spotlight on jaime + ryan: real wedding

they say a little rain on your wedding day is good luck. if that's the case, these two lovebirds should be set for life! a relentless downpour moved their planned tree-lined ceremony into an enchanted tent, and as you'll see by the huge smiles on their faces, they certainly did not let a few (well a LOT) of raindrops ruin their wedding day. i love so many of the details from their wedding, including everything from her orchid bouquet to the leaf place cards hanging from a magical tree. this is a top notch wedding, sure to inspire all you future fall brides. enjoy!

pretty bride, gorgeous dress

from the bride:

we were honored to have our wedding hosted by my parents at their katonah home; unequaled not only in its 1870's colonial architecture, but in its rich history and treasured memories with which it overflows to this day.

while we entertained the thought of choosing an off-site location and visited several local venues, we just kept coming back to the enchantment of a wedding on orchard hill...and so it was.

the bride & her maids

pretty lady

love this orchid bouquet

how fantastic is this candid of the bride with her dad?!

on the afternoon of our wedding, it began to rain...and, boy, did it rain. into the night and through the days ahead...12 inches in all. with storm clouds diminishing any chance of a sunset wedding, i was escorted by my brothers from the house to the ceremony tent (instead of the outdoor, tree-lined aisle we had planned) under oversized umbrellas and lifted over puddles in the grass. and you know, even though i dreamed something entirely different, looking back i wouldn't have had it any other way.

AH-MA-ZING dress

happy groom : )

the entire wedding day was our favorite part. for a bride, by today's standards, i wouldn't say i was overly involved in the planning. sure, i made final decisions and had some specific ideas in mind, but i was very lucky to have a mom, maid of honor, and an event coordinator who could help keep me focused and from being overwhelmed by the minutia. as such, every single moment of our wedding day exceeded both mine and ryan's expectations.

groom & his men

leaf-lined aisle, love

this might possibly be my favorite photo

altar built by the bride's brothers

it's hard to explain this, but i didn't want a video of our wedding. i just didn't want to see our wedding day through anyone else's eyes but my own. with that, some of the most replayed moments in our minds from the evening include my sister-in-law, keely, belting etta james' "at last" in her most fantastically soulful voice, as well as my brothers walking me to the aisle where i met my dad for the final steps to the altar they had built by hand for the nuptials.

such a beautiful setting

for the last 5 years, i have reserved the word "magical" in my vocabulary to only describe our wedding. i treasure the word as i recall the intimacy of walking into the ceremony tent with the soft, dream-like lighting and warm hearts of our friends and family. nothing can ever take that away, and for that i am eternally grateful to the rain.

i love this picture, pure happiness

sealed with a kiss

mr & mrs

we knew hosting the wedding at our own venue would be a hefty undertaking, but were valiantly led by the experience and dexterity of event coordinator dj chain. while a few of the key vendors are listed here, we had an extensive and truly remarkable support team in place all week to manage every detail from the outdoor tents to the lighting to the parking to the landscaping to the plumbed restrooms (which i understand even had music playing for our guests).

love the rustic centerpieces with hanging votives

i want a tree like this in my backyard

leaf place cards

he wears his sunglasses at night

getting down on the dancefloor

fall-tastic wedding cake, love the initials

late night bball stadium snacks

this is when you know it's been a good night

when something doesn't go according to plan on your wedding day, and believe me it will happen, take a deep breath, and revise your plan. try to accept and appreciate every moment...even the unexpected ones. as important as the wedding day is, even more so is the happily ever after part.

thank you so very much to jaime and ryan for sharing their special day with us. and a huge thank you to bruce plotkin for all of these gorgeous photographs.

vendors:

event coordinator: dj chain events

photographer: bruce plotkin

food: sarah bouissou

flowers/decor: david beahm

band: kameleon orchestras