Outdoor wedding ceremonies are a must in New England, it is one of the few places that you can experience all the seasons throughout the course of 12 months. But throwing an outdoor wedding can be tricky no matter what the season is so here are a few tips on throwing the perfect outdoor wedding!

Use nature – The best part of getting married outdoors in the natural beauty of nature. Tie in the seasonal nature with the décor, whether it be the changing leaves in the fall or the bright greens and blues of the summer, work with the nature around you to make your ceremony beautiful.  Don’t just stop at décor, tie in the nature of the seasons with the food as well. Use fresh veggies or create a delicious specialty cocktail with the flavors of the season.  

Inform Guests Beforehand- Make sure you inform your guest beforehand so they can come prepared. A small note on the wedding invitation will go a long way to your guests. Heels are often a big problem when it comes to outdoor weddings, if you’re getting married in a grassy outdoor space warn your female guest to not wear their sky high heels, or even better now you can purchase heel protectors that prevent heels from sinking into the grass.

Offer Guest Accommodation - Whether you are having your wedding in the dead of summer or during the cooler fall months it is important to offer guests accommodations to make your ceremony more enjoyable for them. If your wedding date is on the hotter side make sure there is plenty of cool water for guest. You can even make your programs into hand fans for guest to use during the ceremony. If you wedding is on the cooler side offer blankets at seats and hot cider or cocoa so guests can stay cozy in the cool air. (Our recently married couple Jennifer and Zachary provided blankets, hand warmers and hot apple cider for their guests during their evening outdoor ceremony!)

Decorate- Although nature is often the most beautiful décor, make sure to incorporate flowers and lighting to give your outdoor wedding ceremony a beautiful touch.  Lighting is a great thing to take advantage in an outdoor wedding.  Get creative and add a touch of romantic ambiance to an outdoor wedding. Align your aisle with fresh (or faux!) rose petals and light your way as you walk down to say “I Do” with candles and lanterns! 

Everyone knows that weddings can get expensive. From flowers, to finding the perfect wedding dress there are tons of expenses that come along with celebrating your special day. Here a few tips to help you keep the costs down while still having the day you have always dreamed of.

Flowers- Flowers are a huge, often over looked, cost of many weddings. Order flowers from your local floral shop (our three recommended florists!) Or, if you are trying to stay within a certain budget-- try skipping floral center pieces all together, depending on your wedding it might be perfect to have an alternative to flowers such as candles! Our three-tiered candle lit centerpieces create a beautiful, elegant touch!

Photographer- Wedding photographers can be a big ticket item at your wedding. Photographs are an important part of capturing your special day, so a photographer is a must. Hire local talent (our two recommended ones!)

Dress- Try a used wedding dress or borrow a wedding dress from someone in your family. Not only will it save on one of the biggest costs of the wedding, but it will also be a sentimental touch to walk down the aisle in a family members dress. If you don’t have that option, or are looking for something a little different try finding your dress at a discount bridal stores or trunk sale.

Wedding Cake- The national average cost of a wedding cake is around $500. To save some money, try something other than a typical 3 tiered wedding cake. Serving cupcakes or having a candy station is a fun way to cut back on the cost of your typical wedding deserts.

Hire a DJ- If you’re trying to keep costs down and deciding between a DJ and a band, often times a DJ is much less expensive. Another upside to choosing a DJ is the eclectic range of music you can play with a DJ.

Get Crafty- Do it yourself décor is a fun way to add your own personal touch to your wedding and save some money in the process. Get creative and make your own signs or seating place cards to tie into the theme of your wedding. You could also go as far as making your own wedding favors for your guest to take home at the end of the night.

Start early – If you’re not rushed to get everything you need, you will have time to shop around more, compare prices, and plan to hit big wedding sales. Starting early allows you to plan for any unseen financial costs that may arise.

Miscellaneous – Miscellaneous cost can add up fast and are often over looked. One charge that often can be avoided is delivery charges. If you, or someone you know, are able to pick up items like the wedding cake, flowers, etc. you could be saving on the high cost of delivery charges. 

Use a Credit Card with Good Points- No matter how you slice the cake, while planning a wedding you will be charging a lot of expenses. It is important to take advantage of a credit card with good points, so you get the most for your money.   

Fall is finally here and soon the leaves will be changing and air will become a little crisper, but that doesn’t mean wedding season has to end. In fact, fall is one of our favorite times of the year to plan a wedding. Here are a few of our favorite tips and tricks for taking advantage of all that fall has to offer.

Take Advantage of Nature- Fall may be one of the most unique times of the year. Take advantage of the beautiful color pallet when the leaves begin to change. Make sure to snap a few pictures outside in front of some foliage or take the seasonal décor inside to bring the unique nature of the season to you.

Play with Color- If you’re planning a fall wedding play with different colors. The changing of the leaves makes for a beautiful color pallet, everything from deep purples to burnt oranges. Color is a great way to incorporate the season’s beauty into your wedding.

Indulge in Fall Foods- Fall offers some of the best and most indulgent foods of the season. Play with fun fall flavors from pumpkin to apple pie even Thanksgiving turkey. Offer guests the quintessential fall indulgence, caramel apples. You can even package them up and offer them to guest for a sweet snack after a long night of dancing.

Warm your guest up- Fall time the weather gets cooler, remember to warn guest if you are planning on having an outdoor wedding. Also try providing blankets on each of your guest’s chairs so if the weather does cool down your guest won’t be left shivering. Another helpful touch would be serving hot apple cider or hot cocoa as a cozy treat to warm guest up.

Fall has so much to offer and because it’s not the typical wedding season your guest won’t feel wedding whiplash. So don’t count out the fall when planning your wedding. 

I have been lucky enough to be apart of countless special days over the past 5 years, and have seen many different wedding themes come to life. I have met a variety of amazing couples, worked with many talented vendors, and have even shed a few tears for others during a beautiful ceremony--but, this past weekend's wedding was different for me.

Saturday, September 26th was a picture perfect day with a partly- cloudy, tinted blue sky, and 68-degrees of crisp fall air.

Saturday, September 26th was Pat and I's vey own wedding day! 

The morning began at 7:00am with an array of breakfast snacks, pastries and of course, mimosas--as my nine bridesmaids and I got our hair and makeup done in our ombré inspired matching kimonos.

(If you loved Gossip Girl back in the day, you may love this framed saying as much as I did when I got it!)

The morning hours began to trickle away, and soon it became time for our photographers (we love you Jenni & Jess!) to snap a few getting ready photos of the girls and I before heading off to the CCB to prepare for Pat and I's first look!

If you are deciding whether or not to do a first look before your ceremony, I will forever say YES you should! Those moments are the best intimate ones you will ever have before your ceremony! We also decided to do a first look because we had a large wedding party, lots of pictures to do and had dueling pianos during the cocktail hour that we didn't want to miss!

Our day went off without a hitch and had a lot of fun surprises! The biggest surprise for me came during our ceremony. Pat had told me he was going to say "a little something" after our vows, so I wasn't surprised when he pulled out a small piece of paper that he had written on. What surprised me was how moved he was while reciting them and how everyone (including myself) was brought to tears by his words.

We did the majority of traditional wedding events (first dance, cake cutting etc) but also added a few things along the way! I did a swing dance with my father to Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely", surprised my mother by presenting my bouquet to her instead of tossing it--and even had our DJ dedicate a special song to my parents for their upcoming 30th wedding anniversary! The biggest surprise event of the night was when Pat and his twin sister Katie did a choreographed dance of a variety of songs mixed together! (I didn't even know about it!!)

Overall, our wedding was everything we hoped it would be!

One thing I've learned over the past 5 years of working in the wedding industry, is that everyone has their own story and sacred memories of their special day. Most of those stories began with, "make sure to enjoy every moment, because it will fly by!". What's funny for us, is that we both woke up the morning after our wedding and agreed that it didn't fly by. We were able to be present and enjoy every aspect of the day--from our ceremony (which was officiated by my uncle!) to our very last dance. We laughed, we cried  and we danced until we couldn't dance anymore.

If I can give any future couples any advice to take from our experience, it is to be present. Enjoy every aspect of your day, completely and fully--and to appreciate everything. (And...to do a first look!!!)

I remember a moment during our ceremony where I looked out and began to notice everyone that was there to be apart of our special day. I noticed my parents in the front row, smiling from ear to ear. I noticed my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who I am lucky enough to spend every holiday with. I noticed a few coworkers by the DJ stand. I noticed friends from middle school, high school, and from college, Pat's fraternity brothers and their wives and even a few faces of those I would soon meet.

In that very moment, I was humbled. All of these wonderful people had come together to witness Pat and I be married after 9 years of being together--and for that I couldn't be more thankful.

So to all of our amazing couples out there whose special day is approaching:

Be present, be thankful and appreciate those around you. 💜 Jillian