A New England White Chapel Wedding

A New England white chapel wedding that has the sweetest story to go along with timeless images that were captured so beautifully! Having a color palette of white, green and cream, the design held an effortless feel. It paired perfectly with the bright white chapel and the simplicity of the reception space.

From the bride: Our story started with a set of silverware at a local restaurant. I was working a second job there after college, and Alex would come in regularly to grab a bite to eat. Little did I know then, this second job would be one of the best things to happen to me. It’s funny when I look back at it all, as I never remember having that “a-ha!” moment with Alex. Instead, I simply remember the smile on my face whenever he walked in and that there was something about him that caught my eye. So, I took a chance and ended up asking Alex out on a date. A week passed by, then a month, and eventually several months, but I still hadn’t heard back from him. I know…trust me, I know. Alex has yet to live that one down. As it turned out, Alex had just started seeing someone new and I was but a month too late—or so I thought. A year went by and I had kept going about my life, not giving much thought to the situation, till one day a message popped up on my phone, and well, the rest was history, quite literally. Alex took me to a history museum on our first date. And from there, the adventures, moments, and days began to fly by. Two years later, he popped the question with a stunning three-stone diamond ring at one of our favorite spots. When he proposed, he told me he’d wanted to find a ring that would stand the test of time, and what better than a traditional three-stone ring to represent our past, present, and future love? It was at that moment that our wedding-planning journey began.
Alex and I knew we wanted to look back at our wedding photos years from now and feel that they were timeless in nature. From the biggest to the littlest of details, we found ourselves gravitating toward venues, vendors, and details that were classic yet simple all at the same time. Much like my ring, we wanted our wedding to be a moment in our love story that would be painted in time, just like the historical places we both loved. Once we had our vision, then it was time to make it a reality, starting with finding a photographer. Luckily for us, Valerie Sarron, the owner of VS Photography, was the perfect fit. I loved her attention to detail, the lightness of her photos, and the classic vibes I got when scrolling through her work.
Our next task was to lock in our ceremony venue. The two of us had frequented the Wayside Inn and liked to walk around the grounds there, so we felt the Martha-Mary Chapel would be the ideal choice. The chapel was a reflection of our theme in so many ways. From the traditional architecture to the peaceful nature surrounding the grounds to the historical significance in which the chapel exulted, it was just what we were looking for. Even better, this place was a familiar one. It wasn’t just another wedding venue to us; we had a history here and thus we knew we had found the perfect backdrop for our ceremony.

After locking in a few vendors and venues, I chose a Justin Alexander wedding dress that I found to be simple, elegant, and timeless. It was important for me to find a dress that could convey who I was while still tying everything back to our theme. It was the subtle simplicity of the dress, with its little details, that stood out to me the most. It wasn’t over the top, yet I felt it was a statement piece in its own way. From there, I picked out a veil that had the slightest touch of lace to complement the dress’s details. To bring it all together, I chose a pair of classic freshwater pearl earrings as a finishing touch. As for the groom, he decided to wear a classic black tuxedo, bow tie, and suspenders. Sparing no details, we chose to have our justice of the peace wear a white tux with a black bow tie, pocket square, and buttons to help achieve the timeless look we were striving for. My bridesmaids and I all had classic updos done by the incredible Amy and Steph, representing Lyndsay Simon Beauty. Our makeup was also kept classic with a look done by the talented Layza and Tasha of Glamour Cosmetics who helped bring together all of these details to carry out one cohesive look.

Amanda March, the owner of Ninety-Two Design Co., was our florist. She was truly incredible in helping bring our timeless green-and-white vision to life. I knew from the beginning that greenery and classic flower choices were going to be key in transforming our ceremony and reception spaces. Amanda and I spent a ton of time coming up with a design that would complement the venue’s traditional architecture without covering it up. This was important for Alex and me, as we wanted to keep the historical nature of the chapel intact without trying to change it into something it wasn’t. This was true for our reception space, too. A bit of added greenery helped transform both spaces while also carrying out our timeless theme from venue to venue. Having two different venues came with its own set of challenges and concerns—I wanted to ensure the journey we set out to have at the ceremony location didn’t get lost at the reception location. Blending became a critical tool I used to keep every detail the same from one location to the next. We even asked our guests to wear green or black to further tie everything together, since I wanted our guests to feel like they were a part of our love story. With this in mind, we incorporated the guest experience into as many aspects of our day as we could. After all, our guests were a major part of the history of Alex and me: these people who filled the room on our wedding day had all contributed to our love story, each in their own way. With this in mind, we worked to create an experience that would resonate with our guests. This included the historical ties, the small, intimate group, our interactive guest book, and the donut appetizers (a favorite of ours). Even the black-and-white photos that covered the bar represented the past and present story of us that many of our guests had played an integral role in. As I looked around on our wedding day, seeing all these plans come to life, I knew it was these details that not only set the tone but also revealed the history of our love story throughout the course of the day.

When the day finally came, it turned out to be just as Alex and I had envisioned. All the details and all our hard work had come together to set the stage for the most important part of the day, which was making memories with those we love. As it was the conversations over pictures, the guests’ expressions when they saw the flowers, the laughs we had while reading our vows, and the guest book messages that Alex and I will be able to look back at years from now that meant the most to us. There is no doubt that many memories had been made, but my favorite moment of the day was listening to Alex read his vows. There I was, standing before my family, friends, and the man I love in a white dress that dreams are made of, listening to Alex say, “Before I hand this ceremony back over, I wanted to give you this” as he whipped out a twenty-dollar bill. “Here is the twenty-dollar admittance fee I owe you from our first date. Thank you for taking a chance on me and for becoming my wife,” he added. It was at that moment, laughing uncontrollably because I remembered that Alex had made me pay my way into the museum on our first date, that I realized why a wedding day is so special. Together, we had painted a picture in our history book, and to me, that’s what is so beautiful about the wedding-planning process. That truly special moment will forever be a part of the history of us.

As for other thoughts on the photos. I love the timeless nature of the photos. It was an aesthetic that we really wanted to achieve when planning our wedding. As when we began planning our wedding we talked about whats important to us as a couple. It just happened that we found ourselves time after time saying to each other we wanted to be able to look back at the photos years from now and say they are still in style. That the photos would last the test of time and most importantly reflect who we are. Thus the theme of timeless and simplicity came to the forefront of our decisions. We knew decorations and locations were only a component to completing this vision. Another big component would be picking the right photographer as we felt photography plays a massive role in capturing and completing a vision. From the editing of photos to the photographers style, we wanted all of it to be inline with our vision. It’s funny as you have your wedding day and then comes the waiting game. What will the photos look like? Was everything that we wanted captured? You wonder all these things and then you get the email with the link to your final gallery and it’s a surreal feeling. Going through the photos seeing our vision reflected in each and every photo is a rewarding moment to say the least. One where the two of us looked at each other and said wow. Look what we accomplished. Pretty amazing how photos can both bring out and capture so many feelings.

Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship! There are so many to tell. One thing we treasure is our ability to make each other laugh, and our vows reflected just that on our wedding day. We both incorporated some jokes into our vows that only the two of us knew about to give our family and friends a glimpse into our sense of humor. It’s a great feeling to look out at your friends and family and see them all laughing along with us. By incorporating some jokes into our vows, we were both able to give our guests some insight into who we are as a couple and the type of marriage we strive to have. Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning. Something I quickly learned during wedding planning is to know your red flags when it comes to booking venues and vendors. They are crucial to your wedding and one wrong pick can cause many headaches. When we first started planning, we toured a few venues that caught our attention. After a few tours, we found a venue we liked and proceeded to set a date. All that was left to do was get a few answers from the venue to then be able to put our deposit down. To any future bride or groom, I’d say one major red flag to beware of is the waiting game. The venue took forever to get back to us, and both of us had conversations about if we should find a new venue or wait. In the end, after 3 months of back and forth with the venue being very vague and unresponsive, we decide to walk away and start over again. It was disappointing as we both put time and effort into finding a location we liked, but we both had to come to the conclusion that it just wasn’t going to work out. In the end, the venues we ended up picking not only exceeded our expectations but it almost felt as though the other venue just wasn’t meant to be. Booking venues and vendors can take some effort. We had to keep trying and when we found the right fit everything seemed to come together. So I’d say be aware of red flags and go with your gut. If something feels off or you don’t get the right vibe from one of your venues or vendors, there are others out there. Most importantly work together as a couple to find the right fit, as I know that is what helped us out the most. If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be? I would say it is important to give yourself enough time to enjoy the journey. Everyone says the wedding day goes by quickly, but it’s key to give yourself enough time to enjoy the whole process. The more time you have to wedding plan, the more parties you can throw along the way and the more time you have to make sure your wedding is exactly as you want it to be. Most of all, it’s critical to ensure there’s enough time to enjoy being fiancés. When the day finally arrives, it will fly by. One minute you’re in a robe getting ready and the next thing you know you’re having your first dance. At our wedding, the two of us sat at the reception and couldn’t believe the ceremony was already over. In the days that followed the wedding, we couldn’t believe all of it was over. The big day, the parties, and the wedding planning milestones of which we accomplished along the way were all completed. So to this, I say take it all in. Not just the wedding day, but rather take in the process as a whole. What is the most honest thing you can say about love? The most honest thing I can say about love is to always try. Love is not easy nor is relationships or marriages, but if love is what you are looking for, then it is always worth it to try. Ask someone you like out, go out on a date, and give it your all as only then can you say you tried. It is in moments such as when a relationship didn’t work out or if there wasn’t a solution to a problem to be found, whatever it may be, when you give it a try love always has a way of giving clarity to a situation. We have found in moments of difficulty, love prevails the most, and when you find the one that puts as much effort into a relationship or marriage as you, it will just click one day. When the person has met you halfway and tried too, you will know you have found the one. There will be something about that person that your heart, soul, and mind will gravitate towards. You will both find a way to love each other, not give up, and learn to try in both the ups and downs that you will go through in life. Photographer: VS Photography
Venue: Martha-Mary Chapel at The Wayside Inn (Ceremony) ; Heritage of Sherborn (Reception)
Stylist / Planner / Designer: Amanda Walsh
Floral Designer: ninety-two design co.
Dress Boutique: Beautiful Bride Boutique
Dress Designer: Justin Alexander
Cake Designer: Dessert Works
Makeup Artist: Glamour Cosmetics
Hair Stylist: Lyndsay Simon Beauty
Mens Formalwear: Delux Tux
Rentals: Sudbury True Value Rental
Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations
Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab