The groom and his besties getting ready for action.

With the help of the groomsmen, Donald had no worries in getting his bride.

The beautiful bride

Joean: Donald!?!?!? Help me get these pests away!

Donald: No worries my dear, come away with me…

The happy couple.

Cheers to Donald and Joean, may your love for one another will never age nor fade with time!

The design vendors for this event included my all time favorites:
Florals: Holly Flora
Calligraphy: Laura Hooper
Linens: La Tavola Linens

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most people know me as elizabeth messina….but in my personal life, i am mrs moore….and today is our wedding anniversary….so i thought i’d share some of our personal weddings photos….both the beautiful images taken by thayer & some of the ones i took throughout the day….celebrate with us…

our day was so amazing….breathtaking & lovely….i collected the chandeliers that hung above our table for more than a year (many of them now hang in our home)…lisa vorce was just incredible….she planned & executed every detail….she literally made our dreams come true….everything was wonderful…from the stunning florals by mindy rice to my couture gown created by kirstie kelly….our entire wedding was also beautifully filmed by paul korver of fifty foot films…we were so blessed…

we also incorporated some very personal & sweet details…i wore my grandmother’s shrug & had her pendant sewn onto my bouquet…we also had poilane wedding bread flown in from paris, this was certainly the most decadent detail…the round loaves had our names & wedding date baked into them….we also enjoyed the richest most scrumptious chocolate truffles made by jessica foster….xoxo

our delicious cake was created by christine dahl & the crown on top of the cake has become a big part of my photography, i use it for my crown portraits all the time….kirstie kelly also made my girls’ dresses & the boys’ ties…and my veil which had the most amazing handmade french lace sewn on the edge….there is something about france, always beckoning me…..and then there was our kiss…..

kiss & tell

“there we were, in front of our friends & family & yet somehow alone…just us..i remember looking at him for what seemed like an enternity…his face was so serene, so kind…i felt so happy & a little shy…he said his vows with his deep soothing voice…mine felt like a whisper…husband & wife…and when we kissed, i knew what i had always known…i was home”

mrs moore

these were the candy bars i made, wrapped in photographs from our life…i love how thayer allyson gowdy lined them up & captured them…and she was very patient while i took some of my own….

here are some of the behind the scenes images i took on our wedding day

thank you to all who helped make our day so wonderful…xoxo

In mid-August, we had the pleasure of working at the Penninsula’s Menlo Circus Club for an incredible wedding with Cay Lemon of Zest Productions and Jeffrey Adair of J. Floral Art.  We installed a 64′x124′ tent (our largest) on the polo field to accommodate 400 wedding guests.  In order to create a seamless and elegant entry into our tent, we designed and built a custom wood structure, 80 feet in length, that coordinated with our tent’s wood poles.  J. Floral Art draped sheer white fabric over the top of the covered walkway, then gathered each section at the support poles with roses.  He completed the approach with two beautiful floral arrangements flanking the entrance.

During the daylight hours, the interior of the tent was designed with shades of white with pink accents, including custom pennants on each tent peak.  As night fell, Zephyr Tents pattern-washed the canopy and dining room in pink swirls creating a dramatic atmosphere for the after-dark festivities.  As a personal touch, we projected the bride and groom’s monogram on the center of the white dancefloor.

The guests enjoyed a late-night dj lounge in the club and were treated to a pink spotlit exit from the bride and groom as they drove away via Rolls Royce.  A grand ending to a beautiful event.

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More from Esther & Jae’s Illinois orchard wedding….if you missed it, you can find the wonderful part one here!

How amazing is the setting for the ceremony? We can’t get over how gorgeous these two old oak trees are—such an idyllic spot! Esther told us a little more about the meaning of the day: “We were very appreciative of the guests who joined us at the farm—especially since so many of our friends were flying in from all over the world. We not only wanted them to enjoy the experience but also feel connected to us as a couple. We tried to create as many handmade details as possible and add little touches to show them what their joining us meant.”

With the couple’s hope of really welcoming their guests, they choose to open the Korean ceremony, a traditionally private family event, for all to observe. “During the ceremony, it started to rain and we all fled into the building and finished it there. The rain was coming down so hard that it sounded like buckets of water were being thrown onto the roof. It was so loud people still remember the sound! for the reception, we had originally planned to have the dancing outside but started inside. When the rain finally stopped, the party was moved outdoors and I still remember how refreshingly cool it felt and smelled outside.” The floating peonies are so lovely! Can’t you just see the clouds rolling in below?

About the special details, Esther told us she created a number of paper goods and gifts to show the couple’s gratitude. The name cards were actually envelopes and each one contained a personalized handwritten message. The cards were lined up to greet the guests in an old apple cart from the farm.

Tables at the party were named after the year each of Esther & Jae’s parents and grandparents were married and Esther designed the tablecards with a short story of how the couples met. With help, Esther says she also bottled and labeled small honey jars for favors. Perfectly poetic for the setting because, she noted, the success of the orchards depends on the help of the bees!

Thank you, Esther & Jae, for sharing the story of your day with us! Everything was just beautiful and we wish you all the best! Many thanks, too, to Orange 2 Photo for bringing us these fine photographs! Happy weekend all!

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Q: How did the two of you meet?
A: We were invited by a mutual friend to a bar for a going away party and were introduced there.

Q: How did he propose?
A: It was the day before my birthday and I came home from work and my present was on the couch. He let me open it a day early and it was a pair of Ugg boots. He told me to try them on and in one of the shoes was a jewelry box. I had no idea it was a ring. I thought it was earrings. When I opened it he asked if I would marry him and I said, “Uh, duh!”

Q: Did you have a theme for your wedding and how did you carry it out?
A: The wedding was in October so we wanted a fall theme but we didn’t want it to be Halloweeny or Thanksgivingy. We used oranges and browns for everything. The flowers were orange dahlias and the centerpieces were orange pumpkins with the flowers in them. We gave our guests personalized fall cookies as wedding favors. The dresses and tuxedo accents were brown. We sprinkled the guest book table with faux leaves and amber tealights were at all the tables.

Q: Did you have any special traditions you carried out?
A: No. hahaha!

Q: What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?
A: When my dad gave his speech at dinner it was so precious and sweet and it made me cry.

Q: Which is your favorite picture (and why)?
A: There is a picture of us right after we fed each other the cake and he is looking at his fingers gleefully and I’m looking at my hands in horror and it is just so funny and really shows our personality and easy going spirit we both have. There is also another one of him taking off my garter and “Make it Rain” was playing and I think I’m throwing gang signs. Really funny.

Q: What was the funniest moment?
A: See above

Q: Did everything go as you’d planned?
A: Everything went perfectly! I did all of the planning way in advance so I knew I had everything before hand. The flowers, cake, favors, food, guests, us were all there on time and everything flowed. We never felt stressed and never felt worried. It was an awesome party.

Q: What did you pick out for your wedding favors?
A: Fall leaf and pumpkin cookies with our monogram on them and a personalized hang tag with our names and wedding date.

Q: Tell us about your dress.
A: My dress was the first dress I tried on in the store. The second I tried it on, I knew it was mine but I tried on a couple more just to make sure. It was satin with organza and lace over the top with pearl details. I loved that the train was sheer and lacy and reminded me of a fairy tale.

Q: Where did you take your honeymoon?
A: We went to Maui. We rode horses around the volcanic rocks and went zip lining through the rainforest. We snorkeled and swam with a sea turtle. We also took the road to Hana and hiked to all the waterfalls. It was amazing!

Q: What was the favorite part about the whole wedding experience (from proposal to the honeymoon)?
A: I loved the planning part and picking everything out and knowing how it was all going to come together and match and the actual wedding was awesome cause I got to see all the hard work paid off and see everything together and everyone having a great time.

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Meghan and Nevin chose to have an intimate weekend celebration that was a destination for nearly all 50 guests in attendance. They hosted a wine tasting on Thursday, the wedding was on Friday, and they had a casual BBQ on Saturday. What a nice set up! Love the idea of having a whole day and night after the wedding to spend with everyone who came to celebrate with you.

Meghan’s dad made the wooden signs, and she and Nevin made the invitations and paper goods. They bought the paper at Paper Source, printed them at home, and used a Martha Stewart lace paper cutter to fancy up the table cards. Nicely done guys!

They collected vintage hankies for the ceremony and made little stamped burlap bags filling with loose lavender to toss after the ceremony.

Oooh. Love the rosemary wrapped flower vessels. Neat touch.

Beautiful wedding, you too! Congratulations. And thanks for sending this our way, Kristen.

Photography: Kristen Grinnell

Venue: Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse

Flowers: Florette Designs

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Anna is a children’s author and illustrator, so she did some illustrations of herself and Bruno as bunnies, which were incorporated throughout the wedding, from the invitations to custom buttons. The wedding took place at Nine Mountain Retreat Center in the Berkshires – Anna and Bruno chose this venue so that they could spend the entire weekend with their 50 guests.

Anna designed and illustrated the save-the-dates and invitations, which were Gocco printed by Etsy vendor Heatherjeany.

The outdoor ceremony area was decorated with garlands of origami cranes that many friends and family helped to fold and string. Anna and Bruno walked down the aisle together, following their parents.

A friend read Anna’s favorite children’s book, The Rabbits’ Wedding, as one of the ceremony readings.

During the ceremony, the couple planted a small oak tree, and invited their parents to contribute soil from the places where Anna and Bruno grew up.

How cool is this art installation on the retreat property?

Anna wore a dress from BCBG that she embellished with handmade organza flowers. Bruno wore a suit from Banana Republic.

Anna and Bruno wanted to avoid paper napkins at their wedding, so Anna made darling mismatched napkins for the reception, which doubled as favors for their guests.

Some advice from Anna: Don’t worry about what other people will think about your wedding. Do something that is meaningful and special to you and people will be moved and excited about it. Also, while I am a big fan of DIY, don’t take on more than you can reasonably do! Pick and choose the projects you care about, and let the rest go.

A Brazilian-inspired meal was served to honor Bruno’s heritage. In addition, after dinner, Bruno changed out of his suit and played Capoeira with his friends.

Tin cans and Ball jars were used as vases. The flowers were bought in bulk from a local organic farm, and then arranged by the couple and their friends the day before the wedding.

Cheers Anna and Bruno! Thank you so much for sharing your wedding with us, and thank you to photographer Kelly Lorenz for sharing these photos.

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For an idea of what a spellbinding beach wedding with a rustic twist looks like, look no further than Lindsey and Brian’s charming celebration. Both the bride and groom grew up in Nantucket, and immediately knew it was where they had to have their big day.

Lindsey speaks affectionately of her wedding location:
“Nantucket holds a special place in both our hearts and I had always dreamed of having my wedding here! We wanted our wedding to be a casual yet elegant affair on the beach, and we wanted to share our love for this tiny island with our family and friends.”

The quirky touches woven into this wedding perfectly reflected the vibrant personalities of the bride and groom. While Lindsey looked amazing in a lacey, layered Vera Wang gown, Brian pulled off an offbeat gingham-shirt-with-pink-tie look with style!

Lindsey talks about how this endearing quirkiness extended to the unusual celebration cakes for that day:
“I loved our cakes! Many people did not believe the basket cake was an actual cake as the ‘baskets’ looked so real and beautiful and were filled with Hydrangeas! Nantucket was famous for its role in the whaling industry, so whale motifs were incorporated on the ties and the Red Velvet groom’s cake!”

DREAM TEAM:
Photographer Zofia Waig
Florist Flower Shop at Marine Home Center
Stationer Papeterie
Caterer Galley Beach
Wedding Gown Vera Wang, Saja
Baker Jodi’s Cakes
Boy’s Attire Vineyard Vines
Hair Darya Salon
Antique Car Island Buggies
Ceremony Music Mary Keller & Mollie Glazer
Band The Sultans of Swing