T&P met a few years ago in a bar in Oakland, CA, where they both live. T is a lawyer, and P is an art director creating educational games for kids. Both are introverts, love nature, and hiking – and it clicked immediately. After some time spent dating, P proposed during their trip in November 2019 to Hawaii. They decided to get married in a vineyard-themed Napa Valley location, and T was busy preparing their 150+ guests' wedding and sharpening her vision working with a wedding designer when COVID-19 struck and changed their plans.
Soon it became clear that a large-scale wedding in 2020 would not happen and that they needed to seek an alternative solution.
And the couple decided to change the format and have an intimate celebration in Boston, the bride's hometown. They started looking for a wedding planner because they knew they needed help planning from across the country and wanted someone they could trust and rely upon!
In December 2020, T contacted me; we had a Zoom call and felt that we were the right fit.
With T's parents' help, the venue was selected – Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston. We liked the inviting feeling of its ballroom, the private space, and the option to have a ceremony in the garden outside. For a bride who loves flowers and dreams of a vineyard wedding, it was a huge bonus!
T&P wanted to embrace the aesthetics of a spring garden wedding with colorful florals, natural shapes, flowering branches, and incorporating small elements of their personality and style.
T is the bride who loves and cherishes flowers. She wanted to include her favorite peonies for the wedding. The lovely and talented Molly of Fleur Events helped refine her vision for not only the florals but the overall decor. We went for a palette of a lot of pinks and peaches with small pops of orange and cream, light grey accents and fresh greenery.
The couple had the First Look in Boston and enjoyed a leisurely stroll to Copley Place and Boston Public Library.
The ceremony arch was a colorful display of flowers with a giant peony, attracting everyone’s attention.
The reception centerpieces were a combination of low and tall arrangements, loosely tied, representing a European tradition and reflection of the Dutch painting.
The vibe was replicated in stationery, welcome sign, and seating chart, a custom design from Calligraphy by Ally. We wanted them to coordinate with our florals' color scheme and be stylish.
T wore the elegant Sienne dress from Alexandra Grecco, a charming pin in her hair, and Jewel shoes by Badgley Mischka. For hair and makeup, Luba suggested Maryelle Artistry, and Tanya loved them!
The handsome groom wore a custom-made suit by Anatoly and Sons in Oakland. The floral tie was a great find that managed to match the bouquet colors and the boutonniere perfectly!
The couple had the bride's sister and groom's brother as the maid of honor and best man.
They matched the groom and best man floral print ties to the MOH dress.
T&P worked with their priest, Reverend Mike Dangelo, to customize the ceremony to focus on the traditions that resonated the most with the couple and their families.
The bride walked down the aisle with her parents to When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge, and the recessional music was Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder.
The same string trio, Innocenti Strings, was performing for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, and they were fantastic!
I recommended Nicole Chan as a wedding photographer; T&P loved her work and enjoyed talking to her over Zoom. They loved her photos of their wedding!
We hired JPod Film to capture the celebration.
To enhance the reception, we rented chargers and golden Chiavari chairs from Party Rental LRD.
Overall, it was a happy and delightful event for 40 guests, full of happiness, good laughter, great food, and an invigorating mood.
It's so easy to get overwhelmed with planning the perfect party with all the details, even if your wedding is small. But in the end, the things that matter most are the intangibles - the mood, attitude, love, and you and your partner - these are the things that make a great wedding! To enjoy it to the fullest, get help and enroll a professional!
Here are some kind words from my bride (the complete review is available on The Knot and Google):
"Hi, Luba,
Thank you so much for planning our wedding! It was such a joy to work with you, and I am still on a high from the wedding and how smoothly everything went! I really appreciate working with you :)"
This exquisite wedding was recently featured by Carats & Cake:
