ECBC Wedding

Wow, we've been married for 5 years and I am just sitting down to post about our wedding day now. To say its been a crazy 5 years is an understatement. One house, two kids, and three job changes later its so fun to look back on our special day.

My parents rented a big old house for our family to spend the weekend in. It was right on the chop and about a 3 minute walk to the East Chop Beach Club so it worked out perfectly.

The morning of the wedding was muggy and misty. I remember not being able to tell if I was being showered with rain or the actual outdoor shower water (and crying a bit about it). All of us girls headed to Maggie's Salon in Vineyard Haven to have our hair and makeup done while the boys got together at the groom's house for a brunch

The wreath my little flower girl wore was handmade by my grandmother.

Ceremony at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Oak Bluffs

Martha's Vineyard Sightseeing buses took our guests on a short guided tour of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown after the ceremony and while we took pictures at Owen Park in Vineyard Haven.

And now for my most favorite part of the day...our private boat charter from Vineyard Haven to the East Chop Beach Club.

We enjoyed a couple local brews from Offshore Ale on board.

Mike even helped throw a line to tie up to the ECBC dock. All of our guests were already enjoying cocktail hour on the decks and cheered as we disembarked. The beautiful boat "Stardust" was chartered from the Harborview in Edgartown. In the total whirlwind of the day I was so happy to spend 20 or so minutes alone with my new husband on the water.

My mom hand painted these cornhole boards with our names and the mascot from the college where we met. 

My dress was from the late great Priscilla's of Boston. It's the Hampton dress from their Vineyard Collection (how appropriate right?!). I knew I wanted lace but I never thought I'd end up in a fit and flare gown. I had it altered to change the straight neckline to a sweetheart and I added the sash at the waist.

 We wanted a rustic beachy feel for the wedding. We used lots of burlap and purple and gold tones.

 

 The tables were named after places on the Vineyard that are special to us. We used the same vintage postcards from our save the dates as table markers. Menus were presented on wood slabs. Those sweet potato biscuits may have been one of my favorite things about the whole wedding.

 Our entire wedding party and immediate families were seated at this long table in the middle of the space. Michael and I sat at the end in front of the massive fireplace which provided an excellent view of the entire party.

DIY Bride and Groom chair signs.

Cake by Cakes by Liz.

What's a wedding without a photo booth?! A big thank you to our wonderful photographer (and now family friend too!) David Welch.

I love love love thinking back on this day. It was filled with so much love and crazy fun that I knew then that we were in for a beautiful life together. To my groom, thank you for an amazing 5 years together and for loving me through my craziness (including the madness that was wedding planning). Thank you for our 2 beautiful children and this very full life that we have built. I love you more than I could ever explain or even thought was possible. And we're only just beginning...

A Tower House Wedding

With Christmas and Thanksgiving now in the books, I am finally finding a little time to post my sister's wedding. It was a beautiful event from start to finish and I am still amazed at how every little detail that she envisioned came together on the big day. All photo credits to David Welch Photography (the absolute best!)

 Boutonnieres and bouquets by Krishana Collins, Tea Lane Farm 

For the pie table.

   

       

Adorable "Ring BEARer" shirt designed by my sister for my son. He had a great pre-wedding nap in it.

The boys. One of the groomsmen gifts were these suspenders custom embroidered with the guys' initials.

The girls. We received these beautiful robes as bridesmaids gifts.

The bride. Her dress is from Blhdn (no longer available) but she added lace from my mother's wedding gown to the neckline to make it extra special.

The veil was a custom piece which also included my mother's wedding dress lace. I love this idea and think this veil will become a heirloom piece.

Sweet little flower girls. | Portia Dress

 The flower girls' wreaths were custom made by my grandmother (their great-grandmother).

The ceremony was held in front of a stone wall. The slightly sloping hill helped ensure all witnesses had a great view (of the ceremony and the beautiful landscape). 

 The gorgeous arbor was handmade by the groom's father and sister. It was draped with seeded eucalyptus. | Barefoot Gardens

 Menemsha Harbor

The couple drove off in an old car (it was a Plymouth maybe, sorry not a car expert at all).

Squibnocket Beach

 First dance to "Offering" by The Avett Brothers 

Remember that marquee sign?!

 My mom constructed this light setup so that we could dance under the stars.

Centerpieces and tablescapes by Kristen Brown | Barefoot Gardens

 Seeded eucalyptus marked the head table.

 Another adorable idea; the couple asked guests to sign an Eldridge's Map of Martha's Vineyard instead of a traditional guest book. Mike and I signed at the East Chop Beach Club of course!

Wedding Cake

 Mother and son dancing to "Days Like This" by  Van Morrison.

Although the bride was initially panicked that the fireworks would cause the police to shut down the party prematurely, it was a beautiful display that she and everyone greatly enjoyed.

This post is dedicated to my little sister, one of my very best friends, and someone that I look up to most in this world. You are beautiful inside and out and I am so happy that you found someone that appreciates you as such. Congrats to Lindsay and Aaron and many, many years of love and luck to both of you! And, oh yeah, your wedding was amazing!

Beach Plum Inn Rehearsal Dinner

The day before the wedding, we all gathered at the Tower House for a ceremony rehearsal. Lucky for us we stayed on the property in Lovey's Cottage which was just perfect for my family and my older brother's family. The rehearsal went relatively smooth with the exception of the groom accidentally reciting "my awfully wedded wife" (which he did repeat during the actual ceremony the following day). With the work behind us we headed to the Beach Plum Inn a few miles away for a (kid-free yippee) rehearsal dinner.

Photo Credits: David Welch Photography

It doesn't get much more beautiful than this. We timed it perfectly and had a front row seat to one of the more beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. 

Dinner was served on the lower patio underneath vintage style string lights. We had the whole space to ourselves (except for a few friendly chickens).

The Beach Plum Inn

After the months and months of wedding planning we all were able to relax and enjoy the family being together at last. 

 Floral Maxi Dress | Lace Sheath Dress