Hannah and Kristie were married at Quonquont Farm in Whately, MA. Their laid back May celebration was one that perfectly reflected them as a couple. “Kristie’s from Virginia and I’m a New England girl through-and-through”, explained Hannah, “so we wanted to find a happy balance that would allow all our friends and family to feel comfortable and have a good time. Elegant, rustic, authentic, quirky, and comfortable were all words we threw around during the planning process.”
“I joke a lot that our wedding was crowd-funded, but seriously! Family members, friends, and friends-of-friends really came through to help us. They arranged our flowers, did my make up, make 150 truffles from scratch, helped with DIY projects, played live music during the ceremony, DJed the whole reception, bartended at the last minute, carpooled, ran errands, and make sure we were eating and sleeping and happy. One of them even get ordained online so they could marry us. This wedding would never have gotten off the ground without them!”
“As this was a gay wedding I felt zero pressure to do things the traditional way”, she continued. “Bouquet toss? Gone. Weird garter-stripper dance? No thank you. We kept the traditions that were meaningful to us, like a first dance and incorporating significant family items. The blouse portion of my dress was made by hand using Chinese parachute silk that my grandfather brought back during World War II. My grandmother (who passed away four years ago) used it for her wedding dress, which my mother also wore years later. There was enough left over for part of my dress, and my sister’s when the time comes! Kristie carried her grandfather’s wedding ring in her pocket during the ceremony and reception (he had also passed).”
“We’re both very close with our families, and it was really important to us that we feel they were all there. One of my best friends, Steve, received a one-day solemnization from the state of Massachusetts so he could marry us in a brief, non-religious ceremony that was perfect parts Kristie and I (think Patsy Cline lyrics paired with a Pablo Neruda poem). The cupcake truck was also a huge hit during the reception. I don’t think I’ve ever seen people run so fast in heels. I loved not having a traditional cake; this way, we could offer four different flavors that catered to all the dietary restrictions on the guest list. Plus it was wicked cute and made for great pictures!”
“I loved all the DIY projects we did. It meant we were working on this wedding for more than a year and a half, but we put so much love, sweat, and tears into those projects, I think it made the whole thing more meaningful. We hand-stamped our save-the-dates on vintage postcards from places we loved and our hometowns (we found the postcards at flea markets and on eBay). I customized the Hello! Lucky invitations on their website, and used a vintage typewriter to type out all of our detail cards. I then designed and printed our reply cards to match the font of the invitations. Kristie made all of the cork place card holders, and I stamped the names. We put together activity bags for all the kids under 12 who were attending the wedding, with a custom I-Spy list, puzzles that we painted, crayons, and little toys. We also put together welcome baskets for out-of-town guests that included snacks, a mix CD, Advil (duh), and directions to the farm.”
“I made our backdrop by stringing twine between two stepladders (lent to us by friends) and tying different colored ribbon to it. For the reception centerpieces, we bought a ton of vintage jars and vases from flea markets and thrift shops, and I spray-painted them to make them look like they’d been dipped in gold. Kristie made chalkboard signs (for the bar, etc.) from scratch, and painted them with chalkboard paint. I did the lettering with a chalk pen. She made our table numbers out of wood and dowel rods, and painted those with chalkboard paint as well. Our escort cards doubled as guest favors; we bought vinyl chalkboard stickers and put them on mason jars (and added paper straws of course). I wrote everyone’s name and table number with the chalk pen. They got to use them during the reception, then take them home!”
“I got a great piece of advice at our rehearsal dinner from a friend who’s been married for two years,” Hannah concluded. “I had been explaining to her how worried I was that the day would fly by. She said, ‘You can slow things down and decide what you remember.’ I closed my eyes for a moment during the ceremony, my hands in Kristie’s, and felt the sun on my face and heard the birds singing. That was the only point during the day where time seemed to be moving at its regular pace; everything else felt like it had been sped up. Choose when to slow it down.”
The Gallery
Suppliers
- Photography & Video: Love + Perry Photography
- Venue: Quonquont Farm
- Hannah's Dress: Whitney Deal ('Ruby' skirt & 'Glea' blouse)
- Hannah's Shoes: Lucky Brand via Victoria's Secret
- Hair: Fringe Studio
- Kristie's Attire: Gap, H&M, Forever 21, Vans
- Bridesmaid's Dress: J Crew
- Cake: SugarBakers Cake Truck
- Stationery: Hello! Lucky
- Catering: Special Requests