Grand Estates
When you choose a historic estate with lush lawns, a grand ballroom and elegant courtyards, you get the intimacy of a home wedding with the drama of period detailing, plus a staff of experts to handle the logistics. For a quintessentially New England wedding the Lounsbury House, 316 Main St., Ridgefield, 203-438-6962, lounsburyhouse.com, exudes a 19th-century aristocratic grace. Enter your ceremony in the main hall from a dramatic staircase, then hold your reception in connecting rooms beneath the sparkle of chandeliers. A wraparound veranda overlooks lawns and a wildflower garden. Seated capacity: 150. Outside caterers allowed. Rental fee: $3,500.
Morning-After Brunch
It’s courteous to host a morning-after brunch for out-of-town guests, especially for those who have traveled great distances. We like the relaxed and informal brunches at the Spa at Norwich Inn in Norwich, 607 W. Thames St., Norwich, 860-886-2401, thespaatnorwichinn.com. There are several rooms to choose from, including the cozy Cottage, with a fieldstone fireplace, and the Hunt Room, with exposed beams, views of the courtyard and a larger, 80-guest capacity. The standard brunch buffet includes items like fresh fruit, a cooked-to-order omelet station, French toast and maple-smoked bacon. Hotel staff will remind guests about the event upon check-in, and they can even provide to-go boxes for guests with flights to catch.
What’s Your Flavor?
Choosing flavors and fillings is as important as selecting your cake’s exterior decorations. These days, most bakers offer about 10 different cake flavors, with options like banana and lemon, along with 15 types of fillings from pineapple to pistachio cream. The possibilities can often be overwhelming. We asked Stephen Maronian of Sweet Lisa’s Exquisite Cakes, 203-869-9545, sweetlisas.com, what to try. "A lot of clients ask for the combination of our triple chocolate cake paired with fillings like dulce de leche or espresso cream," says Maronian. But he suggests a chocolate chiffon with raspberry buttercream filling. For a fall wedding in Greenwich, Sweet Lisa’s created this polka dot and rosette-adorned cake featuring carrot cake with cinnamon cream cheese filling.
Something Cold, Something New
Self-serve candy bars are nearing the end of their three-year domination as the reception sweet spot. The next sensation? Ice cream. The ever-popular (but worthy of its rep) Cold Stone Creamery, coldstonecreamery.com, can set up a stand at your reception for some added entertainment. Seasoned employees make mouth-watering concoctions to order, complete with the marble slab, ice cream and mix-ins. Want to make this idea a take-home treat? Choose your favorite Cold Stone combination, and they’ll package it in individual cups with a personalized label. Cost: about $300 for set up and $30 per employee, per hour.
Better Group Portraits
Pretty maids all in a row is standard, but kind of boring. Wedding photographer Bruce Plotkin of Bruce Plotkin Photography, 203-454-1143, bruceplotkin.com, knows how to jazz up your formal wedding party photos but also keep them wedding album–friendly. Instead of neatly dividing the wedding party up by gender, switch up the order. “The shot isn’t perfect—the group is arranged a bit off kilter, but letting attendants arrange themselves often makes for a more fun, relaxed image,” says Plotkin. “And it frees them to do spontaneous things, like pick up the bride for a few seconds.”
Extra Credit for the Uber-Hostess
Welcome baskets are a great way to make your guests feel adored, but why stop there? Extend the "we care about you" credo to your reception site’s powder room with a fully stocked amenity basket. Take your cue from luxe restrooms in high-end restaurants and hotels, and offer up necessities for post-dance primping plus solutions for stocking runs and other wardrobe malfunctions. You could head to the drugstore to create the basket yourself, but who has time? Instead, try the Seymour-based company Just In Case Gift Kits, 203-415-4853, justincasegiftkits.com, which assembles made-to-order kits in white wooden boxes with grosgrain ribbons to match your colors. These kits include everything from breath mints and stain remover wipes, to double-sided tape and superglue. Cost: $75.
Alternative Bridal Blooms
Hydrangea, roses and calla lilies are popular bridal flowers, but don’t be afraid to consider lesser-known blooms—you’ll end up with a bouquet that’s ultra-stylish and unique. Jessica Robinson of Jessica’s Country Flowers, 860-673-6693, jesscountry flowers.com, suggests using cinnamon cymbidium orchids (far left). "Green is popular, but there are a variety of colors to try, like red, pink, yellow and cinnamon." Yumiko Fletcher of Hana Floral Design, 860-572-2929, hanafloraldesign.com, suggests Tweedia (near left). "It’s perfect with all-white, but the blue color is subtle enough to combine with any color scheme."
Waterside Favors
For a riverside wedding, we adore the idea of placing a handful of these "river stones" (oversize, apricot-flavored jelly beans) into mini galvanized tin pails for favors. (We found these at Sandy Hook–based company Favors by Lisa, 866-567-5472, favorsbylisa.com.) They’ll fit in perfectly at a casually elegant reception. Just make sure to attach a tag letting guests know that they’re safe to eat! $31.50 for 2.5 lb.; mini favor pails, $1 each.
Clever Save-the-Dates
More than 50 percent of guests at Connecticut weddings are out-of-towners, which means save-the-dates have become essential, especially during peak wedding season in September. The save-the-dates don’t have to match your invites—in fact, this is a great opportunity to be a little playful. We love the line created by Kate Joo and Susan Baldaserini of Dear Dahlia in Ridgefield, 203-438-0008, deardahlia.com—in particular, their periwinkle daisy postcards ($250 for 100), and their green and navy argyle save-the-dates ($275 for 100 with envelopes). Both are perfect for a preppy affair.
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