Casual Elegance
When I design a wedding, I consider three factors: the season, the setting and the situation. For this wedding, the season was late summer; the setting, an elegant country inn in Vermont. And the situation was that the bride and groom, Gerri and Brett, loved all things outdoors and were inclined to have a rather casual affair. So for them, a fresh-air wedding in Vermont was the answer. For the rehearsal dinner, guests helped themselves to flip-flops and headed over a greenery-draped footbridge to the boathouse. —Michelle Rago
Reprinted by arrangement with Gotham Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., from Signature Weddings: Creating a Day Uniquely Your Own by Michelle Rago.
Copyright © 2007 by Michelle Rago
Inspirations
We based the wedding decor on natural elements. By using green acorns instead of brown, we kept the season keyed to summer; these also make fantastic finishing details for the personal flowers.
A Touch of Whimsy
Your stationery can have a unifying element, but it doesn’t have to look like the same thing over and over. The magic is in the variation. We chose a whimsical version of a pine tree motif for the save-the-dates, signage and gift tags.
Elegant Invites
For the invitations and programs, the motif took a more elegant, formal turn. The programs were also presented in a birch-covered box that reflected the thought and care the groom had put into writing them.
Special Touches
I love coming up with beautiful concepts for petal tosses—they are like little jewels adorning the ceremony’s aisle. This time, we covered the petal-toss boxes in birch bark and fastened them with sage ribbon and acorn tops. It was a juxtaposition of hard and soft textures, which lends sophistication to even the simplest design elements.
Fun with Flora
We water-tubed individual daisies (which, by the way, takes a bit of time), and nestled white seating cards adorned with daisy-yellow grosgrain ribbon and cotton daisy buttons in the grass.
Daisy Dinner
Daisies were at the heart of the decor of the rehearsal dinner. The tables, dressed in sunny yellow gingham and napkins tied with gingham bows spoke of summer freshness and fun. Oversized daisy balls were suspended from branches, and the centerpieces were trays of wheat grass "planted" with daisies. We wrapped pillar candles with gingham ribbon and then set them on the tables and grouped them on the boathouse steps, which cast a wonderful glow as twilight fell.
Rustic Setting
For the dinner tables, we wove moss-colored grosgrain greenery into chair backs, and covered the cushions in almond doupioni silk. The tablecloths were cocoa doupioni silk with a cream cuff.
Sylvan Splendor
I firmly believe that the seating-card table design should be interesting and well thought out. We securely tucked these cards into a ribbon-and-pinecone lattice, and instead of displaying the expected big, flowery centerpiece, we planted woodsy terrariums in tall, modern cylinders.
Keeping It Fun
A planned, participatory activity is a wonderful icebreaker for guests, not to mention good photo fodder. And what’s a mountain lake without canoes gliding to and fro? Everyone got into the spirit and paddled away—responsibly, of course. Posted nearby, was an oar hung with the tongue-in-cheek slogan Friends don’t let friends paddle drunk, courtesy of the mischievous groom. The sign was a perfect opportunity for the couple’s sense of fun and creativity to shine through. This setting also showed their thoughtfulness: Adirondack chairs on the bank of the lake provided suitable seating for spectators and were a kind consideration for older guests.
Special Memories
Honoring a loved one’s memory during a wedding celebration need not —and should not—be heart-wrenching. Here, the groom’s grandfather, fondly known as Bunny, was acknowledged in a lighthearted but respectful way at the rehearsal dinner, which was especially appropriate since it was the groom’s family who hosted. Bunny-shaped chocolates were tucked in a box with a card and touching message crafted by the bride.
