Last year, we had a same-sex couple contact us regarding a destination wedding in the Cape. They were planning for a small intimate wedding in Provincetown but wanted to have a local planner assist with details since they were all the way in Louisiana! We did a lot of communications via phone and email throughout the planning process. Tabitha & Brittney wanted to have a beach ceremony followed by a reception at their vacation home rental. As a part of the planning package, we drove to Provincetown to do a site visit of Herring Cove Beach, Race Point Beach, and several of the vacation homes they found on Home Away.
We took lots of photos and video of the homes and both beaches so that the couple could have a better visual of their potential wedding spots.
The couple ultimately ended up choosing Race Point Beach over Herring Cove because it was more secluded (at the very tip tip of the tip!) and had less rocks in the sand. The $50 Cape Cod National permit fee allowed us to setup the ceremony directly on the beach with a floral aisle, heart shaped altar, and pillars. Parking is free during off-peak season (peak season June – September).
Cake from Michael’s Creative Baking
Officiant: Allan JoAn Tibbetts
sand blending ceremony
Rick Giumarra’s Homeaway property in Provincetown which was large enough to house the bridal party and provide dining space for their reception on the patio.
During the planning process, Tabitha sent me packages of stuff she ordered online for the ceremony decoration. We stored it for her until the wedding day so that she wouldn’t have to lug it on the airplane. They did tons of DIY projects including DIY silk bouquets, centerpieces, and decoration items which we setup for them.
We really enjoyed helping Tabitha and Brittney celebrate their marriage while also squeezing some time into their schedule to check out Boston and New York!
VENDORS
Ceremony: Race Point Beach
Reception: Provincetown Vacation Home
Photography: Nora from Aurora Photography
Officiant: Reverend Allan JoAn Tibbetts
Cake: Michael’s Creative Bakery
Makeup: DIY
Hair: Hair by the Sea
Nails: Lovely Nails (Eastham)
All this while maintaining a budget of under $3000! Success!
We hope you guys come back to visit soon!
A Valentine’s Day treat for you as we share the wedding details of Chrissy and Gerald’s special day!
High school sweethearts, Chrissy and Gerald tied the knot after 18 years of dating (amazing!) at the largest church in New England – the Cathedral of the Holy Cross with a reception at the Westin Copley Hotel.
We started planning with the couple way back in August 2010. I remember Chrissy really wanted to have the wedding on 9-10-11 but a lot of places were already booked or didn’t have what she was looking for – a beautiful view of the city! At the same time, our planner, Michelle was venue searching and waiting for details on lucky days in the Chinese calendar. Apparently October 8, 2011 was a very lucky date as both Michelle and Chrissy set it as their wedding day!
Chrissy’s day started off with hair and makeup in their beautiful Westin Copley bridal suite overlooking the city of Boston.
Jeff Brouillete and Amanda from HDJeff along with Dennis and Vic from BinaryFlips arrived to capture the wedding party getting ready. A first look was coordinated outside the Boston Public Library steps with Gerald’s back turned as Chrissy approached.
Afterwards, the wedding party boarded the AAAllstars limo bus and went around the town for portraits. We stopped at the Public Garden first then looped over to Faneuil Hall’s carousel and Columbus Park for wedding party photos.
The bride and groom had a traditional Catholic Filipino wedding with a veil, cord and coin ceremony at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in South Boston. This was probably the longest processional (down the longest aisle) we’ve had yet which included family, primary sponsors, secondary sponsors who handled the veil, cord, candle and coins held by little Romeo, and bridal party.
Cocktail and reception followed in the Staffordshire Ballroom at the Westin Copley Hotel. The cocktail foyer area was decorated in white with white hydrangeas and linen. The cocktail area also had a Top Hat Photo Booth for guests to snap pictures in. The on-site Top Hat Photo Booth technician at Chrissy and Gerald’s wedding was the wife of the technician at Michelle and Peter’s wedding!
Guests were then invited into the main ballroom with a burst of colors! The reception was setup with alternating pintuck silver table linen with black chiavari chairs and napkins against the pink and purple uplighting by Cambridge Uplights.
The bride had little silver elephants, a symbol of good luck in Asian culture, as favors for guest. The alternating high/low floral centerpieces were provided by Dana Tran of Bumble Bee Landing and accessorized by the bride herself.
We found some diamond wrap to put on the centerpiece vases and votive candles to go with the sparkling wedding cake by Konditor Meister.
The treat of the night was a same-day-edit feature for guests by Jeff Brouillete which had us all in tears <3 Congratulations again to Chrissy and Gerald! We love you guys!
Photos courtesy of BinaryFlips
This cold weather is making me miss summer…only a few more months to go everyone! But I hope these photos will warm you up! I think it was 80 degrees that day during Liz and Shea’s wedding in Cohasset. I remember it being really hot in the church and it was the first time I had someone faint! And that is why we always carry an extra bottle of water in our kits! Enjoy!
Photos courtesy of Joe King from Classic Photography
As Angel and I were driving to the rehearsal at Hamilton Hall in Salem the night before the wedding, we checked the weather update and it went from “showers” to “soaking rain”?!! I think that was the first time we have ever seen the word “soaking” used in a weather forecast. It would have put a damper on all our plans, especially the scheduled on-foot walking procession to cocktail/reception at the Peabody Essex Museum.
On October 1, 2011, the rain held off until reception time, which at that point, all the guests were inside PEM’s East India Marine Hall with the bride and groom. Francine and Mike had a glamorous old Hollywood wedding filled with style and beauty. The day started off with hair and makeup on the top floor of the Salem Inn’s Peabody House with Shelley of Eyeful Beauty and Angela, a Multimedia Makeup Artist. It was great to see all the classic Hollywood à la Veronica Lake hairstyles on the bridesmaids and moms come to life!
Rahul and Jenn from Bella Photos arrived to capture getting ready moments while the bride’s friend, Afton, shot on film. They joined us on the Rolls Royce photo tour around Salem where we made stops at: Ropes Mansion, Old Burying Grounds, and Hamilton Halls Garden. We coordinated their first look at the gardens of Ropes Mansion and Mike was so happy to see Francine in her stunning Vera Wang gown. The garden was a perfect meeting location since it was nestled in the back of the mansion because as soon as they stepped out, the couple became Hollywood celebrities as strangers were snapping photos left and right. The couple also took some time to snag some photos upstairs on the 3rd floor Supper Room of Hamilton Hall before guests started arriving to prelude ceremony music by Boston String Quartet. The special ceremony was a blend of two cultures and Reverend Danielle Tummino did a wonderful job with the bride and groom to incorporate both families. They had mini Irish wedding bells for guests to ring and also incorporated a hand fasting ceremony with the candle lighting.
Black garden chairs from Peterson Party Center
Flowers from Kokee Flowers with a peacock feature for reserved rows
The ringing of the bell is also said to keep away evil spirits
Immediately following the ceremony was a surprise on-foot processional from Hamilton Hall to the Peabody Essex Museum with a bagpiper! Bag Piper Adam led the wedding party and guests on a short 10 minute walk through Salem center to cocktail/reception. The bride left flats for her bridal party to slip on for the walk but she was a trooper and walked through cobblestone with her heels! Guests enjoyed cocktails in the Moongate Patio Asian Garden of Bartlett while the couple went to grab a few photos around the museum.
Thank you for having us a part of your special day, Francine and Mike! Glam squad!
This wedding was back in September but I can still remember dreading the weather forecast of showers all weekend.
That Saturday, nothing but sunshine for Corrie and Ryan’s wedding on September 24, 2011. The day started with hair and makeup at the Newbury Street Salon with Terri and Katie.
Corrie and Ryan had their wedding ceremony at the beautiful Sacred Heart Parish, in Lynn, MA. We had an aisle runner out with scattered rose petals and the bride made some starfish pew decorations for reserved seating upfront. The pew markers were made with raffia string, a large starfish and horizon blue ribbon. I wish I had snapped some photos but all I have is one from the rehearsal day. Bouquets and boutonnieres were provided by Welch’s Florist.
After the ceremony, Limos By Liz took the wedding party back to Ryan’s place for photos while guests headed to cocktail hour at the Winthrop Yacht Club (WYC). Guests arrived to a beach themed wedding with white chair covers and linen with horizon blue accents, extra large martini glass centerpieces, seashells and starfish galore. Angel and I had started working on the WYC decorations as early as 9am covering chairs and tying chair bows from Partware USA. They offer very affordable chair cover rentals and additional discount if you do advanced booking. The margarita centerpieces would have been difficult to transport with sand in them so we put together the centerpieces for the bride at the reception site. The guests loved them and ended up taking it all home! We also used another bag of sand for the place card table where we filled two sandbox trays to hold the starfish escort tags. Hors d’oeuvres and a sit down meal were catered by Henry’s Catering while the beach themed cake was crafted by Karen of Torte Di Venezia.
Move It Music Productions entertained the night away with DJ Jimmie Esposito. I had seen him DJ at a friend’s wedding before so I was super excited to actually get to work with Jimmie at Corrie and Ryan’s wedding. He provided 10 sets uplights for the room in blue and a monogram gobo on the rented white sheer drape backdrop on the WYC stage.
It was definitely a fun wedding night and we still can’t believe the couple jetted off to their Aruba honeymoon at midnight! What better way to end the night right?!
*I have very limited photos of the wedding since my camera was nowhere to be found but I’ll follow-up with professional photos/video from KC Photo and Angelina Video Productions shortly.
Camps used to be just for kids but now couples are turning them into their wedding venue playground. Camp weddings offer exclusive usage for your ceremony/reception on acres of green grass land, convenient accommodations for guests, numerous activities, and simply a fun and unique wedding experience.
We attended a camp wedding over the summer and thought it’d be great to offer some tips for couples planning a camp wedding and also to guests attending one.
For the couple:
Season
Since it is a camp ground, the available dates for a wedding may be limited so it’s best to check with the camp coordinator regarding their off-season. Most camps are busy through Labor Day weekend but some may be able to squeeze in a weekend summer wedding.
Catering
Clambake anyone?! So will the camp’s kitchen operate during off-season for your wedding or are you allowed to bring in your own caterer for the event? What about drinks? It’s important to make sure the camp ground has a licensed permit to serve alcohol for events. What about drinks outside the reception hall i.e. around the campfire? Couples also have to consider providing breakfast and lunch to guests if they turn it into a camp wedding weekend.
Curfew
Roasting marshmallow s’mores and chatting by the campfire after the wedding may be the best after-party idea but will the camp allow it? Double check the curfew time for guests.
Accommodations
Camp weddings are awesome because your “hotel’ room is located right there. It will be a little extra work as you worry about coordinating place settings, now you have to figure out cabin arrangements. Some camp sites have individual cabins to for you to rent to guests while others have bunk beds to share. There should be a check-in table at the camp entrance that will guide guests to their designated cabins.
Schedule
Couples should consider making a day-of-schedule for guests which includes breakfast time, available activities, group games, lunch time, ceremony, reception, and post-wedding events. The schedule can be picked up at the check-in table or slipped into a welcome bag in the cabin rooms. Maps of the camp ground should also be readily available for guests to explore.
Website
Creating a personalized wedding website will be extremely useful for guests. There should be a page about the camp location, activities, schedule, cabin assignments and payment options if they plan to sleepover. Mikado Weddings Full Service Diamond Package offers personalized websites for couples – contact us for more information.
For the guests:
Attire
What to wear to a camp wedding? Do you go formal or casual? Even though the venue location is at a camp, it is still a wedding so fellas should still wear a suit and tie. Also, the ceremony may be held outside on the grass area but the reception will most likely be at the camp hall indoors. Guests should also bring a other outfit to take advantage of the camp activities. An extra sweater or hoodie is also recommended for night time since it’ll get chilly with the lake nearby.
Accommodations
This might be the only time you’ll pack a sleeping bed to a wedding. Cabin rates for guests at camp grounds are generally more cost effective than hotel rooms (probably because there is no housekeeping service).
Activities
The best part about camp weddings are all the activities you can do with the couple, family, and friends – swimming, kayaking, tennis, basketball, football, baseball, biking, hiking, golf, and rock climbing! The wedding we attended in Maine at Camp Manitou had everything! They even had a mini Fenway Park for baseball games!
Below are some local camp grounds available for events and weddings:
Bournedale Function Facility – Plymouth, MA
Camp Wing – Duxbury, MA
Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA – Becket, MA
Camp Kiwanee – Hanson, MA
Camp Lenox – Otis, MA
Camp Evergreen – Andover, MA
Liz and Shea’s nautical themed wedding had all the little touches of navy ribbons, buoys, ropes and even a lobster trap! Not to mention the ridiculously beautiful backdrop of the Cohasset Harbor at the Atlantica Restaurant. The day started off with hair and makeup by Laura Guarino in the bridal suite of Cohasset Harbor Inn and the guys were across the harbor at the historic mansion – The Oaks. The bride and groom’s getting ready location, church ceremony, and Atlantica reception were all within 1 mile of each other. Though that may not be far in distance, it definitely isn’t walkable for a bride and her bridal party in high heels. Classic Limousine dropped off the bridal party at the First Parish Church Cohasset while a Rolls Royce arrived with the bride and her father. Guests were welcomed with two DIY rustic window chalkboards at the church vestibule and live music by an a cappella group that Liz had surprised Shea with for their ceremony. Rift Boston was amazing as the group of 11 sang various repertoires that Liz had personally selected.
After the ceremony and portraits, guests headed to the Atlantica Restaurant for cocktail and reception. Kelsey, Angel, and I had arrived earlier in the day to setup the place card arrangements, guestbook table, fireplace mantel, and wedding favors.
We loved all the little details of this wedding – from the mini place card buoys to the framed wedding photos from Liz and Shea’s parents. The 4-5ft wooden poles were personally built by Shea’s father along with the lobster trap card box. We used green fishing line across the poles to hang the place cards and then tied some to the railing in case someone tried pulling it!
In lieu of a guestbook, the couple had guests write messages in a bottle for them to read on their 1 year anniversary. Their table numbers were also personalized as table places that had a special meaning to the bride and groom, such as Prudential Center – which was where Shea popped the question while having dinner (and a burrito) for Liz’s birthday.
Jan Lydon provided alternating lantern and vase centerpieces for the tables. In lieu of wedding favors, the couple had donated to Liz’s favorite charity in Honduras where she had volunteered some time. They also had a beautiful nautical wedding cake created by Sandy Cove Wedding Cakes.
DJ Orion Quest from BE Entertainment kept the crowd dancing all night long and the guests had formed a conga line around the restaurant tables at one point! Liz and Shea – thank you for having us a part of your day! I hope Hurricane Irene didn’t ruin your honeymoon plans and every time I see a 7-11 burrito – I will think of you guys.
After a nearly 65-year climb to the top of the bridal industry, Priscilla of Boston has decided to close its famous doors to business. By Dec. 31, the company’s 19 salons across the U.S. will close and all current orders will be filled, according to the website. The move reportedly comes in an effort to devote all of Priscella of Boston’s resources to its parent company, David’s Bridal, to support and continue to promote David’s growth as an industry leader.
PoB began in 1945 when Priscilla Kidder opened The Bride’s Shop on Newbury Street in Boston. In almost no time, Priscilla made a name for herself in celebrity bridal couture, designing Grace Kelly’s bridesmaids dresses and Presidential daughter Tricia Nixon’s wedding gown. The PoB portfolio is quite large and hosts a variety of brands such as Platinum by Priscilla and Melissa Sweet, both of which will be discontinued in the shut down. And with this, we bid a farewell to a Boston icon!
