Handmade Connecticut Wedding: Jessica + Rob

I just adore Jessica + Rob’s handmade whimsical wedding. They stayed true to themselves and made every decision together as a couple. Both their ceremony and reception took place at the Keeler Tavern Museum and Garden House in Ridgefield, Connecticut. After the sweet outdoor ceremony, guests dined, danced and even played croquet. Congrats to Jessica + Rob and thanks so much to The Melideos for the lovely photos!

What song did you walk down the aisle to? I walked down the aisle to Aria and we left to Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. We wanted something that wasn’t too traditional or recognizable. We had an amazing string trio that captured the mood perfectly!

The ceremony took place on the rooftop patio, where Jessica + Rob exchanged vows before the officiant announced “You may now update your facebook status.”

The groomsmen all wore large hand-sewn heart felt pins for boutonnières and smaller versions were given out to the guests to “wear their hearts on their sleeves” – so sweet!

Most memorable moment of your wedding day? It was after dinner and before cake – Rob and I had taken a walk to the far end of the gorgeous garden where our friends were playing croquet. He got called away to chat with someone and I had a moment alone in the garden. It was like time stood still and I could hear the band’s music floating in the air, the sun slipping through the leaves and all that we had worked for coming together flawlessly. It only lasted a moment before I was whisked away by a lovely guest, but in that moment I knew that we had done it!

Jessica had hand-drawn all of the placemats to incorporate the guests’ names, and the large paper flower centerpieces made it feel like the garden had been brought indoors!

Any advice for those planning now?
Absolutely – there are so many sweet and thoughtful wedding ideas out there these days. Visit these gorgeous blogs regularly and keep a folder of favorites on your desktop. Inspiration doesn’t have to come from a wedding source – I pulled ideas from Real Simple magazine, Anthropologie store fronts and my favorite books like the Great Gatsby. Realize that the small details can bully the true purpose and meaning of a wedding and don’t let them – take control of your wedding by enjoying the process and not letting it stress you out. We managed to totally enjoy it.

Also, choose vendors in the same way that you would choose your friends. You need to be able to laugh with these people and feel completely confident in their abilities – after all – they will be with you on your wedding day! We loved every single person that we hired because they were passionate about what they do and talented in their field, we didn’t try to tell them what to do – instead – we tried to find people who were already doing amazing things and who were inspired by us and our wedding.

vendors

photography: The Melideos // venue name: Cass Gilbert Garden House, Ridgefield, CT // bride's shoes: Nine West // hair stylist: Adam Broderick Salon and Spa // makeup artist: Adam Broderick Salon and Spa // groom attire: custom built at MySuit // catering: Michael Bick -- Some Things Fishy, Bethel CT // cake: Cake Suite // floral design: made all paper flowers by hand using packing tissue collected through the year of our engagement // wedding dress: Carol Hannah purchased at Lovel // cinematography: Well Spun // invitations: Minted -- I added a hand drawn map, a postcard from the venue's gift shop and a letterpressed coaster custom ordered from Ruff House Art // paper goods: Minted -- I added a hand drawn map, a postcard from the venue's gift shop and a letterpressed coaster custom ordered from Ruff House Art