Wedding Bells

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For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.

-Robert Fulghum, Union

I’m excited to finally share this post with all of you. It is by far, the most personal one yet. After almost 10 years of being together, Robert and I finally got married on 22 August 2015. I can honestly say it was one of the best days of my life and an experience I will never forget. We knew right away that we wanted to keep the wedding intimate with only 34 of our closest friends and family in attendance. The best part was none of them knew it was a wedding until about two weeks before! (We ultimately had to tell everyone because a few people tried to ditch out last minute :/). We also knew the venue right away: our home. It was the perfect place to celebrate our life together and all that the future has in store for us.

We are a both a bit non-traditional and really wanted to incorporate those aspects of us into the wedding. We placed a heavy focus on the food and creating an atmosphere for intimate conversation, something both of us have really come to appreciate after living in Rome. This also meant we ditched some of the traditional wedding elements such as bridal/grooms parties, dancing, cake cutting, something old, something new etc. I’m actually really glad we didn’t do any of these things as it gave us more time to relax with friends and family. When brides say the day goes by in a flash they mean it! I can’t imagine breaking it up even further with traditional elements – but that’s just me.

Before the dress I started with the caterer. I have worked with SaltBox Farm before and unbelievable is an understatement. When I spoke to Ben, the owner, about his availability he had two dates only. I said whatever date worked best for him would be our wedding date. That’s how we ended up with 22 August. The food was so good I don’t think there was one empty plate at the end of the evening. Passed hors d’oeuvres included lamb meatballs, summer garden gazpacho, stuffed peppers, and zucchini pancakes. There was an emphasis placed on farm to table everything both Robert and I along with Saltbox believe strongly in. Dinner was coursed out over five settings: corn bisque, ricotta stuffed tomato salad, zucchini pasta with kale pesto, braised chicken roulade, and fresh chocolate covered strawberries to go along with the cake.

Our cake was beautifully crafted by Jenny’s Wedding Cake. We came across Jenny on our search for all things Gluten-Free. Honestly, our guests couldn’t even tell it was GF! We chose a vanilla sponge with strawberries and a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. I really wished I had saved the top layer but it just gives me a reason to order another next year!

Flowers and decor we wanted to keep very simple and rustic. Jennifer at Copper Penny is simply amazing and understood this desire. She created a whimsical bouquet and center pieces that didn’t take away from the natural elements of our yard including our raised flower and vegetable gardens. I’m a bit of a stickler for details so when it came to place settings I bought all the dishes, excluding glassware and silverware. I searched high and low throughout many thrift stores and antique shops for mix and match China. The cost worked out to be much lower than renting them but required a lot of time to find.

Games are a big part of our life. Whenever we are with friends and family, whatever the occasion, we always break out the games. We wanted to keep this going at the wedding with Ring Toss and Corn Hole for before and after the ceremony. We also played a game with the whole table during dinner. It turned out to be so much fun and really highlighted who knows us best.

The dress! Okay, so I saved the best for last. Robert and I attempted to get married about nine years ago but ultimately it didn’t work out for various reasons. At the time I bought a dress but felt a little pressured into buying it. This time when I picked out my gorgeous Hayley Paige Guindon dress I only went with my sister – who knows my style through and through! What I love about all of Hayley Paige’s dress is that they are unique in their design but traditional in silhouette. I was a bit smaller than a size 2 and had to have it altered several times and have interior hooks put in to prevent it from sliding down. The team at Cristina’s Bridal in Andover were absolutely incredible throughout the entire process and even sowed pockets into the dress for me!

I chose Emmy London Cinderella shoes because I really wanted a touch of crystal without it being too noticeable. These have to be some of the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn and I actually wore them two weeks later to another wedding. They were a nice break from the traditional Badgley Mishka’s and are handmade!

Secretly, I wanted to change dresses between the ceremony and reception but really didn’t want to pay the money for a second dress. Instead I opted for a change in belts. I’m really glad I stayed in the original dress!

As I mentioned earlier the entire day went by incredibly fast. I am forever grateful to our videographer, Julian Rodier, and our photographer, Gina Brocker, for their amazing work and talent. They helped to capture the day beautifully! As soon as I met Gina we were a perfect match. Her energy and eye for details was exactly what we were looking for. To be honest, we didn’t really want a video of our wedding but wow, was I glad we ultimately hired Julian! His work speaks volumes!

A special thank you to Kristina Makris at Flawless Makeup Company for her gorgeous work with makeup. Kristina was great in understanding my problem skin and how to make it look flawless both in person and for pictures without overdoing it. Another special thank you to Noah Ayala and Meghan Poh of Dellaria Salon, Acton for their amazing work with my hair. I have been lucky to know them both for several years and always call on them when my hair needs help! Lastly, to Chris and Robin at Bella Sante in Lexington for helping me get my nails and skin in shape for the wedding!

My advice to future brides. Don’t let anyone pressure you into a wedding that doesn’t feel like you. It is always best practice to listen to others but ultimately it comes down to you and your fiance. By following your heart it will help to cut down on some of the stess. The day really does go by incredibly fast. Carve out a few minutes for yourself and new husband to soak it all in. Lastly, don’t feel pressured to follow convention.

Thank you all for all your kind words and well wishes upon hearing we were married. We read every message and can’t thank you enough.