1.Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
After 3 COVID reschedules and over 2 years of postponing, our main focus for our wedding celebration was family and a sense of sentimental romance. We wanted our guests to be able to not only feel the love we had for each other, but feel the love we have for them, and our excitement to finally be sharing the day with everyone.We wanted those sentimental feelings to carry throughout the ceremony in particular. One of the most meaningful moments was the hand fasting ceremony we preformed. Calling on John's Irish heritage, it's an old Celtic tradition where a knot is tied over the couple's hands, binding their two souls together. This was a beautiful way to have both families also participate in the ceremony by bringing up cords to lay atop our clasped hands.As far as color palette, we wanted something simple and timeless. Fall and its natural colors with a traditional navy accent was an easy choice for our September lakefront wedding in Connecticut! And while we didn't want our wedding to be overly themed, we included subtle nods to our love of travel throughout the day with small details like boarding passes as escort cards and compasses hidden in the centerpieces.
2: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
It would be easier to list what part of the decor wasn't DIY! Between my mother's uncanny crafting abilities, and my novice graphic design skills, everything from the centerpieces to the ceremony arch to the wedding programs were completely custom and done ourselves. With the help of my cousins and aunt who flew in from California, we were able to execute our perfect vision! Our venue was the clubhouse at my husband's summer lake home, so it was important to me that we transformed the space to fit the occasion. With the beautiful Candlewood Lake as a backdrop it didn't need too much, but our attention to detail certainly made a difference. Timeless accents like navy tablecloths and gold rimmed china helped keep our more whimsical decorations, like the handmade garlands of leaves hanging from the rafters, feeling elevated and sophisticated.
3: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
Being a COVID bride, one of the best decisions I made was buying faux flowers from an Etsy shop. After the 3rd rendition of our wedding was scraped in 2020, we decided to elope. By using silk flowers, I was able to use my bouquet twice. And my bridesmaids, all of whom had to travel for my vow renewal, were able to safely pack their bouquets in their suitcases and now have a beautiful fall centerpiece that will never spoil. It also helped that we didn't incorporate many floral elements into the design overall. Our centerpieces and the vast majority of our decor involved fall leaves.
4: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
So many pieces of this day were personalized to our own preferences, remembering each detail brings a smile to my face! A few of our favorites include doing cocktail hour before the ceremony, the custom 5,000 Candles in the Wind arrangement we used as our recessional, and our late night snack featured breakfast options in an ode to our love of brunch! To give our vow renewal an even more intimate feel, we wrote our own vows, had our Godmothers give purposefully selected readings, and involved our parents with our handfasting ceremony. My nieces escorted our furbaby Kida down the aisle, and my nephew was our ring bearer. During the reception, our AMAZING DJ Spencer surprisingly broke out into song, beautifully serenading our guests throughout the evening and I was able to surprise my mom with a mother-daughter dance just before dessert! The personal touches we were able to sprinkle throughout the day are definitely our favorite parts looking back. It was absolutely worth the time and effort it took to plan them all.
5: Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
I had my dress pinned to my Pinterest board for no less than 2 years -- I just *knew* it was my dress. I knew this was my dress so hard I bought it without even being able to properly try it on because the sample size was too small. It was simple. It was timeless. It was perfect. It was a fit and flare, off the shoulder satin gown with a touch of ruching at the waist and a dramatic scalloped train following behind. And though she was beautiful, she was not suited for dancing the night away... so as dinner was being plated, I changed into a short champagne Adrianna Pappell dress completely adorned in sequins and sparkles. Both looks paired beautifully with my Marilyn Monroe inspired old Hollywood glam hair and makeup that lasted all day and night thanks to Pent, my fabulous hair and makeup artist. My handsome groom wore a rather dapper tux from Jos A. Bank with a midnight blue jacket featuring a subtle floral pattern woven into the silk and matching blue vintage cufflinks and buttons from my late grandfather.
6: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
Eons ago (read: 2007), John's mom was actually my 8th grade science teacher. That's where I first laid eyes on an incredibly hunky picture of my now husband. Thankfully, a year later in high school I caught John's eye in the hallways as well. Both of us proved to be too shy, however, to make a proper first move. After years of Fate forcing our paths to cross on random chance encounters, in May of 2011 I found myself at the gym newly single and once again Fate put John randomly right in front of me. Far too sweaty to feel confident enough to talk in person, I ran home and messaged him on Facebook. That was over 11 years, 4 states, 5 countries, and an infinite amount of memories ago, and we've been taking this adventure on together ever since! John proposed on Christmas, just like I had always dreamed. With the initial plan interrupted by the joyous chaos of Christmas morning with a house full of kids, John and I took a walk down to the lake near my parents' new home. After assuring me countless times that he loved me, an adorably nervous John got down on one knee and asked me to go through all the adventures of life together with him forever. I ecstatically said yes, we took in the awe of the moment together in the serenity of the lake, and headed back to share the heavily anticipated news with all of my family! It was perfect.
7. What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
We were both most looking forward to our first dance. We decided to take dance lessons which surprisingly ended up being both of our favorite part of wedding planning! We didn't tell *anyone* about the lessons, which made it all the more special. It was so much fun having a secret together throughout all the planning! We both cherish the memories of randomly practicing in the living room, and it's been a fun skill to keep working on together! After waiting so long to celebrate our marriage with all of our family and friends, it felt like a dream to waltz blissfully around staring longingly at each other in a room full of those we love the most. It was like floating on a cloud with all eyes on us as "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz played in the background. It's a moment we'll never forget that was certainly worth the wait.
8. Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
We have two pieces of advice: #1 Your wedding should be about YOU TWO and who you are as a couple. It's such a cliche, but it's so incredibly true. At the end of the day, YOUR wedding day shouldn't be about anything but YOUR LOVE. Write the vows yourself. Walk down the aisle to the funny song you both love that no one else will get. Feature your favorite foods at the cocktail hour even if they're not traditional. Find ways to leave your unique mark on your special day. #2 Take dance lessons together! John groaned and eyerolled himself all the way through the door to our first lesson, but even he'll tell you looking back it's now one of his favorite memories. Even if none of the steps stick and you completely freeze on the Big Day, having the opportunity to look at your partner directly in the eyes for 30 minutes is surprisingly, and wonderfully, intimate. Planning a wedding is such a stressful and chaotic time, we loved having our dance lesson once a month as a peaceful reminder that this whole thing is really about us, our love for each other, and the commitment we're making together.
Vendors:
Dress: Morilee by Madeline Gardner
Event Planner: Events by Missy & Co
DJ: Dance to the Music Entertainment
Makeup Artist: Pent Makeup and Hair
Event Venue: Candlewood Knolls Clubhouse
Photographer: Laurel Creative