to be sooo awesome.

Whether you’re on the lookout for the perfect photographer, want to find that venue of your dreams or simply want to be inspired, the Wedding Day Expositions Boston Bridal Show is THE place to start planning. Click here NOW to get your tickets ($15 per person at the door or $10 online) and mark those calendars for a Sunday filled with wedding planning fun.

What: The Wedding Day Expositions Boston Bridal Show is giving away matching wedding bands in their fabulous cake dive!

Who: One lucky winner will be chosen completely at random to participate in the cake dive at the upcoming Boston Bridal Show and four other lucky contestants will be chosen live from the audience. All contestants will be cloaked in rain gear and wrestle through a GIANT cake provided by Montilio’s Bakery. Inside is a small box for the victor who will claim the pair of WEDDING BANDS as their PRIZE!

How: To enter to win a spot in Boston’s ONLY cake dive, submit your proposal/engagement photo by tagging @weddingdayexpos on Facebook OR @weddingdayexpositions on Instagram! #justsayyes

I can’t think of a more magical city to tie the knot than Boston. Steeped in history and bursting with charm, it’s no wonder Sam and Tim took to Copley Square with their bridal party to kick off their best day ever. See how it all unfolded through the lens of Ashley Largesse.

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Ashley Largesse Photography… Where do I even begin with these two and their Boston extravaganza-amazingness of a wedding day?! Since Sam and Tim first met in this beloved Massachusetts city, there was no question where they’d celebrate this new chapter of their lives. These two and their bridal squad practically took over Copley Square, strutting their stuff through traffic and cheering en route to the church. It was incredible, which is why half the city stopped to take pictures or join in the fun! The celebration continued nearby at Granite Links Golf Course with a view of the Boston skyline. It was everything perfect from beginning to end – a day full of love galore, happy tears, and pure joy followed by a night packed with emotional moments, beautiful speeches and some real impressive dance moves. Congratulations Sam and Tim!

Photography: Ashley Largesse Photography | Floral Design: Wedding Flowers by Annette | Cake: Montillio's | Make Up: Dani Wagener Beauty | Venue: Granite Links Golf Club | Bride's Gown: Allure Bridal | Hair Design: Miriam Meza

How have I lived in Massachusetts for almost a decade and not known about this gorgeous estate in my own backyard!? The Mount is what I like to refer to as the perfect wedding venue – beyond beautiful but never taking away from the blushing Bride. EFD Creative – Event Planning & Design orchestrated this special celebration and Ruth Eileen captured it all for our Vault galleries. Get ready to get ideas aplenty – and don’t miss The Harris Company’s film below!

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From EFD Creative – Event Planning & Design… One of our favorite locations is the Berkshires, which is why we were so thrilled to be part of Isabella and Marcus’s wedding in Lenox, Massachusetts. The celebration took place in the original home of American author Edith Wharton. The historic mansion, known as The Mount was personally designed by the renowned author. The romantic and sweeping grounds offer a picturesque view from the patio of the 1900’s style country home. The couple’s ceremony and cocktail reception were set within the property’s perfectly manicured gardens and their guests were treated to an exquisite dinner on the patio. Friends and family danced the night away inside the mansion. The excitement and love that was present on the couple’s wedding day was palpable. Their wedding was one of our most memorable events of the summer!

From the Bride… Marcus and I met and fell in love in Boston when he was at Harvard and I was at Wellesley. We both grew up out in the country so we knew we wanted our wedding set somewhere surrounded by nature. After hearing about The Mount, on a lark we drove out to the Berkshires to see it for ourselves. Winding through the majestic woods as the great estate came into view, we knew we had found magic! From the gorgeous house set above rolling hills to the stairs cascading down to the shaded, formal lime walk, we felt like we had entered another world. The historical significance of Edith Wharton (renowned designer and first woman awarded a Pulitzer Prize in fiction) went perfectly with the theme I had in mind: powerful and elegant.

Finding my dress at first seemed impossible – nothing was quite right. At a madhouse trunk show of a favorite designer, Sottero-Midgley, I was ready to give up in despair when one of the designers offered to help. Instead of telling her what I wanted the dress to look like, I did my best to describe how I wanted to feel in it – and that I didn’t want it to overwhelm or be overly feminine. She went away and came back a few minutes later with what turned out to be the perfect dress. A priority for the bridesmaid dresses was that we wanted the bridesmaids to love them. The silver-sequined Sorella Vita dresses were a huge hit that matched the elegance and glamour of the estate and were the perfect counterpoint to my crystal-covered gown.

The overall palette ended up being a lot like my wardrobe: charcoal gray, silver, white, and blue. The blue was added through beautiful woven tablecloth linens, candle tapers, cocktail hour flowers, and ribbons. The flowers and flower girl dress added a touch of peach and warmth. Food tasting was by far the best experience of all the planning, and Mezze was amazing. They put on a phenomenal spread for us and even agreed to do mini tomato soup and grilled cheese appetizers. My biggest regret on the wedding day was that Marcus and I were too busy to eat much of the food, but the guests raved about it!

I worked closely with my mom on design decisions, trusting her to help turn my vision into reality. We had the good fortune to work with great vendors every step of the way. We found photographer Ruth Eileen on Style Me Pretty! We love her luminous, humble style. She was a joy to work with and we treasure the photos she captured. Singer Veronika Jokel was another favorite with her gorgeous voice and genuine friendliness – everyone loved her! Edna Dratch-Parker of EFD Creative, Crocus Hale Flowers, Julie Seitel Lighting, and Linda Stripp with Mezze Catering were consummate professionals. Videographers Harris and Company – a husband and wife team – were fantastic. And our hero among the vendors was Kasie Blanchette of EFD Creative. We could not have survived the process without her and we credit her for making sure that everything was in place for the day to unfold smoothly.

One of my favorite moments was right after the ceremony when Marcus and I went up to the house to have a moment alone before heading to the cocktail hour. What I wanted most from this day was for it to be powerfully full of meaning, and it was when we were alone for the first time as a married couple that I was able to let go of all the “doing” and experience the “being.” All the details and planning had been done to create an experience, and we were able to take a deep breath and take in the meaning of the day. The feedback from guests was that in spite of the glamour of the location, the wedding had a simplicity and seamlessness that allowed people to totally enjoy themselves. And we did too – it was a great day to be married and one I will never forget.

Photography: Ruth Eileen Photography | Videography: The Harris Company | Event Planning: EFD Creative - Event Planning & Design | Floral Design: Crocus Hale | Cake: Bean Counter Bakery | Invitations: Minted | Catering: Mezze Catering + Events | Lighting: Seitel Lighting | Favors: Little Match Girl | Transportation: Abbotts Limousine Livery Service | Transportation: Transport The People Limos | Wedding Venue: The Mount | Beauty: SEVEN salon.spa | Music: Veronica Jokel Music | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Rentals: Classical Tents

Everything about this wedding planned by Elegant Aura is a celebration of spring. From the color palette to the garden setting to the florals – including blue hydrangea, pink peonies, and baby’s breath, just to name a few. Meghann Gregory photographed and there’s even more to see this way.

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From Elegant Aura…Melanie and Matt met in college and were together for 11 years before they got engaged. A year and a half later, they were married. They wanted a casual but elegant wedding. Though they wanted to keep things simple, their wedding did not lack creativity or style. Melanie and Matt had a traditional Catholic ceremony, followed by a cocktail hour and reception held at the Garden’s of Elm Bank.

For Melanie and Matt, the most important element of their wedding day was that the music should be great and for everyone to have fun. They wanted their guests to say they enjoyed the dancing the most. The menu consisted of lots of New England summer-style items, and a few Puerto Rican dishes to honor the bride’s mother’s heritage. In addition to the wedding cake, there was a mini’s dessert bar that highlighted spring/summer fruit.

The bride wore an Essense of Australia wedding dress of soft organza over a moscato-tulle ball gown with a detachable grosgrain ribbon sash in blossom. Custom white lace straps were added to the bodice’s sweetheart neckline. Her shoes were Badgley Mischka peep toes with a kitten heel. The groom wore a traditional Jos. A Bank fitted blue-gray suit with navy tie and pocket square. The groomsmen wore similar blue-gray suits, which complimented the bridesmaid’s navy blue chiffon dresses.

The wedding day was not short on personal details. The earrings the bride wore belonged to her maternal grandmother, who had passed away the summer before the wedding; “she wanted all of her granddaughters to wear them for their weddings”, says Melanie. The prayer book Melanie carried belonged to her paternal grandmother, which was given to her on her wedding day. Since then, all females in the family have carried it down the aisle on their wedding day. The cake knife and server were from the bride’s parent’s wedding.

The color palette incorporated navy, gray and hints of coral and peach. The bride’s neighbors designed the centerpieces using blue hydrangea, pink peonies, and baby’s breath among greenery, berries and other dainty white flowers. These popped beautifully against the dove gray linen tablecloth and silver painted table numbers. The carriage house ceiling was enhanced with white voile fabric drapery and bee light strings. Perimeter up lighting in amber warmed the walls. The dance area under the attached three-season tent was decorated with white mini-lantern strings that were draped throughout, adding a soft, sweet tough to the tent ceiling. Amber up lighting completed the tent’s transformation and brought cohesiveness between the two spaces.

Although the May day was an unseasonably 90 degrees, everyone had a great time and the bride and groom got what they’d hoped for, all of their guests danced the night away.

Photography: Meghann Gregory Photography | Event Planning: Elegant Aura | Wedding Dress: Essense Of Australia | Ceremony Venue: St. Edward the Confessor Parish | Reception Venue: Massachusetts Horticultural Society | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Catering: Peppers Artful Events | DJ: Sound City Entertainment | Transportation: Able Limo | Bouquets + Boutonnieres: Peppers Artful Events | Lighting + Drapery: DesignLightCo.

With the help of Wayfair, we have an engagement scene straight out of a dream, with sips, snacks and a picnic setup that’s near perfect. Ruth Eileen captured all the cute details and the adorable couple celebrating the start of their happily ever after. With a proposal reenactment for the camera’s sake and lots of sweet kisses, this shoot is sure to make your Sunday! See every moment in our Vault right here!

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From the Couple… Our story began on a chilly day in January 2009 at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. We were both juniors in college and had several mutual friends – though unaware of the fact at that time. Kim, a fearless soul in a petite frame thought it would be funny to show up to the “guys house” in a youth size onesie – where Kevin happened to be. While Kim thought little of the exchanged hello and short amount of time they spent talking, she made a lasting first impression on Kevin. A few weeks later we ran into each other again at a Valentine’s Day party at another mutual friend’s house where we discovered our special connection and mutual interests in hockey, wine… and onesies.

After graduation, we moved in together and began life in the real world. Living in a big city, we loved planning weekend getaways to clear their minds, drink wine and enjoy the outdoors uninterrupted. Over the course of six years, our families became just as tight-knit as our bond and the conversation of getting married was always brought up. Although Kim would routinely dismiss the uncertainty in a laughing matter, Kevin was always poised – having it all planned out.

One weekend, Kevin organized a trip to spend the weekend at an unoccupied relative’s home with the plan to finally pop the question. Kevin had always envisioned a private, laid back and unexpected proposal so he knew this getaway would be the perfect opportunity to bring this vision to life. The weekend was peaceful and uneventful – just how they liked it – until Sunday arrived. After breakfast, Kevin asked Kim if she would like to take a walk around the pond nearby. Kevin began talking about their relationship and his excitement for their future as he turned around and got down on one knee. Kim thought Kevin was joking around and started laughing until he pulled the ring from his pocket. The laughs turned to tears as Kim realized what was actually happening.

We relived our proposal – this time with family nearby – in Boston, Massachusetts for our engagement photos. True to form, we’re planning their wedding at a local winery in Leesburg, Virginia with close friends and family.

Photography: Ruth Eileen Photography | Event Design: Wayfair | Dress: Francesca's | Hair: Dry Bar | Registry: Wayfair | Shop The Look: Wayfair