This is the ninth in a series of blog posts about the aspects of a wedding that made it unique and special to the couple. It is called Five Things I Loved About My Wedding. This series is intended to provide inspiration for couples who are planning their wedding. Many couples have a big vision of what they want on the day, but this is more about the details. Many of the weddings discussed in this series will have taken place in Central Park, but weddings from other locations will be featured. This wedding took place at Raffael’s Banquet Facility in Walpole, MA. Hanna, who blogs at Rated by Hanna, married Dana this summer. She wrote about several of these aspects in her own blog, so check it out for more information. Here are five things she remembers very fondly from her wedding.
Wedding Day Outfit
Some brides find their perfect wedding dress instantly, others go through several salons before deciding. I consider myself a mix of both scenarios. My bridal party and mother in law thoughtfully coordinated for me to go to bridal shops to browse various bridal gowns. They all felt too stuffy, too tight or too over the top. As if it were fate I found a dress I fell in love with at first sight online and ordered it immediately! I held my breath as it arrived in the mail to try on. I even contemplated ordering 2 sizes as I was unsure of my measurements. Now we’ve all heard those horror stories for clothes that fit nothing like the display photo. Surprisingly the dress fit perfectly, even the length was right and I didn’t even need any alterations! (Unheard of for a shortly like me.) The rest of my outfit accessories all came together in the following months when I found my something blue shoes, capelet to keep warm in the cool spring temperature and fascinator with veil. I could not be happier with how the outfit I chose turned out, it looked especially gorgeous with the added petticoat and professional lighting adjustments.
First Dance & Song
When my husband and I first started dating, the first concert ever that we attended was to see Jon McLaughlin perform in June 2012! It felt only appropriate that we should also choose another one of his songs for our first dance. We instantly fell in love with the song I Am Always Gonna Love You. We even committed to taking weekly dance lessons to make sure that we wouldn’t look too awkward since we are both awfully uncoordinated. Leading up to the wedding the dates even lined up perfectly that we saw Jon McLaughlin live again two weeks before the big day. He signed our wedding Save the Date and another keep sake at his concert Meet & Greet. We were worried we would be either too early or too late transitioning into the dip at the end of the song, but it all came together seamlessly!
4-Tier Cake
One of the most exciting aspects of the wedding planning was definitely was designing our cake! We couldn’t decide after one cake tasting at Konditor Meister, so we went back for a second visit to try even more flavors! I can’t say the decision was easy but we narrowed it down to just four flavors, one for each layer. The bottom was the largest so we chose Tiramisu for the large Italian demographic of guests, Mango (this was surprisingly divine), Lemon Raspberry and their signature Strawberry Grand Marnier. We had about 1/3 of the bottom layer left over for us to slowly finish and share with my co-workers. For the extra touch of personalized detail we added the rolled chocolate leaves on the side of the cake, and chocolate sign with our initials! Our cake perfectly embodied our unique tastes and I dream of it to this day.
The Weather
Despite checking the weather incessantly during the days leading up to the wedding, it completely poured on our big day! Overcast with 0% chance of precipitation predicted, proved the New England weather’s fickle nature. The good news was that we still managed to have our entire Wedding Ceremony outside by the Raffael’s Banquet Facility iconic Gazebo as it was less than 30 minutes long! Thankfully none of our guests were soaked from the immediate downpour in the middle of our cocktail hour reception and family/wedding party photo shoot. A few hours later it cleared up enough for us to go out again to take more photos. It’s good luck to have rain on the wedding day right?!
Maids of Honor & Best Man Speeches
Yes that’s right we had 2 Maids of Honor and 1 Best Man. My husband can attest to how much I dislike surprises so I was anxious to hear what they prepared for the big day. Of course my freshman college roommate stepped up first and the waterworks started from her touching speech! My second maid of honor always prepared with tissues gave me one to wipe away my tears of joy and proceeded with her equally as heart touching recount of how we became best friends. They both effortlessly evoked laughter about the comical conflicting stories how how my husband and I met. My husband’s oldest childhood friend and Best Man wrapped up the speeches with a hilarious story about the “Kissing Monster” persona and reaffirmed our unwavering love over the past 5 years.
All the wedding photos were by Kristin Griffin Photography.
I love that Hanna purchased her dress online (I bought mine off the rack from a normal store) but they tasted lots of flavors to get the right cake! Her priorities are certainly in the right place! Also, they faced the fear that almost every one of my clients has; it rained on their wedding day. And they survived to tell the tale! Follow Hanna and her reviews at Rated by Hanna, follow her Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest too. If you would like to talk about the five things that really made your wedding special for you, please get in touch. If you are considering a Central Park wedding visit our website, or “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest where you will find lots of lovely photos and many more inspiring stories of real weddings.
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