Real wedding: Audrey + Jesse

Audrey and Jesse’s wedding just looks like fun, doesn’t it?  I could tell just by those bridesmaids dresses….

Theme

Green apples, birds, and twigs all in a chocolate brown/green apple/white color scheme. We had apples everywhere, from the apple colored invitations, apples in each centerpiece, and apple flavored candy. The birds were featured on the cake topper, the stamps on each program, and the candle holder near the guest book. My Mom constructed the tree that held our seating cards, and both my Mom and Dad worked hard punching out hundreds of dots on each individual card.

Location

We got married at The Common Man Inn in Plymouth, NH. I’m from northern NH and Jesse’s parents have a vacation home up there, although we both live in the Boston area now. All of our guests gave this place rave reviews! The Common Man is a chain of restaurants in NH, this inn/spa being their first. It had such a comfortable, rustic feel to it – everyone was so relaxed, it really felt like being at a luxury camp! We stayed in their signature suite called “Camp” complete with an antique canoe above the bed.

Photography

Jesse’s lovely cousin and my co-worker Gienna Shaw did all the photography. A photographist by hobby, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the results! We asked for a photo-journalism non-formal feel, and she definitely achieved that. I highly recommend getting to know your photographer beforehand, or better yet find a talented family member. I didn’t even realize she was there. Also, we have free reign to all 1,300+ photos!

Attire

I bought my wedding dress online from David’s Bridal about a month before the wedding. It was only $99! I didn’t really want something super traditional and definitely didn’t want to spend too much. Luckily Jesse’s mom is an excellent sewer/designer/seamstress and did all the alterations for me. The bolero is made of a nubby silk and made completely by her. I got my silver Rampage shoes from DSW for $11, and the jewelry was a gift from my mother. The girls wore fun green mod-inspired dresses from Nordstrom with brown shawls from Walmart (shh!) All the guys wore brown corderoy blazers from Old Navy, khakis, and white shirts from various places, and green ties from Etsy seller rabbitstop. My hair and makeup by me!

Music

Two of Jesse’s good friends from high school just happen to be dj’s. We went through the generations, starting with classical for the ceremony, 40’s and big band for the cocktail hour/dinner, 60’s and 70’s for dancing, and all our current music for later in the evening.

Favors

I couldn’t resist the candy buffet trend for the favors. My mom and I bought various glass jars from a variety of stores – Michael’s, Walmart, Christmas Tree Shops, etc. The candy also came from lots of different places, and was quite the labor of love! I picked through many many bags of M&Ms and Skittles to get just the right colors. We bought little plastic bags and had my Dad write our names on every tiny piece of paper that was attached to a silver twist tie. It was a big hit.

Flowers

I was so happy with all the flowers. We used huge spider mums for all the centerpieces as well as the bouquets. Scattered here and there were button mums, orchids, curly willow, and little green berries. The colors were so vibrant and the mums are just starting to wilt now. Flowers were done by Linda Hutchins, a family friend that owns Riff Flower Shop in Lancaster, NH.

Cake

The cake was done by Lori Shearer out of Lancaster, NH. It was beautiful, and boy did it taste good! All three layers were a spiced carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, with buttercream and fondant on the outside. Our cake topper is a handmade nest from Etsy seller Mosey. It really kicked off the whole theme of the wedding.

[images by Gienna Shaw]