Historical-Meets-Modern: A Whimsical Garden Wedding in the Mountains of Vermont

What do you get when you mix Old World architecture with the contemporary wedding design sensibilities we’re all loving? Kelsey + Jared’s beautiful garden wedding day, that’s what.

“We got married at Abraham Lincoln’s son’s summer home in Manchester, Vermont,” says the couple. “Hildene is settled in the Equinox Mountains and has the most stunning view you’ve ever seen.”

And in that gorgeous historic setting Kelsey + Jared created a sophisticated celebration that featured lots of hand drawn paper goods, chic + unique bridal style, custom embroidered linens, and a funky film photo booth. 

“The garden really served as the inspo for the day,” says Kelsey. “I used flowers from the garden in my bridesmaids’ bouquets, and I wanted the dresses to all match the garden. They all wore different colors, silhouettes, patterns, and textures to mimic the diversity of a garden.”

We cannot get enough of Ruby Olivia’s gorgeous photos from this whimsical wedding day. Delicate florals. Stunning views. Playful colors. You’re really gonna love it.

Like The Bird was behind these darling hand drawn invitations and their adorable illustrations.

Getting Ready

BRB, adding Kelsey’s breezy blue linen By Anthropologie Eyelet-Trim Pajamas to our cart.

Kelsey’s gave her bridesmaids matching floral Nicolette Sleep Sets from Piyama for the getting ready portion of the day.

Check out our collection of all the best bridesmaid gifts to find something thoughtful to surprise your besties with on your big day.

Are those a pair of gorgeous green wedding shoes we see?! You know we’re loving these vibrant green Gucci open toe slides.

Check out our collection of wedding shoes to find the pair that’ll add something exciting to your wedding day look. Not saying they have to be green 😉

“Cinq was in NYC for bridal fashion week and I got an appointment with them to try on dresses. I actually love this story,” Kelsey says. “It was a really cloudy October day and it had been raining on and off all day. When I was in the showroom, I tried on like 3 of their dresses and the entire time it was still cloudy outside. The minute I put on my dress – known as the Gayle – the sun started to pour through the showroom… like directly on me. I remember looking at Mayce, the designer and founder of Cinq and I was like “ok universe.. I’m listening!!'”

“It was the only dress that I tried on that felt like ME. I ended up changing the straps like 3 weeks before the wedding. We took the off the shoulder pieces of fabric and twisted them until they were tightened. I’ve never felt more like myself and more beautiful in my life.”

Jared fittingly found his classic black tuxedo at Generation Tux.

Kelsey’s crew did a brilliant job of recreating the floral fantasy of a garden with this beautiful mismatched bridal party palette that they put together with looks from Anthropologie Weddings and Reformation. Shop the exact bridesmaids dresses here.

Take a look through our list of the best floral bridesmaid dresses if you’re digging the botanical vibe.

If you’ve been on the hunt for bridal looks for short hair, make sure to save Kelsey’s flippy bob by Hopcraft Collective! Also, how lovely is this rosy, glowy bridal makeup by Alyssa Bajer?

A First Look With Dad

Our Favorite Memory
My favorite memories of the day was getting ready with my bridesmaids, doing my first look with my dad, and seeing Jared's face when I walked down the aisle. It was magical in every way possible.

The Ceremony

These embroidered “happy tears” hankies made for such fun + creative guest favors!

During the ceremony, Kelsey + Jared exchanged wedding rings from LVII.

“The back yard features a mini hedge-maze like garden that Robert Lincoln created for his wife,” Kelsey says of the ceremony setting. “It was the most dreamy setting to walk down the aisle.”

Lily of the Valley Florist filled the scenic spot with romantic, cloud-like blush + ivory pedestal arrangements.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"Godspeed" by Frank Ocean
Recessional
"Dog Days are Over" by Florence and the Machine
First Dance
"A Song for You" by Donny Hathaway

We love the way Kelsey’s wedding day look showed off all of her super cool ink. Take a look through our list of unique couple tattoo ideas if you want to add something romantic to your own tattoo collection.

“Jared and I have been together for 10 years and have had our fair share of ups and downs, as every couple does,” Kelsey says. “We met when we were neighbors in college, we were both 21. We were engaged once before and ended up breaking up for a little under a year…”

“Our families were devastated. So when we found our way back to each other and decided to have a full on wedding, our friends and families were so excited. The wedding served as a thank you and a love letter not only to us but to our friends and loved ones who got us where we are today.”

“We kept joking that ‘something blue is out and something green is in,'” Kelsey says, since she went with these iconic Gucci heels and Jared decided to rock a pair of green socks.

“The wedding was magical in every way possible,” say Kelsey + Jared. “It rained the week before and was supposed to rain the day of the wedding but it just disappeared. Not a cloud in sight.”

The Reception

Dive into our garden party attire style guide if you’ve got an occasion like Kelsey + Jared’s wedding on your calendar.

All of these blue + cream floral print table linens were custom made for the day by Mayjor Design.

Kelsey + Jared’s guests got to enjoy a delicious dinner catered by Pangaea.

This adorable bar menu featuring clever cat-inspired signature cocktails? And each place setting’s custom napkin? They were all were embroidered by Abbode!

Custom matchbooks are one of our favorite personalize-able touches! Love that these feature the same cute custom illustrations that appeared throughout Kelsey + Jared’s paper goods.

After switching into this reception dress (a shorter version of her beautiful ceremony dress) and bridal headband, Kelsey hopped into this film photo booth from Saratoga Photo Booth Company with her new hubby.

“I feel like everyone who attended our wedding was just FULL of joy and happiness,” remembers Kelsey. “People I’ve known my whole life just letting loose. It was seriously the most beautiful part of the night. I really feel like Jared and I bring that side out of people because we are genuinely so in love and overall very happy people. We didn’t leave the dance floor and had the most insane night dancing with everyone.”

Our Advice
 HIRE A CONTENT CREATOR. I don't just mean this for influencers. Having BTS video of my family and friends is so special. Your videographers cannot be everywhere all of the time so having someone capture the day on your iPhone is so special. I could go on and on about how happy I am when I go through my videos.

Congratulations, Kelsey + Jared! What a gorgeous garden wedding day in Vermont! GWS wishes you both nothing but the best!